Tom Tryon Movies

The author of the famous late 1930's antiwar book Johnny Got His Gun wrote and directed this film adaptation. It concerns a nameless young soldier (Timothy Bottoms) in a veteran's hospital in the World War I period. The young man has had his face blown off, he is without the use of any of his senses save touch, and also has no arms or legs. He is in a coma at the beginning of the film, and his doctors doubt that he will regain consciousness. This is also what they hope. A nurse, while changing his dressings, discovers that he is awake and responsive. The unrelieved awfulness of his situation is apparent to many. However, in order to keep the "good order" of the military, the regular Army general commanding the hospital will not allow the boy to be seen or his family notified, nor will he permit anyone to perform a mercy killing. Interspersed with this horror are flashbacks of the youth's life before the war. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In Harm's Way, based on James Bassett's novel Harm's Way, has enough plot in it for four movies or a good miniseries (when it was shown on network television in prime time, it was broken into two very full nights). On the morning of December 7, 1941, a heavy cruiser, commanded by Captain Rockwell Torrey (John Wayne), and the destroyer Cassidy, under acting commander Lieutenant (jg) William McConnell (Thomas Tryon), are two of a handful of ships that escape the destruction of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Under Torrey's command, the tiny fleet of a dozen ships carries out its orders to seek out and engage the enemy fleet. But lack of fuel and a daring maneuver (but tragic miscalculation) by Torrey causes his ship to be seriously damaged. He's relieved of command and assigned to a desk job routing convoys in the shakeup following the attack, and his exec and oldest friend, Commander Paul Eddington (Kirk Douglas), is reassigned after a brawl, the result of his anger after identifying the body of his wife (Barbara Bouchet) who was killed during the attack while cavorting with an Marine Corps officer.

Torrey's shore assignment leads him to reestablish contact on a very hostile level with his estranged son, Ensign Jere Torrey (Brandon de Wilde), from his long-ended marriage; he establishes a romantic relationship with Lt. Maggie Haynes (Patricia Neal), a navy nurse; and he also befriends Commander Egan Powell (Burgess Meredith), a special-intelligence officer. Partly as a result of his contact with Powell, Torrey is chosen by the commander of the Pacific Fleet (Henry Fonda) to salvage an essential operation called Sky Hook, which has become bogged down through the indecisiveness of its area commander, Vice Admiral Broderick (Dana Andrews). Promoted to rear admiral, with Eddington -- who'd been rotting away on a shore assignment, drunk most of the time -- assigned as his chief of staff, Torrey gets Sky Hook rolling and finally finds his purpose in this war, gaining the belated admiration of his son in the process. Eddington is similarly motivated but is still haunted by the violent, ultimately self-destructive demons that blighted his marriage and his life -- he is particularly attracted to a young nurse, Annalee Dohrn (Jill Haworth), not knowing that she is already involved romantically with Jere Torrey. Meanwhile, McConnell survives the sinking of his ship and is ordered to join Torrey's staff. Matters all come to a head when the Japanese begin a counter-offensive to Torrey's planned troop landing. And just at the time Torrey needs his men at their best, Eddington's violence and rage boil to the surface in a way that will destroy him and blight both men's lives. In a final attempt at redemption, Eddington provides Torrey with the information he needs to set up a battle that he has at least a chance of winning, pitting his small task group of destroyers and cruisers against the Japanese task force led by the Yamato, the largest battleship ever built. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Tom Tryon plays the title role in this Otto Preminger version of the Henry Morton Robinson novel. In his matriculation from Monsignor to the College of Cardinals, Stephen Fermoyle (Tom Tryon) must undergo several grueling life experiences: standing up to bigots in Georgia, defying Nazis in Austria, and so on. The film boasts cameo appearances by Dorothy Gish, Cecil Kellaway, John Saxon, John Huston, Robert Morse, Burgess Meredith, Raf Vallone, Ossie Davis. Incidentally, Tryon eventually quit acting and became a popular novelist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This western is created from a popular serial that starred Tom Tryon playing a rancher who was once a sheriff. Tryon later went on to become a best-selling author. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This is a straightforward, unexceptional story about a platoon of Marines taken out of battle in Korea for some R & R in Tokyo, and then sent back to the front lines again. The four men are stereotypes found in many war stories: the simpatico country boy, the intellect though not overtly so, a rich, suave type, and a hard-as-nails tough-guy leader. These four friends are first seen in combat situations, then encountering all sorts of misadventures in Japan before they have to push off to do battle again. This was the penultimate film of director Raoul Walsh (who also provided the story for the script), unusual because he started directing in 1915 -- his career spanned fifty years. