Tom Ewell

Tom Ewell, born Samuel Yewell Tompkins on April 29, 1909, in Owensboro, Kentucky, was an American actor and producer who worked across stage, film, and television. The son of Martine (née Yewell) and Samuel William Tompkins, he grew up in a family that expected him to enter law or the whiskey and tobacco trade. He chose acting instead, beginning his career in summer stock in 1928 alongside Don Ameche. After relocating to New York City in 1931 and enrolling in the Actors Studio, he made his Broadway debut in 1934 and his film debut in 1940, spending his early years in comic supporting roles. His stage career was interrupted by service in the United States Navy during World War II.

Following the war, Ewell resumed his career on multiple fronts. He continued performing in summer stock through the 1940s, and in 1947 received a Clarence Derwent Award for his portrayal of Fred Taylor in the original Broadway cast of John Loves Mary. In 1949, his performance in the film Adam's Rib drew wider Hollywood attention. He also took on producing work, making his debut in that capacity with the 1951 biographical play Kin Hubbard, in which he starred opposite June Lockhart in the story of the humorist and cartoonist of the same name.

Ewell's Broadway career spanned from 1934 to 1967 and included productions such as A Thurber Carnival, the comedy Patate, The Tunnel of Love, and Xmas in Las Vegas. His most celebrated stage role came in 1952 when he originated the part of Richard Sherman in The Seven Year Itch, performing opposite Vanessa Brown as "The Girl." He played the role more than 950 times over the course of the production's run. The performance earned him the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1953. He subsequently reprised the role for the 1955 film adaptation, for which he received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

Beyond The Seven Year Itch, Ewell appeared in several other notable screen projects. He co-starred with Sheree North in The Lieutenant Wore Skirts and appeared opposite Jayne Mansfield in The Girl Can't Help It, both released in 1956. In the latter film, Julie London appears as a mirage to his character, Tom Miller, performing her signature song "Cry Me a River." In 1962, Ewell played Abel Frake in the Rodgers and Hammerstein film musical State Fair. That same decade, in 1956, he co-starred with Bert Lahr in the American premiere of Waiting for Godot at the Coconut Grove Playhouse.

Ewell's television work was extensive. From September 1960 to May 1961, he starred in the self-titled series The Tom Ewell Show. In 1970, he appeared in an episode of The Men From Shiloh. During the mid-1970s, he took on a recurring role as retired police veteran Billy Truman in the Emmy-winning series Baretta, appearing in 36 episodes alongside star Robert Blake. His work on that series earned him an Emmy Award nomination. He guest-starred on Taxi in 1979 and co-starred in the short-lived series Best of the West from 1981 to 1982. His final acting credit was a 1986 episode of Murder, She Wrote.

In his personal life, Ewell married Judy Abbott, daughter of Broadway director George Abbott, on March 18, 1946; the marriage ended in divorce the following year. He then married Marjorie Sanborn on May 5, 1948, and the couple had a son, Taylor, known as Tate Ewell, born November 2, 1954. Ewell died on September 12, 1994, at the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital following a prolonged series of illnesses. He was survived by his wife Marjorie and his son. In 2003, he was inducted into the Owensboro High School Hall of Fame.