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Tommy Noonan

 
Actor: Tommy Noonan
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  • Born: Apr 29, 1921 in Bellingham DE
  • Died: Apr 24, 1968 in Woodland Hills, California
  • Occupation: Actor, Writer, Director
  • Active: '40s-'60s
  • Major Genres: Comedy, Drama
  • Career Highlights: A Star is Born, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Girl Most Likely
  • First Major Screen Credit: Jungle Patrol (1948)

Biography

Tommy Noonan was still in his teens when he and his half-brother, John Ireland, made their stage debuts with a New York-based experimental theater. Noonan then returned to his home state of Delaware to launch his own repertory company. After serving in the Navy during WWII, Noonan made his Broadway bow, then was brought to Hollywood with an RKO contract. When his brother, John, married actress Joanne Dru, Noonan befriended Joanne's brother, Peter Marshall. Taking into consideration the success of Martin and Lewis, Noonan and Marshall formed their own comedy team. It was a strictly informal professional association, with the teammates spending as much time apart as together. During one of the team's "down" periods, Noonan established himself as a supporting actor in films; he played Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend in Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953), Judy Garland's platonic musician friend in A Star Is Born (1954), and the officious floorwalker in Bundle of Joy, the 1956 musical remake Bachelor Mother (1939). In 1959, Noonan reteamed with Marshall for a feature film, The Rookie, which Noonan also wrote and produced. The picture was a disaster, as was its 1961 followup, Swingin' Along. The team broke up for keeps at this point; Peter Marshall went on to become a popular TV game show host, while Noonan gained prominence as the producer/star/"auteur" of two softcore nudie films, Jayne Mansfield's Promises Promises (1963) and Mamie Van Doren's Three Nuts in Search of a Bolt (1964). His last effort as a producer was 1967's Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers, which was also the screen swan song of the estimable Sonny Tufts. Five days short of his 47th birthday, Tommy Noonan died of a brain tumor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Tommy Noonan
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
For other persons named Tommy Noonan or similar, see Tom Noonan (disambiguation).
Tommy Noonan
Born Thomas Patrick Noone
April 29, 1921(1921-04-29)
Bellingham, Washington, United States
Died April 24, 1968 (aged 46)
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California United States

Tommy Noonan (born Thomas Noon) (April 29, 1921 – April 24, 1968) 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).

Life and career

Noonan was the half-brother of actor John Ireland, 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 movies 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 the cinematic swan song of the estimable Sonny Tufts. 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.

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Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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