Regis Toomey
Encyclopedia
John Regis Toomey was an American film and television actor.
, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey and attended Peabody High School
. He initially pondered a law career, but acting won out and he established himself as a musical stage performer.
, where he became a brother of Sigma Chi
, Toomey began as a stock actor and eventually made it to Broadway. Toomey was a singer on stage until throat problems (acute laryngitis
) while touring in Europe stopped that aspect of his career. In 1929, he appeared in his first films, initially starting out as a leading man, but finding more success as a character actor
, sans his toupee
.
Toomey appeared in over 180 films, including classics such as The Big Sleep
with Humphrey Bogart
. In the 1954-1955 television season, Toomey appeared as Joe Mulligan, a police officer in Los Angeles
and the father of the Mickey Rooney
character Mickey Mulligan, in NBC
's short-lived sitcom, The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan
.
In 1956, he appeared as a judge, with Chuck Connors
as "Andy", in the third episode, "The Nevada Nightingale", of the NBC anthology series The Joseph Cotten Show
. Toomey thereafter appeared in another anthology series too as the character "Harry" in the 1960 episode "The Doctor and the Redhead", with Dick Powell
and Felicia Farr
, of CBS's The DuPont Show with June Allyson
.
In the 1961–1962 television season, he appeared in a supporting role with George Nader
in the syndicated
crime drama Shannon
about insurance
investigators. From 1963–1966, Toomey was one of the stars of the ABC
crime drama, Burke's Law
, starring Gene Barry
. He played Sergeant Les Hart, one of the detective
s assisting the murder investigations of the millionaire police captain Amos Burke. He also guest-starred on dozens of television programs, including the "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres
" episode of Maverick
.
In 1941, Toomey appeared in You're in the Army Now
, in which he and Jane Wyman
had the longest screen kiss in cinema history: 3 minutes and 5 seconds.
Early life
Born in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey and attended Peabody High School
Peabody High School
Peabody High School is a public school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in the neighborhood of East Liberty, The school opened in 1911 after the renovations of a former elementary school and was rededicated after Highland Park doctor Benjamin Peabody. After 100 years in operation the school...
. He initially pondered a law career, but acting won out and he established himself as a musical stage performer.
Career
Educated in dramatics at the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, where he became a brother of Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
, Toomey began as a stock actor and eventually made it to Broadway. Toomey was a singer on stage until throat problems (acute laryngitis
Laryngitis
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. It causes hoarse voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds . Dysphonia is the medical term for a vocal disorder, of which laryngitis is one cause....
) while touring in Europe stopped that aspect of his career. In 1929, he appeared in his first films, initially starting out as a leading man, but finding more success as a character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
, sans his toupee
Toupee
A toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...
.
Toomey appeared in over 180 films, including classics such as The Big Sleep
The Big Sleep
The Big Sleep is a hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first in his acclaimed series about detective Philip Marlowe. The work has been adapted twice into film, once in 1946 and again in 1978...
with Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
. In the 1954-1955 television season, Toomey appeared as Joe Mulligan, a police officer in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and the father of the Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
character Mickey Mulligan, in NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's short-lived sitcom, The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan
The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan
The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan is an American sitcom that aired from 1954 to 1955 on NBC. The series stars Mickey Rooney who was particularly remembered for his starring role in numerous Andy Hardy films made between 1937 and 1958, which overlapped with Hey Mulligan.-Synopsis:Rooney stars...
.
In 1956, he appeared as a judge, with Chuck Connors
Chuck Connors
Chuck Connors was an American actor, writer, and professional basketball and baseball player. His best known role from his forty-year film career was Lucas McCain in the 1960s ABC hit Western series The Rifleman....
as "Andy", in the third episode, "The Nevada Nightingale", of the NBC anthology series The Joseph Cotten Show
The Joseph Cotten Show
The Joseph Cotten Show is an American anthology series series hosted by and occasionally starring Joseph Cotten. The series, which first aired on NBC, aired 31 episodes from September 14, 1956, to September 13, 1957...
