Samuel Yewell Tompkins (April 29, 1909 – September 12, 1994), better known by his stage name Tom Ewell, was an American actor. Born in Kentucky, he acted on the New York stage and made a few small film appearances before America’s entry into World War II. After Pearl Harbor he served in the US Navy. His career resumed after the war, to no little success.
Ewell’s best remembered works are two films from The '50s, The Seven Year Itch and The Girl Can't Help It, meaning that he played Straight Man/foil to the two big blonde bombshells of the time, Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. In the former case he had starred on Broadway in the stage version with Vanessa Brown playing what would later be known as the Monroe role.
Ewell was married twice, briefly to Judith Abbott and then to Marjorie Sanborn until the end of his life. When he died in 1994 he was survived by his 105-year-old mother, Martine Yewell Tompkins.
Selected filmography:
- 1940 They Knew What They Wanted: New Hired Hand (Uncredited Role)
- 1949 Adam's Rib: Warren Attinger
- 1955 The Seven Year Itch: Richard Sherman
- 1955 Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Albert Pelham (1 episode)
- 1956 The Girl Can't Help It: Tom Miller
- 1962 Tender Is the Night: Abe North
- 1962 State Fair: Abel Drake
- 1964 Wagon Train: Hector Heatherton (1 episode)
- 1965 Burke's Law: Leander Clement (1 episode)
- 1970 The Virginian: Hoy Valentine (1 episode, after series title change to The Men from Shiloh)
- 1971 Search for Tomorrow: Bill Lang
- 1971 Alias Smith and Jones: Deputy Treadwell (1 episode)
- 1975-78 Baretta: Billy Truman
- 1978 Fantasy Island: Burt “Fingers” Lonegan (1 episode)
- 1979 Taxi: Dr. Richmond (1 episode)
- 1982 Trapper John, M.D.: Earl Tendermeyer
- 1983 Easy Money: Scrappleton
- 1986 Murder, She Wrote: Josh Corbin (1 episode)
