Alexander Cann
Canadian Australian actor and filmmaker
About Alexander Cann
Lived 1903 – 1977 (aged 74).
Alexander Howard Ross Cann (January 8, 1903 – December 21, 1977) was a Canadian actor and journalist known for his role in documenting the 1945 New Guinea Gremlin Special rescue.
Cann was born in Nova Scotia to Mabel Ross Cann and H. V. Cann. He attended the Royal Naval College of Canada and studied structural engineering at Columbia University. Finding a shortage of work, he moved from New York City to Hollywood and found acting work in the mid-1930s under the stage name Alexander Cross. He lived with the survivors and their rescuers for twelve days in order to document the rescue on behalf of his employer's Film and Photo Unit. Cann's short film Rescue from Shangri-La includes staged scenes as well as documentary footage of the indigenous Dani people.
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Important facts
People in Alexander Cann's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Alexander Cann?
Canadian Australian actor and filmmaker
When was Alexander Cann born?
Alexander Cann was born on 8 January 1903.
When did Alexander Cann die?
Alexander Cann died on 21 December 1977.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Alexander Cann. https://biography.guide/alexander-cann/
MLA: "Alexander Cann." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/alexander-cann/.
Chicago: "Alexander Cann." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/alexander-cann/.
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