Tom Dugan (1 January 1889 â€" 7 March 1955) was an Irish-American film
actor. He appeared in more than 260 films between 1927 and 1955. He
was born in Dublin, Ireland and died in Redlands, California, after
injuries sustained in a road accident.At an early age, Tom Dugan's
family moved to Philadelphia where he was educated at the Philadelphia
High School. After leaving school, he tried three trades (shoe
cutting, neck tie cutting and paper hanging) in quick succession but
he had a good tenor voice, so he decided on show business. He appeared
in a travelling medicine show, then a minstrel troupe before going on
stage. He was a headliner for the Keith Circuit in America for several
years. He also played in musical comedies in New York City and in
vaudeville theatres like Earl Carroll's Vanities. He eventually became
a Broadway comedian.Dugan appeared in nearly 270 films between 1927
and 1955 and had also some television roles near the end of his life.
He supported comedians like Charley Chase and appeared in Lights of
New York (1928), the first all-talking picture. Dugan also worked as
an actor and perhaps also writer for the Hal Roach studios in the
mid-1930s. He mostly played small roles, often as an Irish cop,
gangster or cab driver. His best film role was perhaps the Polish
actor Bronski who disguises himself as Adolf Hitler in Ernst
Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be (1942).
actor. He appeared in more than 260 films between 1927 and 1955. He
was born in Dublin, Ireland and died in Redlands, California, after
injuries sustained in a road accident.At an early age, Tom Dugan's
family moved to Philadelphia where he was educated at the Philadelphia
High School. After leaving school, he tried three trades (shoe
cutting, neck tie cutting and paper hanging) in quick succession but
he had a good tenor voice, so he decided on show business. He appeared
in a travelling medicine show, then a minstrel troupe before going on
stage. He was a headliner for the Keith Circuit in America for several
years. He also played in musical comedies in New York City and in
vaudeville theatres like Earl Carroll's Vanities. He eventually became
a Broadway comedian.Dugan appeared in nearly 270 films between 1927
and 1955 and had also some television roles near the end of his life.
He supported comedians like Charley Chase and appeared in Lights of
New York (1928), the first all-talking picture. Dugan also worked as
an actor and perhaps also writer for the Hal Roach studios in the
mid-1930s. He mostly played small roles, often as an Irish cop,
gangster or cab driver. His best film role was perhaps the Polish
actor Bronski who disguises himself as Adolf Hitler in Ernst
Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be (1942).
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