. Toomey thereafter appeared in another anthology series too as the character "Harry" in the 1960 episode "The Doctor and the Redhead", with Dick Powell
Dick Powell
Richard Ewing "Dick" Powell was an American singer, actor, producer, director and studio boss.Despite the same last name he was not related to William Powell, Eleanor Powell or Jane Powell.-Biography:...
and Felicia Farr
Felicia Farr
Felicia Farr is a former American actress and model.-Biography:Felicia Farr appeared in several modeling photo shoots and advertisements throughout the 1950s and 1960s...
, of CBS's The DuPont Show with June Allyson
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
The DuPont Show with June Allyson is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959 to April 3, 1961 with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961...
.
In the 1961–1962 television season, he appeared in a supporting role with George Nader
George Nader
George Nader was an American film and television actor of Lebanese descent. He appeared in a variety of films from 1950 through 1974, including Phone Call from a Stranger , Congo Crossing , and The Female Animal...
in the syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
crime drama Shannon
Shannon (1961 TV series)
Shannon is an American crime drama series that aired in syndication from September 1961 to June 1962. The series stars George Nader as the title character.-Synopsis:...
about insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
investigators. From 1963–1966, Toomey was one of the stars of the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
crime drama, Burke's Law
Burke's Law
Burke's Law is a detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud...
, starring Gene Barry
Gene Barry
Gene Barry was an American stage, screen, and television actor. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films The Atomic City and The War of The Worlds and for his portrayal of the title character in the TV series Bat Masterson, among many roles.-Personal life:Barry was born...
. He played Sergeant Les Hart, one of the detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
s assisting the murder investigations of the millionaire police captain Amos Burke. He also guest-starred on dozens of television programs, including the "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres
Shady Deal at Sunny Acres
Shady Deal at Sunny Acres, starring James Garner and Jack Kelly, remains the most famous and widely discussed episode of the Western comedy television series Maverick. Written by series creator Roy Huggins and Douglas Heyes and directed by Leslie H...
" episode of Maverick
Maverick (TV series)
Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...
.
In 1941, Toomey appeared in You're in the Army Now
You're in the Army Now
You're in the Army Now is a 1941 comedy film starring Jimmy Durante, Phil Silvers, Jane Wyman, and Regis Toomey.It featured the longest kiss in film, lasting three minutes and six seconds until Elena Undone beat it by eighteen seconds.- Cast :...
, in which he and Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
had the longest screen kiss in cinema history: 3 minutes and 5 seconds.
Selected filmography
- Street of ChanceStreet of Chance (1930 film)Street of Chance is a 1930 film directed by John Cromwell and starring William Powell, Jean Arthur, Kay Francis and Regis Toomey.- Plot :...
(1930) - Other Men's WomenOther Men's WomenOther Men's Women is a 1931 American film directed by William A. Wellman and written by Maude Fulton. The film is about Bill , a railroad engineer, who falls in love with Lily , the wife of his co-worker Jack . When the two men fight over Lily, Jack is blinded. He dies in a violent storm saving...
(1931) - Murder by the ClockMurder by the ClockMurder by the Clock is a murder mystery film starring William "Stage" Boyd and Lilyan Tashman. It is based on the novel of the same name by Rufus King and the play Dangerously Yours by Charles Beahan. After a wealthy woman dies, her heirs start to follow suit.-Cast:*William "Stage" Boyd as Lt...
(1931) - GraftGraft (1931 film)Graft is a 1931 thriller film directed by Christy Cabanne, starring Regis Toomey and featuring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Regis Toomey - Dusty Hotchkiss* Sue Carol - Constance Hall* Dorothy Revier - Pearl Vaughan* Boris Karloff - Joe Terry...
(1931) - Under 18Under 18Under 18 is a romantic drama film starring Marian Marsh, Anita Page, Regis Toomey, and Warren William. It is based on the short story "Sky Life" by Frank Mitchell Dazey and Agnes Christine Johnston...
