Edward Macdonald Carey (March 15, 1913 – March 21, 1994) was an American actor, best known for his role as the patriarch Dr. Tom Horton on NBC 's soap opera Days of Our Lives . For almost three decades, he was the show's central cast member.
30-639: He first made his career starring in various B-movies of the 1940s , 1950s and 1960s (with a few A-picture exceptions like Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt ). He was known in many Hollywood circles as "King of the Bs", sharing the throne with his "queen", Lucille Ball . Born in Sioux City, Iowa , Carey graduated from the University of Iowa in Iowa City with a bachelor's degree in 1935, after attending
60-486: A Western for Republic Pictures , and Odongo (1956) for Warwick Films . Carey returned to Broadway in Anniversary Waltz (1954–55), directed by Moss Hart , which was a big hit and ran for two years. While still a featured player in films, Carey began appearing on television in episodes of The Christophers , Celanese Theatre , Hope Chest , and Lux Video Theatre . As time went on, Carey's work
90-786: A godson, Maurice Heckscher. Carey was a Roman Catholic , and a member of the Good Shepherd Parish and the Catholic Motion Picture Guild in Beverly Hills, California . 1940s in film Thousands of full-length films were produced during the decade of the 1940s. The actor Humphrey Bogart made his most renowned films in this decade. Frank Capra 's It's a Wonderful Life and Orson Welles 's Citizen Kane were released. Citizen Kane made use of matte paintings , miniatures and optical printing techniques. The film noir genre
120-750: A single, starring turn as a young professor traveling cross-country in the fifth season of Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Coyote Moon") as well. In 1956, Carey took over the role of the kindly small-town physician Dr. Christian , a character created in the late 1930s by actor Jean Hersholt on radio and in films. Carey portrayed Dr. Christian on syndicated television for one season. Carey guested on The Kaiser Aluminium Hour , The Joseph Cotten Show , The Jane Wyman Show , Zane Grey Theatre , Wagon Train , Studio One in Hollywood , Playhouse 90 , The Frank Sinatra Show , Suspicion , Target , Pursuit , Schlitz Playhouse , The Dupont Show of
150-472: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , at 6536 Hollywood Boulevard . Carey was married to Elizabeth Heckscher from 1943 until their divorce in 1969. They had six children: Lynn , Lisa, Stevens, Theresa, Edward Macdonald Jr., and Paul. Later, he dated Lois Kraines. The couple remained together from 1973 until Carey's death. His grandchildren include Ellie Diamond and Vytas and Aras Baskauskas . He has
180-440: A technique using systems of wires was used to depict two dozen model aircraft taking off in precise formation. Miniature explosions were needed for the destruction of models. Cinemas were located in the city and the expansion of suburban housing in the post-War period meant declining revenues at the box office. The availability of television in homes was another factor that gave families in the suburbs an alternative to traveling to
210-543: Is Macdonald Carey, and these are the Days of Our Lives ." (After Carey's death, the producers, out of respect for Carey's family, decided not to use the second part of the opening tagline.) At each intermission, his voice also says "We will return for the second half of Days of Our Lives in just a moment". Since the Horton family is still regarded as the core of Days of our Lives , his memory has been allowed to remain imprinted on
240-429: Is a 1950 American adventure film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Macdonald Carey and Shelley Winters . It is a remake of Seven Sinners (1940). Liberace has a small role. A cafe owner on a South Sea island plays a dangerous game of blackmail with a fugitive from justice. South Sea Sinner was known as East of Java during filming. Helena Carter replaced Dorothy Hart . Star Macdonald Carey
270-580: The University of Wisconsin–Madison for a year where he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi . He became involved with the drama school at the University of Iowa and decided to become an actor. Carey toured with the Globe Players. He began to work steadily on radio, including playing Dick Grosvenor on the soap opera Stella Dallas and Ridgeway Tearle in John's Other Wife , both in the early 1940s. He
300-406: The 1940s, Hollywood's effects specialists had over a decade of studio experience. Technicolor had been especially challenging but faster film introduced in 1939 began to make Technicolor a viable option for studio production. Rear projection in color remained out of reach until Paramount introduced a new projection system in the 1940s. New matte techniques, modified for use with color, were for
