Liam Dunn

Liam Dunn
Liam Dunn
	Carol Burnett with Liam Dunn in Twigs, 1975
Born	November 12, 1916; New Jersey, U.S.
Died	April 11, 1976 (aged 59); Granada Hills, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1947–1976

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 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 died soon after 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 his death, Dunn always looked much older than he was,[2] and he was cast accordingly.

Filmography

1972|| Sanford & Son || Gus ||

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

Willis, John (1977). John Willis' Screen World. 28. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
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

Liam Dunn on IMDb
Liam Dunn at the TCM Movie Database

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[death-1] Willis, John (1977). John Willis' Screen World. 28. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. Retrieved 20 March 2012.

[ocss-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.