Regis Toomey(1898-1991)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Pittsburgh-born and -raised character actor Regis Toomey, of Irish
descent, took an early interest in the performing arts and initially
studied drama at the university of his home town. One of four children
of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey, John Regis Toomey initially
pondered a law career, but acting won out and he gradually established
himself as a musical stage performer. Dropping his first name for
acting purposes, he was touring in a production of "Little Nellie
Kelly" in England when he developed an acute case of laryngitis. The
severity of the problem forced a serious rethinking of his career
goals.
With the birth of sound pictures, Toomey made an auspicious debut with
Alibi (1929) starring
Chester Morris where a climactic
death scene sparked controversy--and a movie career that would include
almost 200 pictures and a number of other notorious death scenes. His
lead/second lead status opposite such stars as
Clara Bow,
Constance Bennett,
Barbara Stanwyck and
Evelyn Brent fell away within a few years,
and he found more work in streetwise character roles. Fast-paced crime
action was his forte and he was prevalent throughout the 1930s and
1940s. He appeared in many classic films including
'G' Men (1935),
Meet John Doe (1941),
The Big Sleep (1946),
Rachel and the Stranger (1948)
and Spellbound (1945). In 1955 he
played Uncle Arvide of The Salvation Army in
Guys and Dolls (1955) alongside
Marlon Brando,
Frank Sinatra,
Jean Simmons and
Vivian Blaine, a role for which he
is still well remembered.
In the 1950s he found employment on TV as a good guy, typically playing
judges, sheriffs, businessmen and police sergeants. He was a regular on
The Mickey Rooney Show (1954).
Fellow one-time singer Dick Powell
became a friend and Powell, having turned producer, saw to it that
Toomey had involving roles on a couple of his TV series such as
Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957)
and Burke's Law (1963). He was
later a regular on
Petticoat Junction (1963).
Toomey played roles well past his 80th year.
His marriage (from 1925) to Kathryn Scott produced two children. They
met in 1924 when he appeared in a musical production of "Rose Marie"
that Kathryn assistant choreographed. Toomey died of natural causes on
October 12, 1991, at the Motion Picture Country House in Woodland
Hills, California at age 93.
descent, took an early interest in the performing arts and initially
studied drama at the university of his home town. One of four children
of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey, John Regis Toomey initially
pondered a law career, but acting won out and he gradually established
himself as a musical stage performer. Dropping his first name for
acting purposes, he was touring in a production of "Little Nellie
Kelly" in England when he developed an acute case of laryngitis. The
severity of the problem forced a serious rethinking of his career
goals.
With the birth of sound pictures, Toomey made an auspicious debut with
Alibi (1929) starring
Chester Morris where a climactic
death scene sparked controversy--and a movie career that would include
almost 200 pictures and a number of other notorious death scenes. His
lead/second lead status opposite such stars as
Clara Bow,
Constance Bennett,
Barbara Stanwyck and
Evelyn Brent fell away within a few years,
and he found more work in streetwise character roles. Fast-paced crime
action was his forte and he was prevalent throughout the 1930s and
1940s. He appeared in many classic films including
'G' Men (1935),
Meet John Doe (1941),
The Big Sleep (1946),
Rachel and the Stranger (1948)
and Spellbound (1945). In 1955 he
played Uncle Arvide of The Salvation Army in
Guys and Dolls (1955) alongside
Marlon Brando,
Frank Sinatra,
Jean Simmons and
Vivian Blaine, a role for which he
is still well remembered.
In the 1950s he found employment on TV as a good guy, typically playing
judges, sheriffs, businessmen and police sergeants. He was a regular on
The Mickey Rooney Show (1954).
Fellow one-time singer Dick Powell
became a friend and Powell, having turned producer, saw to it that
Toomey had involving roles on a couple of his TV series such as
Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957)
and Burke's Law (1963). He was
later a regular on
Petticoat Junction (1963).
Toomey played roles well past his 80th year.
His marriage (from 1925) to Kathryn Scott produced two children. They
met in 1924 when he appeared in a musical production of "Rose Marie"
that Kathryn assistant choreographed. Toomey died of natural causes on
October 12, 1991, at the Motion Picture Country House in Woodland
Hills, California at age 93.