The Twilight Zone Museum
By Andrew Rammage
March 7, 2018
Actor Tom Reese, bandit, bully, cutthroat, gunslinger, goon, hired killer, hood, hooligan, ruffian, etc. has died in Burbank, California. He was 89. Born Thomas E. Allen in Chattanooga, Tennessee on August 8, 1928, he appeared in over 100 films, and TV episodes between 1959 and 2009. his father and uncle were country-western singers, "The Chattanooga Boys," who traveled around performing their bluegrass music with the family, including Tom, in tow. Around 1940 the Allens relocated to New York, where Tom's dad supported the family working as a steelworker in the daytime and a singing waiter at night. Tom later held the expected assortment of odd jobs (Automat busboy, usher, etc.) in New York, and (starting at 17) served two tours of duty in the Marine Corps. He later studied dramatics at the American Theater Wing under the G.I. Bill and spent 15 years on the road working nightclubs (emceeing, doing stand-up, etc.). He studied with Lee Strasberg, did some work off-Broadway and in local TV shows and made his film bow in John Cassavetes' New York-made Shadows (1959). Cassavetes also had Reese fly out to Hollywood to play a part in an episode of his detective series Johnny Staccato (1959), Reese's Hollywood debut. He was ready to return to New York after doing the show but an agent signed him "and I've been here [California] ever since." His first major film was Flaming Star (1960), an Elvis Presley western and the start of Reese's long career in big- and small-screen oaters,including Gunsmoke (1955) Bonanza (1959), The Virginian (1962), Rawhide (1959), Brande (1965).
REESE, Tom (Thomas E. Allen)
Born: 8/8/1928, Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.A.
Died: 3/?/2018, Burbank, California, U.S.A.
Tom Reese’s westerns – actor:
Flaming Star – 1960 (Jute)
Bonanza (TV) – 1960, 1964, 1966 (Burton Drummond, Lee Burton, Sgt. Devlin)
Gunsmoke (TV) – 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 (Tulsa, Joe Leeds, Ben Wellman, Judd Nellis, Wayne Hooker, Wade Keys, Oakie, Dave Westerfield, Ben Stearman, Slick Regan
Death Valley Days (TV) – 1960 (Blaster)
Have Gun – Will Travel (TV) – 1960 (Yates)
Law of the Plainsman (TV) – 1960 (Cal)
The Man from Blackhawk (TV) – 1960 (Carl Mayhew)
U.S. Marshal (TV) 1960
Lawman (TV) – 1961 (Bob Mengis)
Outlaws (TV) – 1961 (Barney)
The Virginian (TV) – 1962, 1965 (Wid, Hans Wollsack)
Blood on the Arrow – 1964 (Charlie)
Destry (TV) – 1964 (Joe)
The Great American Adventure (TV) – 1964 (Mike Williams)
Rawhide (TV) – 1964, 1965 (Bert Carrico, Jennings)
Taggart (TV) – 1964 (Vince August)
Laredo (TV) – 1965, 1966 (Tom Baker, Jake McBryde)
The Wild Wild West (TV) – 1965 (The Driver)
Branded (TV) – 1966 (Jess Muhler)
Iron Horse (TV) – 1966 (Gage)
Cimarron Strip (TV) – 1967 (Pete Spurber)
The Guns of Will Sonnett (TV) – 1967 (Lando)
Hondo (TV) – 1967 Chad Wilson
Stranger on the Run (TV) – 1967 (Leo Weed)
The High Chaparral (TV) – 1968 (Jordan)
Support Your Local Sheriff – 1969 (gunfighter)
Kung Fu (TV) – 1974 (sheriff)
The Quest (TV) – 1976 (sheriff)
Father Murphy (TV) 1982 (Packard)
Guns of Paradise (TV) – 1989, 1991 (prospector, farmer)