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Thomas Lester Tryon (January 14, 1926 – September 4, 1991) was an American actor and novelist. He is best known for playing the title role in the film '' The Cardinal'' (1963), featured roles in the war films '' The Longest Day'' (1962) and '' In Harm's Way'' (1965) with
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
, and especially the Walt Disney television character '' Texas John Slaughter'' (1958–1961). He later turned to the writing of prose fiction and screenplays, and wrote several science fiction,
horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
and mystery
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
s.


Early life and education

Thomas Tryon was born on January 14, 1926, in
Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
, the son of Arthur Lane Tryon, a clothier and owner of Stackpole, Moore & Tryon (he is often erroneously identified as the son of silent screen actor Glenn Tryon). He served in the United States Navy in the Pacific from 1943 to 1946 during and after World War II.


Acting career


Broadway

Tryon appeared in ''
Wish You Were Here Wish You Were Here may refer to: Film, television, and theater Film * Wish You Were Here (1987 film), ''Wish You Were Here'' (1987 film), a British comedy-drama film by David Leland * Wish You Were Here (2012 film), ''Wish You Were Here'' (2012 ...
'' (1952), ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' (1953), and ''Richard III'' (1953).


Early appearances

Tryon appeared in ''The Way of the World'' (1955). He also guest-starred in 1955 as Antoine De More in the two-part episode "King of the Dakotas" of NBC's western anthology series ''
Frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...
''.


Paramount

Tryon was signed to a long term contract to Paramount. His film debut was in ''
The Scarlet Hour ''The Scarlet Hour'' is a 1956 American film noir crime film directed and produced by Michael Curtiz, previously director of such noted films as ''Casablanca'', ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' and '' White Christmas''. The film stars Carol Ohmart, Tom ...
'' (1956) at Paramount, directed by Michael Curtiz. It was a crime drama about a man whose married lover persuades him to commit a robbery; Tryon was second billed. He was top billed in a low budget war film at Allied Artists, '' Screaming Eagles'' (1956), then supported
Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...
and
Anne Baxter Anne Baxter (May 7, 1923 – December 12, 1985) was an American actress, star of Hollywood films, Broadway productions, and television series. She won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Emmy. A granddaughter of Fra ...
in ''
Three Violent People ''Three Violent People'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Rudolph Maté and starring Charlton Heston, Anne Baxter, Gilbert Roland, Tom Tryon, Forrest Tucker, Bruce Bennett, and Elaine Stritch. Plot Former Confederate cavalryman Cap ...
'' (1956) at Paramount. He was announced for, but did not end up appearing in, ''
Short Cut to Hell ''Short Cut to Hell'' is a 1957 American film noir, filmed in black-and-white VistaVision, starring Robert Ivers and Georgann Johnson.. The film is the only directorial effort by famous actor James Cagney. ''Short Cut to Hell'' is a remake of ...
''. Tryon's work was mostly in TV, appearing in '' Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre'', ''
The 20th Century-Fox Hour ''The 20th Century Fox Hour'' is an American drama anthology series televised in the United States on CBS from 1955 to 1957. Some of the shows in this series were restored, remastered and shown on the Fox Movie Channel in 2002 under the title '' ...
'', ''
Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology series, anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology dr ...
'' (an adaptation of '' Charley's Aunt''), ''
Zane Grey Theater ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Western anthology television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956, until September 20, 1962. Format Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which Four Star F ...
'', ''
Studio 57 ''Studio 57'' (also known as ''Heinz Studio 57'') is an American anthology series that was broadcast on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network from September 1954 to July 1955, and in syndication from 1955 to 1958. "It's a Small World", the ...
'', '' Matinee Theatre'', and '' Lux Video Theatre''. He had a support role in RKO's ''
The Unholy Wife ''The Unholy Wife'' is a 1957 Technicolor film noir crime film produced and directed by John Farrow at RKO Radio Pictures, but released by Universal Pictures as RKO was in the process of ceasing its film activities. The film features Diana Dors, ...
'' (1957) billed after
Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...
and Diana Dors. He had the lead in a low budget science fiction film at Paramount, '' I Married a Monster from Outer Space'' (1958). Tryon appeared in the lead in "The Mark Hanford Story" (February 26, 1958) on NBC's '' Wagon Train'' with Onslow Stevens and Kathleen Crowley. His other television roles included '' The Restless Gun'', '' General Electric Theater'', '' The Millionaire'', ''
The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour e ...
'', and ''
The Joseph Cotten Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''.


