Tommy Kelly

Born: 1925-04-06

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Thomas Francis Kelly (April 6, 1925 – January 26, 2016) professionally known as Tommy Kelly was an American child actor. He is remembered for his title role in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in 1938 based on Mark Twain's novel of the same name. Kelly was born in the Bronx, the son of Nora and Michael Kelly, a fireman, in humble circumstances. He had twelve siblings. Kelly's grandparents, all four, were from Ireland. He began his acting career at the age of twelve when he was selected to play the role of Tom Sawyer in the 1938 movie The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, an adaption of Mark Twain's classic The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Approximately 25,000 boys had auditioned for that role and it is said that famous producer David O. Selznick handpicked Kelly for the role. Despite Kelly's earning good critical reviews for his performance, the film was only a poor financial success. He also played the lead role in Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus later that year as Bill Peck. In 1939, Tommy Kelly had a small but memorable part in Gone with the Wind as the boy crying in a band in Atlanta while the death lists are given out. He played the notable supporting role of Willie in Archie Mayo's musical film They Shall Have Music (1939) followed by a leading role as a young cadet in the B movie Military Academy (1940). As he reached adulthood, Kelly's roles in movies were minor and he was often uncredited. He appeared in The Magnificent Yankee in 1950, which turned out to be his last of 19 films before ending his acting career. As with many other stars, the war years found Tommy in the U.S. Army; he served in the infantry rather than the USO, as did some other child stars. He fought in the European theater, participating in the critical campaign for the bridge at Remagen.


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Gone with the Wind

as Boy in Band (uncredited)
Released: 1939-12-15

The spoiled daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a tumultuous romance with a cynical...

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He Walked by Night

as Redhead (uncredited)
Released: 1949-02-06

This film-noir piece, told in semi-documentary style, follows police on the hunt for a...

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They Shall Have Music

as Willie
Released: 1939-08-18

The future is bleak for a troubled boy from a broken home in the slums. He runs away when his...

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Military Academy

as Tommy Lewis
Released: 1940-08-06

Tommy Lewis, the son of a big time racketeer, is enrolled in military school under an assumed...

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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

as Tom Sawyer
Released: 1938-02-11

Tom Sawyer and his pal Huckleberry Finn have great adventures on the Mississippi River,...

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Gallant Sons

as Harwood Hollister
Released: 1940-11-15

When a teenager's father is accused of murder, the boy and his high-school classmates set out to...

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Irene

as Michael O'Dare
Released: 1940-04-23

Upholsterer's assistant Irene O'Dare meets wealthy Don Marshall while she is measuring chairs...

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Curtain Call

as Freddy Middleton
Released: 1940-04-18

Two theatrical producers plan to get even with a demanding actress by tricking her into starring...

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Nice Girl?

as Ken Atkins
Released: 1941-02-21

Jane is a nice girl and has had her eyes on a young man who seems more interested in his...

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Mug Town

as Steve
Released: 1942-12-18

Steve Bell, Tommy, Pig, Ape, and String are run of town. Steve, while hopping a freight card...

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Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus

as Bill Peck
Released: 1938-12-02

Trouble-prone Billy Peck and his gang descend on a traveling circus that has just hit town, and...

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