Tom London
Born: 1889-08-23 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Died: 1963-12-05
Known For: Acting
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tom London (August 24, 1889 – December 5, 1963) was an American veteran actor who played frequently in B-Westerns. According to The Guinness Book of Movie Records, London is credited with appearing in the most films in the history of Hollywood, this according to the 2001 book Film Facts, where it states that the performer who played in the most films was "Tom London, who made his first of over 2000 appearances in The Great Train Robbery, 1903. Born Leonard Clapham in Louisville, Kentucky, he got his start in movies as a props man in Chicago, Illinois. His debut was in 1915 in the Western Lone Larry, performing under his own name. In 1925, after having appeared in many silent films, he changed his name to Tom London, and used that name for the rest of his career. The first film in which he was billed under his new name was Winds of Chance, a World War I film, in which he played "Sgt. Rock". London was a trick rider and roper, and used his trick skills in scores of Westerns. In the silent film era he often played villainous roles, while in later years he often appeared as the sidekick to Western stars like Sunset Carson in several films. One of the busiest character actors, he appeared in over 600 films. London made many guest appearances in television shows through the 1950s, such as The Range Rider, with Jock Mahoney and Dick Jones. He also played Sam, the attendant of Helen Ramirez (Katy Jurado) in High Noon. His last movie was Underworld U.S.A. in 1961, and his final roles on TV were in Lawman and The Dakotas. London died at his home in North Hollywood at age 81 and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Filmography
1978
- Western von gestern as O'Shea
1966
- Spy Smasher Returns as Crane
1962
- 13 West Street as Prisoner (uncredited)
1960
- Let No Man Write My Epitaph as Bum at Bar (uncredited)
1959
- Lock-Up as Carrey - Watchman
- Law of the Plainsman as Stagecoach Driver
- Lone Texan as Old Dan (uncredited)
1958
- Lawman as Pete
- Bat Masterson as Prisoner (uncredited)
- Bronco as Rowdy O'Brien
- Man of the West as Tom (uncredited)
- The Sheepman as Shopkeeper (uncredited)
- Money, Women and Guns as Old Prospector (uncredited)
1957
- Perry Mason as Cabbie
- Wagon Train as Man Holding Booth's Horse (uncredited)
- Maverick as Farmer
- The Tall Stranger
- Domino Kid
1956
- Broken Arrow as (uncredited)
- Friendly Persuasion as Farmer on Front Line with Gard (uncredited)
- Quincannon, Frontier Scout as Livery Stableman (uncredited)
1955
- Cheyenne as Old-Timer (uncredited)
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp as Old Man Craig (uncredited)
- Top Gun as Casey (uncredited)
1954
- Annie Oakley as Ranch Hand
- The Wonderful World of Disney as Deputy Sheriff Carlson (uncredited)
1953
- The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
- Pack Train as Dan Coleman
1952
- Adventures of Superman as Peter Thomas
- The Ford Television Theatre as Ranson
- High Noon as Sam (uncredited)
- Rancho Notorious as Deputy in Gunsight (uncredited)
- Apache Country as Patches - Stage Driver (uncredited)
- The Old West as Chadwick (uncredited)
- Trail Guide as Old Timer
- Blue Canadian Rockies as Pop Phillips
1951
- The Secret of Convict Lake as Jerry - Posse Member (uncredited)
- Rough Riders of Durango as Rancher Evans
1950
- The Gene Autry Show as The Sheriff
- The Blazing Sun as Tom Ellis
- Cody of the Pony Express as Doc Laramie
- The Old Frontier as Banker
1949
