Don Harron facts for kids

Donald Hugh Harron (September 19, 1924 – January 17, 2015) was a famous Canadian comedian, actor, writer, and director. He was also a journalist and composer. Many people remember Don Harron for his funny character, Charlie Farquharson. He played Charlie on the popular American TV show Hee Haw.

Early Life and Education

Don Harron grew up in Toronto, Ontario. His parents owned a cleaning business. When he was just ten years old, he started earning money during the Great Depression. He would tell funny stories and draw cartoons at parties, earning $10 or $15 each time. Because of these performances, he got a chance to audition for a radio show called Lonesome Trail in 1935, and he got the part!

As a teenager, Don worked on farms in rural Ontario. This experience helped him create his famous character, Charlie Farquharson, later on. After high school, he went to the University of Toronto. In 1943, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force during Second World War. After the war, he finished his studies and earned a degree in sociology and philosophy. While at university, he acted in plays and even wrote music for a student musical. He was very good at his studies and was even offered a job teaching at the university, but he chose to focus on performing instead.

Don Harron's Career

After university, Don Harron acted in many plays in Toronto. He even performed in London, England, for two years. There, he acted in a play called A Streetcar Named Desire. He also worked for the BBC as a comedy writer and acted in a radio series. He even had a small part as a clown in the 1948 film The Red Shoes.

When he returned to North America in the 1950s, Don Harron continued his acting career. He was part of the very first Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario. He also helped write the script for a TV musical in 1956 called Anne of Green Gables.

Anne of Green Gables: The Musical

Don Harron later turned the Anne of Green Gables TV musical into a stage play in 1965. This play became Anne of Green Gables: The Musical. It is still performed every year at the Charlottetown Festival. Don Harron once said that this musical has given jobs to more than 10,000 actors since it first started!

TV and Radio Host

Don Harron was also a popular host on Canadian television and radio. He hosted CBC Radio's Morningside from 1977 to 1982. For this, he won an ACTRA Award for being the best radio host. Later, he hosted his own afternoon talk show, The Don Harron Show, on CTV.

Charlie Farquharson

Don Harron is most famous for his character, Charlie Farquharson. He first played Charlie in 1952 on a CBC show. For over 50 years, Don Harron performed as Charlie on stage, radio, and TV in Canada.

Charlie Farquharson became known internationally on the American TV show Hee Haw. This show was about country music and ran for 23 years. On Hee Haw, Charlie played a rural anchorman for a TV station called KORN. He would always end his news stories with a funny gesture. Don Harron also brought Charlie Farquharson back for The Red Green Show in 2003 and 2004.

About Charlie Farquharson

Charlie Farquharson was a farmer from the town of Parry Sound. He wore an old, worn-out sweater and a frayed cap. He also had a "two-day beard." Charlie and his wife, Valeda, had a son named Orville. Don Harron's real-life wife, Catherine McKinnon, sometimes played Valeda on stage.

Charlie was not formally educated, but he was very smart in his own way. He would share his opinions on local and world events. He often used funny words that sounded similar to real words but had different meanings. This made his comments even funnier and added to the humor. Charlie was also known for his loud, hearty laugh: "Hee! Hee! Hee!"

Besides his TV appearances, Don Harron also provided funny radio commentaries as Charlie Farquharson. He also wrote several books as Charlie, filled with funny misspellings and strange pictures.

Here are some examples of Charlie's funny comments:

• "Nowadaze Parry Sound looks like most uther towns on this continence, thanks to them branched plants of frenchfrises that has sprung up everywhere – Mickdonald's, Burglar King, Kernel Kadaffy Frayed Chicken. Noware will ya see a sine "Home Cookin'", cuz all our lo-cal burghers is out eaten them malty-nashnul burgurs. This makes everplace into a no place, and it's eezy to fergit ware you is if yer jist passin through at snacktime."
• "Every guvmint estimit incloods an extry estimit of how much more it's gonna cost than yer ferst estimit. That's how come they always leeve this big deficit on the floor of yer House. And a deficit is what you've got wen you haven't got as much as if you jist had nothin'. If we tried any of this, we'd end up in jail. But the guvmint gits rid of its detts by Nashnullizing them."

In 2001, Don Harron performed as Charlie Farquharson for the 75th anniversary of his high school, Vaughan Road Collegiate Institute.

Awards and Recognition

Don Harron received many honors for his work. In 1980, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest honors. In 2000, he was named a member of the Order of Ontario. In 2007, he received the Gemini Award for Lifetime Achievement in Radio and Television. This award recognized his long and successful career.

Don Harron was also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. This meant he helped promote children's rights and well-being around the world. In his later years, he spoke up for the interests of older people. In 2010, he was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

Don Harron was married four times. His first marriage was to Gloria Fisher. His second wife was actress Virginia Leith. His third wife was Canadian singer Catherine McKinnon. His fourth wife was Claudette Gareau.

Don Harron had three children: Martha, Mary, and Kelley. His daughter Mary Harron is a film director. She directed movies like I Shot Andy Warhol and American Psycho.

Don Harron passed away at the age of 90 in his Toronto home. He was surrounded by his family. His daughter, Martha, said he was still funny even when his voice was very quiet.

Images for kids

• 

  A robot for kids.

See Also

• Don Harron (main article)
• Don Harron para niños (In Spanish)