Tommy Noonan, the bespectacled comedy performer, began his career in experimental theater alongside his half-brother, actor John Ireland, who went on to have an illustrious career.
Born Thomas Patrick Noone, Noonan launched his own repertory theatre in his home state in the early 1940s, before his career was interrupted by a stint in the Navy during World War II.
After his discharge, Noonan wound up in New York, where he briefly showcased his talents on Broadway before being signed by RKO for post-war films and relocating to the West Coast.
His half-brother, John Ireland, had already established himself as a well-known film commodity, having married actress Joanne Dru, whose brother was singer-actor Peter Marshall.
With a solid background in comedy and burlesque, Noonan teamed up with straight-man Marshall to form the 1950s comedy duo of Noonan and Marshall, which appeared with moderate success in clubs and on TV, including The Ed Sullivan Show.
Despite their partnership, Noonan continued to boost his individual career, appearing in a few B-grade comedy film vehicles together, as well as solo performances in higher-grade films.
He held his own as Marilyn Monroe's smitten boyfriend in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, went dramatic as Judy Garland's blunt pal in A Star Is Born, and received some of the best film reviews of his career.
With Marshall, Noonan produced and wrote a couple of film vehicles to showcase the comedy team, but the films, The Rookie and Swingin' Along, were flat and barely noticed upon release, ultimately breaking up the duo.
In the 1960s, Noonan's career slowed, and he resorted to producing and co-starring in exploitative "comedy" vehicles, including Promises..... Promises! and 3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt, which were unmitigated disasters.
His last producing effort was Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers in 1967, before his untimely death at the age of 46 from a brain tumor, leaving behind his wife, Pokie, and four children.
