Actor, Comedian. He was best known for playing the character roles of auctioneers, detectives, editors, lieutenants, doctors, first mates, colleagues, businessmen, lawyers, bankers, and professors, in horror films, science fiction films, and western films, but some were uncredited. He will be best remembered for playing the role of 'Sektal' in the classic horror Sci-Fi film drama, "The Ghost Of Frankenstein" (1942). The film which was directed by Erle C. Kenton, which was written for the screen by Scott Darling and Eric Taylor, and which also starred Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr, Ralph Bellamy, Bela Lugosi, and Evelyn Ankers, tells the story of Dr. Frankenstein's plans to replace the brain of his monster which are hijacked by his scheming and malevolent assistant Ygor. He was born one of two children as Julius Maurice Tannen in Greenwich Village, New York, on May 10, 1880, to Albert N. Tannen (1856-), and his wife Charlotte Rapp Tannen (1860-). He was educated locally and then turned to a career in acting first on the stage and then eventually in films. On an interesting note, he was one of the first vaudeville stand-up comedians, most notably in "The Chatterbox," in the vaudeville circuit at the turn of the century. He never used props, sets, costumes, or stooges. He just put on his hat, walked on stage, took it off, and did his monologue, then put his hat on again and walked off. This was rather revolutionary in his day and he later paved the way for many stand-ups to come, such as Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Frank Faye, and Jack Benny. He appeared on Broadway in New York City, New York, in several stage productions of such plays as, 'William "T.G." Rome' in "Lifting The Lid" (June 05, 1905, to August 26, 1905), as 'J. Edward Corley' in "Fritz In Tammany Hall" (October 16, 1905, to November 18, 1905), as 'Dicky Dickson' in "The Governor's Son" (June 04, 1906, to August 25, 1906), "The Judge And The Jury" (September 01, 1906, to September 1906), as "Abe And Mawruss" (October 21, 1915, to April 1916), "Her Family Tree" (December 27, 1920, to March 19, 1921, He performed in the play and also wrote scenes for the play), "Round The Town (May 21, 1924, to May 31, 1924), "Earl Carroll's Vanities" [1925] (July 06, 1925, to December 27, 1925, He performed in the play and he also wrote the book), and "Earl Carroll's Vanities" [1926] (August 24, 1926, to May 1927). During his time on the Broadway stage he worked with the likes of Hazel Bowman, Florence Brady, Charles Dale, Magda De Bries, M. De Jari, Harry Delf, Bernard Dudley, Norman Frescott, Dorothy Knapp, Moran and Mack, Robert Rhodes, Yvette Rugel, Joseph Smith, Bernice Speer, Gilbert Wells, Thelma White, Rose Adaire, Basil Allis, Marjorie Bailey, Anita Banton, Suzanne Bennett, Marjorie Bolton, Celia Branz, Pat Brown, Edith Cardell, Marion Cardell, Aileen Carmody, Vivian Carmody, Dave Chasen, Gertrude Crouch, Sid Daish, Marion Dale, Dane Daniels, Teddy Dauer, M. De Jari, Marion Dowling, Jessica Dragonette, Pearl Eaton, Olivette Florentine, Bobby Folsom, Evelyn France, Bobby Galvin, Jeanette Gilmore, M. Senia Gluck, Dorothy Gordon, Eve Marie Gray, Vivian Hart, Betty Healy, Ted Healy, Helen Herms, Ross Hertz, Warren Hill, Herman Hoover, Agnes Horter, Ray Hughes, Dave Jones, Marjorie Kelly, Mildred Kelly, Kenneth Lackey, Trudy Lake, Jewel LaKota, Florence Lavalle, Oscar Lorraine, Van Lowe, Polly Luce, Eve Lynn, Virginia Martin, Rita Mayer, Wallace McCutcheon, Ruth Mees, Marcelle Miller, Margaret Miller, Lillian Morehouse, Marie Musselle, Adele Neff, Frances Norton, Jack Norton, Natalie Norton, Blanche O'Brien, Vera O'Brien, Agnes O'Laughlin, Gladys Pender, Marjorie Peterson, Kathryn Ray, Nellie Roberts, Josephine Sabel, Felicia Sorel, Julia Steger, Irene Swor, Earl Taney, Esther Tanya, The Whirlwinds, Lillian Thomas, Francis Thorne, Lucille