Biography
Tom Ewell (born Samuel Yewell Tompkins) was an American stage, film and television actor. He was born on 29 April 1909 in Owensboro, Kentucky, and died on 12 September 1994 in Woodland Hills, California. He made his Broadway debut in 1934 and his film debut in 1940. His screen career was interrupted by service in the United States Navy during the Second World War. He gained attention for his performance as Warren Attinger in the 1949 film Adam's Rib.
Ewell originated the role of Richard Sherman on Broadway in The Seven Year Itch (1952–1954) and reprised it in the 1955 film adaptation. He appeared in other films including The Girl Can't Help It (1956) and The Great Gatsby (1974), and in television series such as Taxi (1979) and Murder, She Wrote (1984). He won a Tony Award for his stage performance in The Seven Year Itch.
