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Sean McClory‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1924-03-08

Popularity

star3.9

Sean McClory

Dublin, Ireland

Sean McClory

Dublin, Ireland

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1924-03-08

Popularity

star3.9

Biography

Sean McClory was born in Dublin, Ireland, but spent his early life in Galway. He was the son of Hugh Patrick, an architect and civil engineer, and Mary Margaret Ball, who had been a model. Sean decided to become an actor and joined Dublin's renowned Abbey Theater (also known as the National Theater of Ireland, opened in 1904). He rose through the ranks playing in productions of the works of such authors as William Butler Yeats and George Bernard Shaw, and soon began to play leads mostly in comedies (popular through most of the 1940s and into the 1950s). When comedies began to fade from the theater after World War II, McClory turned an eye toward film. In early 1947 he decided to make the jump to America and break into Hollywood. His first roles were that of a staple in American films: the Irish cop, which he played in two of the Dick Tracy series in 1947. In 1949 he signed a short contract with 20th Century-Fox. By 1950 he was showing up in more notable films - though uncredited, particularly in The Glass Menagerie (1950). Within a year McClory's talents were being showcased in various small feature roles. John Ford finally began casting - a painstaking process for the finicky director - for his long conceived The Quiet Man (1952) and chose McClory for a small but showy part, in which he was seen throughout the film feature with Charles B. Fitzsimons, the younger brother of the film's star, Maureen O'Hara, playing an Irish villager. Although some of the cast were familiar members of the "John Ford Stock Company", many roles were filled by actual Irish villagers (the film was shot on location) and included a generous helping of Abbey Theater alumni: the Shields brothers (Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur Shields) and Jack MacGowran, in addition to O'Hara McClory. Ford wanted him for roles in several of his subsequent films, however McClory's busy film and TV schedule only allowed him to accept roles in two other Ford films, The Long Gray Line and Cheyenne Autumn. McClory had a cultured, neutral Irish brogue that fit well in small- or big-screen performances, unlike such Irish actors as Barry Fitzgerald who, though very effective and beloved, had a thick brogue that kept him forever cast as an Irishman. As a result, McClory was much more at home in American TV and had many memorable roles from 1953 onward, appearing in a gamut of episodic TV in addition to his feature film work. However, it was his frequent appearances on the small screen that enabled McClory to stand out in viewers' memories, especially in a range of western and adventure series (in which he played a good sprinkling of Irish characters) well into the 1970s. Though not as busy in the 1980s as he was in the '70s, one role in which he truly stood out was in an adaptation by John Huston of Irish writer James Joyce's famous 1907 short story "The Dead" made in 1987 (The Dead (1987)), his final film appearance. McClory's role as Mr. Grace was not a character in the original story but was created by Huston and his son Tony Huston to provide McClory with a reading of the medieval Irish poem "Young Donal", which was very effective to the mood of this look at Irish family remembrance.

Movie Credits

The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man‌
star7.3
calendar 1952

Them!

Them!‌
star6.8
calendar 1954

Body Bags

Body Bags‌
star6.1
calendar 1993

The Gnome-Mobile

The Gnome-Mobile‌
star6.1
calendar 1967

The Happiest Millionaire

The Happiest Millionaire‌
star6.8
calendar 1967

Charade

Charade‌
star5.5
calendar 1953

Follow Me, Boys!

Follow Me, Boys!‌
star6.6
calendar 1966

Island in the Sky

Island in the Sky‌
star6.2
calendar 1953

Man in the Attic

Man in the Attic‌
star5.5
calendar 1953

Cheyenne Autumn

Cheyenne Autumn‌
star6.7
calendar 1964

Moonfleet

Moonfleet‌
star6.4
calendar 1955

The Long Gray Line

The Long Gray Line‌
star6.8
calendar 1955

My Chauffeur

My Chauffeur‌
star5.9
calendar 1986

Roller Boogie

Roller Boogie‌
star5.6
calendar 1979

Plunder of the Sun

Plunder of the Sun‌
star6.0
calendar 1953

Valley of the Dragons

Valley of the Dragons‌
star5.5
calendar 1961

Les Miserables

Les Miserables‌
star5.4
calendar 1952

The King's Thief

The King's Thief‌
star6.2
calendar 1955

The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady

The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady‌
star5.0
calendar 1950

Ring of Fear

Ring of Fear‌
star5.0
calendar 1954

Lorna Doone

Lorna Doone‌
star4.6
calendar 1951

Bandolero!

