| Tom Reese | |
| Birth Name: | Tom Allen |
| Birth Date: | 8 August 1928 |
| Birth Place: | Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Studio City, California, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1958 - 2009 |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 3 |
Tom Reese (August 8, 1928 – December 12, 2017) was an American actor who appeared in many westerns on both the big- and small-screens.[1]
Reese's father and uncle were country-western singers known as "The Allen Brothers," who traveled and performed bluegrass music with the family. Reese served two tours in the United States Marine Corps, and was a military policeman. His G.I. Bill enabled him to study dramatics at the American Theater Wing. Reese spent fifteen years on the road working nightclubs, studied with Lee Strasberg, and performed off-Broadway and in local TV shows.
His film debut was in John Cassavetes' New York-made Shadows (1958). His next film credit was in the Elvis Presley western Flaming Star (1960). His early film credits also include, Marines, Let's Go (1961), 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962), and Murderers' Row (1966), among others. In 2009 Reese played the part of Inspector Riley in Dark and Stormy Night, an independent film that spoofs both the haunted house and murder mystery genres.
For his television debut in 1959, Cassavetes also cast Reese in an episode of his detective series Johnny Staccato. He would go on to make guest appearances in shows such as Bonanza, Branded, Charlie's Angels, Eight Is Enough, Emergency!, The Fugitive, Gunsmoke, The Guns of Will Sonnett, Have Gun – Will Travel, The High Chaparral, Knight Rider, Kung Fu, Laredo, Lawman, Mannix, Police Woman, Rawhide, Simon & Simon, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, The Virginian, The Wild Wild West, and Wonder Woman, among others.
His television career also includes miniseries and movies, such as Dick Tracy[2] (1967), The Hollywood Detective[3] (1989), Once an Eagle[4] (1976), Six Against the Rock[5] (1987), Stranger on the Run (1967), and The Virginia Hill Story[6] (1974) about the real-life girlfriend of mobster Bugsy Siegel.
From 1975 to 1976, Reese had a recurring role as Sergeant Thomas Velie in the television series Ellery Queen.[7] He also appeared in three episodes of The Red Hand Gang (1977) as Dolan's Partner.
At 6'3" and around 230 pounds, Reese has been in a number of notable fight scenes, going up against characters portrayed by other large actors, including James Arness, Chuck Connors, Mike Connors, Tony Curtis, Glen Ford, Roy Jenson, Dean Martin, Doug McClure, and Elvis Presley, among others. In a comedic fight opposite Woody Allen in Sleeper (1973), Reese was out of action for twelve weeks after being injured.
Reese died in December 2017 in Studio City, California, at the age of 89.[8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Johnny Staccato | Eddie Dasko | "The Return " | |
| 1960 | Bonanza | Burton | "Blood on the Land" | |
| 1960 | Gunsmoke | Tulsa | "Gentleman's Disagreement" | |
| 1960 | Gunsmoke | Leeds | "Friend's Pay-Off" | |
| 1960 | Have Gun – Will Travel | Yates | "The Tender Gun" | |
| 1960 | My Sister Eileen | Alan Dahorsameche, "The Wreck"[13] | "You Should Meet My Sister"[14] | |
| 1961 | Gunsmoke | Ben | "Tall Trapper" | |
| 1961 | Gunsmoke | Scorp | "Harriet" | |
| 1961 | Lawman | Bob Mengis | "The Son" | |
| 1961 | The Twilight Zone | Intruder | "The Midnight Sun" | |
| 1962 | Gunsmoke | Wellman | "Reprisal" | |
| 1962 | The Virginian | Wid | "Woman from White Wing" | |
| 1963 | The Untouchables | Sonny Dale | "Search for a Dead Man"[15] | |
| 1964 | Bonanza | Lee Burton | "The Underdog" | |
| 1965 | The Fugitive[16] | Norman | "Scapegoat" | |
| 1964 | Gunsmoke | Judd | "Friend" | |
| 1964 | Rawhide | Bert Carrico | "Piney" | |
| 1965 | Gunsmoke | Wayne Hooker | "The Pariah" | |
| 1965 | Gunsmoke | Wade Keys | "The Hostage" | |
| 1965 | Laredo | Tom Baker | "The Golden Trail"[17] | |
| 1965 | Rawhide | Jennings | "Escort to Doom" | |
| 1965 | The Virginian | Hans Wollsack | "Dangerous Road" | |
| 1965 | The Wild Wild West | Wagon Driver | "The Night of the Inferno" | |
| 1966 | Bonanza | Sgt. Devlin | "The Last Mission" | |
| 1966 | Branded | Jess Muhler | "McCord's Way" | |
| 1966 | Gunsmoke | Okie | "The Brothers" | |
| 1966 | Gunsmoke | Dave Westerfeldt | "Quaker Girl" | |
| 1966 | Laredo | Jake McBryde | "That's Noway, Thataway"[18] | |
| 1967 | Dick Tracy | Ben | TV movie | |
| 1967 | The Guns of Will Sonnett | Lando | "Meeting at Devil's Fork" | |
| 1967 | Gunsmoke | Ben Stearman | "Nitro!" Parts 1 & 2 | |
| 1967 | Stranger on the Run | Leo Weed | TV movie | |
| 1968 | Gunsmoke | Slick Ragan | "Waco" | |
| 1968 | The High Chaparral[19] | Judson | "Ebenezer" | |
| 1969 | Tony Stovall | "Draw a Straight Man" | ||
| 1969 | Land of the Giants | Sgt. Gedo | "Rescue" | |
| 1972 | Mannix | Sweeny | "Lost Sunday" | |
| 1973 | Mannix | Springer | "Cry Danger" | |
| 1974 | Emergency![20] | Dando | "Details" | |
| 1974 | Kung Fu[21] | Sheriff | "Blood of the Dragon (Part 1)" | |
| 1974 | The Six Million Dollar Man[22] | Joe Alabam | "The Last of the Fourth of Julys" | |
| 1974 | The Virginia Hill Story | Mac Hill | TV movie | |
| 1975 | Gunsmoke | Charlie Dent | "The Squaw" | |
| 1975 | Ellery Queen | Sgt. Thomas Velie | 22 episodes (1975 - 1976) | |
| 1976 | Once an Eagle | Sergeant Stoner | TV mini series, parts 4 & 5 | |
| 1976 | Police Woman[23] | Piers | "The Melting Point of Ice" | |
| 1976 | Wonder Woman | Carl | "Wonder Woman vs Gargantua" | |
| 1977 | Charlie's Angels | Reed | "Circus of Terror" | |
| 1977 | The Red Hand Gang | Dolan's Partner | 3 episodes | |
| 1978 | Eight Is Enough[24] | Jack O'Hara | "A Hair of the Dog" | |
| 1982 | Simon & Simon[25] | Frost | "Double Entry" | |
| 1984 | Knight Rider[26] | Brother Carey | "The Ice Bandits" | |
| 1987 | Six Against the Rock | Captain Weinhold | TV movie | |
| 1989 | The Hollywood Detective | Lt. Victor Grabouski | TV movie |