Royal Edward Dano, Sr. was an Irish-American film and television character actor, well-known for his Disney role as Tom Fury in the 1983 horror fantasy film Something Wicked This Way Comes. Earlier, he provided voice work for the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln attraction. He also played Wrenchmuller in the 1990 Touchstone Pictures film Spaced Invaders and Pack Underwood in Savage Sam.
Dano was born in New York City on November 16, 1922. He reportedly left home at the age of twelve and at various intervals lived in Florida, Texas, and California. After reaching an understanding with his father, he agreed to continue his education on the condition that he be allowed to travel. Dano served in the United States Army during World War II where he attained the rank of sergeant.
An early acting effort saw Dano cast as McSnoyd the leprechaun in the stage show Barnaby and Mr. O'Malley based on the comic strip by Crockett Johnson. He soon began appearing in western and mystery films during the 1950s, such as The Red Badge of Courage, Johnny Guitar, The Far Country, The Trouble with Harry, Moby Dick, All Mine to Give, Saddle the Wind, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Cimarron, Posse from Hell, King of Kings (1961), Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, The Wild Party, Capone, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and Ghoulies II.
His numerous television credits included Gunsmoke, Father Knows Best, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Wagon Train, The Rifleman, The Rebel, Have Gun Will Travel, Tales of Wells Fargo, Rawhide, Bonanza, The Virginian, Death Valley Days, Lost in Space, Daniel Boone, The Big Valley, Hawaii Five-O, Emergency!, Kung Fu, Planet of the Apes, Little House on the Prairie, and Twin Peaks.
He died on May 15, 1994 in Los Angeles, California.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
Dano provided the voice of Abraham Lincoln for Walt Disney's Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln attraction, first presented at the 1964 New York World's Fair because Walt Disney felt the actor came closest to the historical descriptions of Lincoln's voice. Dano's vocals continued to be a part of the attraction until 2001. In 1971, his voice was also used for a revised Lincoln speech in the new "Hall of Presidents" attraction at Magic Kingdom in Florida, which ran to 1993. In 2009, Dano's vocals were returned to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland in an updated version of the show, as well as the Hall of Presidents attraction.
External links
Royal Dano on Wikipedia
Royal Dano on IMDb
Royal Dano at Find a Grave