(1931) - 24 Hours24 Hours (film)24 Hours is a 1931 drama film starring Clive Brook, Kay Francis, and Miriam Hopkins. It was based on the novel Twenty-Four Hours by Louis Bromfield and the play Shattered Glass by Will D. Lengle and Lew Levenson...
(1931) - ShopwornShopwornShopworn is a 1932 Pre-Code romantic drama film starring Barbara Stanwyck and Regis Toomey.-Plot:Waitress Kitty Lane and wealthy David Livingston fall in love. However his overly protective mother Helen does not approve and does everything she can to break them up...
(1932) - Murder on the BlackboardMurder on the BlackboardMurder on the Blackboard is a mystery film starring Edna May Oliver as schoolteacher Hildegarde Withers and James Gleason as Police Inspector Oscar Piper. Together, they investigate a murder at Withers' school...
(1934) - G MenG MenG Men is a 1935 Warner Bros. crime film starring James Cagney and Ann Dvorak. It also marked Lloyd Nolan's film debut. According to Variety Magazine, it was one of the top-grossing films of 1935....
(1935) - The Invisible MenaceThe Invisible MenaceThe Invisible Menace is a 1938 mystery film directed by John Farrow and starring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Boris Karloff - Mr. Jevries, aka Dolman* Marie Wilson - Sally Wilson Pratt* Eddie Craven - Pvt. Eddie Pratt* Regis Toomey - Lt. Matthews...
(1938) - The Phantom CreepsThe Phantom CreepsThe Phantom Creeps is a 1939 serial about a mad scientist who attempts to rule the world by creating various elaborate inventions. In a dramatic fashion, foreign agents and G-Men try to seize the inventions for themselves....
(1939 serial) - Union PacificUnion Pacific (film)Union Pacific is a 1939 American dramatic western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea. Based on the novel Trouble Shooter by Western fiction author Ernest Haycox, the film is about the building of the railroad across the American West.-Plot:The 1862...
(1939) - Confessions of a Nazi SpyConfessions of a Nazi SpyConfessions of a Nazi Spy is a 1939 American spy thriller film and the first blatantly anti-Nazi film produced by a major Hollywood studio prior to World War II. The film stars Edward G. Robinson, Francis Lederer, George Sanders, and a large cast of German actors, including some who had emigrated...
(1939) uncredited - Thunder AfloatThunder AfloatThunder Afloat is a 1939 World War I naval film starring Wallace Beery and Chester Morris. The movie was directed by George B. Seitz.-Cast:*Wallace Beery as Pop Thorson*Chester Morris as Rocky Blake*Douglass Dumbrille as District Commander...
(1939) - His Girl FridayHis Girl FridayHis Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, an adaptation by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur of the play The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur...
(1940) - Northwest Passage (1940)
- 'Til We Meet Again'Til We Meet Again'Til We Meet Again is a 1940 romance film starring Merle Oberon and George Brent as two doomed, star-crossed lovers. It is a remake of the 1932 film One Way Passage and itself was remade into the 1954 Mexican 3-D film El valor de vivir.-Plot:...
(1940) - North West Mounted PoliceNorth West Mounted Police (film)North West Mounted Police is a 1940 American action adventure film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard, and Madeleine Carroll. This was DeMille's...
(1940) - ArizonaArizona (1940 film)Arizona is a 1940 American Western film starring Jean Arthur, William Holden and Warren William. It was directed by Wesley Ruggles.Victor Young was nominated for the Academy Award for Original Music Score, while Lionel Banks and Robert Peterson were considered for the Academy Award for Best Art...
(1940) - Meet John DoeMeet John DoeMeet John Doe is a 1941 American comedy drama film directed and produced by Frank Capra, and starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The film is about a "grassroots" political campaign created unwittingly by a newspaper columnist and pursued by a wealthy businessman. It became a box office hit...
(1941) - Dive BomberDive Bomber (film)Dive Bomber is a 1941 American propaganda film directed by Michael Curtiz. It is notable for both its Technicolor photography of pre-World War II United States Navy aircraft and as a historical document of the US in 1941, including the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, one of the best known World...
