Royal Edward Dano Sr. (1922 - 1994)

Born 16 Nov 1922 in New York City, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 15 May 1994 at age 71 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Royal Dano Sr. is Notable.

ROYAL DANO Royal Edward Dano, Sr , actor: born New York City 16 November 1922; died Santa Monica, California 15 May 1994^[1].

With his Lanky frame and morose, craggy features Royal Dano rarely added cheerfulness to cinematic proceedings. Rather he was a harbinger of doom - a pessimistic preacher, a weary cowpoke or jaded killer.

One of those reliable Hollywood players, a veteran of over 70 films, whose face is more familiar than his name, Dano was a professionally respected actor who could add a touch of individuality and grim distinction to the most mundane photoplay. He also made a virtually separate career portraying Abraham Lincoln and has been heard by thousands as the voice of the former President in the Lincoln exhibits in Disneyland and Disney World.

Born in 1922 in New York^[2], he started his acting career in the theatre, making his Broadway debut as the businessman Mr. Shears in the hit musical Finian's Rainbow (1947).

He entered films playing "The Moocher", a Skid Row vagrant and contact for drug pushers in Undercover Girl (1950). Variety called his performance 'topnotch', and he made an even greater impact as "the Tattered Man' in John Huston's "The Red Badge of Courage" (1951), the much-edited but still impressive version of Stephen Crane's classic Civil War Story. In Nicholas Ray's western - Johnny Guitar (1954) he was the intellectual gang member who is killed when he tries to warn his boss of a traitor in their gang. Man of the West (1958) as a crazed mute who kills a harmless Mexican woman for no reason at all. He was considered 'a favorite' of directors, he had roles in Mann's Bend of the River (1962), The Far Country (1955) and Cimarron (1960). Royal played Elijah in Huston's Moby Dick (1956) and had a rare noble role as Peter in Ray's King of Kings (1961).

In a television version of Huckleberry Finn (1975) he acted the part of Mark Twain. A frequent guest star in the television series - Death Valley Days and Lost in Space. His later films included The Right Stuff (1983), and Teachers in 1984.

Royal Dano, will be remembered mainly for his supporting roles of the westerns during the 1950's. He is buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery, Los Angeles, California^[3], near his son, Royal Edward Dano, Jr.

Military

World War II^[4]

Military Unit: Co I 17th Regt^[5]

Military Service Place: New York Guard

Acknowledgments

• Special thanks to Cheryl Givens-Maxwell, 2018

Sources

1. ↑ "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VGY4-H47 : 26 November 2014), Royal Edward Dano, 15 May 1994; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
2. ↑ "New York State Census, 1925," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KS7Z-VL8 : 8 November 2014), Royal Dano, New York, A.D. 23, E.D. 56, New York, New York, United States; records extracted by Ancestry and images digitized by FamilySearch; citing p. 28, line 01, New York State Archives, Albany.
3. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QVJ1-B59L : 13 December 2015), Royal Dano, 1994; Burial, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America, Los Angeles National Cemetery; citing record ID 8596, Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial Find A Grave: Memorial #8596.
4. ↑ "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K8RL-JB1 : 5 December 2014), Royal E Dano, enlisted 27 Feb 1943, New York City, New York, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 126323, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
5. ↑ "New York Records of the State National Guard, 1906-1954," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVJY-M338 : 18 October 2017), Royal E Dano, 17 Jan 1941; citing Military Service, Jackson Heights, , New York, United States, New York State Archives, Albany.

See also:

• Filmography - Movies and Films - Character Actor: Royal Dano
• Reel - Run - Down- Celebrities - Actors - Royal Dano
• Royal Dano-Biography; IMBd
• Wikipedia contributors, "Royal Dano," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Dano&oldid=888041424 (accessed March 28, 2019)."New York State Census, 1925," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KS7Z-VL8 : 8 November 2014), Royal Dano, New York, A.D. 23, E.D. 56, New York, New York, United States; records extracted by Ancestry and images digitized by FamilySearch; citing p. 28, line 01, New York State Archives, Albany.