Royal Dano(1922-1994)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Royal Dano was undoubtedly one of the best, most quirky and striking
character actors to ever grace the big and small screen alike in a
lengthy and impressive career which spanned 42 years.
Royal Edward Dano was born on November 16, 1922 in New York City, to Mary Josephine (O'Connor) and Caleb Edward Dano, a newspaper printer. He was of mostly Irish descent (his mother was an immigrant). Royal ran away from home at age twelve and lived in such states as Texas, Florida and California. He struck a deal with his father to continue his education, but still be able to travel around the country. Dano eventually attended New York University. His performing career began as part of the 44th Special Service Provisional Company during World War II. Dano soon branched out to the New York stage and made his Broadway debut with a small role in the hit musical "Finian's Rainbow." He was nominated by the New York Critic's Circle as one of the Promising Actors of 1949. Tall and lean, with a gaunt face, dark hair, a rangy build, and a very distinctive deep croaky voice, Dano was usually cast in both movies and TV shows as gloomy and/or sinister characters. He appeared most often in westerns and worked several times with James Stewart and director Anthony Mann. He made his film debut in Undercover Girl (1950). Dano's more memorable roles include the Tattered Soldier in La charge victorieuse (1951), a sickly bookworm bad guy in Johnny Guitare (1954), Elijah in Moby Dick (1956), Peter in Le roi des rois (1961), a cattle rustler in La Poussière, la Sueur et la Poudre (1972), a coroner in Electra Glide in Blue (1973), a profanity-spewing preacher in Super Nanas (1974), Ten Spot in Josey Wales hors-la-loi (1976), a weary factory line worker in Ca passe ou ça casse (1981), a lightening rod salesman in La foire des ténèbres (1983), a caterwauling minister who showed up at the doors of newly widowed wives of test pilots, and sang "Eternal Father Strong To Save" in L'étoffe des héros (1983). He was a stuffy high school teacher in Ras les profs! (1984), rascally zombie old-timer Gramps in House II: la deuxième histoire (1987), a cantankerous farmer in Les Clowns tueurs venus d'ailleurs (1988), and in his last part, a cemetery caretaker in George A. Romero's La Part des ténèbres (1993). Among the numerous TV shows Dano did guest spots on are Mystères à Twin Peaks (1990), Histoires fantastiques (1985), Chips (1977), Quincy (1976), L'île fantastique (1977), La petite maison dans la prairie (1974), Kung Fu (1972), Ben Casey (1961), La planète des singes (1974), Cannon (1971), Playhouse 90 (1956), Perdus dans l'espace (1965), Gunsmoke (1955), Bonanza (1959), La grande caravane (1957), Le Virginien (1962), Hawaii police d'état (1968), Alfred Hitchcock présente (1955), Au nom de la loi (1958), Night Gallery (1969), Route 66 (1960), L'homme à la carabine (1958), and Rawhide (1959). Moreover, Dano did the voice of the animatronic Abraham Lincoln for Walt Disney's Hall of Presidents for both Disneyland and Disney World. Dano also portrayed Lincoln on the Omnibus (1952) television series. He's the father of actor Rick Dano. Royal Dano died at age 71 of a heart attack on May 15th, 1994.
Royal Edward Dano was born on November 16, 1922 in New York City, to Mary Josephine (O'Connor) and Caleb Edward Dano, a newspaper printer. He was of mostly Irish descent (his mother was an immigrant). Royal ran away from home at age twelve and lived in such states as Texas, Florida and California. He struck a deal with his father to continue his education, but still be able to travel around the country. Dano eventually attended New York University. His performing career began as part of the 44th Special Service Provisional Company during World War II. Dano soon branched out to the New York stage and made his Broadway debut with a small role in the hit musical "Finian's Rainbow." He was nominated by the New York Critic's Circle as one of the Promising Actors of 1949. Tall and lean, with a gaunt face, dark hair, a rangy build, and a very distinctive deep croaky voice, Dano was usually cast in both movies and TV shows as gloomy and/or sinister characters. He appeared most often in westerns and worked several times with James Stewart and director Anthony Mann. He made his film debut in Undercover Girl (1950). Dano's more memorable roles include the Tattered Soldier in La charge victorieuse (1951), a sickly bookworm bad guy in Johnny Guitare (1954), Elijah in Moby Dick (1956), Peter in Le roi des rois (1961), a cattle rustler in La Poussière, la Sueur et la Poudre (1972), a coroner in Electra Glide in Blue (1973), a profanity-spewing preacher in Super Nanas (1974), Ten Spot in Josey Wales hors-la-loi (1976), a weary factory line worker in Ca passe ou ça casse (1981), a lightening rod salesman in La foire des ténèbres (1983), a caterwauling minister who showed up at the doors of newly widowed wives of test pilots, and sang "Eternal Father Strong To Save" in L'étoffe des héros (1983). He was a stuffy high school teacher in Ras les profs! (1984), rascally zombie old-timer Gramps in House II: la deuxième histoire (1987), a cantankerous farmer in Les Clowns tueurs venus d'ailleurs (1988), and in his last part, a cemetery caretaker in George A. Romero's La Part des ténèbres (1993). Among the numerous TV shows Dano did guest spots on are Mystères à Twin Peaks (1990), Histoires fantastiques (1985), Chips (1977), Quincy (1976), L'île fantastique (1977), La petite maison dans la prairie (1974), Kung Fu (1972), Ben Casey (1961), La planète des singes (1974), Cannon (1971), Playhouse 90 (1956), Perdus dans l'espace (1965), Gunsmoke (1955), Bonanza (1959), La grande caravane (1957), Le Virginien (1962), Hawaii police d'état (1968), Alfred Hitchcock présente (1955), Au nom de la loi (1958), Night Gallery (1969), Route 66 (1960), L'homme à la carabine (1958), and Rawhide (1959). Moreover, Dano did the voice of the animatronic Abraham Lincoln for Walt Disney's Hall of Presidents for both Disneyland and Disney World. Dano also portrayed Lincoln on the Omnibus (1952) television series. He's the father of actor Rick Dano. Royal Dano died at age 71 of a heart attack on May 15th, 1994.
