Royal Edward Dano Sr. (November 16, 1922 - May 15, 1994) was an American actor. In a career spanning 46 years, he was perhaps best known for playing cowboys, villains, and

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...

. Dano also provided the voice of the Audio-Animatronic Lincoln for

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

's '' Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'' attraction at the 1964 World's Fair (brought to

Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisio ...

in 1965), as well as Lincoln's voice at the "

Hall of Presidents The Hall of Presidents is an attraction located in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. The attraction is a multi-media presentation featuring Audio-Animatronic figures of all 45 individuals who have served as Preside ...

" attraction at Disney's

Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The ...

in 1971.

Early life

Dano was born in New York City on November 16, 1922, the eldest of three siblings born to Mary Josephine (née O'Connor), an Irish immigrant, and Caleb Edward Dano, a printer for newspapers.

Career

Dano appeared as McSnoyd the leprechaun in the stage show '' Barnaby and Mr. O'Malley'', based on the

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics ter ...

by Crockett Johnson. McSnoyd appears to the audience only as a blinking light on a large mushroom, so only his voice is heard. However, at the conclusion of the show Dano joined the rest of the cast, wearing a leprechaun costume. Dano is remembered for his supporting roles in a number of 1950s western and mystery films. The chance for the breakout role of a lifetime escaped him in the theatrical release of '' The Red Badge of Courage''. Dano, cast as The Tattered Man, delivered such a disturbing performance in his death scene, according to director

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

, that the initial test audience left the theater in droves, e.g., "I've never seen so many people get up and leave the theater...they liked no part of it." The death scene was lent a human touch by Dano, and in 1951, war-weary Americans rejected it (Huston: "... he audience rejectionwas a pretty sickening event."). ''Red Badge'' was immediately recut, and the death scene was removed. It is long believed, and as early as Huston commenting in an interview in 1972, the scene has been lost ("I doubt very much, whether the scene still exists."). He often worked with

Anthony Mann Anthony Mann (born Emil Anton Bundsmann; June 30, 1906 – April 29, 1967) was an American film director and stage actor. Mann initially started as a theatre actor appearing in numerous stage productions. In 1937, he moved to Hollywood where ...

and

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality ...

. Over the years, Dano made many television appearances, often in bizarre, macabre roles. Dano was also a frequent guest star on ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'', with a total of thirteen appearances. Dano was the voice of

for

's '' Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'' attraction, first presented at the 1964 World's Fair. Disney personally selected Dano, because he felt the actor came closest to the historical descriptions of Lincoln's voice. ''Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'' was moved to

in 1965, and Dano's vocals continued to be a part of the attraction until 2001. In 1971, his voice was also used for a revised Lincoln speech in the new "Hall of Presidents" attraction at

in Florida, which ran to 1993. He died of pulmonary fibrosis on May 15, 1994, in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

. In 2009, Dano's vocals were returned to ''Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'' at Disneyland in an updated version of the show.

Selected filmography

*'' Undercover Girl'' (1950) as The Moocher *'' Under the Gun'' (1951) as Sam Nugent *'' The Red Badge of Courage'' (1951) as The Tattered Soldier *'' Flame of Araby'' (1951) as Basra *'' Bend of the River'' (1952) as Long Tom *'' Carrie'' (1952) as Captain (uncredited) *'' Johnny Guitar'' (1954) as Corey *'' The Far Country'' (1954) as Luke *'' The Trouble with Harry'' (1955) as Deputy Sheriff Calvin Wiggs *''

'' (1955-1971, TV Series) as Henry Mather / Watney / Gideon Hale / Jessup / Jefferson Dooley / Rory Luken / Lambert Haggen / Praylie / Bender / Seth Tandy / Obie Tater *''

Tribute to a Bad Man ''Tribute to a Bad Man'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Robert Wise and starring James Cagney about a rancher whose harsh enforcement of frontier justice alienates the woman he loves. It was based on the short story "Hanging's for ...

'' (1956) as Abe *'' Moby Dick'' (1956) as 'Elijah' *''

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...

'' (1956) as Lobo *''

Tension at Table Rock ''Tension at Table Rock'' is a 1956 American Western drama film directed by Charles Marquis Warren and starring Richard Egan and Dorothy Malone. Wes Tancred ( Richard Egan) is publicly vilified after killing a famous gunslinger who was a publ ...

'' (1956) as Harry Jameson *''

Crime of Passion A crime of passion (French: ''crime passionnel''), in popular usage, refers to a violent crime, especially homicide, in which the perpetrator commits the act against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as anger rather than as a premed ...

'' (1957) as Police Capt. Charlie Alidos *'' All Mine to Give'' (1957) as Howard Tyler *'' Father Knows Best'' (1957, TV Series) as Sageman *'' Trooper Hook'' (1957) as Mr. Trude, Stage Driver *'' Man in the Shadow'' (1957) as Aiken Clay *'' The Millionaire'' (1957, TV Series) as Hap Connolly *''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'' (1957-1960, TV Series) as Mr. Atkins / Martin Ross *'' The Restless Gun'' (1957) Episode "Cheyenne Express" as Wilbur English *''

Saddle the Wind Saddle the Wind is a 1958 American Western film directed by Robert Parrish, written by Rod Serling, produced by Armand Deutsch, and starring Robert Taylor, Julie London and John Cassavetes. The picture was filmed in Metrocolor and CinemaScope. ...

'' (1958) as Clay Ellison *'' Handle with Care'' (1958) as Al Lees *''

Man of the West ''Man of the West'' is a 1958 American Western film noir film starring Gary Cooper and directed by Anthony Mann, produced by Walter Mirisch and distributed by United Artists. The screenplay, written by Reginald Rose, is based on the 1955 nov ...

'' (1958) as Trout *''

Never Steal Anything Small ''Never Steal Anything Small'' is a 1959 American CinemaScope comedy-drama musical film directed by Charles Lederer and starring James Cagney and Shirley Jones. It is based on the play ''The Devil's Hornpipe'' by Maxwell Anderson and Rouben Mamoul ...

'' (1959) as Words Cannon *'' These Thousand Hills'' (1959) as Ike Carmichael *'' The Boy and the Bridge'' (1959) as Evangelist *''

Face of Fire ''Face of Fire'' is a 1959 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Albert Band and written by Louis A. Garfinkle. It is based on the 1898 short story ''The Monster'' by Stephen Crane. The film stars Cameron Mitchell (actor), C ...

'' (1959) as Jake Winter *'' Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (1959, TV Series) as Charlie Wright *'' Hound-Dog Man'' (1959) as Fiddling Tom Waller *'' Route 66'' (1961, TV Series, episode "Most Vanquished, Most Victorious") as Doctor *''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'' (1959-1963, TV Series) as John Bouchette / Boone Caulder *''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The sho ...

'' (1959-1962, TV Series) as Reverend Jamison / Able 'Abe' Lincoln / Aaron Wingate / Jonas Epps / Frank Blandon *'' The Rebel'' (ABC-TV, 1959–1961, TV Series) as Ben Crowe / Amos Cooper *'' The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1960) as Sheriff Harlan *'' Cimarron'' (1960) as Ike Howes (photographer) *'' Have Gun Will Travel'' (1960) as Curley Ashburne *''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded t ...

'' (1960-1962, TV Series) as Robert Mapes / Cole Younger *''

Posse from Hell ''Posse from Hell'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by Herbert Coleman and starring Audie Murphy and John Saxon. Plot In 1880 four escapees from death row, Crip, Leo, Chunk, and Hash ride into the town of Paradise and enter the Roseb ...

'' (1961) as Uncle Billy *''

King of Kings King of Kings; grc-gre, Βασιλεὺς Βασιλέων, Basileùs Basiléōn; hy, արքայից արքա, ark'ayits ark'a; sa, महाराजाधिराज, Mahārājadhirāja; ka, მეფეთ მეფე, ''Mepet mepe'' ...

