Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tom London (August 24, 1889 – December 5, 1963) was an American veteran actor who played frequently in B-Westerns. According to The Guinness Book of Movie Records, London is credited with appearing in the most films in the history of Hollywood, this according to the 2001 book Film Facts, where it states that the performer who played in the most films was "Tom London, who made his first of over 2000 appearances in The Great Train Robbery, 1903. Born Leonard Clapham in Louisville, Kentucky, he got his start in movies as a props man in Chicago, Illinois. His debut was in 1915 in the Western Lone Larry, performing under his own name. In 1925, after having appeared in many silent films, he changed his name to Tom London, and used that name for the rest of his career. The first film in which he was billed under his new name was Winds of Chance, a World War I film, in which he played "Sgt. Rock". London was a trick rider and roper, and used his trick skills in scores of Westerns. In the silent film era he often played villainous roles, while in later years he often appeared as the sidekick to Western stars like Sunset Carson in several films. One of the busiest character actors, he appeared in over 600 films. London made many guest appearances in television shows through the 1950s, such as The Range Rider, with Jock Mahoney and Dick Jones. He also played Sam, the attendant of Helen Ramirez (Katy Jurado) in High Noon. His last movie was Underworld U.S.A. in 1961, and his final roles on TV were in Lawman and The Dakotas. London died at his home in North Hollywood at age 81 and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Acted in 393
1960s
- 1966
Spy Smasher Returns
Crane
- 1962
- 1960
Let No Man Write My Epitaph
Bum at Bar (uncredited)
1950s
- 1959
Lone Texan
Old Dan (uncredited)
- 1958
Money, Women and Guns
Old Prospector (uncredited)
The Sheepman
Shopkeeper (uncredited)
- 1957
The Tall Stranger
Movie
Domino Kid
Movie
- 1956
Quincannon, Frontier Scout
Livery Stableman (uncredited)
- 1955
Top Gun
Casey (uncredited)
- 1954
- 1953
Pack Train
Dan Coleman
- 1952
Blue Canadian Rockies
Pop Phillips
The Old West
Chadwick (uncredited)
Apache Country
Patches - Stage Driver (uncredited)
Trail Guide
Old Timer
- 1951
Rough Riders of Durango
Rancher Evans
- 1950
The Blazing Sun
Tom Ellis
The Old Frontier
Banker
Cody of the Pony Express
Doc Laramie
1940s
- 1949
Red Desert
Colonel
Riders in the Sky
Old Man Robert
San Antone Ambush
Bartender Tim
South of Rio
Jim Weston
Brand of Fear
Marshal Blackjack Flint
Frontier Investigator
Jed
- 1948
Mark of the Lash
Lem Kimmerly
Marshal of Amarillo
Mr. Snodgrass
- 1947
Under Colorado Skies
Sheriff Blanchard
The Wild Frontier
Patrick MacSween
Along the Oregon Trail
Wagon Boss
Marshal of Cripple Creek
Baker
Blackmail
Tom - Cashier
Rustlers of Devil's Canyon
The Sheriff
Homesteaders of Paradise Valley
Rancher
Last Frontier Uprising
Skillet (Ranch Hand)
- 1946
Out California Way
Johnny
Santa Fe Uprising
Lafe Dibble
Roll on Texas Moon
Sheriff Bert Morris
Rio Grande Raiders
Sheriff Tom Hammon
The Invisible Informer
Eph Shroud
Conquest of Cheyenne
Sheriff Dan Perkins
Red River Renegades
Pop Underwood
Night Train to Memphis
Train Conductor
Man from Rainbow Valley
Healey
Passkey to Danger
Gerald Bates
Sun Valley Cyclone
Sheriff
King of the Forest Rangers
