Dick Foran

Foran was still billed as Nick Foran when he signed a contract with Fox in 1934. In 1935, Foran, who stood 6-foot-2 and had red hair, was hired by Warner Bros. as a supporting actor, changing his first name to Dick. He would also croon when called upon in films such as Change of Heart (1934) with Janet Gaynor, made for Fox Film Corporation. His handsome appearance and good-natured personality made him a natural choice for the supporting cast. He first appeared as a singing cowboy in his first starring role, in Moonlight on the Prairie (1935). Other singing cowboy features included Song of the Saddle (1936), Guns of the Pecos (1937), Empty Holsters (1937) and Cowboy from Brooklyn (1938). He appeared in dozens of movies of every type during his lengthy career, often with top stars leading the cast.

In 1938 Foran moved to Universal Studios, where he acted in many different genres of film from horror to comedies with Abbott and Costello such as Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942). Foran appeared in The Petrified Forest (1936) with Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart, The Sisters (1938) with Errol Flynn and Bette Davis, The Fighting 69th (1940) with James Cagney, My Little Chickadee (1940) with Mae West and W.C. Fields, Rangers of Fortune (1940) with Fred MacMurray, and played the top-billed hero in The Mummy's Hand (1940) with Tom Tyler as the Mummy. Foran reprised the same role in the sequel The Mummy's Tomb (1942), this time with Lon Chaney Jr. as the Mummy, and had also appeared in another comedy with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello titled Keep 'Em Flying (1941) the previous year. In 1942, Foran starred as Lon Prentice in a 68-minute war support film, Private Buckaroo with Harry James, the Andrews Sisters, and Shemp Howard.

In 1943, Foran starred on Broadway in the Rodgers and Hart musical comedy A Connecticut Yankee, based on Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

In 1954, Foran guest starred on NBC's Justice, a legal drama starring Dane Clark and Gary Merrill, on CBS's The Public Defender starring Reed Hadley and Hugh Beaumont, and on NBC's The Martha Raye Show, a comedy/variety show starring comedienne Martha Raye.

Foran appeared in at least four episodes of Science Fiction Theatre (1955). One of these, "The Miracle Hour" (aired December 22, 1956), is about a man who never gives up hope that his fiancée's blind six-year-old son won't have to spend the holidays in darkness. The show featured Jean Byron as the fiancée and Charles Herbert as the child. Foran appeared three times (1955–1956) as Father Brophy on the ABC anthology series Crossroads. He guest starred in the syndicated crime drama Sheriff of Cochise starring John Bromfield. He also appeared as Burt, a carnival hustler, in 1957 on NBC's Father Knows Best with Robert Young.

Foran was prominently featured as a sheriff in the episode "The Third Rider" in the first season (1957) of the ABC/Warner Brothers Western series Maverick starring Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, the brother of James Garner's character Bret Maverick (Garner only introduces this episode, however). He also portrayed Tuck Degan in the 1957 episode "Final Payment" of another ABC/WB Western series, Colt .45 starring Wayde Preston.

In the January 1959 episode of "The Spur", he portrayed Sheriff Wilkes on Wanted Dead or Alive starring Steve McQueen. Also in 1959, Foran portrayed defendant Dr. David Craig on CBS's Perry Mason in the episode "The Case of the Bedeviled Doctor." Later that year, he played defendant Steve Benton in another Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Garrulous Gambler." He was also featured as Perry Mason's client in the 1961 episode "The Case of the Renegade Refugee." In 1959, Foran was cast as David Steele in the episode "The Adjuster" of the NBC crime drama series Richard Diamond, Private Detective, starring David Janssen. Dabbs Greer and DeForest Kelley also appear in this episode.

Foran has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to television, at 1600 Vine Street. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.

In 1962, Foran appeared with Marie Windsor in the roles of Frank and Ann Jesse in the episode "The Wanted Man" of the ABC/Warner Brothers Western series Lawman, starring John Russell as Marshal Dan Troop. In the story line, Ann dies in childbirth, and Frank, who is wanted and frequently absent from their farm, orders their grown son, Ben (Jan Stine), to turn him over to Marshal Troop in order to collect the $5,000 reward and thus be able to rear his surviving infant brother, whom he names Frank. Meanwhile, Troop counters Joe Street (Alan Baxter), a bounty hunter seeking the same reward.

Foran later appeared as Gabriel Marion, brother of title character Francis Marion (Leslie Nielsen), in the Walt Disney Presents miniseries The Swamp Fox. In 1965–1966 he had his only regular role on a TV series playing "Slim" on O.K. Crackerby!. In 1968 Foran was cast in the role of "Fred Haines" in Season 1, Episode 13, of the NBC television series Adam-12.

On August 10, 1979, Foran died aged 69 of respiratory ailments and pneumonia in Burbank, California. He was buried in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

10 Things You Should Know About Dick Foran ⋆ Cladrite Radio

We explore the life, career and legacy of singing cowboy star and supporting player Dick Foran on his birthday

Dick Foran Age, Height,Net Worth & Bio - CelebrityHow

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