Jack Bannon obit

Actor Jack Bannon dies

He was not on the list.

Bannon was an American television and stage actor, known as Jack Bannon. He was best known for his role as Art Donovan on Lou Grant, a role he played for the duration of the series, from 1977 to 1982.

Bannon's parents were actors Jim Bannon and Bea Benaderet. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1963.

At age 24, Bannon began working as a dialog coach on Petticoat Junction, the sitcom on which his mother starred. In 1963, he appeared in the Season 1 episode "Kate's Recipe For Hot Rhubarb" of the series as Bobbie Joe's date, Roger. In 1969, Bannon was seen again on Petticoat Junction (after his mother died in 1968) appearing as "Buck" in the episode "One of Our Chickens Is Missing".

Bannon portrayed Buck Williams in the ABC drama Trauma Center (1983). He also appeared in other television series of the 1960s and 1970s, including The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Daniel Boone, Kojak, The Rockford Files, Father Dowling Mysteries and Charlie's Angels.

Bannon's signature role was that of Art Donovan on Lou Grant. Bannon's obituary in The Hollywood Reporter described the character as an "amiable assistant editor" of the fictional Los Angeles Tribune newspaper. The actor appeared in all 114 episodes of the series.

The actor's film career included What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969), Little Big Man (1970), and Death Warrant (1990). On stage, he acted for 20 years in the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre company.

Bannon died on October 25, 2017, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, from cancer at the age of 77. He was survived by his wife, Ellen Travolta, an actress and elder sister of John Travolta, a sister, and two stepchildren.

Filmography

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1969      What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?        Olin       

1970      The Phynx           Blair Thompson                 Uncredited

1970      Little Big Man    Captain                

1990      Death Warrant Ben Keane          

1993      Da Vinci's War   Arthur Jamieson              

1993      Distant Cousins Bill Curtis            

1994      Hard Vice             Medical Examiner           

1995      To the Limit        Arthur Jameson               

1996      Navajo Blues      Captain Hansen                

1999      The Basket          Marcus

2006      Waitin' to Live   Preacher             

2018      Mistrust               Nathan Dobier   (final film role)