Tom Judson
Alias Billy the Kid
Dakota
Sheriff of Redwood Valley
Sheriff
Crime of the Century
Dr. Jackson
California Gold Rush
Sheriff Peabody
Days of Buffalo Bill
Banty McCabe
The Phantom Rider
Medicine Man Ceta
The Undercover Woman
Lem
- 1945
Wagon Wheels Westward
Fake Judge Worth
The Cherokee Flash
Utah
Colorado Pioneers
Sand Snipe
Girls of the Big House
Sheriff at Alma's Cell
Rough Riders of Cheyenne
Sheriff Edwards
Don't Fence Me In
Ben Duncan
Marshal of Laredo
Barton
Sunset in El Dorado
Sheriff Gridley
Behind City Lights
Andrew Coleman
Oregon Trail
Sheriff Plenner
Trail of Kit Carson
John Benton
Federal Operator 99
Prof. Crawford
Corpus Christi Bandits
Rocky - Henchman
Earl Carroll Vanities
Tom the Doorman
Sheriff of Cimarron
Frank Holden
Grissly's Millions
Policeman Ralph
- 1944
Thoroughbreds
Pop
Firebrands of Arizona
Wagon Driver
Faces in the Fog
Auto Court Manager
Zorro's Black Whip
James Bradley
Vigilantes of Dodge City
Denver
Sheriff of Sundown
Sheriff Tom Carpenter
Code of the Prairie
Henchman Loomis
Cheyenne Wildcat
Harrison Colby
Stagecoach to Monterey
Chester Wade
San Antonio Kid
Long
The Girl Who Dared
Neilson - Gas Station Owner (uncredited)
Silver City Kid
Sheriff Gibson
Call of the Rockies
Henchman Hansen
Marshal of Reno
Sheriff
The Yellow Rose of Texas
Sheriff Allen
The Lady and the Monster
Man Who Tails Cory (Uncredited)
Hidden Valley Outlaws
Sheriff McBride
Beneath Western Skies
Earl Phillips
Captain America
Mack
The Fighting Seabees
Johnson (uncredited)
- 1943
The Woman of the Town
Crockett Henchman
Canyon City
Sheriff Slocum
Overland Mail Robbery
Sheriff
False Colors
Poncho Townsman
Bullets and Saddles
Marshal (archive footage)
Hail to the Rangers
Jessup
The Renegade
Pete
Wagon Tracks West
Lem Martin
Silver Spurs
Henchman
Song of Texas
Race Official
West of Texas
Steve Conlon
Wild Horse Stampede
Henchman Lefty
Santa Fe Scouts
Billy Dawson
The Ox-Bow Incident
Deputy (uncredited)
Idaho
Henchman
Bad Men of Thunder Gap
Hank Turner
No Place for a Lady
Air Raid Warden (? - ever seen in final cut?)
Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground
Henchman Pete
- 1942
Ridin' Down the Canyon
Henchman
The Valley of Vanishing Men
Slater
Red River Robin Hood
Del Auston
The Secret Code
Weather Bureau Guard
The Omaha Trail
Oxen Train Bullwhacker
Shadows on the Sage
Franklin
Riders of the West
Slim - Lanky Henchman
Perils of the Royal Mounted
Gaynor
Stardust on the Sage
Henchman MacGowan
Down Texas Way
Bartender Pete
Land of the Open Range
Henchman Tracy Briggs
Ghost Town Law
Ace, Chief Thug
Lone Star Ranger
Henchman (uncredited)
Valley of the Sun
Trooper Parker (uncredited)
West of Tombstone
Morris
Arizona Terrors
Second Dialogue Tenant-Rancher
- 1941
Dude Cowboy
Silver City Sheriff
Underground Rustlers
Henchman Tom Harris
Riding the Sunset Trail
Sheriff Hays
Twilight on the Trail
Henchman Gregg
Bad Man of Deadwood
Townsman
The Lone Rider in Frontier Fury
Curley - Saloon Henchman
Dynamite Canyon
Captain Gray
Fugitive Valley
Marshal Warren
Wanderers of the West
Montana Sheriff
The Son of Davy Crockett
Ranger Logan
The Spider Returns
Detective
Robbers of the Range
Henchman Monk Saunders
The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance
Cop Getting Crane
Across the Sierras
Man on Wagon
Romance of the Rio Grande
U. S. Marshal
- 1940
Riders from Nowhere
Mason
The Green Hornet Strikes Again!
