Tom Dugan (actor, born 1889) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Dugan
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Dugan in the 1930s
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| Born | 1 January 1889 Dublin, Ireland
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| Died | 7 March 1955 (aged 66) Redlands, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | San Fernando Mission Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1927–1955 |
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Tom Dugan (born January 1, 1889 – died March 7, 1955) was an actor from Ireland and America. He appeared in over 260 movies between 1927 and 1955. He was born in Dublin, Ireland. He passed away in Redlands, California, after an accident.
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Tom Dugan's Early Life and Acting Career
Tom Dugan's family moved to Philadelphia when he was young. He went to high school there. After school, he tried a few different jobs. He worked cutting shoes, cutting neckties, and hanging wallpaper. But Tom had a great singing voice. So, he decided to try show business instead!
He started by performing in a traveling medicine show. These shows would travel around selling medicines, and they had entertainment too. Then he joined a minstrel troupe, which was a group of performers. After that, he started acting on stage. For several years, he was a main performer for the Keith Circuit in America. This was a big chain of vaudeville theaters.
Tom also acted in musical comedies in New York City. He performed in famous vaudeville shows like Earl Carroll's Vanities. Eventually, he became a well-known comedian on Broadway. Broadway is famous for its live plays and musicals.
Tom Dugan's Film and TV Roles
Tom Dugan acted in almost 270 movies from 1927 to 1955. Near the end of his life, he also had some roles on television. He often supported other comedians, like Charley Chase.
One of his early and important movies was Lights of New York (1928). This movie was special because it was the first full-length film with all talking parts. Tom also worked at the Hal Roach studios in the mid-1930s. He was an actor there, and he might have helped write some things too.
Tom usually played smaller roles in movies. He was often cast as an Irish police officer, a gangster, or a taxi driver. Many people think his best movie role was in the film To Be or Not to Be (1942). In this movie, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, Tom played a Polish actor named Bronski. His character pretends to be Adolf Hitler!
Tom Dugan's Passing
Tom Dugan died on March 7, 1955, in Redlands, California. He is buried at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in North Hollywood.
Images for kids
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Tom Dugan in the 1930s
