Strong-featured veteran character actor with a gravelly voice whose career has spanned fifty years in films, TV and theater beginning with "The Ghost Ship" (1943). Tierney broke into B-movie leads with his imposing performance in the title role of "Dillinger" (1945) and played other psychotic gangster types in the cult classics "Born to Kill" and "The Devil Thumbs a Ride" (both 1947). Although he acted prominent supporting roles in occasional A-budget films including Cecil B DeMille's "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952), most of his activity was confined to smaller-scale crime dramas and
First speaking role in the Val Lewton-produced noir, "The Ghost Ship"
1945
Played first leading role in features when he was cast in the title role of "Dillinger"
Hollywood film career declined in the late 1950s
Appeared in stage productions of "That Championship Season", "Death of a Salesman" and "A Streetcar Named Desire"
Feature film work picked up in the late 1960s with films including Robert Siodmak's "Custer of the West" (1967) and Otto Preminger's "Such Good Friends" (1971)