Thug with Explosives
Junior G-Men
Kearney - Riot Squad Cop (uncredited)
The Green Archer
Detective with Shiner
Trailing Double Trouble
Henchman Kirk
The Gay Caballero
Man at Fiesta
Wagon Train
Henchman Charlie
Brigham Young
Raider
When the Daltons Rode
Lyncher
Roll Wagons Roll
Henchman Matt Grimes
The Ranger and the Lady
Independent Freight Wagon Driver
Stage to Chino
Dolan - Henchman
Deadwood Dick
Jake
Winners of the West
Henchman Webb
Wild Horse Range
Arnold
Lillian Russell
Frank
Gaucho Serenade
Sheriff Tom Olson
Shooting High
Eph Carson
Dark Command
Messenger
Viva Cisco Kid
Town Marshal
Hi-Yo Silver
Felton
Ghost Valley Raiders
Sheriff
Five Little Peppers at Home
Miner
The Shadow
Hijacked Truck Driver
1930s
- 1939
Westbound Stage
Henchman Parker
Allegheny Uprising
Settler at McDowell's Mill
Flaming Lead
Bart Daggett
Full Confession
Prison Guard (uncredited)
The Oregon Trail
Pete Cave Henchman
Mountain Rhythm
Deputy Tom
Mandrake the Magician
Mill River Inn Henchman
The Man from Texas
Henchman Slim
The Night Riders
Rancher Wilson
Let Us Live
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Southward Ho!
Phoney Union Sergeant
Lure of the Wasteland
Foreman
Rollin' Westward
Sheriff
Fangs of the Wild
Larry Dean
- 1938
Song of the Buckaroo
Sheriff Wade
Santa Fe Stampede
Marshal Jim Wood
Prairie Moon
Henchman Steve
Black Bandit
Movie
The Renegade Ranger
Henchman Red
Juvenile Court
Policeman at Accident (uncredited)
Smashing the Rackets
Dixon - Detective
Pioneer Trail
Sam Harden
Riders of the Black Hills
Henchman Red Stevens
The Fighting Devil Dogs
Henchman Wilson
Phantom Ranger
Reynolds
Six Shootin' Sheriff
Bar X Foreman
The Lone Ranger
Henchman Felton
- 1937
Blossoms On Broadway
Cop (uncredited)
Springtime in the Rockies
Tracy
Radio Patrol
Eddie Lewis
Sky Racket
Agent-Passenger (Car Chase)
Jungle Menace
Detective Interrogating Pete
Western Gold
Clem
Roaring Timber
Henchman Duke
Angel's Holiday
Truck Driver
Law of the Ranger
Henchman Pete
The Frame-Up
Fred (uncredited)
The Silver Trail
Looney
Secret Valley
2nd Taxi Driver (uncredited)
- 1936
Rio Grande Ranger
Henchman Sneed
Sworn Enemy
Gangster (uncredited)
Guns and Guitars
Henchman Connor
The Border Patrolman
Johnson
Avenging Waters
Henchman Huffy
Heroes of the Range
Bud
O'Malley of the Mounted
Lefty - Henchman
Call of the Prairie
Dealer
Wildcat Saunders
Pete Hawkins
The Lawless Nineties
Henchman Ward
- 1935
Hong Kong Nights
Blake
Skull and Crown
Henchman Jennings
The Fighting Marines
Miller
The Last of the Clintons
Luke Todd
Way Down East
Town Choir Singer (uncredited)
Courage of the North
Mordant
Rio Rattler
Ranger Bob Adams
The Test
Trapper (uncredited)
Toll of the Desert
Sheriff Jackson
The Miracle Rider
Sewell
The Cactus Kid
Sheriff
- 1934
When Lightning Strikes
Wolf
Mills of the Gods
Workman
Mystery Mountain
Rattler Henchman Morgan
The Oil Raider
Oil Well Driller (uncredited)
Bachelor Bait
Detective (uncredited)
Twisted Rails
Sheriff James
St. Louis Woman
Lions Coach Ryan
Mystery Ranch
Holdup man
I Believed in You
Policeman
Ferocious Pal
Dave Brownell
The Countess of Monte Cristo
Police Detective (uncredited)
The Crime Doctor
Detective at Airport Arrest (uncredited)
Beggars in Ermine
Steel Worker (uncredited)
- 1933
Smoky
Horse Trader
Lone Cowboy
Conductor (uncredited)
Perils of Pauline
