Tom Conway(1904-1967)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Tom Conway played "The Falcon" in ten of that series' entries. He starred in three Val Lewton horror classics. He appeared in comedies, musicals, two Tarzan films and even science fiction films.
He was early television's Detective Mark Saber, but Conway will probably be best remembered as George Sanders' brother.
Born into a wealthy family in pre-Bolshevik Revolution Russia, Thomas
Charles Sanders might have followed his father as a rope manufacturer
and inherited several estates. Had the family not been forced to flee
to England, the brothers Sanders may never have added their names to
the Hollywood saga.
But the Russian Revolution came, and Tom (age 13), George (age 11),
sister Margaret (age 5), together with their parents, fled to England,
leaving most of their wealth in the hands of the Bolsheviks.
The brothers attended Dunhurst and Bedales, private schools, and
eventually Brighton College.
After college, Tom went to Northern Rhodesia where he worked in gold,
copper and asbestos mines and even attempted ranching. Frustrated and
"pretty well fed up to the teeth" with his failures, he borrowed passage
home. In England, Conway worked as an engineer in a carburetor company
and later sold safety glass.
He was discovered by a representative from a little theater group who
persuaded him to join them. Conway eventually worked for the Manchester
Repertory Company and toured with them in over twenty-five plays. He
also appeared in BBC radio broadcasts.
Brother George persuaded him to come to Hollywood. To prevent confusion
on the part of the public, they tossed a coin to see who would have to
change his name. Tom lost, thereby becoming Tom Conway.
Conway began work at MGM, eventually appearing as a contract player in
twelve films there, including a bit part in Mrs. Miniver (1942).
Brother George, tiring of B-film appearances in RKO's Falcon series and
with better roles at two studios looming on the horizon, offered Tom
his first big break. In
The Falcon's Brother (1942),
George was conveniently eliminated by a Nazi sniper so that Tom, as
Tom Lawrence, could inherit the
role. Conway played the role with even greater success than that of his
brother in the next ten installments, concluding with
The Falcon's Adventure (1946).
During those years, he also appeared in
Val Lewton's
Cat People (1942),
I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
and
The Seventh Victim (1943).
These led to two major film appearances, Universal's
One Touch of Venus (1948),
with Ava Gardner and
Eve Arden and Warner Brothers'
Painting the Clouds with Sunshine (1951).
Amidst the collapse of the studio system, Tom found his opportunities
shrinking. There were to be no further major roles for him. His next
film was
Bride of the Gorilla (1951).
Alert to new possibilities for work, he accepted the part of homicide
detective Mark Saber in the television series,
Mark Saber (1951). Conway also
made several mystery films in England during the same period. He played
a cameo role as a bearded and be-wigged Sir Kay in
Prince Valiant (1954) with two
brief lines.
Back in the states, there were guest appearances on TV's
Rawhide (1959),
Adventures in Paradise (1959),
and Perry Mason (1957).
In October, 1957, Tom turned in a brilliant performance as
ventriloquist Max Collodi in
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)
chilling tale "The Glass Eye". He appeared regularly as the boyfriend
on the
The Betty Hutton Show (1959).
Conway also lent his voice to
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961).
His final appearance was an uncredited part, in
What a Way to Go! (1964).
Failing eyesight and prolonged bouts with alcohol took their toll on
Conway in his last years. His second wife,
Queenie Leonard divorced him in 1963.
George Sanders broke off all
contact with him over his drinking.
Conway underwent cataract surgery during the winter of 1964/65. In
September of 1965 Tom briefly returned to the headlines when he was
discovered living in a $2-a-day room in a Venice, California flophouse. Gifts,
contributions and offers of aid poured in - for a time. Conway, still
standing tall and trim, his hair now white, peered owl-like through
thick-lensed glasses at the newspaper cameras.
His last years were marked with further visits to the hospital. It was
there that former sister-in-law
Zsa Zsa Gabor visited him one day and gave
him $200. "Tip the nurses a little bit so they'll be good to you," she
told him. The following day, the hospital called her to say that Conway
had left with the $200, gone to his girlfriend's and died in her bed.
