Tommy Noonan
Encyclopedia
Tommy Noonan was a comedy genre film performer, screenwriter and producer. He acted in a number of 'A' and 'B' pictures from the 1940s through the 1960s, and he is best known for his supporting performances as Gus Esmond, Marilyn Monroe
's wealthy boyfriend, in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), and as the musician Danny McGuire in A Star Is Born
(1954).
, and the two made their stage debuts with a New York-based experimental theater. They would later appear together in three films, including I Shot Jesse James
(1949).
He teamed with Peter Marshall
to form a comedy team in the late 1940s. Working as Noonan and Marshall, they appeared on television, nightclubs, and in the films Starlift
(1951), The Rookie
(1959) and Swingin' Along
(1962). The duo went their separate ways after the release of Swingin' Along.
In the early 1960s. Noonan appeared in a few B movie
s including Promises! Promises!
(1963) with Jayne Mansfield
and Three Nuts in Search of a Bolt
(1964) with Mamie Van Doren
, which he also directed, wrote and produced. His last effort as a producer was Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers (1967), which was also Sonny Tufts
' last movie. Not long after the release of the film, Noonan was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He died just a few days shy of his 47th birthday. He was survived by his wife, Pokie Noonan, and his four children. Tommy is also survived by his son from his first marriage to Lucille Barnes, Tom Huntington and grandchildren Matthew and Claire.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
's wealthy boyfriend, in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), and as the musician Danny McGuire in A Star Is Born
A Star Is Born (1954 film)
A Star Is Born is a 1954 American musical film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay written by Moss Hart was an adaptation of the original 1937 film, which was based on the original screenplay by Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker, and Alan Campbell...
(1954).
Life and career
Noonan was the half-brother of actor John IrelandJohn Ireland (actor)
John Benjamin Ireland was an actor and film director.-Biography:Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he was raised in New York City from the age of 18. He started out in minor stage roles on Broadway...
, and the two made their stage debuts with a New York-based experimental theater. They would later appear together in three films, including I Shot Jesse James
I Shot Jesse James
I Shot Jesse James is a film directed by Samuel Fuller about the murder of Jesse James by Robert Ford and Robert Ford's life afterwards...
(1949).
He teamed with Peter Marshall
Peter Marshall (game show host)
Peter Marshall is an American television and radio personality, singer, and actor.He was the original host of The Hollywood Squares, from 1966 to 1981. He has almost fifty television, movie, and Broadway credits...
to form a comedy team in the late 1940s. Working as Noonan and Marshall, they appeared on television, nightclubs, and in the films Starlift
Starlift
Starlift is an American musical film released by Warner Brothers in 1951, starring Janice Rule, Dick Wesson, Ron Hagerthy and Ruth Roman. The film was directed by Roy Del Ruth and written by Karl Lamb and John D. Klorer...
(1951), The Rookie
The Rookie (1959 film)
The Rookie is a 1959 American comedy film directed by George O'Hanlon. It was the first film starring the comedy team of Tommy Noonan and Peter Marshall.-Plot:...
(1959) and Swingin' Along
Swingin' Along
Swingin' Along is a 1962 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton. The film, which was released by 20th Century Fox, marked the final appearance of the comedy team of Tommy Noonan and Peter Marshall. The film focuses on Noonan as a courier who dreams of becoming a songwriter and Marshall as...
(1962). The duo went their separate ways after the release of Swingin' Along.
In the early 1960s. Noonan appeared in a few B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
s including Promises! Promises!
Promises! Promises!
Promises! Promises! is a 1963 unrated sex comedy film, released after the demise of the Hays code and before the MPAA film rating system became effective, produced by Tommy Noonan . It was the first Hollywood motion picture release of the sound era to feature a mainstream star—Jayne Mansfield—in...
(1963) with Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was an American actress working both in Hollywood and on the Broadway theatre...
and Three Nuts in Search of a Bolt
3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt
3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt is a 1964 comedy film starring Mamie Van Doren and Tommy Noonan, who also directed and co-wrote the film.-Plot:...
(1964) with Mamie Van Doren
Mamie Van Doren
Mamie Van Doren is an American actress and singer; who rose to popularity as Universal Pictures's version of 20th Century Fox's Marilyn Monroe....
, which he also directed, wrote and produced. His last effort as a producer was Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers (1967), which was also Sonny Tufts
Sonny Tufts
Sonny Tufts was a United States film actor....
' last movie. Not long after the release of the film, Noonan was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He died just a few days shy of his 47th birthday. He was survived by his wife, Pokie Noonan, and his four children. Tommy is also survived by his son from his first marriage to Lucille Barnes, Tom Huntington and grandchildren Matthew and Claire.