''Texas John Slaughter''

Tryon played Texas John Slaughter in a series of TV movies for Disney which ran from 1958 to 1961. The role was based on actual historical figure John Slaughter. He was considered but eventually passed over for the role of Janet Leigh's lover, Sam Loomis, in the classic thriller '' Psycho'' (1960); the role went to
John Gavin John A. Gavin (born Juan Vincent Apablasa; April 8, 1931 – February 9, 2018) was an American actor who was the president of the Screen Actors Guild (1971–73), and the United States Ambassador to Mexico (1981–86). Among the films he appeared ...
.


20th Century Fox

Tryon starred in '' The Story of Ruth'' (1960) at 20th Century Fox. For that studio he appeared in ''
Marines, Let's Go ''Marines, Let's Go'' is a 1961 CinemaScope DeLuxe Color Korean War film about three Marine buddies (Tom Tryon, David Hedison and Tom Reese) on shore leave in Japan and at war in Korea. It was produced and directed by Raoul Walsh, who also wrote ...
'' (1961). Disney borrowed him to star in a satire about the space age, ''
Moon Pilot ''Moon Pilot'' is a 1962 American Technicolor science fiction comedy film from Walt Disney Productions, released through Buena Vista Distribution, directed by James Neilson, and starring Tom Tryon, Brian Keith, Edmond O'Brien, Dany Saval, and To ...
'' (1962). He was one of many names in '' The Longest Day'' (1962) at Fox. In 1962, Tryon was cast to play the role of Stephen Burkett ("Adam") in the unfinished Marilyn Monroe-
Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...
comedy film, '' Something's Got to Give'', directed by George Cukor, but lost that role after Monroe was fired from the movie. He guest starred on ''
Dr. Kildare Dr. James Kildare is a fictional American medical doctor, originally created in the 1930s by the author Frederick Schiller Faust under the pen name Max Brand. Shortly after the character's first appearance in a magazine story, Paramount Pictur ...
'' and '' The Virginian''.


Otto Preminger

Tryon's greatest role was as an ambitious Catholic priest in '' The Cardinal'' (1963). The film was a box office hit and Tryon received a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. However, that honor barely compensated for the trauma and abuse he suffered at the hands of director Otto Preminger. "Finally, I was in a position of being able to pick my roles," said Tryon in 1986. "But I didn't like the movie. I didn't like me in the movie. To this day, I cannot look at that film. It's because of Preminger. He was a tyrant who ruled by terror. He tied me up in knots. He screamed at me. He called me names. He said I was lazy. He said I was a fool. He never cursed me. His insults were far more personal." Tryon guest-starred on ''
Kraft Suspense Theatre The ''Kraft Suspense Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced and broadcast from 1963 to 1965 on NBC. Sponsored by Kraft Foods, it was seen three weeks out of every four and was pre-empted for Perry Como's ''Kraft Mu ...
'' and then was reunited with Preminger in '' In Harm's Way'' (1965). He had the lead in '' The Glory Guys'' (1965).


Later acting career

He was part of a live television performance of '' The Fall of the House of Usher''. He also co-wrote a song, "I Wish I Was", which appeared on an obscure record by Dick Kallman, star of the short-lived 1965 television sitcom '' Hank''. Other television roles include episodes of ''
The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour e ...
'', '' Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'', and the 1967 TV movie remake '' Winchester '73''. Tryon went to Australia to make '' Color Me Dead'' (1969).


