Biography
John Nicholas 'Dick' Foran (June 18, 1910 – August 10, 1979) was an American actor, known for his performances in western musicals and for playing supporting roles in dramatic pictures. 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). 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). In 1942, Foran starred as Lon Prentice in a 68-minute war support film, Private Buckaroo. Foran starred in The Petrified Forest (1936), The Sisters (1938), Rangers of Fortune (1940), The Mummy's Hand (1940) and Keep 'Em Flying (1941). One of his last film roles was a small one in Donovan's Reef (1963), starring his longtime friend John Wayne. His final film appearance was as the prospector "Old Timer" in the sentimental film Brighty of the Grand Canyon (1967) with Joseph Cotten, Pat Conway and Karl Swenson Description above from the Wikipedia article Dick Foran, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Acted in 133
1960s
- 1968
- 1966
Brighty of the Grand Canyon
The Prospector
- 1965
O.K. Crackerby
TV
- 1964
- 1963
- 1962
Should I Marry Outside My Faith?
Movie
- 1961
- 1960
Studs Lonigan
Patrick Lonigan
The Big Night
Ed Robello
1950s
- 1959
The Swamp Fox
Gabriel Marion · 8 episodes
- 1958
The Fearmakers
Jim McGinnis
Violent Road
Frank 'Sarge' Miller
Thundering Jets
Col. Henry Spalding
- 1957
Chicago Confidential
Artie Blaine
Sierra Stranger
Bert Gaines
The O. Henry Playhouse
Calliope · 1 episode
- 1956
- 1955
The Miracle on 34th Street
Thomas Mara
Night of Execution
Robert Maxwell
- 1954
- 1953
- 1952
Death Valley Days
Ferguson · 1 episode
- 1951
Al Jennings of Oklahoma
Frank Jennings
- 1950
1940s
- 1949
Deputy Marshal
Joel Benton
- 1948
- 1947
Hollywood Wonderland
Singing Cowboy (clip from "Sunday Roundup", 1936) (uncredited)
Easy Come, Easy Go
Dale Whipple
- 1946
Movieland Magic
(archive footage)
- 1945
Guest Wife
Christopher Price
- 1943
He's My Guy
Van Moore
Hi, Buddy
Dave O'Connor
- 1942
Behind the Eight Ball
Bill Edwards
The Mummy's Tomb
Prof. Stephen A. Banning
Butch Minds the Baby
Dennis Devlin
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Bronco Bob Mitchell
- 1941
Keep 'Em Flying
Jinx Roberts
Mob Town
Frank Conroy
The Kid from Kansas
Kansas
Unfinished Business
Frank
Riders of Death Valley
Jim Benton
In the Navy
Dynamite Dugan
Horror Island
Bill Martin
Four Mothers
Ernest Talbot
- 1940
Rangers of Fortune
Johnny Cash
The Mummy's Hand
Steve Banning
Winners of the West
Jeff Ramsay
The House of the Seven Gables
Matthew Maule
My Little Chickadee
Wayne Carter
1930s
- 1939
Four Wives
Ernest Talbot
Private Detective
Jim Rickey
Hero for a Day
Brainy Thornton
I Stole a Million
Paul Carver
Daughters Courageous
Eddie Moore
Inside Information
Danny Blake
- 1938
Heart of the North
Alan Baker
Secrets of a Nurse
'Killer' Lee Burke
The Sisters
Tom Knivel
Boy Meets Girl
Larry Toms
Four Daughters
Ernest
Cowboy from Brooklyn
Sam Thorne
Out Where the Stars Begin
Dick Foran
Over the Wall
Jerry Davis
Love, Honor and Behave
Pete Martin
- 1937
She Loved a Fireman
James "Red" Tyler
The Perfect Specimen
Jink Carter
Sunday Night at the Trocadero
Dick Foran
Prairie Thunder
Rod Farrell
The Devil's Saddle Legion
Tal Holladay
Empty Holsters
Clay Brent
Blazing Sixes
Red Barton
The Cherokee Strip
Dick Hudson
Land Beyond the Law
Charles "Chip" Douglas
- 1936
Guns of the Pecos
Steve Ainslee
California Mail
Bill Harkins
The Sunday Round-Up
Parson Ted Burke
Trailin' West
Lieut. Red Colton
Public Enemy's Wife
Thomas Duncan McKay
The Big Noise
Don Andrews
The Golden Arrow
Tommy Blake
Treachery Rides the Range
Red Taylor
Song of the Saddle
Frank Wilson, Jr.
Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs
Movie
- 1935
Dangerous
Teddy
Moonlight on the Prairie
Ace Andrews
Shipmates Forever
Gifford
Accent on Youth
Butch
The Farmer Takes a Wife
Walt Lansing
It's A Small World
Motor Cop
One More Spring
Park Policeman
The Lottery Lover
Cadet
- 1934
Gentlemen Are Born
Smudge Casey
Student Tour
Assistant Manager
Change of Heart
Nick
Stand Up and Cheer!
Nick Foran
Appearances9
2000s
- 2008
Shemp Cocktail: A Toast to the Original Stooge
Self (archive footage)
1980s
- 1983
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1982
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
Self (archive footage)
1970s
- 1975
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Self (archive footage)
1940s
- 1946
Blow-Ups of 1946
Self
- 1942
Breakdowns of 1942
Self
1930s
- 1938
Breakdowns of 1938
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1937
Breakdowns of 1937
Self
- 1936
Breakdowns of 1936
Self