He was early television's Detective Mark Saber, but Conway will probably be best remembered as George Sanders' brother.
Born into a wealthy family in pre-Bolshevik Revolution Russia, Thomas
Charles Sanders might have followed his father as a rope manufacturer
and inherited several estates. Had the family not been forced to flee
to England, the brothers Sanders may never have added their names to
the Hollywood saga.
But the Russian Revolution came, and Tom (age 13), George (age 11),
sister Margaret (age 5), together with their parents, fled to England,
leaving most of their wealth in the hands of the Bolsheviks.
The brothers attended Dunhurst and Bedales, private schools, and
eventually Brighton College.
After college, Tom went to Northern Rhodesia where he worked in gold,
copper and asbestos mines and even attempted ranching. Frustrated and
"pretty well fed up to the teeth" with his failures, he borrowed passage
home. In England, Conway worked as an engineer in a carburetor company
and later sold safety glass.
He was discovered by a representative from a little theater group who
persuaded him to join them. Conway eventually worked for the Manchester
Repertory Company and toured with them in over twenty-five plays. He
also appeared in BBC radio broadcasts.
Brother George persuaded him to come to Hollywood. To prevent confusion
on the part of the public, they tossed a coin to see who would have to
change his name. Tom lost, thereby becoming Tom Conway.
Conway began work at MGM, eventually appearing as a contract player in
twelve films there, including a bit part in Mrs. Miniver (1942).
Brother George, tiring of B-film appearances in RKO's Falcon series and
with better roles at two studios looming on the horizon, offered Tom
his first big break. In
The Falcon's Brother (1942),
George was conveniently eliminated by a Nazi sniper so that Tom, as
Tom Lawrence, could inherit the
role. Conway played the role with even greater success than that of his
brother in the next ten installments, concluding with
The Falcon's Adventure (1946).
During those years, he also appeared in
Val Lewton's
Cat People (1942),
I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
and
The Seventh Victim (1943).
These led to two major film appearances, Universal's
One Touch of Venus (1948),
with Ava Gardner and
Eve Arden and Warner Brothers'
Painting the Clouds with Sunshine (1951).
Amidst the collapse of the studio system, Tom found his opportunities
shrinking. There were to be no further major roles for him. His next
film was
Bride of the Gorilla (1951).
Alert to new possibilities for work, he accepted the part of homicide
detective Mark Saber in the television series,
Mark Saber (1951). Conway also
made several mystery films in England during the same period. He played
a cameo role as a bearded and be-wigged Sir Kay in
Prince Valiant (1954) with two
brief lines.
Back in the states, there were guest appearances on TV's
Rawhide (1959),
Adventures in Paradise (1959),
and Perry Mason (1957).
In October, 1957, Tom turned in a brilliant performance as
ventriloquist Max Collodi in
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)
chilling tale "The Glass Eye". He appeared regularly as the boyfriend
on the
The Betty Hutton Show (1959).
Conway also lent his voice to
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961).
His final appearance was an uncredited part, in
What a Way to Go! (1964).
Failing eyesight and prolonged bouts with alcohol took their toll on
Conway in his last years. His second wife,
Queenie Leonard divorced him in 1963.
George Sanders broke off all
contact with him over his drinking.
Conway underwent cataract surgery during the winter of 1964/65. In
September of 1965 Tom briefly returned to the headlines when he was
discovered living in a $2-a-day room in a Venice, California flophouse. Gifts,
contributions and offers of aid poured in - for a time. Conway, still
standing tall and trim, his hair now white, peered owl-like through
thick-lensed glasses at the newspaper cameras.
His last years were marked with further visits to the hospital. It was
there that former sister-in-law
Zsa Zsa Gabor visited him one day and gave
him $200. "Tip the nurses a little bit so they'll be good to you," she
told him. The following day, the hospital called her to say that Conway
had left with the $200, gone to his girlfriend's and died in her bed.