Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Regis Toomey (August 13, 1898 – October 12, 1991) was an American film and television actor. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, 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. Educated in dramatics at the University of Pittsburgh, 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, Toomey first began appearing in films. He initially started out as a leading man, but found 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 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 detectives 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.
Acted in 228
1980s
- 1987
1970s
- 1979
C.H.O.M.P.S.
Chief Patterson
- 1978
- 1976
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
Burlesque Stagehand
- 1975
Dr. Shagetz
Doc Hooper
- 1974
The Phantom of Hollywood
Joe
- 1972
The Carey Treatment
Sanderson the Pathologist
- 1970
Cover Me Babe
Michael Atterbury
1960s
- 1969
Change of Habit
Father Gibbons
- 1968
- 1967
Gunn
The Bishop
- 1966
The Night of the Grizzly
Cotton Benson
- 1965
Johnny Shiloh
Mr. Clem
- 1964
Man's Favorite Sport?
Bagley
- 1963
- 1962
- 1961
Shannon
Bill Cochran · 36 episodes
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Dr. Jamieson
King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein
Bill Baird
- 1960
1950s
- 1959
The Hangman
Soldier at Fort, Orderly (uncredited)
- 1958
Joy Ride
Miles Renny
Sing Boy Sing
Rev. Easton
No Time at All
Joe Donaldson
- 1957
Curfew Breakers
Coach Bettger
- 1956
Dakota Incident
Minstrel
Three for Jamie Dawn
Murph
Great Day in the Morning
Father Murphy
- 1955
Top Gun
Jim O'Hara
Atomic Energy as a Force for Good
Mike Farrell
- 1954
The Human Jungle
Bob Geddes
Drums Across the River
Sheriff Jim Beal
- 1953
The Backbone of America
Bill Carmody
The Nebraskan
Col. Markham
Take the High Ground!
Chaplain (uncredited)
Main Street to Broadway
Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Island in the Sky
Sergeant Harper
Son of Belle Starr
Tom Wren
It Happens Every Thursday
Mayor Hull
General Electric Theater
Jimmy · 1 episode
- 1952
My Pal Gus
Farley Norris
Just for You
Mr. Hodges
The Battle at Apache Pass
Dr. Carter
- 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Ed Bartlett, Babe Bricker, Colonel Hawks · 1 episode
The People Against O'Hara
Fred Colton, Police Sound Man
The Tall Target
Insp. Tim Reilly (uncredited)
Navy Bound
Capt. Charles Danning
Cry Danger
Gus Cobb
- 1950
Frenchie
Carter
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
Reporter (uncredited)
Undercover Girl
Hank Miller
Again Pioneers
Dave Harley
Dynamite Pass
Dan Madden
1940s
- 1949
The Devil's Henchmen
Tip Banning
Come to the Stable
Monsignor Talbot
Mighty Joe Young
John Young
The Phantom Creeps
Lt. Jim Daley
- 1948
I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes
Police Inspector Clint Judd
- 1947
Magic Town
Ed Weaver
High Tide
Inspector O'Haffey
The Big Fix
Lt. Brenner
The Guilty
Detective Heller
The Thirteenth Hour
Don Parker
- 1946
Child of Divorce
Ray Carter
Sister Kenny
New York Reporter (uncredited)
Her Sister's Secret
Bill Gordon
Mysterious Intruder
James Summers
- 1945
Follow That Woman
Barney Manners
Betrayal from the East
Agent Posing as 'Sgt. Jimmy Scott'
Strange Illusion
Dr. Vincent
- 1944
The Doughgirls
Timothy Walsh
Murder in the Blue Room
Inspector McDonald
When the Lights Go On Again
Bill Regan
Dark Mountain
Steve Downey
Raiders of Ghost City
Capt. Clay Randolph [Chs. 1-6]
Song of the Open Road
Connors
Phantom Lady
Detective
- 1943
Adventures of the Flying Cadets
Capt. Ralph Carson
Destroyer
Lt. Cmdr. Clark
- 1942
Tennessee Johnson
Blackstone McDaniel
I Was Framed
Bob Leeds
Bullet Scars
Dr. Steven Bishop
- 1941
You're in the Army Now
Captain Joe Radcliffe
New York Town
Jim Martin (uncredited)
Law of the Tropics
Tom Marshall
Dive Bomber
Tim Griffin
The Nurse's Secret
Inspector Tom Patten
Reaching for the Sun
Intern
The Devil and Miss Jones
1st Policeman
A Shot in the Dark
William Ryder
The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance
Wallace
- 1940
March On, Marines
Drill Sergeant
1930s
- 1939
Thunder Afloat
Ives
Hidden Power
Mayton
Indianapolis Speedway
Dick Wilbur
Trapped in the Sky
Lt. Gary
Confessions of a Nazi Spy
Tom - in Coffee Shop (uncredited)
Street of Missing Men
Jim Parker
Society Smugglers
Johnny Beebe
Wings of the Navy
First Flight Instructor
The Mysterious Miss X
Jack Webster
Pirates of the Skies
Movie
- 1938
Smashing the Spy Ring
Ted Hall
Illegal Traffic
Windy
Hunted Men
Donovan
Blind Alibi
Doctor Wilson - Veterinarian
The Invisible Menace
Lt. Matthews
- 1937
Submarine D-1
Tom Callan
Big City
Fred Hawkins
Back in Circulation
Buck
The Lady Escapes
American reporter (uncredited)
Midnight Taxi
Hilton
- 1936
Bulldog Edition
Jim Hardy
- 1935
Skull and Crown
Bob Franklin, alias Rocky Morgan
Bars of Hate
Ted Clark
Reckless Roads
Speed Demming
Shadows of the Orient
Inspector Bob Baxter
'G' Men
Eddie Buchanan
One Frightened Night
Tom Dean
Great God Gold
Phil Stuart
Shadow of Doubt
Reed Ryan
- 1934
Red Morning
John Hastings
Redhead
Scoop
She Had to Choose
Jack Berry
Murder on the Blackboard
Detective Smiley North
Picture Brides
Dave Hart
What's Your Racket
Bert Miller
Hollywood on Parade No. B-1
Movie
- 1933
She Had to Say Yes
Tommy Nelson
Laughing at Life
Pat Collins / Mc Hale
Soldiers of the Storm
Brad Allerton
State Trooper
Michael Rolph
- 1932
The Penal Code
Robert Palmer
A Strange Adventure
Detective-Sergeant Mitchell
They Never Come Back
Jimmy Nolan
The Crowd Roars
Dick Wilbur
The Midnight Patrol
John Martin
Under Eighteen
Jimmie Slocum
- 1931
Touchdown!
Tom Hussey
24 Hours
Tony Bruzzi
Graft
Dustin Hotchkiss
Murder by the Clock
Office Cassidy
Kick In
Chick Hewes
Finn and Hattie
Henry Collins
Scandal Sheet
Regan
Other Men's Women
Jack Kulper
- 1930
A Man from Wyoming
Jersey
Good Intentions
Richard Holt
The Light of Western Stars
Bob Drexell
Crazy That Way
Robert Metcalf
Framed
Jimmy McArthur
Street of Chance
'Babe' Marsden
1920s
- 1929
Rich People
Jef MacLean
Illusion
Eric
The Wheel of Life
Lt. MacLaren
Alibi
Danny McGann