MC
Morgan Conway
Actor
Born March 16, 1903Died November 16, 1981 (78 years)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Morgan Conway (March 16, 1903 in Newark, New Jersey – November 16, 1981 in Livingston, New Jersey) was an American actor, best known for his portrayals of Dick Tracy.
Born Sydney Conway, he was educated at Columbia University in New York City. He arrived in Hollywood just in time to get on the ground floor of the industry's burgeoning labor movement. Conway was one of the founding members of the Screen Actors Guild. His first film appearance was in the 1934 film Looking for Trouble.
For many years he freelanced, working for various studios in bits or supporting roles. His most familiar appearance from this period is probably in Charlie Chan in Reno (1939).
By the mid-1940s he was a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures, and he was chosen to portray Chester Gould's comic-strip detective Dick Tracy in a pair of feature films: Dick Tracy and Dick Tracy vs. Cueball. RKO's earliest publicity photos posed Conway in profile, hoping to emulate Gould's square-jawed caricatures. Although this screen Tracy didn't resemble the print Tracy physically, Conway's dramatic interpretation was faithful; he gave the role an understated, businesslike quality totally in keeping with a police procedural. Morgan Conway is considered by many (including Dick Tracy writer Max Allan Collins) to be the best screen Dick Tracy.
Morgan/Sydney Conway left the motion picture industry and returned to New Jersey, where he died of lung cancer at the age of 78.
Morgan Conway (March 16, 1903 in Newark, New Jersey – November 16, 1981 in Livingston, New Jersey) was an American actor, best known for his portrayals of Dick Tracy.
Born Sydney Conway, he was educated at Columbia University in New York City. He arrived in Hollywood just in time to get on the ground floor of the industry's burgeoning labor movement. Conway was one of the founding members of the Screen Actors Guild. His first film appearance was in the 1934 film Looking for Trouble.
For many years he freelanced, working for various studios in bits or supporting roles. His most familiar appearance from this period is probably in Charlie Chan in Reno (1939).
By the mid-1940s he was a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures, and he was chosen to portray Chester Gould's comic-strip detective Dick Tracy in a pair of feature films: Dick Tracy and Dick Tracy vs. Cueball. RKO's earliest publicity photos posed Conway in profile, hoping to emulate Gould's square-jawed caricatures. Although this screen Tracy didn't resemble the print Tracy physically, Conway's dramatic interpretation was faithful; he gave the role an understated, businesslike quality totally in keeping with a police procedural. Morgan Conway is considered by many (including Dick Tracy writer Max Allan Collins) to be the best screen Dick Tracy.
Morgan/Sydney Conway left the motion picture industry and returned to New Jersey, where he died of lung cancer at the age of 78.
Filmography
| 2023 | Dick Tracy Special: Tracy Zooms In · as Dick Tracy (archive Footage) (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Dick Tracy vs. Cueball · as Dick Tracy |
| 1946 | Vacation in Reno · as Joe |
| 1946 | Badman's Territory · as Captain William 'bill' Hampton |
| 1946 | The Truth About Murder · as Lester Ashton |
| 1945 | Dick Tracy · as Dick Tracy |
| 1943 | Jack London · as Richard Harding Davis |
| 1943 | Tornado · as Gary Linden |
| 1942 | Bells of Capistrano · as Stag Johnson |
| 1942 | A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen · as Ray Stafford |
| 1942 | Sing Your Worries Away · as Chesty Martin |
| 1940 | Florian · as Kingston |
| 1940 | Millionaires in Prison · as James Brent |
| 1940 | A Fugitive from Justice · as 'julie' Alexander |
| 1940 | Brother Orchid · as Philadelphia Powell |
| 1940 | The Saint Takes Over · as Sam Reese |
| 1940 | 3 Cheers for the Irish · as Joe Niklas |
| 1939 | Private Detective · as Nat Flavin |
| 1939 | Sued for Libel · as Albert Pomeroy |
| 1939 | Television Spy · as Carl Venner |
| 1939 | The Spellbinder · as Mr. Carrington |
| 1939 | Charlie Chan in Reno · as George Bentley |
| 1939 | The Kid from Kokomo · as Louie, A 50% Owner |
| 1939 | Blackwell's Island · as Steve Cardigan |
| 1939 | Secret Service of the Air · as Henchman Ed Powell |
| 1939 | Wings of the Navy · as Tommy - Duty Officer |
| 1939 | Off the Record · as Lou Baronette |
| 1938 | Illegal Traffic · as State's Attorney Ryan |
| 1938 | Crime Ring · as Ray Taylor |
| 1938 | Sinners in Paradise · as Harrison Brand |
| 1934 | Happy Landing · as Frank Harland |
| 1934 | Looking for Trouble · as Dan Sutter |