330-733: The 25th Century . He later appeared in many all-star television miniseries , such as Roots , The Rebels , The Top of the Hill and Condominium . He was in the films Foes (1977), End of the World (1977), and Summer of Fear (1978), and had a small part in American Gigolo (1980). Carey was in the TV movie The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything (1980) and the films Access Code (1984) and It's Alive III: Island of
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#1732782947186360-620: The Alive (1987). He guest starred on Finder of Lost Loves , and Murder, She Wrote . His last non- Days role was in A Message from Holly (1992). Carey did the onstage introduction for the "Stars of the Days Of Our Lives" and musical artist/director Ricky Dee at the Greek Theatre (1992) Carey wrote several books of poetry, and a 1991 autobiography, The Days of My Life . For his contribution to television, Carey has
390-660: The Doctor (1963). He guest starred in the 1964–1965 sitcom The Bing Crosby Show on ABC . He appeared as Mr. Edwards in the 1963 episode "Pay the Two Dollars" of the NBC education drama series, Mr. Novak , starring James Franciscus . He could also be seen on Burke's Law , Branded , Kraft Suspense Theatre , Run for Your Life , Ben Casey , Lassie , and Bewitched . Carey played Tom Horton on Days of Our Lives from its first episode in 1965. Carey said he took
420-927: The Month , and Rawhide . Carey was in the Western film Man or Gun (1958), for Republic. and The Redeemer (1959). He played patriot Patrick Henry in John Paul Jones (1959), directed by John Farrow who had worked with Carey at Paramount. He appeared in Blue Denim (1959). Carey starred as crusading Herb Maris in the 1950s syndicated series Lock-Up . A total of seventy-eight episodes were made between 1959 and 1961. Carey guest starred on Alfred Hitchcock Presents , Moment of Fear , Thriller ("The Devil's Ticket"), The United States Steel Hour , Insight , Target , Checkmate and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour . Carey went to England to make
450-628: The Show (1951) and Claudette Colbert in Let's Make It Legal (1951). He went back to Universal for Cave of Outlaws (1951) He continued to appear in films like My Wife's Best Friend (1952), at Fox with Anne Baxter ; Count the Hours (1953), with Teresa Wright at RKO; Hannah Lee (1953), a Western with John Ireland; It's Everybody's Business (1953), and Malaga (1954) with Maureen O'Hara . Later films included Stranger at My Door (1956),
480-709: The films The Devil's Agent (1962) and The Damned (known as These Are the Damned in the US) (1963), for director Joseph Losey . He was also in Stranglehold (1962), In the first season of The Outer Limits , Carey starred in the episode titled " The Special One ". He was also in The Dick Powell Theatre , Kraft Mystery Theatre , and Arrest and Trial , Carey supported Sandra Dee in Tammy and
510-651: The first time used in the British film The Thief of Bagdad (1940) . However, the high cost of color production in the 1940s meant most films were black and white . Hollywood films in the 1940s included morale films for those serving in World War II and their families. War films made extensive use of models and miniature photography. New techniques developed to realistically depict naval battles were used in films like Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) and Ships with Wings (1942). In Mrs. Miniver (1942)
540-1155: The romantic lead in Shadow of a Doubt (1943) with Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright . However the momentum was halted when he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps . He had two months before he left, which enabled him to star in a musical for Paramount, Salute for Three (1943). Carey received his commission in early 1944 and attended fighter director school at Camp Murphy in Orlando , Florida . After school he served with Air Warning Squadron 3 with stints on Espiritu Santo , Bougainville and Mindanao . In 1947 Carey returned to Paramount. They put him back into leading roles: Suddenly, It's Spring (1947), directed by Leisen, co-starring Paulette Goddard ; Hazard (1948), again with Goddard; and Dream Girl (1948), supporting Betty Hutton , directed by Leisen. Carey played Cesare Borgia in Bride of Vengeance (1948) alongside Goddard, directed by Leisen, but it
570-410: The set and she was upset when an eight-year-old boy filmed her; she asked that he be removed to where she couldn't see him. The New York Times called it a "ridiculously romance-soggy film which has about as much South Seas flavour as a roadside papaya bar." Filmink called it "an okay film, not as good as the one it was remaking... most notable for giving a small role to Liberace. Winters gets all