- The Lone Ranger as Sheriff Allbright
- Frontier Investigator as Jed
- Brand of Fear as Marshal Blackjack Flint
- Riders in the Sky as Old Man Robert
- Red Desert as Colonel
- San Antone Ambush as Bartender Tim
- South of Rio as Jim Weston
1948
- Marshal of Amarillo as Mr. Snodgrass
- Mark of the Lash as Lem Kimmerly
1947
- Dick Tracy's Dilemma as Cop in Squad Car (uncredited)
- Saddle Pals as Dad Gardner
- Last Frontier Uprising as Skillet (Ranch Hand)
- Twilight on the Rio Grande as U.S. Customs Agent Tom
- Homesteaders of Paradise Valley as Rancher
- Rustlers of Devil's Canyon as The Sheriff
- Under Colorado Skies as Sheriff Blanchard
- Blackmail as Tom - Cashier
- Jesse James Rides Again as Sam Bolton
- Marshal of Cripple Creek as Baker
- Along the Oregon Trail as Wagon Boss
- The Wild Frontier as Patrick MacSween
1946
- Passkey to Danger as Gerald Bates
- Roll on Texas Moon as Sheriff Bert Morris
- Crime of the Century as Dr. Jackson
- The Phantom Rider as Medicine Man Ceta
- Out California Way as Johnny
- Red River Renegades as Pop Underwood
- Night Train to Memphis as Train Conductor
- Man from Rainbow Valley as Healey
- Sun Valley Cyclone as Sheriff
- Alias Billy the Kid as Dakota
- Santa Fe Uprising as Lafe Dibble
- The Invisible Informer as Eph Shroud
- The Undercover Woman as Lem
- Days of Buffalo Bill as Banty McCabe
- California Gold Rush as Sheriff Peabody
- Rio Grande Raiders as Sheriff Tom Hammon
- King of the Forest Rangers as Tom Judson
- Conquest of Cheyenne as Sheriff Dan Perkins
- Sheriff of Redwood Valley as Sheriff
1945
- Flame of Barbary Coast as Thompson, Townsman in Mob
- Grissly's Millions as Policeman Ralph
- Earl Carroll Vanities as Tom the Doorman
- Sunset in El Dorado as Sheriff Gridley
- The Cherokee Flash as Utah
- Oregon Trail as Sheriff Plenner
- Trail of Kit Carson as John Benton
- Don't Fence Me In as Ben Duncan
- Wagon Wheels Westward as Fake Judge Worth
- Sheriff of Cimarron as Frank Holden
- Marshal of Laredo as Barton
- Colorado Pioneers as Sand Snipe
- Girls of the Big House as Sheriff at Alma's Cell
- Federal Operator 99 as Prof. Crawford
- Rough Riders of Cheyenne as Sheriff Edwards
- Corpus Christi Bandits as Rocky - Henchman
- Behind City Lights as Andrew Coleman
1944
- Captain America as Mack
- The Fighting Seabees as Johnson (uncredited)
- The Girl Who Dared as Neilson - Gas Station Owner (uncredited)
- The Yellow Rose of Texas as Sheriff Allen
- The Lady and the Monster as Man Who Tails Cory (Uncredited)
- Faces in the Fog as Auto Court Manager
- Call of the Rockies as Henchman Hansen
- Zorro's Black Whip as James Bradley
- San Antonio Kid as Long
- Firebrands of Arizona as Wagon Driver
- Marshal of Reno as Sheriff
- Silver City Kid as Sheriff Gibson
- Code of the Prairie as Henchman Loomis
- Hidden Valley Outlaws as Sheriff McBride
- Thoroughbreds as Pop
- Cheyenne Wildcat as Harrison Colby
- Sheriff of Sundown as Sheriff Tom Carpenter
- Stagecoach to Monterey as Chester Wade
- Vigilantes of Dodge City as Denver
- Beneath Western Skies as Earl Phillips
1943
- The Ox-Bow Incident as Deputy (uncredited)
- Batman as Andrews
- False Colors as Poncho Townsman
- Silver Spurs as Henchman
- Captive Wild Woman as Ship's Captain (archive footage)
- Idaho as Henchman
- The Woman of the Town as Crockett Henchman
- Bullets and Saddles as Marshal (archive footage)
- Santa Fe Scouts as Billy Dawson
- Wagon Tracks West as Lem Martin
- Overland Mail Robbery as Sheriff
- Song of Texas as Race Official
- Wild Horse Stampede as Henchman Lefty
- No Place for a Lady as Air Raid Warden (? - ever seen in final cut?)
