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Al Shean

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
27

Gender
Male

Birthday
May 12, 1868 (158 years old)

Place of Birth
Dornum, Germany

Al Shean

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abraham Elieser Adolph Schönberg (12 May 1868 – 12 August 1949), known as Al Shean, was a comedian and vaudeville performer. Other sources give his birth name variously as Adolf Schönberg, Albert Schönberg, or Alfred Schönberg.[6] He is most remembered for being half of the vaudeville team Gallagher and Shean, and as the uncle of the Marx Brothers.

Shean was born in Dornum, Germany, on 12 May 1868, the son of Fanny and Levi or Louis Schoenberg. His father was a magician. His sister, Minnie, married Sam "Frenchie" Marx; their children would become the Marx Brothers.

After making a name for himself in vaudeville, Shean teamed up with Edward Gallagher to create the act Gallagher and Shean in the 1920s. While the act was successful, the men apparently did not like each other much. After their act's final Ziegfeld Follies pairing, Shean went on to perform solo in eight Broadway shows, even playing the title character in Father Malachy's Miracle.

Shean had some solo film roles: as the piano player, known as "The Professor" in San Francisco (1936), as a priest in Hitler's Madman (1943), as grandfather in The Blue Bird (1940), and in some three dozen other films. He and Gallagher also made an early sound film at the Theodore Case studio in Auburn, New York, in 1925.

He died on 12 August 1949.

Known For

Acting

1976That's Entertainment, Part IIas (archive footage)
1944Atlantic Cityas Al Shean
1943Crime Doctoras Dave, a Convict
1943Hitler's Madmanas Father Cemlanek
1942The Daughter of Rosie O'Gradyas Old Dann
1941Ziegfeld Girlas Al
1940Friendly Neighborsas Doc
1940The Blue Birdas Grandpa Tyl
1939Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the Presidentas Father Reicher
1939Broadway Serenadeas Herman
1938The Great Waltzas Cellist
1938Too Hot to Handleas Gumpert
1937Tim Tyler's Luckas Professor Tyler
1937Live, Love and Learnas Professor Fraum
1937It Could Happen to Youas Max 'Pa' Barrett
1937The Road Backas Markheim
1936San Franciscoas Professor
1936At Sea Ashoreas Adolph Rumplemeyer
1936Hitch Hike To Heavenas Herman Blatz
1935It's in the Airas Mr. Johnson
1935Page Miss Gloryas Mr. Hamburgher
1935Traveling Salesladyas Schmidt
1935Sweet Musicas Sigmund Selzer
1935Symphony of Livingas Adolph Greig
1934Music in the Airas Dr. Walter Lessing
1931Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Sheanas Self
1930Chills and Feveras Betty's Uncle Emil

Production

1941Ziegfeld Girl...Songs