Tom Greenway
Encyclopedia
Tom Greenway was an American
character actor
of film
and television
, whose career, primarily in television westerns
, extended from 1949 to 1965.
in Logan County
, east of Fort Smith
in western Arkansas
. During World War II
he served in the United States Army Air Corps
. While on a mission, he was shot down and spent more than a year in Italian
and German
POW
camps. Released from military service, he performed on Broadway
in New York City
, where he procured his Social Security number
, before he moved into films, where he had many uncredited roles in the early years of his career.
s, Impact and Deputy Marshal. He appeared often as a law enforcement officer. He was an unnamed townsman in the 1952 Dale Robertson
film based on Bret Harte
's short story
, "The Outcasts of Poker Flat
".
Greenway appeared twice in 1954-1955 on the Rod Cameron
syndicated
television series City Detective
. In 1955, he guest starred in the episode "The Big Genius" of NBC
's Dragnet, starring and narrated by Jack Webb
. In 1958, Greenway appeared four times on Rod Cameron's second syndicated program, State Trooper
, a modern western series. He portrayed Sheriff Bronson in the episodes "Stay Lost, Little Girl", "Dangerous Honeymoon", "Full Circle", and "Death on Wheels". That same year he appeared on Pat Conway
's Tombstone Territory
as Kylie in the episode entitled "Geronimo", with John Doucette
as the Apache
Chief Geronimo
. Greenway also appeared in 1958 as Dr. Quinn in "The Dan Hogan Story" of the NBC
western Wagon Train
. In 1959, he portrayed John Sebrey in "Death of a Gunfighter" on Richard Boone
's Have Gun - Will Travel. That same year, he played the role of rancher Frank Chanault in the film These Thousand Hills
.
Between 1957 and 1960, he appeared in different role in five half-hour episodes of CBS
's Gunsmoke
, with James Arness
. He appeared in 1961 in the episode "Gamble with Death" on the syndicated western anthology series Death Valley Days
, with John Doucette again playing Geronimo. That same year, Greenway guest starred twice on both NBC's Bat Masterson
and CBS's Rawhide
in the latter as Hawthorne in "Incident at the Blackstorms". In 1961, Greenway also played warden Binns in the episode "The Return of the Widow Brown" of Henry Fonda
's series The Deputy
. That same year, he also played Glenn Cornell, a used car salesman, in the episode "Very Hard Sale" of NBC's police drama, 87th Precinct
. Peter Helm
appeared as Cornell's son, Andy.
In 1962, he appeared twice on NBC's Laramie
. He guest starred as Henry Sharp in the segment "Don't Wake a Tiger" in Dale Robertson's Tales of Wells Fargo
. He appeared five times between 1960 and 1962 on NBC's Bonanza
. On CBS's Perry Mason
, Greenway guest starred as Rod Andrews in "The Case of the Howling Dog" (1959) and as Dick Jenkins in "The Case of the Fifth-Millionth Frenchman" (1964).
Greenway's final video role was in 1965 as a marshal
in the episode "The Verdict" of Robert Horton
's ABC
series, A Man Called Shenandoah
. Greenway died of a heart attack in Los Angeles
, California
, nearly twenty years after his last acting role. He was survived by his wife, Helen T. Greenway (born 1920) of Hemet
in Riverside County
, California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
of film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, whose career, primarily in television westerns
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
, extended from 1949 to 1965.
Early life
Greenway was born in BoonevilleBooneville, Arkansas
Booneville is a city in Logan County, Arkansas, United States, and the county seat of its southern district. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 4,082....
in Logan County
Logan County, Arkansas
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 22,353. There are two county seats: Booneville and Paris.-History :...
, east of Fort Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
in western Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
. While on a mission, he was shot down and spent more than a year in Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camps. Released from military service, he performed on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he procured his Social Security number
Social Security number
In the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents under section 205 of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent...
, before he moved into films, where he had many uncredited roles in the early years of his career.
Acting career
Greenway's first appearances were uncredited in two 1949 filmFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, Impact and Deputy Marshal. He appeared often as a law enforcement officer. He was an unnamed townsman in the 1952 Dale Robertson
Dale Robertson
Dayle Lymoine "Dale" Robertson is an American actor best known for his starring roles on television. He played the role of Jim Hardie in the TV series, Tales of Wells Fargo, and the owner of an incomplete railroad line in ABC's The Iron Horse, often appearing as the deceptively thoughtful but...
film based on Bret Harte
Bret Harte
Francis Bret Harte was an American author and poet, best remembered for his accounts of pioneering life in California.- Life and career :...
's short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
, "The Outcasts of Poker Flat
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
"The Outcasts of Poker Flat" is a short story written by renowned author of the American West Bret Harte. This story is a good example of regionalism and local color during the Gilded Generation. His compelling combination of realism and sentimentality offers readers real and known characters, yet...
".
Greenway appeared twice in 1954-1955 on the Rod Cameron
Rod Cameron
Rod Cameron was a Canadian-born movie actor whose career extended from the 1930s to the 1970s. He appeared in horror, war, action and science fiction movies, but is best remembered for his many Westerns....
syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
television series City Detective
City Detective (TV series)
City Detective is a half-hour syndicated crime drama starring Rod Cameron as 43-year-old Bart Grant, a tough 1950s New York City police lieutenant. The first of three consecutive Rod Cameron series, City Detective aired between January 1, 1953 and May 10, 1955...