(1941) - They Died with Their Boots OnThey Died with Their Boots OnThey Died with Their Boots On is a 1941 western film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Despite being rife with historical inaccuracies, the film was one of the top-grossing films of the year, being the last of eight Flynn–de Havilland collaborations.Like...
(1941) - You're in the Army NowYou're in the Army NowYou're in the Army Now is a 1941 comedy film starring Jimmy Durante, Phil Silvers, Jane Wyman, and Regis Toomey.It featured the longest kiss in film, lasting three minutes and six seconds until Elena Undone beat it by eighteen seconds.- Cast :...
(1941) - Tennessee JohnsonTennessee JohnsonTennessee Johnson is a 1942 American film about Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States. It was directed by William Dieterle and written by Milton Gunzburg, Alvin Meyers, John Balderston, and Wells Root. It starred Van Heflin as Johnson, Lionel Barrymore as his nemesis Thaddeus...
(1942) - Adventures of the Flying CadetsAdventures of the Flying CadetsAdventures of the Flying Cadets is a 1943 Universal film serial.-Cast:*Johnny Downs as Cadet Danny Collins*Bobby Jordan as Cadet Jinx Roberts*Ward Wood as Cadet Scrapper McKay*William Benedict as Cadet Zombie Parker...
(1943 serial) - DestroyerDestroyer (1943 film)Destroyer is a 1943 war film starring Edward G. Robinson and Glenn Ford as U.S. Navy sailors in World War II.-Plot:Steve "Boley" Boleslavski helps build the destroyer John Paul Jones, the namesake of the ship he served on in World War I...
(1943) - Phantom LadyPhantom Lady (1944 film)Phantom Lady is a 1944 film noir directed by Robert Siodmak, his first Hollywood noir. It was also a first for producer Joan Harrison, Universal Pictures' first female executive and Alfred Hitchcock's former screenwriter...
(1944) - Follow the BoysFollow the BoysFollow the Boys , also known as Three Cheers for the Boys, is a musical film made by Universal Pictures as an all-star cast morale booster to entertain the troops abroad and the civilians at home. The film was directed by A. Edward "Eddie" Sutherland and produced by Charles K. Feldman...
(1944) - Song of the Open RoadSong of the Open RoadSong of the Open Road is a 1944 musical comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon, from a screenplay by Irving Phillips and Edward Verdier.-Overview:...
(1944) - SpellboundSpellbound (1945 film)Spellbound is a psychological mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1945. It tells the story of the new head of a mental asylum who turns out not to be what he claims. The film stars Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov and Leo G. Carroll. It is an adaptation by Angus...
(1945) - Follow That WomanFollow That WomanFollow That Woman is a 1945 crime film starring William Gargan, Nancy Kelly, and Regis Toomey. The movie was directed by Lew Landers.-Cast:*William Gargan as Sam Boone*Nancy Kelly as Nancy Boone*Regis Toomey as Barney Manners*Byron Barr as John Evans...
(1945) - The Big SleepThe Big Sleep (1946 film)The Big Sleep is a 1946 film noir directed by Howard Hawks, the first film version of Raymond Chandler's 1939 novel of the same name. The movie stars Humphrey Bogart as detective Philip Marlowe and Lauren Bacall as the female lead in a film about the "process of a criminal investigation, not its...
(1946) - The Guilty (1947)
- The Bishop's WifeThe Bishop's WifeThe Bishop's Wife is a 1947 Samuel Goldwyn romantic comedy feature film starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven in a story about an angel who helps a bishop with his problems. It was released by RKO. The film was adapted by Leonardo Bercovici and Robert E...
(1947) - Raw DealRaw Deal (1948 film)Raw Deal is a 1948 film noir directed by Anthony Mann and shot by cinematographer John Alton.-Plot:Prisoner Joe Sullivan , who has "taken the fall" for an unspecified crime, breaks jail with the help of his girl, Pat...
