Morgan Conway

Born: 1903-03-16

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.


Placeholder

Brother Orchid

as Philadelphia Powell
Released: 1940-06-07

When retired racket boss John Sarto tries to reclaim his place and former friends try to kill...

Movie page

Dick Tracy

as Dick Tracy
Released: 1945-12-01

Detective Tracy (Morgan Conway) rescues Tess Trueheart (Anne Jeffreys) and Junior from a killer...

Movie page

Charlie Chan in Reno

as George Bentley
Released: 1939-06-16

Mary Whitman has gone to Reno to obtain a divorce. While there she is arrested on suspicion of...

Movie page

Sinners in Paradise

as Harrison Brand
Released: 1938-05-19

The survivors from a plane crash are washed up on an island where the only inhabitants are Mr....

Movie page

Jack London

as Richard Harding Davis
Released: 1943-12-24

The adventurous and remarkable life of the US writer Jack London (1876-1916).

Movie page

Wings of the Navy

as Tommy - Duty Officer
Released: 1939-02-11

Jerry tries to out compete his older brother Cass, a lieutenant Naval aviator. Cass is both...

Movie page

Looking for Trouble

as Dan Sutter
Released: 1934-03-28

Joe and Casey trouble-shoot for the phone company. They try to prove that Joes's girl Ethel's...

Movie page

Television Spy

as Carl Venner
Released: 1939-10-20

A scientist invents a television device called the Iconoscope. Foreign agents hear about it and...

Movie page

Illegal Traffic

as State's Attorney Ryan
Released: 1938-11-02

G-Man Charles Bent Martin is sent out to break up a nationwide racket. A transport company is...

Movie page

Dick Tracy vs. Cueball

as Dick Tracy
Released: 1946-11-22

A police detective uses his girlfriend to track down a homicidal maniac.

Movie page

A Fugitive from Justice

as 'Julie' Alexander
Released: 1940-06-15

Leslie is being chased by the gangsters, the police and the insurance investigators. He is on...

Movie page

Florian

as Kingston
Released: 1940-06-05

Set against the backdrop of WWI Europe, a man and woman of different classes are brought...

Movie page

Badman's Territory

as Captain William 'Bill' Hampton
Released: 1946-05-04

After some gun play with a posse, the James Gang head for Quinto in a section of land which is...

Movie page

The Nurse from Brooklyn

as Inspector Donohue
Released: 1938-04-29

A nurse's younger brother is caught in a shootout between a criminal gang and the police, and he...

Movie page

Millionaires in Prison

as James Brent
Released: 1940-07-12

A crop of millionaire inmates struggle to get accustomed to prison life, while inmate Nick...

Movie page

Sued for Libel

as Albert Pomeroy
Released: 1939-10-27

A New York City newspaper is sued for libel after reporting the wrong verdict in a murder trial.

Movie page

The Saint Takes Over

as Sam Reese
Released: 1940-06-07

The Saint Takes Over, released in 1940 by RKO Pictures, was the fifth motion picture featuring...

Movie page

Secret Service of the Air

as Henchman Ed Powell
Released: 1939-03-04

Brass Bancroft and his sidekick Gabby Watters are recruited onto the secret service and go...

Movie page

Dick Tracy Special: Tracy Zooms In

as Dick Tracy (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: 2023-02-10

Film experts Leonard Maltin and Ben Mankiewicz interview famous detective Dick Tracy about his...

Movie page

North of Shanghai

as Bob Laird
Released: 1939-01-24

In this newspaper drama, a female reporter and a newsreel cameraman are both assigned to cover...

Movie page

Off the Record

as Lou Baronette
Released: 1939-01-21

After a socially conscience reporter adopts a slum orphan after she causes his brother's gang to...

Movie page

The Spellbinder

as Mr. Carrington
Released: 1939-07-28

Jed Marlowe is a brilliant, scheming, unscrupulous criminal lawyer whose specialty is defending...

Movie page

Private Detective

as Nat Flavin
Released: 1939-12-09

A female private eye joins forces with a police detective to investigate the suspicious murder...

Movie page

Happy Landing

as Frank Harland
Released: 1934-09-01

An action-filled film with outlaws-of-the-clouds at war with the men of the U. S. Flying...

Movie page

Blackwell's Island

as Steve Cardigan
Released: 1939-01-24

A reporter gets himself sent to prison to expose a mobster.

Movie page

Tornado

as Gary Linden
Released: 1943-08-09

The owner of an Illinois coal mine struggles to keep his business in operation, all the while...

Movie page

Canyon City

as Craig Morgan
Released: 1943-11-24

A mystery man, identifying himself as the outlaw Nevada Kid, and his comical sidekick, help the...

Movie page

Grand Jury Secrets

as Thomas Reedy
Released: 1939-06-23

A newspaper reporter gets involved with shady stock promoters when he listens in on a jury room...

Movie page

Crime Ring

as Ray Taylor
Released: 1938-07-08

Fake fortunetellers win the confidence of clients and then get them to part with their money by...

Movie page

Bells of Capistrano

as Stag Johnson
Released: 1942-09-15

America's favorite singing cowboy Gene Autry stars in this vintage tale as an up-and-coming...

Movie page

The Truth About Murder

as Lester Ashton
Released: 1946-04-01

A young attorney (Bonita Granville) is convinced a murder suspect is innocent in the killing of...

Movie page

A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen

as Ray Stafford
Released: 1942-05-07

A man is framed for embezzlement and runs off to San Francisco. His wife hires Ellery Queen to...

Movie page

Vacation in Reno

as Joe
Released: 1946-12-10

A hapless husband searches for buried treasure at a dude ranch; meanwhile, his wife wants a...

Movie page