Thomas Tryon

Author profile

born

January 14, 1926 in Hartford, CT, The United States

died

September 04, 1991

gender

male

genre

Horror, Mystery & Thrillers, Historical Fiction

About this author

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It was Noel Coward’s partner, Gertrude Lawrence, who encouraged Tom to try acting. He made his Broadway debut in 1952 in the chorus of the musical “Wish You Were Here.” He also worked in television at the time, but as a production assistent. In 1955 he moved to California to try his hand at the movies, and the next year made his film debut in “The Scarlet Hour” (1956). Tom was cast in the title role of the Disney TV series “Texas John Slaughter” (1958) that made him something of a household name. He appeared in several horror and science fiction films: “I Married a Monster from Outer Space” (1958) and “Moon Pilot” (1962) and in westerns: ‘Three Violent People’ (1956) and ‘Winchester ’73’ (1967). He was part of the all-star cast in ‘The Long...more It was Noel Coward’s partner, Gertrude Lawrence, who encouraged Tom to try acting. He made his Broadway debut in 1952 in the chorus of the musical “Wish You Were Here.” He also worked in television at the time, but as a production assistent. In 1955 he moved to California to try his hand at the movies, and the next year made his film debut in “The Scarlet Hour” (1956). Tom was cast in the title role of the Disney TV series “Texas John Slaughter” (1958) that made him something of a household name. He appeared in several horror and science fiction films: “I Married a Monster from Outer Space” (1958) and “Moon Pilot” (1962) and in westerns: ‘Three Violent People’ (1956) and ‘Winchester ’73’ (1967). He was part of the all-star cast in ‘The Longest Day’ (1962), a film of the World War II generation, credited with saving 20th Century Fox Studios, after the disaster of ‘Cleopatra.” He considered his best role to be in ‘In Harm’s Way’(1965), which is also regarded as one of the better films about World War II.

While filming the title role in ‘The Cardinal’ (1962), Tom suffered from Otto Preminger’s Teutonic directing style and became physically ill. Nevertheless, Tom was nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1963. He appeared with Marilyn Monroe in her final film, “Something’s Got to Give” (1962), but the studio fired Monroe after three weeks, and the film was never finished. That experience, along with the “Cardinal” ordeal, left Tom wary of studio games and weary at waiting around for the phone to ring.

After viewing the film “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) Tom was inspired to write his own horror novel, and in 1971 Alfred Knopf published “The Other.” It became an instant bestseller and was turned into a movie in 1972, which Tom wrote and produced. Thereafter, despite occasional film and TV offers, Tom gave up acting to write fiction fulltime. This he did eight to ten hours a day, with pencil, on legal-sized yellow tablets. Years later, he graduated to an IBM Selectric.

The Other was followed by Lady (1975) which concerns the friendship between and eight-year-old boy and a mysterious widow in 1930s New England. His book Crowned Heads became an inspiration for the Billy Wilder film “Fedora” (1978), and a miniseries with Bette Davis was made from his novel Harvest Home (1978). All That Glitters (1986), a quintette of stories about thinly disguised Hollywood greats and near-greats followed. Night of the Moonbow (1989), tells of a boy driven to violence by the constant harassment he endures at a summer camp. Night Magic, about an urban street magician with wonderous powers, written shortly before his death in 1991, was posthumously published in 1995. The dust jackets and end papers of Tom’s books, about which he took unusual care, are excellent examples of his gifts as an artist and graphic designer, further testimony to the breadth of his talents.
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Average rating: 3.87 · 4,529 ratings · 275 reviews · 11 distinct works

	The Other 3.95 avg rating — 3,062 ratings — published 1971 — 17 editions	My rating:
	Harvest Home 3.82 avg rating — 951 ratings — published 1973 — 13 editions	My rating:
	Lady 3.66 avg rating — 197 ratings — published 1974 — 9 editions	My rating:
	The Night of the Moonbow 3.32 avg rating — 124 ratings — published 1989 — 8 editions	My rating:
	Crowned Heads 3.43 avg rating — 95 ratings — published 1976 — 5 editions	My rating:
	All That Glitters 3.27 avg rating — 51 ratings — published 1986 — 2 editions	My rating:
	Night Magic 3.15 avg rating — 39 ratings — published 1995 — 4 editions	My rating:
	The Wings of the Morning 3.72 avg rating — 36 ratings — published 1990 — 7 editions	My rating:
	In the Fire of Spring 3.89 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 1991 — 4 editions	My rating:
	The Adventures Of Opal And Cupid: A Story by Thomas Tryon, Rachel Isadora (Illustrator), Clive Wilson 3.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — 2 editions	My rating:

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Quotes by Thomas Tryon

“It is not easy to learn much about love, but one thing I discovered, that Lady Harleigh taught me: it is not whom you love that is important, but only that we love.”
― Thomas Tryon, Lady

tags: experience , love , romance

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Thomas Tryon

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