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 Geheimpolizist Christine Miller (1950). Dano's more memorable roles include
the Tattered Soldier in Die rote Tapferkeitsmedaille (1951), a sickly bookworm
bad guy in Johnny Guitar - Gejagt, gehaßt, gefürchtet (1954), Elijah in Moby Dick (1956), Peter in König der Könige (1961), a cattle rustler in Greenhorn (1972), a coroner
in Harley Davidson 344 (1973), a profanity-spewing preacher in Big Bad Mama (1974), Ten Spot in Der Texaner (1976), a weary factory line
worker in Ein Senkrechtstarter kratzt die Kurve (1981), a lightening rod salesman in
Das Böse kommt auf leisen Sohlen (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 Der Stoff aus dem die Helden sind (1983). He was a
stuffy high school teacher in Die Aufsässigen (1984), rascally zombie old-timer
Gramps in House 2 - Das Unerwartete (1987), a cantankerous farmer in
Space Invaders (1988), and in his last part, a cemetery
caretaker in George A. Romero's Stephen Kings Stark (1993). Among the numerous TV
shows Dano did guest spots on are Das Geheimnis von Twin Peaks (1990), Unglaubliche Geschichten (1985), CHiPs (1977), Quincy (1976), Fantasy Island (1977), Unsere kleine Farm (1974), Kung Fu (1972), Ben Casey (1961), Planet der Affen (1974), Cannon (1971),
Playhouse 90 (1956), Verschollen zwischen fremden Welten (1965), Rauchende Colts (1955), Bonanza (1959), Wagon Train (1957), Die Leute von der Shiloh Ranch (1962), Hawaii Fünf-Null (1968), Alfred Hitchcock präsentiert (1955), Der Kopfgeldjäger (1958), Wo alle Wege enden (1969), Route 66 (1960), Westlich von Santa Fe (1958), and
Tausend Meilen Staub (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.
