Tom London
Tom London | |
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![]() Tom London and Virginia Brown Faire from a 1920 magazine | |
Born |
Leonard Clapham August 24, 1889 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
Died |
December 5, 1963 74) Hollywood, California, U.S. | (aged
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1915–1962 |
Tom London (born Leonard Clapham, 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.[1]
Life and career
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, London 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.
Death
London died at his home in North Hollywood at age 81[2] and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Selected filmography
- Liberty (1916)
- The Lion's Claws (1918) - Reglis
- The Lone Star Ranger (1919)
- The Lion Man (1919)
- His Nose in the Book (1920)
- Wolf Tracks (1920)
- Masked (1920)
- 'In Wrong' Wright (1920)
- Nan of the North (1922)
- The Social Buccaneer (1923)
- To the Last Man (1923)
- Heritage of the Desert (1924)
- Winds of Chance (1925)
- The Bar-C Mystery (1926)
- Dangerous Traffic (1926)
- Chasing Trouble (1926)
- Snowed In (1926)
- The Golden Stallion (1927)
- The Return of the Riddle Rider (1927)
- The Yellow Cameo (1928)
- The Black Watch (1929)
- Queen of the Northwoods (1929)
- The Woman Racket (1930)
- Troopers Three (1930)
- Safety in Numbers (1930)
- Borrowed Wives (1930)
- The Third Alarm (1930)
- See America Thirst (1930)
- Dishonored (1931)
- The Galloping Ghost (1931)
- Two Gun Man (1931)
- The Lost Special (1932)
- The Wolf Dog (1933)
- St. Louis Woman (1934)
- Men of the Night (1934)
- Mystery Mountain (1934)
- The Prescott Kid (1934)
- Hong Kong Nights (1935)
- The Miracle Rider (1935)
- The Fighting Marines (1935)
- The Border Patrolman (1936)
- Rio Grande Ranger (1936)
- Zorro Rides Again (1937)
- Outlaws of Sonora (1938)
- The Lone Ranger (1938)
- Six Shootin' Sheriff (1938)
- Santa Fe Stampede (1938)
- The Night Riders (1939)
- Covered Wagon Days (1940)
- Lone Star Raiders (1940)
- Pals of the Pecos (1941)
- The Lone Star Ranger (1942)
- Red River Robin Hood (1942)
- Shadows on the Sage (1942)
- Santa Fe Scouts (1943)
- Sheriff of Sundown (1944)
- Faces in the Fog (1944)
- Girls of the Big House (1945)
- Sunset in El Dorado (1945)
- The Cherokee Flash (1945)
- Don't Fence Me In (1945)
- The Phantom Rider (1946)
- Roll on Texas Moon (1946)
- Jesse James Rides Again (1947)
- Wyoming (1947)
- The Blazing Sun (1950)
- High Noon (1952) - Sam (uncredited)
- Underworld U.S.A. (1961)
References
- ↑ Patrick Robertson: Film Facts (2001), p. 97
- ↑ "Veteran actor dies at 81". Redlands Daily Facts. California, Redlands. United Press International. December 6, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved April 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tom London. |
- Tom London on IMDb
- Tom London at Find a Grave