Cause of death Kidney disease Role Film actor Occupation Actor Children Michael A. Hoey | Years active 1924–52 Grandchildren Dennis Hoey Name Dennis Hoey | |
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Full Name Samuel David Hyams Born 30 March 1893 ( 1893-03-30 ) London, England, UK Spouse Josephine Hoey (m. 1933–1946) Movies Terror by Night, Sherlock Holmes and the S, Sherlock Holmes Faces De, The Spider Woman, The Pearl of Death Similar People Roy William Neill, Nigel Bruce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edward Ludwig, Jean Yarbrough | ||
Dennis Hoey (1930)
Dennis Hoey (born Samuel David Hyams, 30 March 1893 – 25 July 1960) was a British film and stage actor, best known for playing Inspector Lestrade in six films of Universal's Sherlock Holmes series.
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Personal life
Hoey was born Samuel David Hyams in London to Russian parents (another source says Irish and Russian parents.) who owned a bed and breakfast in Brighton. He was educated at Brighton College, and he originally planned to be a teacher.
He served in the British Army during World War I. After a career as a singer, which included entertaining British troops during his war service, Hoey moved to acting on the stage in 1918 and later to films. In 1931, he moved to the United States and began appearing in Hollywood films.
Film
Hoey's first film was Tell England. He is best known for playing Inspector Lestrade in six Universal's Sherlock Holmes series. He also portrayed the master of Harrow in The Foxes of Harrow and appeared in Tarzan and the Leopard Woman.
Stage
Hoey "appeared frequently in London" stage productions, including those of Sydney Carroll's Shakespearean repertory company. He played Mr. Rochester opposite Katharine Hepburn in the American production of Helen Jerome's stage adaptation of Jane Eyre. He also wrote a play called The Haven and toured in it in 1946 with Melville Cooper, Valerie Cossart and Viola Roache.
Hoey's Broadway credits include Hassan (1924), Katja (1926-1927), Green Waters (1936), Virginia (1937), Empress of Destiny (1938), The Circle (1938), Lorelei (1938), The Burning Deck (1940), Heart of a City (1942), The Haven (1946), and Getting Married (1951).
Radio
On radio, Hoey played Mr. Welby in Pretty Kitty Kelly on CBS.
Personal life
Issue No. 45 of "Films of the Golden Age" magazine features an interview with Hoey's son Michael A. Hoey (1934-2014), who extensively discusses Dennis Hoey's early life, career, marriages and death. In his book, "Elvis, Sherlock and Me: How I Survived Growing Up in Hollywood" (Bear Manor Media-2007) he discusses his father's career and their sometimes turbulent relationship.