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In the 16th episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John (Tom Tryon) has been hired as the new sheriff of Tombstone, AZ. In his efforts to uphold the letter of the law, John has been forced to shoot and kill many a miscreant, and as a result, the townspeople are beginning to turn against him. But Sheriff Slaughter refuses to change his methods and is even more determined to prove that his way is the right way when he rides to Tucson to capture notorious stagecoach robber and murderer Jimmy Deuce (Joe Maross). Originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "Trip to Tucson" and the subsequent episode "Frank Clell's in Town" were in 1966 excerpted for use in the expanded theatrical-feature version of the earlier Tales of Texas John Slaughter entry "A Holster Full of Law." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the 14th episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John (Tom Tryon) is summoned by General Miles (Onslow Stevens) to aid the cavalry in tracking down the elusive renegade Apache Geronimo (Pat Hogan). The two men are assisted by John's old Texas Rangers comrade Ben Jenkins (Harry Carey Jr.), now serving as a cavalry corporal (it must have been "old home week" for actor Carey, who had previously donned a cavalry uniform in several John Ford Westerns). Originally aired as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "The End of the Trail" and the 1960 episode "Geronimo's Revenge" were edited together in 1964 and released theatrically overseas as a "feature film," also titled Geronimo's Revenge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Biblical epic stars Elana Eden as Ruth, who serves in the temple where the High Priestess (Viveca Lindfors) leads the worship of the Pagan idols of the people of Moab. When Ruth falls in love with Mahlon (Tom Tryon), a Hebrew, she must come to terms with his spiritual beliefs, but in time she embraces his faith and converts to Judaism when they marry. Ruth travels with Mahlon and his mother Naomi (Peggy Wood) to their homeland of Bethlehem. Ruth suffers hardship and religious persecution, and when Mahlon dies, Ruth's faith is severely tested. But her belief in God survives this trial by fire, and in time Ruth finds a new love with Boaz (Stuart Whitman). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In the 13th episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John (Tom Tryon) finds himself in the uncomfortable position of mediating an argument between his son Willie (Brian Corcoran) and his new bride Viola (Betty Lynn). This domestic disturbance is temporarily shelved when word arrives that Apache marauders are killing the local ranchers' cattle. Hoping to stem this wave of terror, John pays a visit to his Indian friend Natchez (Jay Silverheels), who is now chief of the Apaches. Alas, the situation is beyond Natchez' control; the person responsible for the present crisis is the renegade Geronimo (Pat Hogan). Much against the wishes of his family, John tries to bring Geronimo out into the open by challenging the Apache to mortal combat. Originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "Geronimo's Revenge" and the 1961 episode "The End of the Trail" were edited together in 1964 and released theatrically overseas as a "feature film," also titled Geronimo's Revenge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the eleventh episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John's children, Willie (Brian Corcoran) and Addy (Patricia Gorman), have at last become accustomed to their new home in Tombstone, AZ. The kids are also anxious for the widowed John (Tom Tryon) to propose to neighboring rancher Viola Howell (Betty Lynn). Finally working up the courage to pop the question, John is unfortunately sidetracked when he is called upon to testify at the trial of outlaw Loco Crispin (Gene Evans) in which John was instrumental in bringing to justice. Meanwhile, Viola's mother (Nora Marlowe) is worried that her prospective son-in-law is still a man of violence. Modern-day viewers will likely be fascinated by the warm friendships forged between John Slaughter and two ethnic characters, Apache brave Natchez (Jay Silverheels) and African-American ranch-hand Batt (James Edwards). "Apache Friendship" originally aired as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this exciting western, cowpoke Texas John Slaughter rides out for revenge against the man who killed his friend. He heads for Sandoval, a notorious outlaw lair. Horses gallop, guns blaze, and mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In the sixth episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, Slaughter (Tom Tryon) combines his cattle herd with that of fellow rancher Sam Underwood (Sidney Blackmer), intending to drive both herds to Arizona and sell them at the highest price possible. Unfortunately, the two men cannot use the Chisholm Trail because of a recent drought, so Slaughter blazes his own trail -- through Comanche territory. As if the Indians didn't pose enough of a threat, Slaughter must also contend with cattle baron John Chisholm (Harold J. Stone), who is convinced that Slaughter is trying to destroy his business. Originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "The Slaughter Trail" and the subsequent episode "The Man From Bitter Creek" were edited together in 1962 and released overseas as the "feature film" Texas John Slaughter: Stampede at Bitter Creek. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide