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 the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

. Dano also provided the voice of the

Audio-Animatronic Audio-Animatronics (also known simply as AAs) are a form of Mechatronics, mechatronic animatronics puppetry created by Walt Disney Imagineering and Trademark, trademarked by The Walt Disney Company for use in designed shows and attractions at Disn ...

Lincoln for

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

's '' Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'' attraction at the

1964 New York World's Fair The 1964 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair) was an world's fair, international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. The fair included exhibitions, activ ...

(brought to

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. 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, ...

in 1965), as well as Lincoln's voice at the " Hall of Presidents" attraction at Disney's

Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Park is a Amusement park, theme park at the Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It opened on October 1, 1971, and is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences, Expe ...

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 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 terminology#Captio ...

Crockett Johnson Crockett Johnson (October 20, 1906 – July 11, 1975) was the pen name of the American cartoonist and children's book illustrator David Johnson Leisk. He is best known for the comic strip ''Barnaby (comics), Barnaby'' (1942–1952) and the ''Harol ...

. 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 Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

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 and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...

, that the initial test audience left the theater in droves, ''i.e.'', "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. He came to prominence as a skilled director of ''Film noirs, film noir'' and Western film, Westerns, and for his Epic film ...

and

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

. 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 centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

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

for

's '' Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'' attraction, first presented at the

. 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 was married to Peggy Ranck and together they had two sons, Rick and Royal Jr. (1946–1994). Through his son Rick, he is the grandfather of actor Hutch Dano. He died of

pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory ...

on May 15, 1994, in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

. 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 ''Johnny Guitar'' is a 1954 American independent Western film directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge, Ernest Borgnine, and Scott Brady. It was produced and distributed by Republic Pictures. ...

'' (1954) as Corey *'' The Far Country'' (1954) as Luke *''

The Trouble with Harry ''The Trouble with Harry'' is a 1955 American Technicolor black comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes was based on the 1950 novel by Jack Trevor Story. It starred Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Mildred Na ...

'' (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'' (1956) as Abe *''

Moby Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...

'' (1956) as 'Elijah' *''

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

'' (1956) as Lobo *'' Tension at Table Rock'' (1956) as Harry Jameson *''

Crime of Passion A crime of passion (), 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 or jealousy rather than as a premeditated crime. A ...

'' (1957) as Police Captain Charlie Alidos *'' All Mine to Give'' (1957) as Howard Tyler *''

Father Knows Best ''Father Knows Best'' is an American sitcom starring Robert Young (actor), Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray (actor), Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six ...

'' (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, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' (1957) (Season 2 Episode 17: "My Brother, Richard") as Martin Ross *''

The Restless Gun ''The Restless Gun'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that appeared on NBC between 1957 and 1959, with John Payne (actor), John Payne in the role of Vint Bonner, a wandering cowboy in the era after the American Ci ...

'' (1957) (Episode "Cheyenne Express") as Wilbur English *'' Saddle the Wind'' (1958) as Clay Ellison *'' Handle with Care'' (1958) as Al Lees *'' Man of the West'' (1958) as Trout *'' Never Steal Anything Small'' (1959) as Words Cannon *'' These Thousand Hills'' (1959) as Ike Carmichael *'' The Boy and the Bridge'' (1959) as Evangelist *'' Face of Fire'' (1959) as Jake Winter *'' Wanted Dead or Alive'' (1959, TV Series) as Charlie Wright *'' Hound-Dog Man'' (1959) as Fiddling Tom Waller *''

'' (1960) (Season 5 Episode 33: "Party Line") as Mr. Atkins *'' Route 66'' (1961, TV Series, episode "Most Vanquished, Most Victorious") as Doctor *''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

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

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television series 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 show ...

'' (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 ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' is a picaresque novel by American author Mark Twain that was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885. Commonly named among the Great American Novels, th ...

'' (1960) as Sheriff Harlan *'' Cimarron'' (1960) as Ike Howes (photographer) *'' Have Gun – Will Travel '' (1960) as Curley Ashburne *''

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

'' (1960) Pilot Episode *''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series starring Dale Robertson in 201 episodes that aired from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until i ...

'' (1960-1962, TV Series) as Robert Mapes / Cole Younger *'' Posse from Hell'' (1961) as Uncle Billy *''

King of Kings King of Kings, ''Mepet mepe''; , group="n" was a ruling title employed primarily by monarchs based in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Commonly associated with History of Iran, Iran (historically known as name of Iran, Persia ...

