Don Harron graduated from Vaughan Road Collegiate Institute in 1942 and briefly attended the University of Toronto before enlisting in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943.
21 Facts About Don Harron
1.
2.
Don Harron won the gold medal in philosophy and the regent's silver medal and was offered a position teaching literature at the university which he turned down in order to focus on performing.
3.
Don Harron spent two years in London, England, travelling there variously performing in a West End production of A Streetcar Named Desire and working for the BBC as a comedy writer, acting in a radio series, playing the part of a clown in the film The Red Shoes, and writing scripts for Gracie Fields.
4.
Don Harron co-wrote the script for the 1956 television musical Anne of Green Gables.
5.
Don Harron later adapted the production for the stage in 1965 as Anne of Green Gables: The Musical, which continues to be performed annually during the Charlottetown Festival.
6.
Don Harron guest-starred in the premiere episode of the television series Blue Light, which was later edited together with the three following episodes to create the theatrical film I Deal in Danger.
7.
Don Harron starred in the original 1965 television pilot of The Man Who Never Was as Mark Wainwright but a change in sponsor led to the new sponsor requesting Robert Lansing in the role.
8.
Don Harron made one appearance on the CBC Television show Adventures in Rainbow Country in the episode "The Frank Williams File".
9.
Don Harron has been a host and interviewer on Canadian television and radio, hosting CBC Radio's Morningside from 1977 to 1982, for which he received an ACTRA Award for best radio host, and subsequently hosting an afternoon talk show, The Don Harron Show on CTV from 1983 to 1985.
10.
Don Harron had a featured role in Arthur Hiller's film The Hospital, written by Paddy Chayefsky.
11.
Don Harron replaced Gene Wood as host of the game show Anything You Can Do from 1972 to 1974.
12.
Don Harron reprised the character on The Red Green Show in 2003 and 2004.
13.
In May 2001, Don Harron performed the Charlie Farquharson character during the 75th anniversary of his Toronto high school, Vaughan Road Collegiate Institute.
14.
Don Harron was invested as member of the Order of Canada in 1980 and in 2007, he was given the Gemini Award for Lifetime Achievement in Radio and Television.
15.
Don Harron continued to write books, most recently publishing a retrospective work on the history of the Anne of Green Gables musical to tie in with the 100th anniversary of the original novel.
16.
Don Harron was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
17.
Don Harron married his third wife, Canadian singer Catherine McKinnon in 1969.
18.
Don Harron's daughter Mary Don Harron from his marriage to Fisher, is an independent film director whose credits include I Shot Andy Warhol and American Psycho.
19.
Don Harron directed Alias Grace which won the 2018 Canadian Screen Award for Best Limited Series.
20.
Don Harron died at 90 surrounded by his family in his Toronto home after deciding not to seek treatment for his cancer.
21.
Don Harron was still capable of being funny even though his voice was barely above a whisper.