Regis Toomey, 93; Actor Was in More Than 200 Movies

Actor Regis Toomey, best known for his man-of-action roles and for taking part in what was billed as the longest on-screen kiss in Hollywood history, died Saturday at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills. He was 93.

Toomey appeared in more than 200 movies during his long career, including such films as “Northwest Mounted Police,” “Dive Bomber” and “The Big Sleep.” In the 1940s feature, “You’re in the Army Now,” he and co-star Jane Wyman kissed for 185 seconds. It was called the longest kiss in movie history.

Former President Ronald Reagan--who was Wyman’s husband during his years as an actor--recently visited Toomey’s bedside along with Nancy Reagan. Toomey, a longtime friend of the Reagans, died of natural causes, a hospital spokeswoman said.

With his Irish grin and tough-guy demeanor, Toomey often played the victim of screen violence. In fact, early in his career, he was “killed” so often that he moodily wondered if he shouldn’t be voted the “morticians’ man of the year.”

“I was Danny McGann, an undercover homicide cop who had gotten friendly with the crooks,” Toomey recalled, describing one of his screen personas during a 1963 interview. “It was a good part--until the crooks shot me. This was the first of a long series of death scenes. The trouble was that in each succeeding picture I got knocked off sooner, so the roles were growing smaller.”

At one point, he vowed never to do another film in which he was killed. Then he was called by Cecil B. De Mille to play a part in “Union Pacific,” in which he would be killed by Anthony Quinn during a poker game.

“For you, I’ll do it,” he told De Mille, joking later that “it wasn’t so bad. I died in Barbara Stanwyck’s arms. If you gotta go, that’s as good a way as any.”

Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Aug. 13, 1898, Toomey graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and did postgraduate work in drama at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He intended to be a lawyer but changed his mind and became a stage actor and singer who toured England in George M. Cohan’s “Little Nelly Kelly.”

In 1928, Toomey appeared with Chester Morris in “Alibi,” the first all-talking gangster melodrama. Three years later, he appeared opposite Clara Bow in “Kick In,” which was Bow’s first sound movie.

Among Toomey’s later credits were “Spellbound,” “The Bishop’s Wife,” “Show Boat,” “Warlock,” “The Mighty Joe Young,” “Voyage to the Botton of the Sea,” “Peter Gunn” and “The Carey Treatment.”

Toomey also appeared in many television series, including “Dante’s Inferno,” “Hey, Mulligan,” “Shannon” and “Petticoat Junction.”

He is survived by brothers Ord and Jimmy, and niece Kathleen Toomey. Memorial services were pending.