William Tannen (November 17, 1911 â€" December 2, 1976) was an
American actor originally from New York City, who was best known for
his role of Deputy Hal Norton in fifty-six episodes from 1956 to 1958
of the ABC/Desilu western television series, The Life and Legend of
Wyatt Earp. During the 1930s and 1940s, he was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
contract player.Tannen was the son of actor Julius Tannen, and his
brother, Charles Tannen, was also an actor. He became active in drama
â€" both acting and writing â€" while a student at Lawrenceville
School.Tannen made his stage debut in a production of The Honor of the
Family with the National Theatre troupe in Washington, D.C.Tannen was
also cast as Gyp Clements in the 1955 episode "The Buntline Special"
of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. Beginning on September 11, 1956,
in the second season of the series, with the setting moved from
Wichita to Dodge City, Kansas, Tannen filled the Hal Norton role. His
earliest episodes were "Fight or Run", "The Double Life of Dora Hand"
and "Clay Allison", the latter two based on historical figures, the
saloon singer and actor Dora Hand and the gunfighter Clay Allison.
Some of his appearances were uncredited. His last credited role was
"Doc Holliday Rewrites History" (May 6, 1958), with Myron Healey as
the frontier gunfighter and dentist Doc Holliday. His last uncredited
roles aired thereafter in May and June 1958, "Dig a Grave for Ben
Thompson", based on the historical figure Ben Thompson played by
Denver Pyle, "Frame-up", and "My Husband".
American actor originally from New York City, who was best known for
his role of Deputy Hal Norton in fifty-six episodes from 1956 to 1958
of the ABC/Desilu western television series, The Life and Legend of
Wyatt Earp. During the 1930s and 1940s, he was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
contract player.Tannen was the son of actor Julius Tannen, and his
brother, Charles Tannen, was also an actor. He became active in drama
â€" both acting and writing â€" while a student at Lawrenceville
School.Tannen made his stage debut in a production of The Honor of the
Family with the National Theatre troupe in Washington, D.C.Tannen was
also cast as Gyp Clements in the 1955 episode "The Buntline Special"
of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. Beginning on September 11, 1956,
in the second season of the series, with the setting moved from
Wichita to Dodge City, Kansas, Tannen filled the Hal Norton role. His
earliest episodes were "Fight or Run", "The Double Life of Dora Hand"
and "Clay Allison", the latter two based on historical figures, the
saloon singer and actor Dora Hand and the gunfighter Clay Allison.
Some of his appearances were uncredited. His last credited role was
"Doc Holliday Rewrites History" (May 6, 1958), with Myron Healey as
the frontier gunfighter and dentist Doc Holliday. His last uncredited
roles aired thereafter in May and June 1958, "Dig a Grave for Ben
Thompson", based on the historical figure Ben Thompson played by
Denver Pyle, "Frame-up", and "My Husband".
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