Tommy Noonan

Tommy Noonan (born Thomas Noone; April 29, 1921 – April 24, 1968) was a comedy genre film performer, screenwriter and producer. He acted in a number of high-profile films as well as B movies from the 1940s through the 1960s; he is best known for his supporting performances as Gus Esmond, wealthy fiancé of Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe), in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), and as musician Danny McGuire in A Star Is Born (1954). Early years Born in Bellingham, Washington, Noonan was the younger half-brother of actor John Ireland. Noonan was the son of Michael James Noone and Gracie Ferguson. His father was a vaudeville comedian and a native of Garrafrauns, Dunmore, County Galway, Ireland. His mother, a piano teacher, was from Glasgow, Scotland. He attended New York University. Career In 1934, Noonan and Ireland made their stage debuts with a New York–based experimental theater. They later appeared together in three films, including I Shot Jesse James (1949).