---
name: "William Gargan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/william-gargan"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "17 July 1905"
died: "18 February 1979"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-20T01:22:13.566135+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# William Gargan

Actor. Born 17 July 1905 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Died 18 February 1979.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 17 July 1905, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- **Died:** 18 February 1979
- **Also known as:** William Dennis Gargan, Bill Gargan
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gargan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1358712, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0307326/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/87697

## Streaming the US now

- **The Roku Channel:** [*The Bells of St. Mary's*](https://film.one/film/the-bells-of-st-marys.md) (64)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

William Gargan (1905–1979) was an American film, television and radio actor. Born William Dennis Gargan in Brooklyn, New York, he began his career on stage in the mid-1920s before making his film debut in the early 1930s. He appeared in character roles across dozens of Hollywood productions, often cast in Irish parts as policemen, priests or reporters.

Gargan received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in *They Knew What They Wanted* (1940). He played Joe Gallagher in *The Bells of St. Mary's* (1945) and was known for detective roles, including Ellery Queen in several films. His most prominent part was as private detective Martin Kane in the radio and television series *Martin Kane, Private Eye* (1949–1952). He also starred in the radio series *Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator* (1951–1955).

Gargan received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1967. His acting career ended after he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1958; he later worked as an advocate for the American Cancer Society.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *The Bells of St. Mary's* (1945), Fi1m 64, as Joe Gallagher — [page](https://film.one/film/the-bells-of-st-marys.md)