600-411: The show "because I couldn't get a movie at the time". He continued as Tom Horton until his death from lung cancer in Beverly Hills, California , in 1994, six days after his 81st birthday. During this time, Carey suffered from a drinking problem, and eventually joined Alcoholics Anonymous in 1982. A longtime pipe smoker, he was seen in many films and early episodes of Days of Our Lives with it. He
630-751: The show by leaving the voice-overs intact. He also served as voice-over for the very first PBS ident, in which he said "This is PBS ... the Public Broadcasting Service." Carey continued to act in other productions during his run on Days . He had roles in Gidget Gets Married (1972), The Magician , Ordeal (1973), Owen Marshall, Counsellor at Law , Who Is the Black Dahlia? (1975), McMillan & Wife , Police Story , Switch , The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries , Fantasy Island and Buck Rogers in
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#1732782947186660-551: The theaters located in city centers. Between 1948 and 1952 average weekly attendance declined from 90 million to 51 million. The Supreme Court in 1948 decided in United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. that owning both studios and theaters violated the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 . After this decision film studios were forced to sell their theater chains. South Sea Sinner South Sea Sinner
690-548: Was a flop. More popular was a Western, Streets of Laredo (1949), but William Holden was the hero; Carey was the villain. In 1949 he co-starred as "Nick Carraway" in Alan Ladd 's version of The Great Gatsby . Carey followed this with Song of Surrender (1949), once again directed by Leisen. Universal borrowed Carey for two films: a Western with Maureen O'Hara , Comanche Territory (1950), and South Sea Sinner (1950) with Shelley Winters . Back at Paramount he
720-594: Was also in Lights Out . Carey was on Broadway in Lady in the Dark (1941) opposite Gertrude Lawrence , Danny Kaye and Victor Mature . His performance led to him receiving a contract offer from Paramount. He later recalled, "1941 was probably the greatest year of my life. I got my first big hit with Lady in the Dark, I got married and I signed with Paramount Pictures. I only wish I could remember it all better." The reason
750-425: Was at its height. Alfred Hitchcock made his American debut with the film Rebecca , and made many classics throughout the 1940s. The most successful film of the decade was Samuel Goldwyn 's The Best Years of Our Lives ; the film was directed by William Wyler , and starred Fredric March , Myrna Loy , Dana Andrews , Teresa Wright , Virginia Mayo , and Harold Russell . The film won nine Academy Awards . By
780-491: Was borrowed from Paramount. Filming took place in July 1949. Winters was accused of having a number of temperamental outbursts on set including a clash with Helena Carter . Winters admitted to being "nervous and tired" after making three films in five months and was "unused" to Humbersome's "close direction during song and dance scenes." She said she had to perform "a suggestive dance" when some exhibitors and their families visit
810-621: Was his alcoholism. Carey made his film debut in Star Spangled Rhythm (1942). Paramount gave him the third lead in Take a Letter, Darling (1942), directed by Mitchell Leisen . He followed it with Dr. Broadway (1942), which was his first starring role. He had a leading part in Wake Island (1942), directed by John Farrow , a big hit. Carey's career received a boost when borrowed by Alfred Hitchcock at Universal to play
840-780: Was in a low budget film noir , The Lawless (1950) directed by Joseph Losey . Back at Paramount he was a villain to Ray Milland in Copper Canyon (1950), directed by John Farrow. At Paramount he was Jesse James in The Great Missouri Raid (1951) and was in Mystery Submarine (1950) at Universal. Carey supported Red Skelton at MGM in Excuse My Dust (1951). At 20th Century Fox Carey supported Betty Grable in Meet Me After
870-489: Was increasingly on the small screen, including appearances on The Quiet Gun , Stage 7 , Science Fiction Theatre , Hour of Stars , Celebrity Playhouse , and The 20th Century Fox Hour , where he appeared as Fred Gaily in a remake of the 1947 film classic, Miracle on 34th Street , starring Teresa Wright and Thomas Mitchell . He was also featured on General Electric Theater , Screen Directors Playhouse , The Alcoa Hour , and Climax! . Carey managed
900-546: Was ordered by his doctor to quit in September 1991 after having to take a leave of absence from Days in order to remove a cancerous tumor from one of his lungs. He returned to the show in November of that year. He is most recognized today as the voice who recites the epigraph each day before the program begins: "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives ." From 1966 to 1994 he would also intone, "This
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