Morgan Conway
Born 1903 (age 78) · Newark, New Jersey, USA
Appears in 33 titles

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.

Filmography

Brother Orchid
6.6
Brother Orchid
1940
as Philadelphia Powell
Dick Tracy
5.2
Dick Tracy
1945
as Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
5.5
Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
1946
as Dick Tracy
Charlie Chan in Reno
6.5
Charlie Chan in Reno
1939
as George Bentley
Sinners in Paradise
5.4
Sinners in Paradise
1938
as Harrison Brand
The Saint Takes Over
6.7
The Saint Takes Over
1940
as Sam Reese
Badman's Territory
6.0
Badman's Territory
1946
as Captain William 'Bill' Hampton
Jack London
6.1
Jack London
1943
as Richard Harding Davis
Blackwell's Island
5.5
Blackwell's Island
1939
as Steve Cardigan
Millionaires in Prison
6.1
Millionaires in Prison
1940
as James Brent
Looking for Trouble
6.7
Looking for Trouble
1934
as Dan Sutter
Secret Service of the Air
6.1
Secret Service of the Air
1939
as Henchman Ed Powell
Wings of the Navy
6.2
Wings of the Navy
1939
as Tommy - Duty Officer
Tornado
6.0
Tornado
1943
as Gary Linden
Sued for Libel
6.3
Sued for Libel
1939
as Albert Pomeroy
The Truth About Murder
4.8
The Truth About Murder
1946
as Lester Ashton
Illegal Traffic
6.6
Illegal Traffic
1938
as State's Attorney Ryan
Off the Record
6.4
Off the Record
1939
as Lou Baronette
A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen
6.3
A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen
1942
as Ray Stafford
Crime Ring
5.8
Crime Ring
1938
as Ray Taylor