Soldier at American Consulate
Broadway Thru a Keyhole
Member of Rocci's Mob
I'm No Angel
Sideshow Spectator (uncredited)
Police Car 17
Detective (uncredited)
The Wolf Dog
Brooks
Lady for a Day
Reception Guest (uncredited)
Gordon of Ghost City
Pat Campbell
The Fugitive
Tom
The Nuisance
Kelley's Associate (uncredited)
Sunset Pass
Ben
Made on Broadway
Plainclothesman
The Big Cage
Ship Captain
Justice Takes a Holiday
Convict (Uncredited)
Gabriel Over the White House
Secret Service Man (uncredited)
King of the Jungle
Lion Attendant (uncredited)
Clancy of the Mounted
Corporal McGregor
The Iron Master
Turner
- 1932
Tex Takes a Holiday
Sheriff
Manhattan Tower
Mechanic (uncredited)
The Lost Special
Dirk / Detective Dane
Trailing the Killer
Sheriff
Gold
Sheriff
The Thirteenth Guest
Detective Carter (Uncredited)
The Boiling Point
Pete Mallis - Henchman
Beyond the Rockies
Kirk Tracy
Honor of the Mounted
Henchman
The Trial of Vivienne Ware
Cop at Door (uncredited)
Cock of the Air
Military Policeman
Without Honor
'Sholt' Fletcher
- 1931
Lasca of the Rio Grande
Movie
West of Broadway
Cowhand (uncredited)
Range Law
Henchman Cleve
The Arizona Terror
Henchman Chuckawalla
The Galloping Ghost
Mullins
Valley of Badmen
Attorney Horton
The Two Gun Man
Lem Tolliver
The Secret Six
Blackjacking Gangster (uncredited)
Quick Millions
Atlas Newsreel Man (uncredited)
Gun Smoke
Hank Bailey (uncredited)
- 1930
Westward Bound
Dick - Rustler
See America Thirst
Spumoni Hood (uncredited)
The Third Alarm
Fireman Tom
Under Texas Skies
Fake Captain Hartford
Spell of the Circus
Butte Morgan
River's End
Mountie
Borrowed Wives
Mac, the Motorcycle Cop
The Storm
Head Mountie
Bar-L Ranch
Henchman (uncredited)
Romance of the West
Kayo Mooney
Safety in Numbers
Motorist (uncredited)
Troopers Three
Sgt. Hank Darby
Firebrand Jordan
Ed Burns
The Woman Racket
Hennessy
1920s
- 1929
The Harvest of Hate
Martin Trask
Queen of the Northwoods
Garvin / The Wolf-Devil
Chinatown Nights
Cop
- 1928
The Mystery Rider
David Manning / The Claw
The Michigan Kid
Minor Role (uncredited)
The Yellow Cameo
Spraker
The Bronc Stomper
Alan Riggs
- 1927
The Golden Stallion
Jules La Roux
- 1926
Desert Greed
Ranger (uncredited)
West of the Rainbow's End
Harry Palmer
Snowed In
U.S. Marshal Thayer
Dangerous Traffic
Marc Brandon
The Bar-C Mystery
Movie
A String of Diamonds
Slippery Jack Elmm
- 1925
The Cowboy Musketeer
Joe Dokes
The Demon Rider
Black Hawk
Silent Sheldon
Bill Fadden
Three in Exile
Jed Hawkings
- 1924
The Right of the Strongest
Fred Dearing
The Heritage of the Desert
Dave Naab
- 1923
The Call of the Canyon
Lee Stanton
The Dangerous Maid
Guard
To the Last Man
Guy
The Social Buccaneer
Louis Lenoir
- 1922
The Cowboy and the Lady
Joe
The Long Chance
John Corbaly (as Leonard Clapham)
Nan of the North
Dick Driscoll (as Leonard Clapham)
- 1921
Colorado
David Collins (as Leonard Clapham)
- 1920
Under Northern Lights
Jacques Foucharde
The Texas Kid
Movie
King of the Circus
Movie
1910s
- 1919
The Lion Man
Lacey
The Great Air Robbery
Undetermined Role (as Leonard Clapham)
The Last of the Duanes
(as Leonard Clapham)
The Lone Star Ranger
Undetermined Role (as Leonard Clapham)
Leave It to Susan
Movie
The Boss of the Rancho
Movie
- 1916
The Purple Mask
Robert Jackson, Inventor (as Leonard Clapham)
Liberty
(as Leonard Clapham)