William Tannen | |
|---|---|
 Tannen (seated) with his father Julius | |
| Born | November 17, 1911 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 2, 1976 (aged 65) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1934–1970 |
| Television | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp |
| Spouse |
Donrue Leighton
(m. 1935; div. 1936) |
| Father | Julius Tannen |
William Tannen (November 17, 1911 – December 2, 1976)[1] was an American actor originally from New York City.
Tannen was the son of actor Julius Tannen.[2] William Tannen became active in drama — both acting and writing — while a student at Lawrenceville School.[3] He made his stage debut in a production of The Honor of the Family with the National Theatre troupe in Washington, D.C.[4]
During the 1930s and 1940s, he was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player. Among his earliest assignments were three appearances as the anonymous "MGM crime reporter" in the studio's Crime Does Not Pay short subjects. Tannen then advanced to membership in the studio's stock company, taking incidental roles in dozens of MGM's feature films. After the studio reduced its personnel in 1948, Tannen began freelancing at other studios but continued to receive assignments at MGM for the next decade. Television viewers of the 1950s recognized Tannen from his role of Deputy Hal Norton in 56 episodes of the ABC/Desilu western television series, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1956-58)
- ^ "John Willis' Screen World: Volume 28", Indiana University, Crown Publishers, p. 237, 1977
- ^ "William Tannen Signed for Role in 'Sitting Bull'". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. May 30, 1954. p. 25. Retrieved November 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "William Ran Away To Become Actor". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. June 22, 1930. p. 26. Retrieved November 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Julius' William Following Dad". Daily News. New York, New York City. June 8, 1930. p. 57. Retrieved November 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
