Liam Dunn

Liam Dunn (November 12, 1916 – April 11, 1976) was an American character actor born in New Jersey who worked across Broadway, television, and film. His Broadway career included an appearance in the 1944 production Bright Boy.

Early in his career, Dunn built a television résumé that included appearances on Bonanza, Mannix, Gunsmoke, Alias Smith and Jones, Room 222, and Emergency. His film career gained significant momentum with his role as the judge — also the father of Barbra Streisand's character — in the 1972 comedy What's Up, Doc? That performance brought him to the attention of director Mel Brooks, who was assembling a recurring group of performers for his projects. Dunn subsequently appeared in three Brooks films: as Reverend Johnson in Blazing Saddles (1974), as Mr. Hilltop in Young Frankenstein (1974), and as the Newsvendor in Silent Movie (1976).

Dunn also became a fixture in Walt Disney productions during the same period, appearing in The World's Greatest Athlete (1973), Charley and the Angel (1973), Herbie Rides Again (1974), and Gus (1976). His broader film credits included Catch-22 (1970), The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972), A Reflection of Fear (1972), Emperor of the North Pole (1973), Papillon (1973), Bank Shot (1974), At Long Last Love (1975), and Peeper (1976). On television, he appeared in All in the Family, Barney Miller, Sanford and Son, Rhoda, McMillan & Wife, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Twigs, among others. Throughout his career he was frequently cast in roles involving slapstick physical and verbal abuse.

Dunn died on April 11, 1976, at the age of 59, from emphysema in Granada Hills, California. He collapsed during the filming of a roller rink sequence for Disney's The Shaggy D.A. and died shortly after being hospitalized. John Fiedler completed his role as the dog catcher in that film. Despite his relatively young age at the time of his death, Dunn consistently appeared older than he was, a quality that shaped the roles he was given throughout his career.