Tom Steele (stuntman)

Infobox actor
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name = Tom Steele


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birthname = Thomas B. Skeoch
birthdate = 12 June 1909
location = Flagicon|UK Scotland, United Kingdom
deathdate = 30 October 1990
deathplace = Flagicon|USA Los Angeles, California United States
othername =
yearsactive = 1934-1986
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homepage =
notable role = The Masked Marvel
Trader Tom of the China Seas
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tonyawards =

Tom Steele (12 June 1909 – 30 October 1990) was a stunt man and actor, best remembered for appearing in serials, especially those produced by Republic Pictures, in both capacities.

Early life

Born Thomas B. Skeoch in Scotland, Steele came to America with his family at an early age, settling in Northern California. A very skilled horseman, he played polo competitively as a young man and also worked for a time in a steel mill, which was the source of his professional name Tom "Steele."

Film career

At the start of the Depression he relocated to Hollywood to become an actor, and made his film debut in 1930. But soon Steele changed to stunts for better money and regular work. Despite this he can be seen playing many bit parts throughout his work, mostly as "heavies" or minor henchmen, whose main role was to be part of a fight scene or similar. A visible but non-speaking role as a prison guard in 1947's "Brute Force" is a good example of this.

During the 1930s Steele worked frequently at Universal with a group of fellow stuntmen who called themselves "The Cousins." None were related, but they all pitched in to help each other out with their gigs and refine the art of stuntwork. Steele, in fact, is credited with the idea of wearing stunt pads, which he first fashioned from old football padding. The Cousins also included Dave Sharpe, Carey Loftin, Eddie Parker, Ken Terrell, Bud Wolfe, Louis Tomei and Loren Riebe. Steele and Sharpe were still working together well into the 1970s on such films as "Blazing Saddles" (Steele is the townsman who falls out of his chair at the sight of Sheriff Bart, and Sharpe is the man flipped and dragged through the mud by the villains).

Steele took over from Sharpe as stunt coordinator at Republic when Sharpe left to serve in World War II in 1942 (Steele himself was declared 4-F due to an old injury incurred at the steel mill). Steele was the only stuntman ever to be signed to a term contract (June 1943-June 1944) by Republic. He doubled for such serial leading men as Rod Cameron (who started as a stuntman himself), Richard Bailey (who rather resembled Steele), Clayton Moore, and football star Sammy Baugh. In features, he was Wild Bill Elliot's regular double. His most notable role at Republic was as the title hero in the 1943 serial "The Masked Marvel", for which he ironically received no billing whatsoever (the character was supposed to be one of four leading men -- none of whom were Steele). In the 1940s and early 1950s, many actors were selected due to their resembalance to Steele rather than the opposite.

Steele also worked extensively outside of Republic, appearing in such classic feature films as "Charge of the Light Brigade" (1936), "Santa Fe Trail" ('40), in which he doubled Raymond Massey, "The Big Sleep", in which he doubled John Ridgeley", and The Thing (From Another World)" ('51) in which he stood in for James Arness as the title creature in the scenes involving fire and a dog attack, and even "Citizen Kane"(!), in which Steele can be glimpsed as an aggressive reporter jumping onto the running board of Kane's car as it pulls away.

Later life

In the 1960s and 70s he remained active as a stuntman but took on more acting bits, including a role as a truck driver in 1966's "Harper" and a bit as a security guard in the 1971 Bond epic "Diamonds Are Forever". He also drove one of the vehicles used in the classic car chase from "Bullitt" (1968) and did driving stunts for Disney's late-1960s "Love Bug" films. His last film before retiring was 1986's "Tough Guys", in which he played an elderly man caught up in a bank robbery.

In his last years, Steele was a frequent participant at Western and Serial film festivals around the country.

External links

*imdb name|id=0824685|name=Tom Steele
* [http://www.b-westerns.com/stunt3.htm Stunt Men & Women at B-Westerns]
* [http://www.serialexperience.com/showarticle.php?fldRecNum=344 Tom Steele article at Todd Gault's Movie Serial Experience]

Persondata
NAME = Steele, Tom
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Skeoch, Thomas (Birthname)
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Scottish-born stuntman and actor
DATE OF BIRTH = 12 June 1909
PLACE OF BIRTH = Scotland, United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH = 30 October 1990
PLACE OF DEATH = Los Angeles, California United States