| Don Harron | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Donald H. Harron |
| Born | September 19, 1924 Toronto, Ontario |
| Medium | Television |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Years active | 1952 - present |
| Genres | satire, character comedy |
| Subject(s) | events |
| Spouse | Catherine McKinnon |
| Notable works and roles | Charlie Farquharson |
Donald H. Harron, OC, OOnt (born September 19, 1924 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian comedian, actor, director, journalist, author and composer.
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Harron is best known for the character Charlie Farquharson (pronounced by Harron in performance /ˈfɑrkəsən/), a personality he first portrayed in 1952 on the CBC series The Big Revue and used as part of the cast of the U.S. country music television show, Hee Haw. The character was also reprised on The Red Green Show.
Dressed in an overly well-worn sweater and frayed cap, and sporting a grizzled 'two-day beard,' Farquharson is a decidedly rural Ontario farmer from near Parry Sound. He and his wife, Valeda, have a son, Orville. He would deliver his opinion about matters local and worldwide, using many malapropisms in the process that often resulted in both double meanings and increased satire about the events. He was also known for his loud hearty laugh "Hee! Hee! Hee!". In addition to his television appearances, Harron published several books in the character, reproducing the malapropisms in print and including strange photos and woodcuts as illustrations.
Examples of Farquharson's comments:
Harron has been a fixture of Canadian television for years, including on The Red Green Show. He also directed the 1956 television film Anne of Green Gables, and wrote the lyrics for the long-running Anne of Green Gables - The Musical, telling the Calgary Herald in an interview published in March 2008 that the show has given work to more than 10,000 actors since its inception. In 1965, he appeared in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as an Australian U.N.C.L.E. agent named Kittridge in an episode called "The Four-Steps Affair". He made one appearance on the CBC Television show Adventures in Rainbow Country in 1969 in the episode "The Frank Williams File." He has also been a host and interviewer on Canadian television and radio, hosting CBC Radio's Morningside from 1977 to 1982, and subsequently hosting an afternoon talk show for CTV.
In 2000, Harron's contribution to the Canadian entertainment industry was recognized with his being named a member of the Order of Ontario. He was invested as member of the Order of Canada in 1980. Harron was also appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In recent years, he has also been a high-profile advocate for the interests of older people. He also continues to write books, most recently (2008) 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.
Harron was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.[1]
He was married to Canadian singer Catherine McKinnon.[2] Harron's daughter Mary Harron[3] from an earlier marriage to Gloria Fisher, is a noted independent film director whose credits include I Shot Andy Warhol and American Psycho.
Don Harron graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto.
On May 15, 2011, Don publicly performed the Charlie Farquharson character for the last time in Canada during the 85th anniversary of his Toronto high school, Vaughan Road Collegiate Institute.
[as "Charlie Farquharson," with titles spelled in the character's idiolect:]