- The Renegade as Pete
- Bad Men of Thunder Gap as Hank Turner
- Canyon City as Sheriff Slocum
- West of Texas as Steve Conlon
- Hail to the Rangers as Jessup
- Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground as Henchman Pete
1942
- Spy Smasher as Crane
- The Sons of the Pioneers as Joe #1 - Henchman
- Valley of the Sun as Trooper Parker (uncredited)
- American Empire as Rider with Crowder's Posse (uncredited)
- The Secret Code as Weather Bureau Guard
- Arizona Terrors as Second Dialogue Tenant-Rancher
- Down Texas Way as Bartender Pete
- The Omaha Trail as Oxen Train Bullwhacker
- Riders of the West as Slim - Lanky Henchman
- Bandit Ranger as Cattle Rustler (uncredited)
- Ridin' Down the Canyon as Henchman
- Stardust on the Sage as Henchman MacGowan
- Perils of the Royal Mounted as Gaynor
- Lone Star Ranger as Henchman (uncredited)
- Land of the Open Range as Henchman Tracy Briggs
- Ghost Town Law as Ace, Chief Thug
- The Valley of Vanishing Men as Slater
- Shadows on the Sage as Franklin
- Red River Robin Hood as Del Auston
- West of Tombstone as Morris
1941
- Western Union as Slade Henchman #3
- Dude Cowboy as Silver City Sheriff
- Forbidden Trails as Marshal Tom
- Billy the Kid as Leader (uncredited)
- The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance as Cop Getting Crane
- Across the Sierras as Man on Wagon
- The Spider Returns as Detective
- Fugitive Valley as Marshal Warren
- Robbers of the Range as Henchman Monk Saunders
- Stick to Your Guns as Ranch Foreman Waffles
- Underground Rustlers as Henchman Tom Harris
- Bad Man of Deadwood as Townsman
- The Lone Rider in Frontier Fury as Curley - Saloon Henchman
- The Son of Davy Crockett as Ranger Logan
- Twilight on the Trail as Henchman Gregg
- Romance of the Rio Grande as U. S. Marshal
- Dynamite Canyon as Captain Gray
- Wanderers of the West as Montana Sheriff
- Riding the Sunset Trail as Sheriff Hays
1940
- Northwest Passage as Ranger
- Boom Town as Sheriff Harris (uncredited)
- Brigham Young as Raider
- Dark Command as Messenger
- The Green Hornet Strikes Again! as Thug with Explosives
- When the Daltons Rode as Lyncher
- Lillian Russell as Frank
- The Shadow as Hijacked Truck Driver
- The Ranger and the Lady as Independent Freight Wagon Driver
- Hi-Yo Silver as Felton
- Deadwood Dick as Jake
- Wild Horse Range as Arnold
- Wagon Train as Henchman Charlie
- The Green Archer as Detective with Shiner
- Phantom Rancher as Sheriff Parker
- Stage to Chino as Dolan - Henchman
- Winners of the West as Henchman Webb
- Junior G-Men as Kearney - Riot Squad Cop (uncredited)
- Melody Ranch as Henchman Joe #2
- Viva Cisco Kid as Town Marshal
- The Gay Caballero as Man at Fiesta
- Trailing Double Trouble as Henchman Kirk
- Shooting High as Eph Carson
- Gaucho Serenade as Sheriff Tom Olson
- Five Little Peppers at Home as Miner
- Ghost Valley Raiders as Sheriff
- Roll Wagons Roll as Henchman Matt Grimes
- Riders from Nowhere as Mason
1939
- Jesse James as Soldier (uncredited)
- Made for Each Other as Ranger (uncredited)
- The Night Riders as Rancher Wilson
- Let Us Live as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
- Allegheny Uprising as Settler at McDowell's Mill
- The Oregon Trail as Pete Cave Henchman
- Southward Ho! as Phoney Union Sergeant
- Full Confession as Prison Guard (uncredited)
- Mandrake the Magician as Mill River Inn Henchman
- Rollin' Westward as Sheriff
- Westbound Stage as Henchman Parker
- Flaming Lead as Bart Daggett
- Mountain Rhythm as Deputy Tom
- Lure of the Wasteland as Foreman
- The Man from Texas as Henchman Slim