'' (1961) as Peter *'' Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (animated TV special)'' (1962, TV Movie) as Marley's Ghost (voice) *'' Rawhide'' (1962-1965, TV Series) as Sam Wentworth / Mr. Teisner / Jeb Newton / Monty Fox *'' The Virginian'' (1962-1966, TV Series) as Uncle Dell Benton / Daniels / Faraway McPhail / Dan Molder *''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'' (NBC-TV, 1962–1967, TV Series) as Matt Jeffers / Hank Penn / Jason Ganther *'' The Dakotas'' (ABC, 1963, TV Series) as Rev. Walter Wyman *'' Savage Sam'' (1963) as Pack Underwood (uncredited) *'' Mr. Novak'' (NBC-TV, 1963, TV Series) as Mr. Metcalfe *''

The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel written by Robert Lewis Taylor, which was later made into a short-running television series on ABC from September 1963 through March 1964, featuring Kurt Russell as Jaimie, D ...

'' (ABC-TV, 1964, TV Series) as James Weston *'' 7 Faces of Dr. Lao'' (1964) as Carey *'' The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' (1964, TV Series) as Mr. Miley *''

'' (1964, TV Series) as Praylie *'' The Fugitive'' (1964, TV Series, episode "When the Bough Breaks") as Preacher *''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'' (1965-1970, TV Series) as Andrew Bonney / Hannibal McCall / Aaron Winters / Henderson Lewelling *''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

'' (1966, TV Series, episode: 27, "The Lost Civilization") as Major Domo *'' Gunpoint'' (1966) as Ode *''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'' (NBC-TV, 1966–1967, TV Series) as John Maddox / Matty Brenner *''

The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour ...

'' (1966-1969, TV Series) as Rufus Morton / Jesse Bleeck / The Vet / Ezra *'' Welcome to Hard Times'' (1967) as John Bear *''

The Last Challenge ''The Last Challenge '' is a 1967 American Western in Panavision, produced and directed by Richard Thorpe (marking his final film). The film starred Glenn Ford and Angie Dickinson and centered around a town sheriff contending with his reputati ...

'' (1967) as Pretty Horse *''

'' (1967) as Lambert Haggen *''

Day of the Evil Gun ''Day of the Evil Gun'' is a 1968 American traditional Western starring Glenn Ford, Arthur Kennedy, and Dean Jagger. It was directed by Jerry Thorpe. Plot Angie Warfield and her two children are kidnapped by Apaches. Lorn Warfield (Glenn Ford ...

'' (1968) as Dr. Eli Prather *'' If He Hollers, Let Him Go!'' (1968) as Carl Blair *'' Death of a Gunfighter'' (1969) as Arch Brandt *'' The Undefeated'' (1969) as Maj. Sanders, CSA (one-armed major) *'' Hawaii Five-O'' (1970, TV Series) as Hody Linquist *'' Run, Simon, Run'' (1970, TV Movie) as Sheriff Tacksberry *''

Skin Game ''Skin Game'' is a 1971 American independent comedy western directed by Paul Bogart and Gordon Douglas, and starring James Garner and Lou Gossett. The supporting cast features Susan Clark, Edward Asner, Andrew Duggan, Parley Baer and R ...

'' (1971) as John Brown (abolitionist) *'' The Culpepper Cattle Co.'' (1972) as Cattle Rustler *''

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid ''The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid'' is a 1972 American Western film about the James-Younger Gang distributed by Universal Pictures. It was written and directed by Philip Kaufman in a cinéma vérité style and starring Cliff Robertson. The ...

'' (1972) as Gustavson *''

Moon of the Wolf ''Moon of the Wolf'' is an American TV movie broadcast on September 26, 1972 on ''ABC Movie of the Week''. It stars David Janssen, Barbara Rush, Geoffrey Lewis and Bradford Dillman, with a script by Alvin Sapinsley (based on Leslie H. Whitten's ...

'' (1972, TV Movie) as Tom Sr. *'' Emergency!'' (1972-1976, TV Series) as Sam / Hallucinating Man *'' Kung Fu'' (1973, TV Series) as Henry Skowrin *'' Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies'' (1973) as Jake *'' Messiah of Evil'' (1973) as Joseph Lang *'' Cahill U.S. Marshal'' (1973) as MacDonald, Hermit who sells Cahill the mule *''

Electra Glide in Blue ''Electra Glide in Blue'' is a 1973 American action film, starring Robert Blake as a motorcycle cop in Arizona and Billy "Green" Bush as his partner. The film was produced and directed by James William Guercio, and is named after the Harley-Da ...

