Thomas E. Jackson

Biography

Thomas Edward Jackson (1886-1967) started his career on Broadway in juvenile parts on Broadway from 1899-1903. He took a nearly decade long break from the Great White Way, returning there in earnest in 1917 through the end of 1928. Thomas gained experience as a theatrical director and producer at the end of his Broadway career, notably co-producing the George Abbott-directed moderate hit, "Gentlemen of the Press" in 1928. With a decent voice and an ability to make a memorable impression in secondary roles, his future lay in talkies. Jackson had gained notoriety in his characterization of a tough sarcastic detective, Dan McCorn, in George Abbott's 1926 hit show, "Broadway." The 43-year old actor was enticed to Hollywood and never looked back. He reprised his role in an adaptation of the play into one of Universal's first "all talking pictures." His timing couldn't have been better; Broadway fell into serious decline after the Crash and middle-aged actor found himself in demand in character roles. He used his well-honed detective persona into the role of Thomas Flaherety in the classic "Little Caesar" (1930) as Edward G. Robinson's nemesis. His career as a detective continued in Fritz Lang's The Woman in the Window (1944), as his various character roles also translated into the age of television, where he found an increasing amount of work in the mid-1950's. He was recently seen (for the first time in over 50 years) in the re-release version of the The Big Sleep (1946) in which he had previously been cut out. The reliable veteran actor continued to work practically until the end of his life. He died in California on September 7, 1967 at age 79.