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Tommy Noonan

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For other people named Tommy Noonan or similar, seeTom Noonan (disambiguation).

Tommy Noonan
Noonan inDick Tracy(1945)
Born
Thomas Patrick Noone

(1921-04-29)April 29, 1921
Bellingham, Washington,U.S.
DiedApril 24, 1968(1968-04-24)(aged 46)
Los Angeles,California,U.S.
Resting placeSan Fernando Mission Cemetery
OccupationActor
Years active1934–1967
Spouses
Lucile Barnes
​
​
(m.1947;div.1952)​
Carole Langley
​
(m.1952)​
Children6
RelativesJohn Ireland(half-brother)

Tommy Noonan(bornThomas Patrick Noone;[1]April 29, 1921 – April 24, 1968) was a comedy genre film performer, screenwriter and producer. He acted in a number of high-profile films as well asB moviesfrom the 1940s through the 1960s; he is best known for his supporting performances as Gus Esmond, wealthy fiancé of Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe), inGentlemen Prefer Blondes(1953), and as musician Danny McGuire inA Star Is Born(1954).

Early years

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Born in Bellingham, Washington,[2]Noonan was the younger half-brother of actorJohn Ireland.[2]

He was the son of Michael Joseph Noone and Gracie Ferguson. His father was avaudevillecomedian and a native of Garrafrauns, Dunmore, County Galway, Ireland. His mother, a piano teacher, was fromGlasgow, Scotland.[2]He attendedNew York University.[3]

Career

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In 1934, Noonan andJohn Irelandmade their stage debuts with a New York-based experimental theater.[4]They later appeared together in three films, includingI Shot Jesse James(1949).

Noonan had arepertorycompany of his own prior to theSecond World War.[4]OnBroadway,he appeared inHow to Make a Man(1960) andMen to the Sea(1944).[5]

After serving in theU.S. Navyduring World War II, he made his film debut inGeorge White's Scandals(1945).[4]

He teamed withPeter Marshallto form a comedy team in the late 1940s. (Noonan's half-brotherJohn Irelandwas married to Marshall's sisterJoanne Dru.) Their performances were limited because they continued their individual careers, "working together only when both were available at the same time".[4]As Noonan and Marshall, they appeared on television, nightclubs, and in the filmsStarlift,FBI Girl(both 1951),The Rookie(1959), andSwingin' Along(1962). They also wrote for other comics, includingRowan and Martin,which led to Marshall holding a lifelong grudge againstDan Rowanafter Noonan fell ill near the end of his life and Rowan paid Noonan almost no attention.[6]The duo went their separate ways after the release ofSwingin' Along.

Marilyn Monroewith Tommy Noonan inGentlemen Prefer Blondes(1953)

In 1953, Noonan appeared in the musicalGentlemen Prefer Blondesas Gus Esmond, the nerdy fiancé of Marilyn Monroe's character Lorelei Lee. The following year, he played Danny McGuire, Judy Garland's bandmate, accompanist and friend, in the Warner Brothers filmA Star Is Born.He also played a voyeuristic bank manager in theRichard Fleischerfilm noir melodramaViolent Saturday[3]in 1955.

In 1961, Noonan appeared on theCBScourtroom dramaPerry Masonas the defendant and episode's title character, comedian Charlie Hatch, in "The Case of the Crying Comedian".

In the early 1960s he appeared in a fewB movies,includingPromises! Promises!(1963) withJayne Mansfieldand3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt(1964) withMamie Van Doren,which he also directed, wrote and produced. His last effort as a producer wasCottonpickin' Chickenpickers(1967), which was alsoSonny Tufts' last movie.

Personal life

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Noonan was married five times. His last wife was actress Carole Langley, whose stage name was Pocahontas Crowfoot;[2]they were married 16 years and had four children. Noonan also had a daughter from his first marriage and son from his second marriage.[3][7]

Death

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Eight months after an operation for abrain tumor,Noonan died in 1968 at theMotion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital,just a few days before his 47th birthday.[3][7]

Partial filmography

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References

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  1. ^Clarke, Joseph F. (1977).Pseudonyms.BCA. p. 123.[full citation needed]
  2. ^abcd"Comedian Tommy Noonan, 46, Dies".The San Bernardino County Sun.United Press International.April 25, 1968. p. C-9.RetrievedNovember 17,2017– viaNewspapers.com.Open access icon
  3. ^abcd"Tommy Noonan Dies After Long Illness at Hospital".Van Nuys News.April 25, 1968. p. 10A.RetrievedJuly 16,2020– via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ^abcdErickson, Hal (2012).Military Comedy Films: A Critical Survey and Filmography of Hollywood Releases Since 1918.McFarland. pp. 76–77.ISBN978-0786492671.RetrievedNovember 18,2017.
  5. ^"Tommy Noonan".Playbill.Archived fromthe originalon November 18, 2017.RetrievedNovember 18,2017.
  6. ^"Hollywood Squares' Peter Marshall Reveals Which Celebrity Guests Were 'Friends' and Who Was a 'Pain'".Closer.February 22, 2022.RetrievedMarch 1,2022.
  7. ^ab"Wide-eyed Star, Tommy Noonan, Dies Of Tumor".Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.Associated Press.April 25, 1968. p. A-15.RetrievedNovember 18,2017– via newspapers.com.Open access icon
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