Morgan Conway
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.
Acting
Movie
Brother Orchid
as Philadelphia Powell
1940
Movie
Dick Tracy
as Dick Tracy
1945
Movie
Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
as Dick Tracy
1946
Movie
Charlie Chan in Reno
as George Bentley
1939
Movie
Sinners in Paradise
as Harrison Brand
1938
Movie
The Saint Takes Over
as Sam Reese
1940
Movie
Badman's Territory
as Captain William 'Bill' Hampton
1946
Movie
Jack London
as Richard Harding Davis
1943
Movie
Blackwell's Island
as Steve Cardigan
1939
Movie
Millionaires in Prison
as James Brent
1940
Movie
Tornado
as Gary Linden
1943
Movie
Looking for Trouble
as Dan Sutter
1934
Movie
Wings of the Navy
as Tommy - Duty Officer
1939
Movie
Sued for Libel
as Albert Pomeroy
1939
Movie
The Truth About Murder
as Lester Ashton
1946
Movie
Illegal Traffic
as State's Attorney Ryan
1938
Movie
Secret Service of the Air
as Henchman Ed Powell
1939
Movie
Off the Record
as Lou Baronette
1939
Movie
A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen
as Ray Stafford
1942
Movie
Crime Ring
as Ray Taylor
1938
Movie
Private Detective
as Nat Flavin
1939
Movie
A Fugitive from Justice
as 'Julie' Alexander
1940
Movie
The Spellbinder
as Mr. Carrington
1939
Movie
Bells of Capistrano
as Stag Johnson
1942