Tom Keene (actor)
Tom Keene (born George Duryea; December 30, 1896 – August 4, 1963) was an American actor known mostly for his roles in B Westerns.
Tom Keene | |
|---|---|
Publicity photograph of Tom Keene for Our Daily Bread (1934) | |
| Born | George Duryea December 30, 1896 Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 4, 1963 (aged 66) |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale |
| Other names | Dick Powers Richard Powers Tom Keen |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1923–1959 |
| Spouse(s) | |
Early life and career
Born George Duryea (no relation to fellow actor Dan Duryea) in Rochester, New York, Keene studied at Columbia University and Carnegie Tech 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 (1929) with Renée Adorée; Thunder with Lon Chaney, Sr.; Tol'able David (1930) and Sundown Trail (1931). In 1934 King Vidor cast him in the socially conscious Depression oriented classic Our Daily Bread with Karen Morley.
During the 1940s, Keene appeared in the film serial The Great Alaskan Mystery and two Dick Tracy 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.; Fury; Judge Roy Bean and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Keene's last film role was in Ed Wood's cult film Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959). 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.
Filmography
Later in his career, Keene was often credited as Richard Powers, and once as Dick Powers.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | The Godless Girl | Bob Hathaway | Credited as George Duryea |
| Marked Money | Clyde | ||
| 1929 | Tide of Empire | Dermod D'Arcy | |
| Honky Tonk | Freddie Gilmore | ||
| Thunder | Jim | ||
| In Old California | Lt. Tony Hopkins | ||
| 1930 | Beau Bandit | W.S. "Bill" Howard | |
| The Dude Wrangler | Wally McCann | ||
| Night Work | Harvey Vanderman | ||
| Pardon My Gun | Ted Duncan | ||
| Tol'able David | Alan Kinemon | ||
| 1931 | Sundown Trail | Buck Sawyer | |
| Freighters of Destiny | Steve Macey | ||
| Suicide Fleet | Lt. James Keene | Uncredited | |
| 1932 | Partners | Dick Barstow | |
| The Saddle Buster | Montana ("Monty") | ||
| Ghost Valley | Jerry Long | ||
| Beyond the Rockies | Blackjack | ||
| Come on Danger! | Larry Madden, Texas Ranger | ||
| Renegades of the West | Tom Bagby | ||
| 1933 | The Cheyenne Kid | Tom Larkin | |
| Scarlet River | Tom Baxter | ||
| Son of the Border | Tom Owens | ||
| Sunset Pass | Jack Rock / Jim Collins | ||
| Cross Fire | Tom 'Jack' Allen | ||
| 1934 | Our Daily Bread | John Sims | Alternative title: Hell's Crossroads |
| 1935 | Hong Kong Nights | Himself | |
| 1936 | Timothy's Quest | David Masters | |
| Drift Fence | Jim Travis | ||
| Desert Gold | Randolph Gale | ||
| The Glory Trail | Captain John Carroll | ||
| Rebellion | |||
| 1937 | Battle of Greed | John Storm | |
| Old Louisiana | John Colfax | ||
| Under Strange Flags | Tom Kenyon | ||
| The Law Commands | Dr. Keith Kenton | ||
| Drums of Destiny | Capt. Jerry Crawford | ||
| Raw Timber | Tom Corbin | ||
| God's Country and the Man | Jim Reid | ||
| Where Trails Divide | Tom Allen | ||
| Romance of the Rockies | Dr. Tom Foster | ||
| 1938 | The Painted Trail | Tom Gray posing as the Pecos Kid | |
| 1941 | Wanderers of the West | Tom Mallory posing as The Arizona Kid | |
| Dynamite Canyon | Marshal Tom Evans Posing as Ed 'Trigger' Jones | ||
| The Driftin' Kid | Tom Sterling | ||
| Riding the Sunset Trail | |||
| Lone Star Law Men | |||
| 1942 | Western Mail | Tom Allen | |
| Arizona Roundup | Tom Kenyon | ||
| Where Trails End | |||
| 1944 | Up in Arms | Ashley's Aide | |
| The Navy Way | Steve Appleby | ||
| The Great Alaskan Mystery | Burger | Serial, [Ch. 11] | |
| Jungle Woman | Joe - Fingerprint Man | ||
| Goodnight, Sweetheart | Reporter | Uncredited | |
| The Port of 40 Thieves | Scott Barton | ||
| San Diego, I Love You | Reporter | Uncredited | |
| Lights of Old Santa Fe | Frank Madden | ||
| Sergeant Mike | Reed | ||
| 1945 | Dangerous Intruder | Curtis | |
| Girls of the Big House | Barton Sturgis | ||
| 1946 | San Quentin | Hal Schaeffer, Robbery Detail | |
| 1947 | Dick Tracy's Dilemma | Fred | |
| Seven Keys to Baldpate | Steve Bland | ||
| Thunder Mountain | Johnny Blue | ||
| Crossfire | Detective | ||
| Under the Tonto Rim | John Dennison | ||
| Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome | Dr. Frankey | Uncredited | |
| Wild Horse Mesa | Hod Slack | ||
| 1948 | The Judge Steps Out | Mrs. Winthrop's Attorney | Uncredited |
| Western Heritage | Spade Thorne | ||
| Berlin Express | Major | ||
| Race Street | Al | ||
| Return of the Bad Men | Jim Younger | ||
| Blood on the Moon | Ted Elser | ||
| Indian Agent | Monty Hutchins | ||
| 1949 | Brothers in the Saddle | Nash Prescott | |
| 1950 | Storm over Wyoming | Tug Caldwell | |
| Desperadoes of the West | Ward Gordon | Serial | |
| The Milkman | Duzik | Uncredited | |
| Trail of Robin Hood | Himself | ||
| 1951 | Texans Never Cry | Tracy Wyatt | |
| The Fat Man | Mac | Uncredited | |
| Home Town Story | Abbott, Bob's campaign manager | Uncredited | |
| The Stu Erwin Show | Arthur Hale | Episode: "The Big Game" | |
| The Range Rider | Lang | Episode: "The Grand Fleece" | |
| 1952 | Red Planet Mars | Major General George Burdette | Uncredited |
| Sky King | Sheriff | 2 episodes Credited as Richard Powers | |
| 1953 | The Moonlighter | Sheriff | |
| The Abbott and Costello Show | Joe | 2 episodes Credited as Richard Powers | |
| General Electric Theater | Slocum | Episode: "Woman's World" Credited as Richard Powers | |
| 1954 | Outlaw's Daughter | Bank Manager | Uncredited |
| Hopalong Cassidy | Bill Bricker | Episode: "Steel Trails West" Credited as Richard Powers | |
| 1955 | Dig That Uranium | Frank Loomis | Credited as Richard Powers |
| The Millionaire | Attorney Marlowe | Episode: "The Uncle Robby Story" | |
| 1956 | Wetbacks | Highway Patrol Inspector | |
| Tension at Table Rock | Man Killed by Sam | Uncredited, Credited as Richard Powers | |
| 1958 | Once Upon a Horse... | Himself | |
| Casey Jones | John Patrick | Episode: "The Silk Train" Credited as Richard Powers | |
| Tales of the Texas Rangers | Morgan Thorpe | Episode: "Traitor's Gold" Credited as Richard Powers | |
| 1959 | Death Valley Days | Charlie Duff | Episode: "Stagecoach Spy" Credited as Richard Powers |
| Plan 9 from Outer Space | Col. Tom Edwards | ||