'' (1961) as

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

*'' Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (animated TV special)'' (1962, TV Movie) as Marley's Ghost (voice) *''

Rawhide Rawhide may refer to: *Rawhide (material), a hide or animal skin that has not been tanned * Whip made from rawhide Entertainment * ''Rawhide'' (1926 film), a Western directed by Richard Thorpe * ''Rawhide'' (1938 film), a Western starring baseball ...

'' (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 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 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 Reverend Walter Wyman *'' Savage Sam'' (1963) as Pack Underwood (uncredited) *''

Mr. Novak ''Mr. Novak'' is an American television drama (film and television), drama television series starring James Franciscus in the title role as a high school teacher. The series aired on NBC for two seasons, from 1963 to 1965. It won a Peabody Award ...

'' (NBC-TV, 1963, TV Series) as Mr. Metcalfe *'' The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (ABC-TV, 1964, TV Series) as James Weston *'' 7 Faces of Dr. Lao'' (1964) as Carey *''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (1964, TV Series) (Season 3 Episode 2: "Change of Address") as Mr. Miley *'' The Fugitive'' (1964, TV Series, episode "When the Bough Breaks") as Preacher *''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western 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 was ...

'' (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. Lightly dramatic, sometimes comedic in tone, the series was inspired by the 1812 J ...

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

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 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 beyo ...

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

The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western 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 epis ...

'' (1966-1969, TV Series) as Ezra / The Vet / Jesse Bleeck / Rufus Morton *'' Welcome to Hard Times'' (1967) as John Bear *'' The Last Challenge'' (1967) as Pretty Horse *'' Day of the Evil Gun'' (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 Major 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'' (1971) as

John Brown (abolitionist) John Brown (May 9, 1800 – December 2, 1859) was an American abolitionist in the decades preceding the Civil War. First reaching national prominence in the 1850s for his radical abolitionism and fighting in Bleeding Kansas, Brown was captured ...

*'' The Culpepper Cattle Co.'' (1972) as Cattle Rustler *'' The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid'' (1972) as Gustavson *'' Moon of the Wolf'' (1972, TV Movie) as Tom Sr. *''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...

'' (1972-1976, TV Series) as Sam / Hallucinating Man *''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

'' (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 ''Cahill U.S. Marshal'' is a 1973 American Western (genre), Western film in Technicolor starring John Wayne as a driven lawman in a black hat. The film was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and filmed on location in Durango, Mexico. The supportin ...

'' (1973) as MacDonald, hermit who sells Cahill the mule *'' Electra Glide in Blue'' (1973) as Coroner *''

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is a science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic world in which humans and intelligent apes c ...

'' (1974, TV Series) as Farrow *'' Big Bad Mama'' (1974) as Reverend Johnson *''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pe ...

'' (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 the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...

*'' Capone'' (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'' (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 ''In Search of Historic Jesus'' is a 1979 American documentary film based on Lee Roddy and Charles E. Sellier Jr.'s book of the same name. Released by Sunn Classic Pictures, the film speculates on the historical accuracy of the biblical depicti ...

'' (1979, Documentary) as Prophet #1 *'' The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang'' (1979, TV Movie) as Pa Dalton *''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books comprise a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adulthood in the Midwestern United States, Americ ...

'' (1979-1981, TV Series) as Mr. Hector Webb / Harold *''

Take This Job and Shove It "Take This Job and Shove It" is a 1977 country music song written by David Allan Coe and popularized by Johnny Paycheck, about the bitterness of a man who has worked long and hard with no apparent reward. The song was first recorded by Paycheck o ...

'' (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. w ...

'' (1984) as Ditto Stiles *'' Cocaine Wars'' (1985) as Bailey *''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearance ...

'' (1986, TV Series) as Elmer Quick / Salvation Army Officer *'' Red Headed Stranger'' (1986) as Larn Claver *'' House II: The Second Story'' (1987) as Gramps *'' Date with an Angel'' (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'' (1988) as Uncle Ned *'' Spaced Invaders'' (1990) — Wrenchmuller *''

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American Surrealist cinema, surrealist Mystery film, mystery-Horror film, horror Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It Pilot (Twin Peaks), premiered on American Broad ...

'' (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 Deaths from pulmonary fibrosis

Early life

Career

Selected filmography

References

Further reading

External links