Bandolero!‌
star6.5
calendar 1968

The King's Pirate

The King's Pirate‌
star7.0
calendar 1967

Kate McShane

Kate McShane‌
star0.0
calendar 1975

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel‌
star6.6
calendar 1951

I Cover the Underworld

I Cover the Underworld‌
star6.0
calendar 1955

Dick Tracy's Dilemma

Dick Tracy's Dilemma‌
star5.4
calendar 1947

Beyond Glory

Beyond Glory‌
star7.3
calendar 1948

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins‌
star7.6
calendar 1964

The Guns of Fort Petticoat

The Guns of Fort Petticoat‌
star6.3
calendar 1957

Niagara

Niagara‌
star6.8
calendar 1953

Storm Warning

Storm Warning‌
star6.6
calendar 1951

Diane

Diane‌
star5.7
calendar 1956

The Day of the Wolves

The Day of the Wolves‌
star6.7
calendar 1971

Anne of the Indies

Anne of the Indies‌
star6.3
calendar 1951

The Dead

The Dead‌
star6.9
calendar 1987

The Child

The Child‌
star0.0
calendar 1954

Roughshod

Roughshod‌
star5.3
calendar 1949

The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe

The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe‌
star0.0
calendar 1976

Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome

Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome‌
star5.4
calendar 1947

Tv Credits

Falcon Crest

Falcon Crest‌
star5.6
calendar 1981

Murder, She Wrote

Murder, She Wrote‌
star7.5
calendar 1984

Family Affair

Family Affair‌
star6.6
calendar 1966

The Great Adventure

The Great Adventure‌
star0.0
calendar 1963

The Beverly Hillbillies

The Beverly Hillbillies‌
star6.9
calendar 1962

Mannix

Mannix‌
star6.7
calendar 1967

Surfside 6

Surfside 6‌
star5.0
calendar 1960

Lost in Space

Lost in Space‌
star7.1
calendar 1965

Perry Mason

Perry Mason‌
star7.7
calendar 1957

Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke‌
star6.5
calendar 1955

General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater‌
star6.0
calendar 1953

Lassie

Lassie‌
star6.1
calendar 1954

The Islanders

The Islanders‌
star8.0
calendar 1960

The Californians

The Californians‌
star5.0
calendar 1957

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Alfred Hitchcock Presents‌
star7.7
calendar 1955

Rawhide

Rawhide‌
star7.1
calendar 1959

Have Gun, Will Travel

Have Gun, Will Travel‌
star7.4
calendar 1957

The Outcasts

The Outcasts‌
star5.3
calendar 1968

Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone‌
star6.9
calendar 1964

The High Chaparral

The High Chaparral‌
star6.5
calendar 1967

S.W.A.T.

S.W.A.T.‌
star7.0
calendar 1975

The Virginian

The Virginian‌
star6.4
calendar 1962

Lancer

Lancer‌
star4.7
calendar 1968

Bring 'Em Back Alive

Bring 'Em Back Alive‌
star5.7
calendar 1982

Thriller

Thriller‌
star6.4
calendar 1960

Lux Video Theatre

Lux Video Theatre‌
star6.0
calendar 1950

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp‌
star6.7
calendar 1955

One Step Beyond

One Step Beyond‌
star5.6
calendar 1959

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

Richard Diamond, Private Detective‌
star6.2
calendar 1957

Climax!

Climax!‌
star3.0
calendar 1954

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre‌
star5.5
calendar 1963

Adventures in Paradise

Adventures in Paradise‌
star5.7
calendar 1959

Bronco

Bronco‌
star4.8
calendar 1958

The 20th Century Fox Hour

The 20th Century Fox Hour‌
star5.2
calendar 1955

Matinee Theater

Matinee Theater‌
star4.6
calendar 1955

Tarzan

Tarzan‌
star6.7
calendar 1966

The Adventures of Jim Bowie

The Adventures of Jim Bowie‌
star3.7
calendar 1956

Wanted: Dead or Alive

Wanted: Dead or Alive‌
star6.9
calendar 1958

The Rifleman

The Rifleman‌
star7.0
calendar 1958

The Dakotas

The Dakotas‌
star5.7
calendar 1963

The Guns of Will Sonnett

The Guns of Will Sonnett‌
star5.7
calendar 1967

The Detectives

The Detectives‌
star5.6
calendar 1959

Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers

Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers‌
star5.0
calendar 1956

Cavalcade of America

Cavalcade of America‌
star3.5
calendar 1952

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre‌
star5.5
calendar 1956

Honey West

Honey West‌
star7.0
calendar 1965

The Swamp Fox

The Swamp Fox‌
star6.7
calendar 1959

General Electric True

General Electric True‌
star0.0
calendar 1962

Telephone Time

Telephone Time‌
star6.3
calendar 1956

Frontier

Frontier‌
star5.0
calendar 1955

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

The DuPont Show with June Allyson‌
star6.3
calendar 1959

Kate McShane

Kate McShane‌
star5.0
calendar 1975

Columbo

Columbo‌
star8.1
calendar 1971

Adventures in Paradise

Adventures in Paradise‌
star5.7
calendar 1959

Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke‌
star6.5
calendar 1955

The Outer Limits

The Outer Limits‌
star7.8
calendar 1963

Four Star Playhouse

Four Star Playhouse‌
star6.1
calendar 1952

Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone‌
star6.9
calendar 1964

Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone‌
star6.9
calendar 1964

Checkmate

Checkmate‌
star4.1
calendar 1960

Thriller

Thriller‌
star6.4
calendar 1960

Perry Mason

Perry Mason‌
star7.7
calendar 1957

Perry Mason

Perry Mason‌
star7.7
calendar 1957

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Alfred Hitchcock Presents‌
star7.7
calendar 1955

Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica‌
star7.1
calendar 1978