- Sunset Trail as Jake
- Fangs of the Wild as Larry Dean
1938
- Smashing the Rackets as Dixon - Detective
- The Lone Ranger as Henchman Felton
- Riders of the Black Hills as Henchman Red Stevens
- Juvenile Court as Policeman at Accident (uncredited)
- The Fighting Devil Dogs as Henchman Wilson
- Outlaws of Sonora as Sheriff Trask
- Pioneer Trail as Sam Harden
- Santa Fe Stampede as Marshal Jim Wood
- The Renegade Ranger as Henchman Red
- Black Bandit
- Six Shootin' Sheriff as Bar X Foreman
- Phantom Ranger as Reynolds
- Prairie Moon as Henchman Steve
- Song of the Buckaroo as Sheriff Wade
1937
- Jungle Menace as Detective Interrogating Pete
- Law of the Ranger as Henchman Pete
- Angel's Holiday as Truck Driver
- Roaring Timber as Henchman Duke
- Sky Racket as Agent-Passenger (Car Chase)
- Western Gold as Clem
- Radio Patrol as Eddie Lewis
- Secret Valley as 2nd Taxi Driver (uncredited)
- The Frame-Up as Fred (uncredited)
- Bar-Z Bad Men as Sig Bostell
- Springtime in the Rockies as Tracy
- Blossoms On Broadway as Cop (uncredited)
- The Silver Trail as Looney
1936
- The Lawless Nineties as Henchman Ward
- Guns and Guitars as Henchman Connor
- Sworn Enemy as Gangster (uncredited)
- Call of the Prairie as Dealer
- Heroes of the Range as Bud
- Avenging Waters as Henchman Huffy
- The Border Patrolman as Johnson
- Rio Grande Ranger as Henchman Sneed
- O'Malley of the Mounted as Lefty - Henchman
- Wildcat Saunders as Pete Hawkins
1935
- Gun Play as Meeker
- Way Down East as Town Choir Singer (uncredited)
- The Miracle Rider as Sewell
- Toll of the Desert as Sheriff Jackson
- The Cactus Kid as Sheriff
- Timber Terrors as Burke
- Skull and Crown as Henchman Jennings
- The Fighting Marines as Miller
- Courage of the North as Mordant
- Rio Rattler as Ranger Bob Adams
- The Last of the Clintons as Luke Todd
- The Test as Trapper (uncredited)
- Hong Kong Nights as Blake
1934
- Fighting Fury as Chet
- Rawhide Mail as Barfly Al
- Fighting Hero as Sheriff
- Bachelor Bait as Detective (uncredited)
- Mills of the Gods as Workman
- Mystery Mountain as Rattler Henchman Morgan
- Baby Take a Bow as Man on Train (Uncredited)
- I Believed in You as Policeman
- The Crime Doctor as Detective at Airport Arrest (uncredited)
- The Countess of Monte Cristo as Police Detective (uncredited)
- Beggars in Ermine as Steel Worker (uncredited)
- Mystery Ranch as Holdup man
- St. Louis Woman as Lions Coach Ryan
- Twisted Rails as Sheriff James
- When Lightning Strikes as Wolf
- Ferocious Pal as Dave Brownell
- The Oil Raider as Oil Well Driller (uncredited)
1933
- I'm No Angel as Sideshow Spectator (uncredited)
- Lady for a Day as Reception Guest (uncredited)
- Sunset Pass as Ben
- Smoky as Horse Trader
- Justice Takes a Holiday as Convict (Uncredited)
- The Nuisance as Kelley's Associate (uncredited)
- The Iron Master as Turner
- Broadway Thru a Keyhole as Member of Rocci's Mob
- The Wolf Dog as Brooks
- Perils of Pauline as Soldier at American Consulate
- Made on Broadway as Plainclothesman
- The Big Cage as Ship Captain
- Gordon of Ghost City as Pat Campbell
- King of the Jungle as Lion Attendant (uncredited)
- Lone Cowboy as Conductor (uncredited)
- The Fugitive as Tom
- Clancy of the Mounted as Corporal McGregor
- Police Car 17 as Detective (uncredited)
1932
- The Night Rider as Jeff Barton
- The Lost Special as Dirk / Detective Dane
- The Boiling Point as Pete Mallis - Henchman
- The Trial of Vivienne Ware as Cop at Door (uncredited)
- Without Honor as 'Sholt' Fletcher
- Beyond the Rockies as Kirk Tracy
- The Thirteenth Guest as Detective Carter (Uncredited)