(1948) - Station WestStation WestStation West is a black-and-white 1948 film based on a Western novel by Luke Short. The film, considered film noir as well as a Western, was directed by Sidney Lanfield, who was known for directing comedies such as The Lemon Drop Kid. Station Wests cinematographer was Harry J. Wild...
(1948) - The Boy with Green HairThe Boy with Green HairThe Boy with Green Hair is a 1948 American comedy-drama film directed by Joseph Losey. It stars Dean Stockwell as Peter, a young war orphan who is subject to ridicule after he awakens one morning to find his hair mysteriously turned green...
(1948) - Mighty Joe Young (1949)
- Come to the StableCome to the StableCome to the Stable is a 1949 American film which tells the story of two French nuns who come to a small New England town and involve the townsfolk in helping them to build a children's hospital...
(1949) - The Devil's HenchmanThe Devil's HenchmanThe Devil's Henchman is a 1949 movie featuring Warner Baxter, Mary Beth Hughes, Mike Mazurki, and Regis Toomey. The film was written by Eric Taylor and directed by Seymour Friedman.-Cast:*Warner Baxter as Jess Arno*Mary Beth Hughes as Silky...
(1949) - Beyond the ForestBeyond the ForestBeyond the Forest is a 1949 American film, representative of the film noir genre. It was nominated for an Academy Award for best score.-Plot:...
(1949) - Cry DangerCry DangerCry Danger is a 1951 film noir thriller shot in twenty-two days in Los Angeles, including the Bunker Hill section of the city. The film was directed by Robert Parrish, a former child star and later editor in his debut as a director.-Plot:...
(1951) - Show BoatShow Boat (1951 film)Show Boat is a 1951 Technicolor film based on the musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II and the novel by Edna Ferber....
(1951) - My Pal GusMy Pal GusMy Pal Gus is a 1952 comedy-drama film which follows Gus who is the young son of divorced industrialist Dave Jennings . Unable to cope with Gus' mischievous streak, Jennings places the boy in a day-care center. Gus' teacher Lydia Marble manages to curb the boy's prankishness, and along the way...
(1952) - Island in the SkyIsland in the Sky (1953 film)Island in The Sky is a 1953 American aviation adventure/drama film written by Ernest K. Gann based on his 1944 novel of the same name, directed by William A. Wellman, and starring and co-produced by John Wayne. It was released by Warner Bros...
(1953) - The High and the MightyThe High and the MightyThe High and the Mighty may refer to:* The High and the Mighty , a novel by Ernest K. Gann** The High and the Mighty , a film based on the novel*** "The High and the Mighty" , a song from the film...
(1954) - Guys and DollsGuys and Dolls (film)Guys and Dolls is a 1955 musical film starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine. The film was made by the Samuel Goldwyn Company and distributed by MGM. It was produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who also wrote the screenplay...
(1955) - The Last SunsetThe Last Sunset (film)The Last Sunset is a 1961 western movie starring Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone and directed by Robert Aldrich.The film was released by Universal studios, shot in Eastman color...
(1961) - Voyage to the Bottom of the SeaVoyage to the Bottom of the SeaVoyage to the Bottom of the Sea is an American science fiction film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, released by 20th Century Fox in 1961. The story was written by Irwin Allen and Charles Bennett. Walter Pidgeon starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson, with Robert Sterling as Captain Lee Crane...
(1961) - Man's Favorite Sport?Man's Favorite Sport?Man's Favorite Sport? is a 1964 comedy film starring Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss. Released by Universal Pictures, the movie was directed and produced by Howard Hawks....
(1964) - GunnGunn (film)Gunn is an American 1967 mystery film directed by Blake Edwards, and starring Craig Stevens. It featured the same lead character from the 1958-1961 television series Peter Gunn, and a Henry Mancini score but the characters of Gunn's singing girlfriend Edie Hart and Police Lieutenant Jacoby were...
(1967) - Change of HabitChange of HabitChange of Habit is a 1969 musical drama film starring Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore. It was Presley's 31st and final film acting role; his remaining two film appearances were concert documentaries. It was also Moore's fourth and final film under her brief Universal Pictures contract; she...
(1969)