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Liam Dunn

Liam Dunn

Birthday: 1916-11-12 | Place of Birth: New Jersey, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Liam Dunn (November 12, 1916 – April 11, 1976) was an American character actor. Life and career The New Jersey native's early career was spent on television in series such as Bonanza, Room 222, Alias Smith and Jones, Mannix, Emergency! [S5Ep18] as "Amos", and Gunsmoke. Dunn's breakout role was as the judge (and Barbra Streisand's character's father) in the 1972 film What's Up, Doc?, for which he was noticed by Mel Brooks, who was in the process of forming a stock company of actors.[citation needed] Dunn went on to appear in Brooks films, including Blazing Saddles (1974) as Rev. Johnson, Young Frankenstein (1974) as Mr. Hilltop, and as the Newsvendor in Silent Movie (1976). He also appeared in several Walt Disney productions, such as The World's Greatest Athlete (1973), Charley and the Angel (1973), Herbie Rides Again (1974) and Gus (1976). He frequently portrayed characters who were verbally and/or physically abused in a slapstick way. Additional television credits include Twigs, All in the Family, Barney Miller, McMillan & Wife, Rhoda, Sanford and Son, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, S4Ep6. Additional film credits included roles in Catch-22 (1970), The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972), A Reflection of Fear (1972), Emperor of the North Pole (1973), Papillon (1973), Killer Bees (1974), Bank Shot (1974), At Long Last Love (1975), The Night That Panicked America (1975), Peeper (1976) and High Velocity (1976). Dunn collapsed on the set of Disney's The Shaggy D.A. (1976) during the filming of the roller rink sequence, and as soon as he was hospitalized, died on April 11, 1976, from emphysema in Granada Hills, California. John Fiedler was brought in to complete the role as dog catcher. Though only 59 at the time of his death, Dunn always looked much older than he was, and he was cast accordingly. CLR

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2024
Blazing Saddles

as    Rev. Johnson

1976
High Velocity

as    Bennett

1976
Panache

as    M. Durant / Pere Joseph

1976
Silent Movie

as    Newsvendor

1975
Peeper

as    Billy Pate

1974
Virginia Hill

as    Auctioneer

1974
A Cry in the Wilderness

as    Mr. Hainie

1974
Young Frankenstein

as    Mr. Hilltop

1974
Killer Bees

as    Zeb Tucker

1973
A Reflection of Fear

as    Coroner

1973
Genesis II

as    Janos

1973
Isn't It Shocking?

as    Myron Flagg

1973
Diana

as    Smitty

1972
The Hound of the Baskervilles

as    Messenger

1972
The Crooked Hearts

as    Writer

1967
Captain Nice

as    Mayor Finney