Tom Keene (born George Duryea; December 30, 1896 – August 4, 1963) was an American actor known mostly for his roles in B Westerns. During his almost 40-year career in motion pictures Tom Keene worked under three different names. From 1923, when he made his first picture, until 1930 he worked under his birth name George Duryea. The last film he made under this name was '' Pardon My Gun''. Beginning with the 1930 film ''

Tol'able David ''Tol'able David'' is a 1921 American silent film based on the 1917 Joseph Hergesheimer short story of the same name. It was adapted to the screen by Edmund Goulding and directed by Henry King for Inspiration Pictures. A rustic tale of violenc ...

'', he used Tom Keene as his moniker. This name he used up to 1944 when he changed it to Richard Powers. The first film he used this name in was '' Up in Arms''. He continued to use this name for the rest of his film career.

Early life and career

Born George Duryea (no known relation to fellow actor Dan Duryea despite a resemblance) in Rochester, New York, Keene studied at Columbia University and

Carnegie Tech Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...

before embarking on an acting career. He made his film debut in the 1923 short film ''The Just a Little Late Club''. Keene followed with roles in '' The Godless Girl'' (1929) directed by Cecil B. DeMille; ''

Tide of Empire ''Tide of Empire '' is a 1929 American silent Western film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Renée Adorée and Tom Keene. The film was originally slated to star Joan Crawford in the female lead, but the final filming had Renée Adorée ins ...

'' (1929) with Renée Adorée; '' Thunder'' with Lon Chaney, Sr.; ''

'' (1930) and ''Sundown Trail'' (1931). In 1934 King Vidor cast him in the socially conscious Depression oriented classic '' Our Daily Bread'' with Karen Morley. FreightersofDestiny

During the 1940s, Keene appeared in the film serial '' The Great Alaskan Mystery'' and two

Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''Detroit Mirror'', and it ...

films '' Dick Tracy's Dilemma'' and '' Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome'' (1947). In the 1950s, he moved on to television with guest roles on '' The Range Rider''; ''

Buffalo Bill, Jr. ''Buffalo Bill, Jr.'' is a half-hour western series that aired in syndication starting in March 1955. The last new episode was broadcast in September 1956. The series was produced by Gene Autry's Flying A Productions, and distributed by CBS Tel ...

''; '' Fury''; '' Judge Roy Bean'' and ''

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 3, 1952, to April 23, 1966, and starred the real-life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television, where it ...

''. Keene's last film role was in Ed Wood's

cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...

Plan 9 from Outer Space ''Plan 9 from Outer Space'' is a 1957 American independent science fiction-horror film produced, written, directed, and edited by Ed Wood. The film was shot in black-and-white in November 1956 and had a theatrical preview screening on March 15 ...

'' (1957Rudolph Grey, Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr. (1992). ISBN 978-0-922915-24-8.). He retired soon after this and focused on real estate and the insurance business.

Death

Keene died of cancer on August 4, 1963, aged 66. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

Filmography

Later in his career (after 1944), Keene was often credited as Richard Powers, and once as Dick Powers.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Keene, Tom 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male silent film actors American male television actors Deaths from cancer in California Columbia University alumni Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Male Western (genre) film actors Male actors from Rochester, New York 1896 births 1963 deaths Carnegie Mellon University alumni