Tom Bosley

Tom Bosley
Bosley (right) at a film set in 1979
Born	Thomas Edward Bosley October 1, 1927(1927-10-01) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	October 19, 2010(2010-10-19) (aged 83) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Heart failure
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Residence	Palm Springs, California
Nationality	American
Alma mater	DePaul University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1959–2010
Home town	Chicago, Illinois, (born and raised)
Television	Happy Days, Murder, She Wrote, Father Dowling Mysteries
Political party	Democrat
Religion	Judaism
Spouse	Jane Eliot (1962–1978) Patricia Carr (1980–2010)
Children	Amy Bosley
Parents	Benjamin Bosley, Dora (nee Heyman) Bosley
Awards	Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award
Signature

Thomas Edward "Tom" Bosley (October 1, 1927 – October 19, 2010) was an American actor. Bosley is best known for portraying Howard Cunningham on the long-running ABC sitcom Happy Days. He also was featured in recurring roles on Murder, She Wrote, and Father Dowling Mysteries. He originated the title role of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical Fiorello!, earning the 1960 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.

Early life

Bosley was born in Chicago, the son of Dora (née Heyman) and Benjamin Bosley. Although well known for playing a Catholic priest—and numerous Protestants—Bosley was actually Jewish. During World War II, Bosley served in the United States Navy. While attending DePaul University, in Chicago, in 1947, he made his stage debut in Our Town with the Canterbury Players at the Fine Arts Theatre. Bosley performed at the Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, Illinois, in 1949 and 1950 alongside Paul Newman.

Career

Early roles and stage roles

Bosley played the Knave of Hearts in a Hallmark Hall of Fame telecast of Eva Le Gallienne's production of Alice in Wonderland in 1955. But his breakthrough stage role was New York mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia in the long-running Broadway musical Fiorello! (1959), for which he won a Tony Award. In 1994, he originated the role of Maurice in the Broadway version of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Bosley also toured as Cap'n Andy in Harold Prince's 1994 revival of Show Boat.

His first motion picture role was in 1963, as the would-be suitor of Natalie Wood in Love with the Proper Stranger. Other films include The World of Henry Orient, Divorce American Style, Yours, Mine and Ours, Gus and the made-for-television The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal. Bosley shared a heartfelt story about his experience with the Holocaust in the documentary film Paper Clips.

Bosley as George W. Norris in the television anthology Profiles in Courage, 1965

Among his early television appearances was in 1960 on the CBS summer replacement series, Diagnosis: Unknown, with Patrick O'Neal. In 1962, he portrayed Assistant District Attorney Ryan in the episode "The Man Who Wanted to Die" on James Whitmore's ABC legal drama The Law and Mr. Jones. In 1969, he appeared in a comical episode of The Virginian.

Happy Days and other notable film and television roles

Bosley's best known role was the character Howard Cunningham, Richie and Joanie Cunningham's father, in the long-running sitcom Happy Days. Bosley was also known for portraying Sheriff Amos Tupper on Murder, She Wrote. He also portrayed the eponymous Father Frank Dowling on the TV mystery series, Father Dowling Mysteries. Among myriad television appearances, one notable early performance was in the "Eyes" segment of the 1969 pilot episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Joan Crawford.

Bosley also starred in the 2008 Hallmark Channel television movie Charlie & Me. In 2010, he appeared in The Backup Plan starring Jennifer Lopez, which was his final film.

In 1984, Bosley guest-hosted the "Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular" with local newscaster Pat Harper.

Voice over roles

Also a voice actor, Bosley hosted The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater, a 1977 radio drama series for children. He voiced many cartoon characters, including Harry Boyle in the animated series Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. He provided the voice of the title character in the 1980s cartoon The World of David the Gnome and the shop owner Mr. Winkle in the children's Christmas special The Tangerine Bear. He also narrated the movie documentary series That's Hollywood. Additionally, he played the narrator B.A.H. Humbug in the Rankin/Bass animated Christmas special The Stingiest Man In Town. Bosley was also the voice of Mister Geppetto, Pinocchio's 'dad' in Filmation's Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night, released in 1987.

Commercials

During the 1970s and 1980s, Bosley did several commercials for the Glad Sandwich and Garbage Bags.

Tom Bosley did radio commercials for the new Saturn Car Company a "different kind of car company," in 1990.

Later in life he was the television spokesman for SMC (Specialty Merchandise Corporation), a national wholesaler and dropshipper.

Bosley was also the “ face “ of LifeBack USA helping bring the benefits of Life Settlements to seniors, having himself sold an unwanted life insurance policy during his later life.

Death

Bosley died of heart failure on October 19, 2010, at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California near his home in Palm Springs, California. He was 83 years old. His agent, Sheryl Abrams, said Bosley had been battling lung cancer. His remains are interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.

External links

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• Tom Bosley at the Internet Movie Database
• Tom Bosley at the Internet Broadway Database
• Archive of American Television interview
• Tom Bosley at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Tom Bosley at Find a Grave