William Gargan
William D. Gargan (born July 17, 1905 in Brooklyn , New York , † February 17, 1979 on a flight between New York and San Diego ) was an American film and television actor .
Life
William Gargan was born in Brooklyn to a bookmaker and elementary school teacher. After graduating from high school , he first worked in various jobs, including selling whiskey during Prohibition and temporarily working as a private detective. In 1925 he made his debut as a professional actor in the New York play Aloma of the South Seas . From 1932 Gargan worked regularly as a film actor in Hollywood . In his first films he often played amateur roles - for example as a film partner of Joan Crawford in the drama Rain -; Gargan later switched to character roles alongside the big stars. Above all, he made a name for himself as a performer of die-hard, tough characters such as private detectives, police officers and workers. Many of his characters were of Irish origin. In 1941 he was recognized for his role in They Knew What They Wanted in the category Best Supporting Actor for the Oscar nominated.
On television, Gargan was best known for his role as Martin Kane, Private Eye in the television series of the same name from 1949 to 1951. In 1957 the series was reissued, in which Gargan again played the role of private detective Kane. Gargan's career came to an end in 1958 when he developed throat cancer and the doctors were forced to remove his larynx. Overall, he was seen in more than 100 productions. Gargan later became an activist for the American Cancer Society - speaking through an artificial larynx - and often warned of the dangers of smoking.
In 1968 he was honored with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award . His brother Edward Gargan (1902–1964) also worked as an actor. He died of a heart attack in 1979 at the age of 73 while on a flight between New York and San Diego . He was survived by his wife Mary and two sons.
Filmography (selection)
- 1928: Lucky Boy
- 1932: The Animal Kingdom
- 1932: Rain
- 1933: The Story of Temple Drake
- 1933: Night Flight ( Night Flight )
- 1934: British Agent
- 1935: In Blind Fury ( Black Fury )
- 1936: World champion of all things (The Milky Way)
- 1937: You Only Live Once ( You Only Live Once )
- 1937: Wings Over Honolulu
- 1937: You're a Sweetheart
- 1938: Fast Fists ( The Crowd Roars )
- 1940: Isle of Destiny
- 1940: The lady is the husband (Turnabout)
- 1940: They Knew What They Wanted
- 1941: Cheers for Miss Bishop
- 1941: I Wake Up Screaming
- 1942: Who Done It?
- 1942: The Mayor of 44th Street
- 1944: The Canterville Ghost ( The Canterville Ghost )
- 1945: The Bells of St. Mary's ( The Bells of St. Mary's )
- 1946: Till the End of Time
- 1949–1951: Martin Kane, Private Eye (TV series, 12 episodes)
- 1955: Seduced by the Devil (The Rawhide Years)
- 1956: Miracle in the Rain
- 1957: The New Adventures of Martin Kane (TV series, 37 episodes)
Web links
- William Gargan in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ William Gargan obituary in The New York Times
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gargan, William |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gargan, William D. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American film and television actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 17, 1905 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Brooklyn , New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | 17th February 1979 |
| Place of death | on a flight between New York and San Diego |