- Tex Takes a Holiday as Sheriff
- Manhattan Tower as Mechanic (uncredited)
- Cock of the Air as Military Policeman
- Honor of the Mounted as Henchman
- Gold as Sheriff
- Trailing the Killer as Sheriff
1931
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as Undetermined Role (uncredited)
- The Arizona Terror as Henchman Chuckawalla
- Platinum Blonde as Reporter (uncredited)
- Sheer Luck as Police Lieutenant
- The Secret Six as Blackjacking Gangster (uncredited)
- Gun Smoke as Hank Bailey (uncredited)
- West of Broadway as Cowhand (uncredited)
- Range Law as Henchman Cleve
- Air Police as Spike - Joe's Henchman
- Quick Millions as Atlas Newsreel Man (uncredited)
- The Galloping Ghost as Mullins
- The Two Gun Man as Lem Tolliver
- Trails of the Golden West
1930
- All Quiet on the Western Front as 1st Medic Orderly (uncredited)
- River's End as Mountie
- Borrowed Wives as Mac, the Motorcycle Cop
- Westward Bound as Dick - Rustler
- Firebrand Jordan as Ed Burns
- Bar-L Ranch as Henchman (uncredited)
- The Storm as Head Mountie
- The Woman Racket as Hennessy
- Troopers Three as Sgt. Hank Darby
- The Third Alarm as Fireman Tom
- Safety in Numbers as Motorist (uncredited)
- See America Thirst as Spumoni Hood (uncredited)
- Romance of the West as Kayo Mooney
- Sid's Long Count as Policeman
- Under Texas Skies as Fake Captain Hartford
- Spell of the Circus as Butte Morgan
1929
- Hell's Heroes as Croupier (uncredited)
- Chinatown Nights as Cop
- Queen of the Northwoods as Garvin / The Wolf-Devil
- The Harvest of Hate as Martin Trask
1928
- The Apache Raider as Griffin Dawson
- The Yellow Cameo as Spraker
- In Old Arizona as Man in Saloon (uncredited)
- The Michigan Kid as Minor Role (uncredited)
- The Bronc Stomper as Alan Riggs
- The Boss of Rustler's Roost as Pronto Giles
- The Mystery Rider as David Manning / The Claw
1927
- The Long Loop on the Pecos as Laird
- The Golden Stallion as Jules La Roux
- The Return of the Riddle Rider as Buck White
1926
- Chasing Trouble as Jerome Garrett
- The Bar-C Mystery
- Desert Greed as Ranger (uncredited)
- A String of Diamonds as Slippery Jack Elmm
- Dangerous Traffic as Marc Brandon
- Code of the Northwest as Pvt. Frank Stafford
- Snowed In as U.S. Marshal Thayer
- West of the Rainbow's End as Harry Palmer
1925
- Border Vengeance as Flash Denby
- The Demon Rider as Black Hawk
- Silent Sheldon as Bill Fadden
- The Cowboy Musketeer as Joe Dokes
- Three in Exile as Jed Hawkings
1924
- Ridin' Double as Gabe Lawrence
- The Right of the Strongest as Fred Dearing
- The Heritage of the Desert as Dave Naab
- The Air Hawk as Kellar
- Mile-a-Minute Morgan as Kenneth Winster
1923
- Our Hospitality as James Canfield (uncredited)
- The Call of the Canyon as Lee Stanton
- To the Last Man as Guy
- The Dangerous Maid as Guard
- The Social Buccaneer as Louis Lenoir
- Shell Shocked Sammy
1922
- The Cowboy and the Lady as Joe
- The Long Chance as John Corbaly (as Leonard Clapham)
- Nan of the North as Dick Driscoll (as Leonard Clapham)
1921
- Colorado as David Collins (as Leonard Clapham)
1920
- Wolf Tracks
- Under Northern Lights as Jacques Foucharde
- Masked
- 'in Wrong' Wright as Sheriff
- King of the Circus
- The Texas Kid
1919
- The Great Air Robbery as Undetermined Role (as Leonard Clapham)
- The Lion Man as Lacey
- Leave It to Susan
- The Last of the Duanes as (as Leonard Clapham)
- The Lone Star Ranger as Undetermined Role (as Leonard Clapham)
- The Boss of the Rancho
1916
- The Purple Mask as Robert Jackson, Inventor (as Leonard Clapham)
- Liberty as (as Leonard Clapham)