## Complete filmography (97)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Rawhide Years* (1956), as Marshal Sommers
- *Miracle in the Rain* (1956), as Harry Wood
- *Man on the Ledge* (1955), as Officer Bragan
- *The 20th Century Fox Hour* (1955), series, as Officer Bragan
- *The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse* (1953), series, Actor
- *Martin Kane, Private Eye* (1949), series, Actor
- *Dynamite* (1949), as "Gunner" Peterson
- *Studio One* (1948), series, as Con McTaggart
- *Waterfront at Midnight* (1948), as Mike Hanrohan
- *The Argyle Secrets* (1948), as Harry Mitchell
- *Swell Guy* (1946), as Martin Duncan
- *Till the End of Time* (1946), as Sgt. Gunny Watrous
- *Hot Cargo* (1946), as Joe Harkness
- *Rendezvous 24* (1946), as Agent Larry Cameron
- *Murder in the Music Hall* (1946), as Inspector Wilson
- *Night Editor* (1946), as Tony Cochrane
- *Strange Impersonation* (1946), as Dr. Stephen Lindstrom
- *Behind Green Lights* (1946), as Sam Carson
- *The Bells of St. Mary's* (1945), as Joe Gallagher — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-bells-of-st-marys.md)
- *Follow That Woman* (1945), as Sam Boone
- *Midnight Manhunt* (1945), as Pete Willis
- *Song of the Sarong* (1945), as Drew Allen
- *She Gets Her Man* (1945), as 'Breezy' Barton
- *The Canterville Ghost* (1944), as Sergeant Benson
- *Swing Fever* (1943), as 'Waltzy' Malone
- *Harrigan's Kid* (1943), as Tom Harrigan
- *No Place for a Lady* (1943), as Jess Arno
- *Who Done It?* (1942), as Detective Inspector Lou
- *The Mayor of 44th Street* (1942), as Tommy Fallon
- *Destination Unknown* (1942), as Briggs Hannon - aka Terry Jordan
- *Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen* (1942), as Ellery Queen
- *Miss Annie Rooney* (1942), as Mr. Timothy Rooney
- *A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen* (1942), as Ellery Queen
- *A Close Call for Ellery Queen* (1942), as Ellery Queen
- *Bombay Clipper* (1942), as James Montgomery 'Jim' Wilson
- *Sealed Lips* (1942), as Lee Davis
- *Keep 'Em Flying* (1941), as Craig Morrison
- *I Wake Up Screaming* (1941), as Jerry 'Mac' MacDonald
- *Flying Cadets* (1941), as 'Trip' Hammer
- *Cheers for Miss Bishop* (1941), as Sam Peters
- *They Knew What They Wanted* (1940), as Joe
- *Sporting Blood* (1940), as Duffy
- *Turnabout* (1940), as Joel Clare
- *Star Dust* (1940), as Dane Wharton
- *Isle Of Destiny* (1940), as Stripes Thornton
- *Double Alibi* (1940), as Walter Gifford
- *Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President* (1939), as Joe Turp
- *The Housekeeper's Daughter* (1939), as Ed O'Malley
- *Three Sons* (1939), as Thane Pardway
- *The House of Fear* (1939), as Arthur McHugh
- *Women in the Wind* (1939), as Ace Boreman
- *Broadway Serenade* (1939), as Bill Foster
- *The Adventures of Jane Arden* (1939), as Ed Towers
- *Within the Law* (1939), as Police Sergeant Cassidy
- *Personal Secretary* (1938), as Marcus 'Mark' Farrell
- *The Crowd Roars* (1938), as Johnny Martin
- *The Devil's Party* (1938), as Mike O'Mara
- *The Crime of Doctor Hallet* (1938), as Dr. Jack Murray
- *You're a Sweetheart* (1937), as Fred Edwards
- *Some Blondes Are Dangerous* (1937), as George Regan
- *Behind the Mike* (1937), as George Hayes
- *She Asked for It* (1937), as Dwight Stanford
- *Reported Missing* (1937), as Steve Browning
- *Wings Over Honolulu* (1937), as Jack Furness
- *Breezing Home* (1937), as Steve Rowan
- *You Only Live Once* (1937), as Father Dolan
- *Flying Hostess* (1936), as Hal Cunningham
- *The Sky Parade* (1936), as Speed Robertson
- *Alibi for Murder* (1936), as Perry Travis
- *Fury and the Woman* (1936), as Bruce Corrigan
- *Blackmailer* (1936), as Peter Cornish
- *Navy Born* (1936), as Lt. Red Furness
- *The Milky Way* (1936), as Speed McFarland
- *Man Hunt* (1936), as Henry Wadsworth 'Hank' Dawson
- *Bright Lights* (1935), as Dan Wheeler
- *Broadway Gondolier* (1935), as Cliff Stanley
- *Don't Bet on Blondes* (1935), as Numbers
- *Things Are Looking Up* (1935), as Van Gaard
- *Black Fury* (1935), as Slim Johnson, Company Policeman
- *Traveling Saleslady* (1935), as Pat O'Connor
- *A Night at the Ritz* (1935), as Duke Regan
- *British Agent* (1934), as Bob Medill
- *Strictly Dynamite* (1934), as Georgie
- *The Line-Up* (1934), as Bob Curtis
- *Four Frightened People* (1934), as Stewart Corder
- *Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men* (1933), as Red Branahan
- *Night Flight* (1933), as Brazilian Pilot
- *Headline Shooter* (1933), as Bill Allen
- *Emergency Call* (1933), as Steve Brennan
- *The Story of Temple Drake* (1933), as Stephen Benbow
- *Sweepings* (1933), as Gene Pardway
- *Lucky Devils* (1933), as Bob Hughes
- *The Animal Kingdom* (1932), as Regan
- *The Sport Parade* (1932), as Johnny Baker
- *Rain* (1932), as Sergeant Tim O'Hara
- *The Misleading Lady* (1932), as Fitzpatrick
- *Follow the Leader* (1930), as Gangster (uncredited)

## Gallery

- ![Photo of William Gargan from Picture Play Magazine in 1933.](https://film.one/media/person/1234877/gallery-3b1c9d823a03.jpg) Photo of William Gargan from Picture Play Magazine in 1933. — Street & Smith, New York. Photo by Ernst Bachrach., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/William_Gargan_1933.jpg/1280px-William_Gargan_1933.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![William Gargan](https://film.one/media/person/1234877/gallery-e8fd419a76ae.jpg) William Gargan — NBC Radio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/William_Gargan_circa_1950s.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![William Gargan & Carole Landis in Behind Green Lights - lobby card (1946)](https://film.one/media/person/1234877/gallery-4143e66fbb64.jpg) William Gargan & Carole Landis in Behind Green Lights - lobby card (1946) — unknown (20th Century Fox), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Behind_Green_Lights_%281946%29_1.jpg/1280px-Behind_Green_Lights_%281946%29_1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![William Gargan](https://film.one/media/person/1234877/gallery-944724bbdf8d.jpg) William Gargan — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1941: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *They Knew What They Wanted*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/william-gargan