Stephen McNally Biography
Stephen McNally (born Horace Vincent McNally; July 29, 1911 – June 4, 1994) was an American actor remembered mostly for his appearances in many Westerns and action films. He often played hard-hearted characters, criminals, bullies, and other villains.
Early years
Stephen McNally was born Horace McNally in New York City. McNally attended Fordham University School of Law and was an attorney in the late 1930s before he pursued his p*ion for acting.
Career
McNally in No Way Out (1950)He started his stage career using his real name, Horace McNally, and began appearing uncredited in many World War II-era films. In 1948, he changed his stage name to Stephen McNally (taking the name of his then-2-year-old son) and began appearing credited as both movie villains and heroes. In 1940, as "Horace McNally," he played Dr. Richardson in the Broadway stage production of Johnny Belinda.
He played menacing roles in such films as Johnny Belinda (1948) and the James Stewart Western Winchester '73 (1950). He co-starred in the Burt Lancaster film noir Criss Cross (1949). Other notable 1950s films included No Way Out (1950), Split Second (1953), Violent Saturday (1955) and Johnny Rocco (1958).
McNally was cast in three episodes of the ABC religion anthology series Crossroads. He portrayed Monsigneur Harold Engle in "Ringside Padre" (1956) and Father Flanagan of the Boys Town orphanage in Nebraska in "Convict 1321, Age 21" (1957). In between, he was cast as United States Army General George S. Patton, in "The Patton Prayer" (also 1957). McNally also appeared in the episode "Specimen: Unknown" from the anthology series The Outer Limits.
McNally also co-starred on the 1958 episode, "The Ben Courtney Story" on Wagon Train as a former Union soldier turned sheriff. In 1959, he portrayed Clay Thompson, a bounty hunter, with Myron Healey as a sheriff, in the CBS Western series, The Texan, starring Rory Calhoun.
In the 1960 episode "The Mormons" on the CBS western, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre McNally played Matt Rowland, who tries to block a wagon train of Mormons from entering his town, as they are suspected of carrying cholera. Things change quickly, when Rowland's son, Tod (Mark Goddard), becomes interested in a young lady on the train, Beth Lawson (Tuesday Weld).
In 1967 he started as “Dal Neely”, a murdering outlaw who tries to take his daughter away with him in the (S12E23) episode “The Lure” on the TV Western Gunsmoke. In 1971 McNally appeared as Gus Muller in "The Men From Shiloh" (rebranded name for the TV western The Virginian) in the episode *led "The Angus Killer." During the 1970s, McNally guest starred on television programs such as Fantasy Island, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels, and James Garner's The Rockford Files and Police Story.
Death
McNally died of heart failure June 4, 1994, at age 82, at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He and his wife, Rita, had eight children.
Partial filmography
- Grand Central Murder (1942) – 'Turk'
- The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942) – Peters
- Eyes in the Night (1942) – Gabriel Hoffman
- For Me and My Gal (1942) – Mr. Waring
- Dr. Gillespie's New *istant (1942) – Howard Allwinn Young
- Keeper of the Flame (1942) – Freddie Ridges
- Air Raid Wardens (1943) – Dan Madison
- The Man from Down Under (1943) – 'Dusty' Rhodes
- An American Romance (1944) – Teddy Roosevelt Dangos / Narrator
- Thirty Seconds over Tokyo (1944) – 'Doc' White
- Dangerous Partners (1945) – Co-pilot
- Bewitched (1945) – Eric Russell
- The Harvey Girls (1946) – 'Goldust' McClean
- Up Goes Maisie (1946) – Tim Kingby
- Magnificent Doll (1946) – John Todd
- Johnny Belinda (1948) – Locky McCormick
- Rogues' Regiment (1948) – Carl Reicher
- Criss Cross (1949) – Pete Ramirez
- City Across the River (1949) – Stan Albert
- The Lady Gambles (1949) – Horace Corrigan
- Sword in the Desert (1949) – David Vogel
- Woman in Hiding (1950) – Selden Clark IV
- Winchester '73 (1950) – Dutch Henry Brown
- No Way Out (1950) – Dr. Dan Wharton
- Wyoming Mail (1950) – Steve Davis
- Air Cadet (1951) – Major Jack Page
- Apache Drums (1951) – Sam Leeds
- Iron Man (1951) – George Mason
- The Lady Pays Off (1951) – Matt Braddock
- The Raging Tide (1951) – Lt. Kelsey
- Diplomatic Courier (1952) – Col. Mark Cagle
- The Duel at Silver Creek (1952) – Marshal Lightning Tyrone
- Battle Zone (1952) – Sgt. Mitch Turner
- The Black Castle (1952) – Count Karl von Bruno
- Split Second (1953) – Sam Hurley
- The Stand at Apache River (1953) – Lane Dakota
- Devil's Canyon (1953) – Jessie Gorman
- Make Haste to Live (1954) – Steve Blackford
- A Bullet Is Waiting (1954) – Sheriff Munson
- The Man from Bitter Ridge (1955) – Alec Black
- Violent Saturday (1955) – Harper (bank robber)
- Tribute to a Bad Man (1956) – McNulty
- Hell's Crossroads (1957) – Victor 'Vic' Rodell
- Hell's Five Hours (1958) – Mike Brand
- The Fiend Who Walked the West (1958) – Marshal Frank Emmett
- Johnny Rocco (1958) – Tony Rocco
- Hell Bent for Leather (1960) – Deckett
- Target: The Corruptors! (1961, TV series)
- Requiem for a Gunfighter (1965) – Red Zimmer
- Panic in the City (1968) – James Kincade
- Once You Kiss a Stranger (1970) – Police Lt. Tom Gavin
- Black Gunn (1972) – Laurento
- The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975, TV movie) – Lt. Nesbitt
- Hi-Riders (1978) – Mr. Lewis
Radio appearances
Television
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stephen McNally.- Stephen McNally at IMDb
- Stephen McNally at the Internet Broadway Database (as Horace McNally)
- Stephen McNally at Find a Grave
