Julius Tannen

Julius Tannen (May 16, 1880 – January 3, 1965) was an American monologist in vaudeville.

Tannen made his Broadway debut at the Aerial Gardens in 1905 in Jean Schwartz, William Jerome, and John J. McNally's musical Lifting the Lid. A spoof of early 20th century politics in New York City, Tannen portrayed the main character of district attorney William T. G. Rome which was a send up of Manhattan district attorney William Travers Jerome. He went on to appear in three other productions in the next year. As a vaudevillian, he played the Palace Theatre in New York City – the apex of vaudeville performing – more often than almost any one else, Tannen was also seen in two editions of Earl Carroll's Vanities, in 1925 and 1926, and in George White's Scandals.

The advent of talking pictures created a need in Hollywood for performers with stage experience, and Tannen appeared in his first film in 1935, when he did an uncredited bit in Stranded. This set him upon his 25-year career as a character man, although his work frequently went without credit.

In the 1940s, Tannen was part of Preston Sturges' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in eight films written and directed by Sturges, with the size of his roles increasing over time. Undoubtedly, Tannen's most memorable and prominent performance came at the age of 72, when he portrayed a man demonstrating the technology of talking pictures in a film-within-the-film in Singin' in the Rain in 1952.

Legacy Lucille Ball said that seeing Tannen perform in her hometown of Jamestown, New York, when she was a child inspired her to go into show business.

His sons, William Tannen and Charles Tannen, were both successful film and television actors; William had a recurring role on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp; Charles later became a television executive.

Partial filmography

Stranded (1935) – Man at Train Terminal (uncredited) King of Burlesque (1936) – Auctioneer (uncredited) Collegiate (1936) – Detective Browning Half Angel (1936) – City Editor The Road to Glory (1936) – Lt. Tannen Sins of Man (1936) – Advertising Man (uncredited) 36 Hours to Kill (1936) – Dr. Borden Sing, Baby, Sing (1936) – Kansas City Radio Station Manager (uncredited) Dimples (1936) – Hawkins Pigskin Parade (1936) – Dr. Burke Reunion (1936) – Sam Fisher Stowaway (1936) – First Mate Jenkins One in a Million (1936) – Chapelle Love Is News (1937) – Logan Fair Warning (1937) – Mr. Taylor Mama Runs Wild (1937) – C. Preston Simms Love Is a Headache (1938) – Mr. Hillier Goodbye Broadway (1938) – Caldeway (uncredited) A Man to Remember (1938) – Hospital Administrator (uncredited) The Lady and the Mob (1939) -Train Conductor (uncredited) The Magnificent Fraud (1939) – American Businessman (uncredited) Danger Flight (1939) – Dawson Remember the Night (1940) – Jury Member (uncredited) The Lone Wolf Strikes (1940) – Hotel Manager (uncredited) The Mortal Storm (1940) – 3rd Colleague The Lady in Question (1940) – Judge of the Court (uncredited) Christmas in July (1940) – Mr. Zimmerman Bitter Sweet (1940) – Schlick's Companion (uncredited) No, No, Nanette (1940) – Disturbed Airline Passenger (uncredited) The Lady Eve (1941) – Lawyer (uncredited) Sullivan's Travels (1941) – Public Defender (uncredited) Confessions of Boston Blackie (1941) – Dr. Crane (uncredited) Harvard, Here I Come! (1941) – Prof. Anthony The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) – Sektal (uncredited) Two Yanks in Trinidad (1942) – Doctor (uncredited) The Big Street (1942) – Judge Bamberger (uncredited) The Palm Beach Story (1942) – Proprietor of Store (uncredited) The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1943) – Mr. Rafferty The Great Moment (1944) – Professor Charles T. Jackson The House of Frankenstein (1944) – Hertz Nob Hill (1945) – Minor Role (uncredited) The Dolly Sisters (1945) – Man (uncredited) A Scandal in Paris (1946) – Bank of Paris Manager (uncredited) The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947) – Nearsighted Banker Unfaithfully Yours (1948) – O'Brien Always Leave Them Laughing (1949) – Mr. H. Clurman (uncredited) Grounds for Marriage (1951) – Music Editor (uncredited) The People Against O'Hara (1951) – Toby Baum (uncredited) Singin' in the Rain (1952) – Man in Talking Pictures Demonstration (uncredited) Clash by Night (1952) – Waiter (uncredited) Carrie (1952) – John (uncredited) Loving You (1957) – Frank – Manager of Buckhorn Tavern (uncredited) I Married a Woman (1958) – Tim Smith – Sutton Advertising (uncredited) Once Upon a Horse... (1958) – Train Conductor (uncredited) The Last Hurrah (1958) – Mr. Kowalsky (uncredited) Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) – Horseshoe Cleaning Man (uncredited) (final film role)