Tommy Kelly, 90, star of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer dies

By Dailymail.com Reporter

Published: 19:37 EST, 9 February 2016 | Updated: 19:57 EST, 9 February 2016

He was immortalised in the titular role of the 1938 classic The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. 

Tommy Kelly - who played the mischievous Missouri boy - passed away on January 26, aged 90. 

The actor died of congestive heart failure at home in Greensboro, N.C., his son, Matt, told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday. 

Beloved: Tommy Kelly - who played the titular role in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - passed away on January 26, aged 90

Beloved: Tommy Kelly - who played the titular role in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - passed away on January 26, aged 90

He's survived by his wife of 67 years, Susie, and six children - Ann, Matt (and wife Kathy), Eileen (and husband Wally), Kevin (and wife Patricia), Mark (and wife Gail) and Paul (and wife Teresa) - as well as his 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 

As a 12-year-old boy he was picked by producer David O. Selznick from 25,000 auditionees to star as Tom Sawyer in the movie based on Mark Twain's novel. 

He had a humble childhood as the son of a fireman in the Bronx, before he relocated to Hollywood with his family for the filming of Tom Sawyer.

Classic: The actor died of congestive heart failure at home in Greensboro, N.C., his son, Matt, told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday (pictured on set with Ann Gillis in 1938)

Classic: The actor died of congestive heart failure at home in Greensboro, N.C., his son, Matt, told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday (pictured on set with Ann Gillis in 1938)

The freckle-faced actor retired from his Hollywood career by the time he turned 25. 

He also starred as title character Billy Peck in the 1938 movie Peck’s Bad Boy With the Circus. 

He also and cried on camera as the memorable boy in a band in Atlanta, while the death lists are given out in Selznick’s Gone With the Wind (1939).

Child-star: The freckle-faced actor retired from his Hollywood career by the time he turned 25

Child-star: The freckle-faced actor retired from his Hollywood career by the time he turned 25

Kelly later appeared in minor roles in Curtain Call (1940), Military Academy (1940), Irene (1940), Double Date (1941), Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941), The Beginning or the End (1947), The West Point Story (1950) and The Magnificent Yankee (1950).

Kelly enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Europe during World War II.

After his acting career, he earned a Ph.D. from Michigan State and was a high school teacher and counselor in Culver City, California and an administrator in the Orange County school system.

He then accepted an assignment as a Peace Corps administrator in Monrovia, Liberia, and served as superintendent of international schools in Liberia and Venezuela.

Kelly returned to the States and worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington. 

Other roles: He also starred in Military Academy and Gone With The Wind

Other roles: He also starred in Military Academy and Gone With The Wind

Comments (10)

Share what you think

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now