Upton, Velma Valentine, Richard Warren, Peggy Watts, Rose Wenzel, Frank Wisner, Harold Yates, and Marguerite Young, among several others. He made his actual film debut playing the role of 'Man at Train Terminal' in the romance film drama, "Stranded" (1935). The film which was directed by Frank Borzage, which was written by Delmer Daves, and was based on the story, "Lady With A Badge," by Frank Wead and Ferdinand Reyher, tells the story of a construction engineer with a heart of steel courts a social worker with a heart of gold while fighting a protection racketeer that tries to derail the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Besides, playing the role of 'Man at Train Terminal' in the romance film drama, "Stranded" (1935), and playing the role of 'Sektal' in the classic horror Sci-Fi film drama, "The Ghost Of Frankenstein" (1942), his many other film credits include, "King Of Burlesque" (1936), "Collegiate" (1936), "Half Angel" (1936), "The Road To Glory" (1936), "Sins Of Man" (1936), "36 Hours To Kill" (1936), "Sing, Baby, Sing" (1936), "Dimples" (1936), "Pigskin Parade" (1936), "Reunion" (1936), "Stowaway" (1936), "One In A Million" (1936), "Love Is News" (1937), "Fair Warning" (1937), "Mama Runs Wild" (1937), "Love Is A Headache" (1938), "Goodbye Broadway" (1938), "A Man To Remember" (1938), "The Lady And The Mob" (1939), "The Magnificent Fraud" (1939), "Dawson Flight" (1939), "Remember The Night" (1940), "The Lone Wolf Strikes" (1940), "The Mortal Storm" (1940), "The Lady In Question" (1940), "Christmas In July" (1940), "Bitter Sweet" (1940), "No, No, Nanette" (1940), "The Lady Eve" (1941), "Sullivan's Travels" (1941), "Confessions Of Boston Blackie" (1941), "Harvard, Here I Come" (1941), "Two Yanks In Trinidad" (1942), "The Big Street" (1942), "The Palm beach Story" (1942), "The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek" (1944), "The Great Moment" (1944), "House Of Frankenstein" (1944), "Nob Hill" (1945), "The Dolly Sisters" *1845), "A Scandal In Paris" (1946), "The Sin Of Harold Diddlebock" (1947), "Unfaithfully Yours" (1948), "Always Leave Them Laughing" (1949), "Grounds For Marriage" (1951), "The People Against O'Hara" (1951), "Singin' In The Rain" (1952, He had a hilarious cameo as the shifty-eyed on-camera spokesman for "Motion pictures that talk!" from the Hollywood party scene), "Clash By Night" (1952), "Carrie" (1952), "Loving You" (1957), "I Married A Woman" (1958), "Once Upon A Horse..." (1958), "The Last Hurrah" (1958). He also appeared as himself in two episodes of the comedy talk show television series, "The George Gobel Show," in 1954, and again in 1955. His last film was playing 'Horsehoe Cleaning Man' in the classic western film, "Last Train From Gun Hill" (1957). The film which was directed by John Sturges, which was written for the screen by James Poe, which was based on the story, "Showdown," by Les Crutchfield, and which also starred Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, and Carolyn Jones, tells the story of a marshal who tries to bring the son of an old friend, an autocratic cattle baron, to justice for his role in the rape and murder of the marshal's Native American wife. He retired from acting shortly thereafter. He passed away at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California, on January 3, 1965, at the age of 84. His funeral service was held through Pierce Brothers Hollywood Mortuary in Los Angeles, California, with the eulogy being given by his friend comedian George Jessel, and he was buried in Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood, California. He was married to Beatrice Muhleman Tannen (1880-1965). The couple who were married for sixty years had two children together, the actors Charles David Tannen (1915-1980), and William J. Tannen (1911-1976). His wife Beatrice predeceased him on August 4, 1960, at the age of 80.