Tom Steele (stuntman)

For other people named Thomas Steele, seeThomas Steele (disambiguation).

Tom Steele
Born	Thomas Skeoch (1909-06-12)June 12, 1909 Carluke,South Lanarkshire,Scotland
Died	October 30, 1990(1990-10-30)(aged 81) Los Angeles,California
Alma mater	Stanford University
Years active	1934–1986

Tom Steele(bornThomas Skeoch,12 June 1909 – 30 October 1990) was astunt manandactor,best remembered for appearing inserials,especially those produced byRepublic Pictures,in both capacities.

Early life

Born inScotland,he was the son of a construction consulting engineer.Steele came to America with his family at an early age, settling inNorthern California.A very skilled horseman, he playedpolocompetitively as a young man and also worked for a time in asteel mill,which was the source of his professional name Tom "Steele."

Steele was a student at Stanford University, where he had a football scholarship.

Film career

At the start of theDepressionhe relocated toHollywoodto become an actor, and made his film debut in 1930 in the WesternThe Lone Star Ranger.But soon Steele, relying on his skill as a horseman (he had played polo professionally with the San Mateo Redcoats), changed to stunts for better money and regular work. Despite this he can be seen playing many bit parts throughout his career, mostly as "heavies" or minorhenchmen,whose main role was to be part of a fight scene. His visible but non-speaking role as a prison guard in1947'sBrute Forceis a good example of this.

During the 1930s Steele worked frequently atUniversalwith a group of fellow stuntmen who called themselves "The Cousins." None were related, but they all pitched in to help each other with their gags and refine the art of stuntwork. Steele, in fact, is credited with the idea of wearing stunt pads, which he first fashioned from oldfootballpadding. The Cousins also includedDavid Sharpe,Carey Loftin,Eddie Parker,Ken Terrell,Bud Wolfe,Louis TomeiandLoren Riebe.Steele and Sharpe were still working together well into the 1970s on such films asBlazing Saddles(Steele is the townsman who falls out of his chair at the sight of Sheriff Bart, and Sharpe is the man flipped and dragged through the mud by the villains).

Steele took over from Sharpe as stunt coordinator atRepublicwhen Sharpe left to serve inWorld War IIin 1942 (Steele himself was declared4-Fdue to an old injury incurred at the steel mill). Steele was the only stuntman ever to be signed to a term contract (June 1943-June 1944) by Republic. He doubled for such serial leading men asRod Cameron(who started as a stuntman himself),Richard Bailey(who rather resembled Steele),Clayton Moore,and football starSammy Baugh.In the 1940s and early 1950s, many actors at Republic were selected due to their resemblance to Steele rather than the opposite.

In features, Steele wasWild Bill Elliott's regular double. His most notable role at Republic was as the title hero in the1943serialThe Masked Marvel,for which he ironically received no billing whatsoever (the character was supposed to be one of four leading men—none of whom were Steele). As the Masked Marvel Steele's voice, which was a rather light, high tenor not unlike Henry Fonda's, was dubbed by the more heroic-sounding radio actorGayne Whitman.

Steele also worked extensively outside of Republic, appearing in feature films asCharge of the Light Brigade(1936),Santa Fe Trail('40), in which he doubledRaymond Massey,The Big Sleepdoubling forJohn Ridgeley,andThe Thing (From Another World)standing in forJames Arnessas the title creature in the scenes involving fire and a dog attack, andCitizen Kane,with Steele playing an aggressive reporter jumping on the running board of Kane's car.

Later life

In the 1960s and 70s he remained active as a stuntman but took on more acting bits, including a role as a truck driver in1966'sHarperand a bit as a security guard in the1971Bond epicDiamonds Are Forever.He also drove one of the vehicles used in the classic car chase fromBullitt(1968) and did driving stunts for Disney's late-1960s"Love Bug"films. His last film before retiring was1986'sTough Guys,in which he played an elderly man caught up in a bank robbery.

In his last years, Steele was a frequent participant atWesternandSerialfilm festivalsaround the country.

Partial filmography

• Bill Cracks Down(1937)
• Enemy Agent(1940)
• Texas to Bataan(1942)
• The Masked Marvel(1943)
• Diamonds Are Forever(1971) - W Technologies Gate Guard (uncredited)

External links

• Tom SteeleatIMDb
• Tom SteeleatMemory Alpha
• Stunt Men & Women at B-Westerns
• Tom Steele article at Todd Gault's Movie Serial Experience