'' (1973) as Coroner *''

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...

'' (1974, TV Series) as Farrow *''

Big Bad Mama ''Big Bad Mama'' is a 1974 American action-crime-sexploitation comedy movie produced by Roger Corman, starring Angie Dickinson, William Shatner, and Tom Skerritt, with Susan Sennett and Robbie Lee. This movie is about a mother, Wilma (played by ...

'' (1974) as Reverend Johnson *''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the st ...

'' (1975, TV Series) as Walter Covey *'' The Wild Party'' (1975) as Tex *''

Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry "Huck" Finn is a fictional character created by Mark Twain who first appeared in the book ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876) and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884). He is 12 ...

'' (1975, TV Movie) as

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has pr ...

*''

Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...

'' (1975) as Anton J. Cermak *'' The Outlaw Josey Wales'' (1976) as Ten Spot *''

Drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

'' (1976) as Zeke Montgomery *'' The Killer Inside Me'' (1976) as Father *'' Hughes and Harlow: Angels in Hell'' (1977) as Will Hays *''

Bad Georgia Road ''Bad Georgia Road'' is a 1977 American action comedy film produced, co-written and directed by John C. Broderick and starring Gary Lockwood, Carol Lynley and Royal Dano. Synopsis A New York City woman inherits a moonshine farm in the South ...

'' (1977) as Arthur Pennyrich *'' Quincy, M.E.'' (1977, TV Series) as Dr. Williams / Holsang *'' The One Man Jury'' (1978) as Bartender *'' In Search of Historic Jesus'' (1979, Documentary) as Prophet #1 *'' The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang'' (1979, TV Movie) as Pa Dalton *'' Little House on the Prairie'' (1979-1981, TV Series) as Mr. Hector Webb / Harold *'' Take This Job and Shove It'' (1981) as Beeber *'' Hammett'' (1982) as Pops *'' Something Wicked This Way Comes'' (1983) as Tom Fury *'' The Right Stuff'' (1983) as Minister *''

Teachers A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

'' (1984) as Ditto Stiles *'' Cocaine Wars'' (1985) as Bailey *'' Amazing Stories'' (1986, TV Series) as Elmer Quick / Salvation Army Officer *''

Red Headed Stranger ''Red Headed Stranger'' is the 18th studio album by American outlaw country singer Willie Nelson, released in 1975. Following the success of his recordings with Atlantic Records, coupled with the negotiating skills of his manager, Neil Reshen, N ...

'' (1986) as Larn Claver *'' House II: The Second Story'' (1987) as Gramps *''

Date with an Angel ''Date with an Angel'' is a 1987 American romantic fantasy comedy film starring Emmanuelle Béart, Phoebe Cates and Michael E. Knight. The film was written and directed by Tom McLoughlin. The original music score was composed by Randy Kerber. ...

'' (1987) as Treating Doctor in Hospital (uncredited) *'' Once Upon a Texas Train'' (1988, TV Movie) as Nitro Jones *'' Killer Klowns from Outer Space'' (1988) as Farmer Gene Green *''

Ghoulies II ''Ghoulies'' is an American comedy horror film series that consists of four films released from 1985 to 1994. The films center on a group of small demonic creatures that have a wide range of twisted appearances. Films Overview ''Ghoulies'' ...

'' (1988) as Uncle Ned *'' Spaced Invaders'' (1990) – Wrenchmuller *''

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cancellation in 1991. The show returned in 2017 ...

'' (1990) as Judge Clinton Sternwood *'' The Dark Half'' (1993) as Digger Holt (final film role)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dano, Royal 1922 births 1994 deaths American male film actors American male television actors United States Army personnel of World War II Male actors from New York City Military personnel from New York City American people of Irish descent Burials at Los Angeles National Cemetery 20th-century American male actors Western (genre) television actors United States Army soldiers

Early life

Career

Selected filmography

References

Further reading

External links