Liam Dunn

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Not to be confused with Liam Dunne or Liam Dunne (footballer).
Liam Dunn
Carol Burnett-Liam Dunn in Twigs.jpg
Carol Burnett with Liam Dunn in Twigs, 1975
Born(1916-11-12)November 12, 1916
New Jersey, U.S.
DiedApril 11, 1976(1976-04-11) (aged 59)
Granada Hills, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1947–1976

Liam Dunn (November 12, 1916 – April 11, 1976)[1] was an American character actor.

Life and career[]

The New Jersey native's early career was spent in 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. 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. 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).

Liam was a warm and witty presence and occasionally enjoyed smoking pot with his young friends. However, he had serious emphysema and often had to use oxygen, from a relatively small, green tank. Nevertheless, he always smoked cigarettes. Asked why, he replied "I can't stop."

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.[1] 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,[2] and he was cast accordingly.

Filmography[]

Year Title Role Notes
1947 That's My Man Reporter Uncredited
1970 Catch-22 Father
1972 Sanford & Son Gus
1972 What's Up, Doc? Judge Maxwell
1972 The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid Drummer
1972 A Reflection of Fear Coroner
1973 The World's Greatest Athlete Dr. Winslow
1973 Charley and the Angel Dr. Sprague
1973 Emperor of the North Pole Smile
1973 Papillon Old Trustee
1974 Blazing Saddles Rev. Johnson
1974 Herbie Rides Again Doctor
1974 Killer Bees Zeb Tucker
1974 Bank Shot Painter
1974 Young Frankenstein Mr. Hilltop
1975 At Long Last Love Harry
1975 The Night That Panicked America Charlie
1975 Peeper Billy Pate
1976 Silent Movie Newsvendor
1976 Gus Dr. Morgan
1976 High Velocity Bennett
1976 The Shaggy D.A. Dogcatcher Uncredited

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Willis, John (1977). John Willis' Screen World. 28. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  2. ^ Leszczak, Bob (2014). The Odd Couple on Stage and Screen: A History with Cast and Crew Profiles and an Episode Guide. McFarland. p. 46. ISBN 9781476615394. Retrieved 29 May 2018.

External links[]


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