. In 1955, he guest starred in the episode "The Big Genius" of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Dragnet, starring and narrated by Jack Webb
Jack Webb
John Randolph "Jack" Webb , also known by the pseudonym John Randolph, was an American actor, television producer, director and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the radio and television series Dragnet...
. In 1958, Greenway appeared four times on Rod Cameron's second syndicated program, State Trooper
State Trooper (TV series)
State Trooper is a half-hour television crime drama set in the 1950s American West, starring Rod Cameron as Rod Blake, an officer of the Nevada State Troopers. The series aired 104 episodes in syndication from September 25, 1956, to June 25, 1959...
, a modern western series. He portrayed Sheriff Bronson in the episodes "Stay Lost, Little Girl", "Dangerous Honeymoon", "Full Circle", and "Death on Wheels". That same year he appeared on Pat Conway
Pat Conway
Patrick Douglas Conway, known as Pat Conway , was an American actor best known for his role as young but tough Sheriff Clay Hollister on the ABC and then syndicated western television series Tombstone Territory . He was a maternal grandson of silent film star Francis X...
's Tombstone Territory
Tombstone Territory
Tombstone Territory is an American Western series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The series' first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959...
as Kylie in the episode entitled "Geronimo", with John Doucette
John Doucette
John Doucette was a film character actor. He was a balding, husky man remembered for playing mob muscle and western bad guys in movies...
as the Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
Chief Geronimo
Geronimo
Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
. Greenway also appeared in 1958 as Dr. Quinn in "The Dan Hogan Story" of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
western Wagon Train
Wagon Train
Wagon Train is an American Western series that ran on NBC from 1957–62 and then on ABC from 1962–65...
. In 1959, he portrayed John Sebrey in "Death of a Gunfighter" on Richard Boone
Richard Boone
Richard Allen Boone was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns and for starring in the TV series Have Gun – Will Travel.-Early life:...
's Have Gun - Will Travel. That same year, he played the role of rancher Frank Chanault in the film These Thousand Hills
These Thousand Hills
These Thousand Hills is a 1959 Western film starring Patricia Owens, Alfred Hayes and Richard Egan, and based on the novel of the same name by A. B. Guthrie Jr.....
.
Between 1957 and 1960, he appeared in different role in five half-hour episodes of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, with James Arness
James Arness
James King Arness was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon in the television series Gunsmoke for 20 years...
. He appeared in 1961 in the episode "Gamble with Death" on the syndicated western anthology series Death Valley Days
Death Valley Days
Death Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. It continued from 1952 to 1975 as a syndicated television series...
, with John Doucette again playing Geronimo. That same year, Greenway guest starred twice on both NBC's Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson (TV series)
Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which showed a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal/gambler/dandy Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry and the half-hour black and white shows ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961...
and CBS's Rawhide
Rawhide (TV series)
Rawhide is an American Western series that aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes...
in the latter as Hawthorne in "Incident at the Blackstorms". In 1961, Greenway also played warden Binns in the episode "The Return of the Widow Brown" of Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
's series The Deputy
The Deputy (TV series)
The Deputy is a 1959-1961 half-hour NBC western series featuring Henry Fonda as Chief Marshal Simon Fry of the Arizona Territory and Allen Case as Deputy Clay McCord, a storekeeper who tried to avoid using a gun.-Production:...
. That same year, he also played Glenn Cornell, a used car salesman, in the episode "Very Hard Sale" of NBC's police drama, 87th Precinct
87th Precinct (TV series)
87th Precinct is an American crime drama starring Robert Lansing, Gena Rowlands, and Ron Harper, which aired on NBC on Monday evenings during the 1961–1962 television season.-Synopsis:...
. Peter Helm
Peter Helm
Peter J. Helm is an actor originally from Toronto, Canada, who appeared on American television from 1960-1971.-Early years:...
appeared as Cornell's son, Andy.
In 1962, he appeared twice on NBC's Laramie
Laramie (TV series)
Laramie is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from 1959 to 1963. Laramie was a Revue Studios production which originally starred John Smith as Slim Sherman, Robert Fuller as Jess Harper, Hoagy Carmichael as Jonesy and Robert Crawford, Jr...
. He guest starred as Henry Sharp in the segment "Don't Wake a Tiger" in Dale Robertson's Tales of Wells Fargo
Tales of Wells Fargo
Tales of Wells Fargo is an American Western television series that ran from March 18, 1957 to June 2, 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season when it expanded to an hour.-Synopsis:...
. He appeared five times between 1960 and 1962 on NBC's Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
. On CBS's Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
, Greenway guest starred as Rod Andrews in "The Case of the Howling Dog" (1959) and as Dick Jenkins in "The Case of the Fifth-Millionth Frenchman" (1964).
Greenway's final video role was in 1965 as a marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
in the episode "The Verdict" of Robert Horton
Robert Horton (actor)
Robert Horton is an American television actor, who was most noted for the role of the frontier scout Flint McCullough in the NBC Western television series, Wagon Train...
's ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
series, A Man Called Shenandoah
A Man Called Shenandoah
A Man Called Shenandoah is a Western series that aired on ABC-TV from 1965 to 1966 by MGM Television.-Synopsis:The series starred Robert Horton as a man who was found shot and left for dead on the trail and is revived...
. Greenway died of a heart attack in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, nearly twenty years after his last acting role. He was survived by his wife, Helen T. Greenway (born 1920) of Hemet
Hemet, California
Hemet is a city in the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside County, California, United States. It covers a total area of , about half of the valley, which it shares with the neighboring city of San Jacinto. The population was 78,657 at the 2010 census....
in Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, California.