Harry Brogan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harry Brogan
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| Born | May 5, 1904 |
| Died | 20 May 1977 (aged 72) Dublin, Ireland
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| Occupation | Stage and film actor |
| Years active | 1939–1977 |
| Children | 5 |
Harry Brogan was a famous Irish actor. He was born on May 5, 1904, and passed away on May 20, 1977. Harry was well-known for playing funny characters. He was a big part of the Abbey Theatre for many years.
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Harry Brogan's Acting Career
Harry Brogan was a very active actor in Irish theatre. He became a full-time member of the Abbey Theatre in 1936. He acted there for 40 years, until 1976. This was just before he passed away.
Becoming a Star at the Abbey Theatre
Harry became one of the most loved actors on the Irish stage. The Abbey Theatre helped him become a top character actor in Ireland. He was especially famous for playing characters created by Seán O'Casey. These roles included Joxer in Juno and the Paycock. He also played Sheamus Shiels in The Shadow of a Gunman. One of his last plays was The Devils in 1976. He was 72 years old at the time.
During his time at the Abbey Theatre, Harry was offered roles on Broadway. Broadway is a famous theatre district in New York City. However, he always chose to stay in Ireland. He only worked abroad if it was with the Abbey Theatre group. He also turned down many movie offers from England and America.
Harry Brogan on Radio and TV
Harry Brogan was involved with Radio Éireann from its early days. Radio Éireann is a national radio station in Ireland. He acted in many radio plays. Broadcasting started in Ireland in 1926. It was first called 2RN, then changed to Radio Éireann in the 1960s. Harry became a very important part of the station.
He was in the first play ever broadcast on Irish radio. It was called William and written by P. L. McCann. Harry was also the first person to read poetry on Radio Éireann. He read poems by Patrick Pearse. In 1946, he was part of a Raidió Teilifís Éireann production. This was a play called Katie Roche by Teresa Deevy.
In 1961, Harry starred in Raidió Teilifís Éireann's first big play. It was 'The Well of the Saints by John Millington Synge. He also appeared in a 1959 movie. This film was called Shake Hands with the Devil. In the movie, Harry played a character named Tom Cassidy.
Harry Brogan's Lasting Impact
By the end of his life, Harry Brogan had acted in 18 movies. He also performed in over 80 theatre plays. Three of his children followed in his footsteps. They also worked in theatre and acting.
Family in Theatre
His daughters, Patricia and Anne, became actresses. Anne Brogan performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. She starred in seven plays written in the Irish language. His son, John, became a stage manager. He worked at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin for over 30 years. John retired in 2008.
A Beloved Actor
Harry Brogan was seen as one of Ireland's best comedic actors. This was true by the time he passed away. The Irish Theatre Institute listed him as one of the most frequent male actors. This was for their report on Irish Playography from 1904 to 2006.
His loyalty to the Abbey Theatre made him very popular. Audiences always loved to see him on stage. When he played Uncle Peter in Séan O'Casey's "The Plough and the Stars", he would get applause. This happened even before he said a single word! He helped bring many characters to life. He also helped bring great Irish theatre productions to the big screen. These included films like The Quare Fellow (1962) and Lies My Father Told Me (1960).
In 2014, the Abbey Theatre created a video about Harry. It was part of their Oral History Project. The video was called Memories of Harry Brogan. It showed interviews with famous Irish actors. Actors like Niall Buggy and Stephen Rea shared their fond memories of Harry. They talked about his work with the Abbey Theatre.
Harry Brogan's Movies
Here are some of the movies Harry Brogan acted in:
- The Promise of Barty O'Brien (1951) - Mr. O'Brien
- The Gentle Gunman (1952) - Barney (uncredited)
- Sally's Irish Rogue (1958) - Rabit Hamil
- Broth of a Boy (1959) - Willie Farrell
- Home Is the Hero (1959) - Dovetail
- Shake Hands with the Devil (1959) - Tom Cassidy
- This Other Eden (1959) - Clannery
- A Terrible Beauty (1960) - Patrick O'Neill
- Lies My Father Told Me (1960) - Grandfather
- The Siege of Sidney Street (1960) - Old Harry
- The Webster Boy (1962) - Grant
- The Quare Fellow (1962) - Dunlavin
- Never Put It in Writing (1964) - Mr. Breeden
- Girl with Green Eyes (1964) - Jack Holland
- Young Cassidy (1965) - Murphy
- The Face of Fu Manchu (1965) - Gaskell
- Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon (1967) - Professor Dingle
- Terror of Frankenstein (1977) - The Blind Man (his last movie role)
Plays Harry Brogan Performed In
Here are some of the plays Harry Brogan performed in:
- The Land of Heart's Desire by W.B. Yeats (1939)
- Katie Roche by Teresa Deevy (1946)
