Tom Tully

Tom Tully (August 21, 1908 – April 27, 1982) was an American actor. While in Vietnam entertaining troops with Bob Hope and others touring with the USO, Thomas Tully contracted a filarial worm, similar to the worm which can lead to elephantiasis. After returning to the U.S. his condition was diagnosed after a blood clot in a major leg vein cut off circulation so severely his left leg was amputated very close to the hip. This was circa 1971. The amputation was performed in Laguna Beach, California, close to his home in San Juan Capistrano. Complications to this surgery caused pleuritis, deafness and serious debilitation. His death was due, in great part, to these serious medical conditions. He should be remembered as a true patriot who sacrificed his life to entertain our troops during the Vietnam War. Colorado-born Tom Tully got into the acting business after a stint in the U.S. Navy. He had extensive experience in radio and on the stage before making his film debut in Northern Pursuit (1943). Tully worked steadily for the remainder of his career, and was typically cast as a somewhat tough but basically decent cop, military officer or other authority figure. He was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his role as the captain being replaced by Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny (1954). He had a co-starring role with Warner Anderson in the highly regarded TV cop show The Lineup (1954), which was directed by his old friend Don Siegel. His last role was a small but showy one as a crooked gun dealer in Siegel's thriller Charley Varrick (1973).