Writing career

Disillusioned with acting, Tryon retired from the profession in 1969 and began writing
horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
and mystery novels. He was successful, overcoming skepticism about a classically handsome movie star suddenly turning novelist. He also moved into film financing, being executive producer on '' Johnny Got His Gun'' (1971). His best-known work is ''
The Other In phenomenology, the terms the Other and the Constitutive Other identify the other human being, in their differences from the Self, as being a cumulative, constituting factor in the self-image of a person; as acknowledgement of being real; he ...
'' (1971), about a boy whose evil twin brother may or may not be responsible for a series of deaths in a small rural community in the 1930s. He adapted his novel into
a film A. Film Production A/S (previously A. Film A/S, A. Film ApS and A. Film I/S) is a Denmark, Danish animation studio currently based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Affiliated to the Copenhagen studio are A. Film Estonia located in Estonia and A. Film L ...
released the following year that starred Diana Muldaur, Uta Hagen, and John Ritter. '' Harvest Home'' (1973), about the dark
pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
rituals being practiced in a small New England town, was adapted as ''
The Dark Secret of Harvest Home ''The Dark Secret of Harvest Home'' is a 1978 American television horror- thriller miniseries, produced by Universal Television and directed by Leo Penn, that aired January 23–24, 1978 on NBC. The screenplay was based on the 1973 novel '' Ha ...
'' (1978), a television miniseries starring Bette Davis. An extensive critical analysis of Tryon's horror novels can be found in
S. T. Joshi Sunand Tryambak Joshi (born June 22, 1958) is an American literary critic whose work has largely focused on weird and fantastic fiction, especially the life and work of H. P. Lovecraft and associated writers. Career His literary criticis ...
's book ''The Modern Weird Tale'' (2001). His other books include ''Crowned Heads'', a collection of
novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...
s inspired by the legends of
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
. Tryon sold the film rights to Universal to make four films based on the novellas. The first of these novellas, ''
Fedora A fedora () is a hat with a soft brim and indented crown.Kilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958). ''A Pageant of Hats Ancient and Modern''. R. M. McBride Company. It is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides ...
,'' about a reclusive former film actress whose relationship with her plastic surgeon is similar to that between a drug addict and her pusher, was later converted to a feature film directed by Billy Wilder. Other novellas in the collection were based on the murder of former silent screen star Ramón Novarro and on the quasi-Oedipal relationship between actor
Clifton Webb Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966), known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He worked extensively and was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, in ...
and his mother. ''Lady'' (1974) concerns the friendship between an eight-year-old boy and a charming widow in 1930s New England and the secret he discovers about her. His novel ''The Night of the Moonbow'' (1989) tells the story of a boy driven to violent means by the constant harassment he receives at a boys summer camp. ''Night Magic,'' written in 1991, was posthumously published in 1995.


Personal life

In 1955, Tryon married Ann L. Noyes, the daughter of stockbroker Joseph Leo Lilienthal and his wife, the former Edna Arnstein. She was the former wife of Thomas Ewing Noyes, with whom she had been a theatrical producer. The Tryons divorced in 1958, and Ann Tryon resumed her previous married name. She died in 1966. Tryon said that she committed suicide and that he kept a photograph of her in his apartment. During the 1970s, he was in a romantic relationship with Clive Clerk, one of the original cast members of '' A Chorus Line'' and an interior designer who decorated Tryon's apartment on Central Park West in New York City, which was featured in ''
Architectural Digest ''Architectural Digest'' is an American monthly magazine founded in 1920. Its principal subjects are interior design and landscaping, rather than pure external architecture. The magazine is published by Condé Nast, which also publishes internati ...
''. From 1973 to 1977, Tryon was in a relationship with porn actor Casey Donovan.


Death

Tryon died on September 4, 1991, at the age of 65 in Los Angeles, California. The announced cause of death was "stomach cancer". Tryon's literary executor, C. Thomas Holloway, later stated Tryon's stomach cancer was related to his HIV-positive status. Tryon asked to keep this information private. When Tryon's lover Clive Clerk explained, "Tom didn't want his readers or his relatives to know," Holloway disapproved, writing, "I see it as Tom's selfish silence helped the Dark Ages f public acceptance of HIV-AIDScontinue into the millennium."Holloway, C. Robert, ''Dangerous Crossing: Memoir of a Fateful Trip'' (Holloway, 2013), page 88


Filmography


Film


Television


Bibliography


Novels

*''
The Other In phenomenology, the terms the Other and the Constitutive Other identify the other human being, in their differences from the Self, as being a cumulative, constituting factor in the self-image of a person; as acknowledgement of being real; he ...
'' ( Knopf, 1971) * '' Harvest Home'' ( Knopf, 1973) * ''Lady'' ( Knopf, 1974) * ''The Night of the Moonbow'' ( Knopf, 1989) * ''The Wings of the Morning'' ( Knopf, 1990) * ''In the Fire of Spring'' ( Knopf, 1992) * ''The Adventures of Opal and Cupid'' ( Viking Press, 1992) * ''Night Magic'' ( Simon & Schuster, 1995)


Collections

* ''Crowned Heads'' ( Knopf, 1976) * ''All That Glitters'' ( Knopf, 1986)


Short stories and novellas

* ''Bobbitt'' (1976) * ''Fedora'' (1976) * ''Lorna'' (1976) * ''Willie'' (1976)


References


External links

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8460/tom-tryon * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tryon, Tom 1926 births 1991 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American novelists Male actors from New York (state) American male film actors American horror writers American male novelists United States Navy personnel of World War II American LGBT military personnel American mystery writers American science fiction writers American male screenwriters American male stage actors American male television actors Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from stomach cancer American gay actors American gay writers American LGBT novelists LGBT people from Connecticut Male actors from Hartford, Connecticut People from the Upper West Side Writers from Hartford, Connecticut 20th-century American male writers Novelists from New York (state) Novelists from Connecticut Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from Connecticut 20th-century American screenwriters AIDS-related deaths in California 20th-century LGBT people