Thomas Gomez (July 10, 1905 – June 18, 1971) was an American actor.[1][2]

Thomas Gomez
Thomas Gomez in The Gambler from Natchez (1954)
Born
Sabino Tomás Gómez (or Sabino Tomas Gomez or Thomas Sabino Gomez)

(1905-07-10)July 10, 1905
DiedJune 18, 1971(1971-06-18) (aged 65)
Resting placeWestwood Memorial Park
OccupationActor
Years active1923–1971

Life and career

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Spanish on his father (Sabino Tomás Gómez)'s side (Gibraltar and Santander, Spain) and French-Irish on his mother's side (Alsace and County Cork), Gomez's parents migrated to New York City shortly before his birth in 1905 as Sabino Tomás Gómez (or Sabino Tomas Gomez or Thomas Sabino Gomez).

He began his acting career in theater in 1923, studying under actor Walter Hampden in a production of Cyrano de Bergerac in Syracuse, New York.[1] He made his first film Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror in 1942 and by the end of his career had appeared in sixty films.

Gomez was the first Spanish-American to be nominated for an Academy Award when he received this accolade for his performance in the 1947 film Ride the Pink Horse. Directed by and starring Robert Montgomery, it was later used as the basis for an episode of the same name for the television series Robert Montgomery Presents in which Gomez reprised his role.

His other film roles include Who Done It? (1942), Key Largo (1948), Force of Evil (1948), The Conqueror (1956) and his final film Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970). A frequent performer on television, Gomez also appeared in guest roles in such series as The Twilight Zone, Route 66, Dr. Kildare, Mr. Ed, Burke's Law, The Virginian, It Takes a Thief, Bewitched, The Rifleman, and Gunsmoke.

Gomez had many notable stage roles, such as the one in the original Broadway run of A Man for All Seasons. Billboard lauded the "humanity and finely effective detail of his character work" in the short-running 1942 Broadway play The Flowers of Virtue.[3] In 1956, he replaced Burl Ives as Big Daddy in the original Broadway production of Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.[1]

Thomas Gomez died at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, aged 65, after spending 3 weeks in a coma from being in a car accident. [1][4][5] He was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1942 Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror R.F. Meade, Nazi agent
Who Done It? Colonel J.R. Andrews
Pittsburgh Joe Malneck
Arabian Nights Hakim
1943 White Savage Sam Miller
Frontier Badmen Ballard
Corvette K-225 Smithy
Crazy House N.G. Wagstaff
1944 Phantom Lady Inspector Burgess
Follow the Boys Himself Uncredited
In Society Drexel
The Climax Count Seebruck
Bowery to Broadway Tom Harvey
Dead Man's Eyes Captain Drury
Can't Help Singing Jake Carstairs
1945 Frisco Sal Police Captain Dan Martin
Patrick the Great Max Wilson
I'll Tell the World J.B. Kindell
The Daltons Ride Again 'Professor' J.K.McKenna
1946 Night in Paradise King Croesus
Swell Guy Dave Vinson
1947 Johnny O'Clock Guido Marchettis
Singapore Mr. Mauribus
Ride the Pink Horse Pancho
A Double Life Cassio Voice, Uncredited
Captain from Castile Father Bartolome Romero
1948 Casbah Louvain
Key Largo Richard "Curly" Hoff
Angel in Exile Dr. Estaban Chavez
Force of Evil Leo Morse
1949 Sorrowful Jones Reardon
Come to the Stable Luigi Rossi
That Midnight Kiss Guido Russino Betelli
I Married a Communist Vanning
1950 The Eagle and the Hawk General Liguras
The Furies El Tigre
Kim Emissary
1951 Harlem Globetrotters Coach Saperstein
Anne of the Indies Blackbeard
1952 Macao Police Lieutenant Felizardo Sebastian
The Sellout Sheriff Kellwin C. Burke
The Merry Widow King of Marshovia
Pony Soldier Natayo Smith
1953 Sombrero Don Homero Calderon
1954 The Gambler from Natchez Captain Antoine Barbee
The Adventures of Hajji Baba Osman Aga
1955 The Looters George Parkinson
Las Vegas Shakedown Al "Gimpy" Sirago
The Magnificent Matador Don David
Night Freight Haight
1956 The Conqueror Wang Kahn
Trapeze Bouglione
1957 Collector's Item: The Left Fist of David Ivor Hager TV movie
1958 The Texan Jake Romer episode S1 E2 "The Man With The Solid Gold Star"
1959 The Rifleman Artemus Quarles Episode: "Stranger at Night"
Twilight Zone Mr. Cadwallader Episode: "Escape Clause"
John Paul Jones Esek Hopkins
But Not for Me Demetrios Bacos
1961 Twilight Zone Peter Sykes Episode: Dust
The Power and the Glory Delgado TV movie
Summer and Smoke Papa Zacharias
1968 Shadow Over Elveron Arturo Silvera TV movie
Stay Away, Joe Grandpa
1970 Beneath the Planet of the Apes Minister
1972 Gunsmoke Agustin Hildago Episode: "Hildago" (aired posthumously)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Obituary Variety June 23, 1971.
  2. ^ Obituary New York Times, June 20, 1971; page 50.
  3. ^ Eugene Burr (June 13, 1942). "From Out Front". Billboard. p. 9. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  4. ^ "Veteran Actor Thomas Gomez Dies at Age 65". San Francisco Examiner. June 19, 1971. p. 24.
  5. ^ "Thomas Gomez, Veteran Actor, Dies at 65 After Brief Illness" Los Angeles Times, June 21, 1971; page 3.
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