Actor, Singer. He was best known for playing the character roles of strangers, hoteliers, padres, captains, generals, criminals, soldiers, workers, gamblers, intelligence officers, politicians, movers, inspectors, district commissioners, majors, signors, head constables, colonels, priests, sultans, princes, historical figures, and British men of distinction including lords and sirs, usually in adventure films, mystery films, western films, and horror films. He will be best remembered for playing the role of the pompous, but wonderfully dim-witted, "Inspector Lestrade" of Scotland Yard in several of the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery films that were made through Universal Studios in the 1940s which starred Basil Rathbone as the great master British detective Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as his assistant Dr. John Watson, including, "Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon" (1942), "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death" (1943), "The Spider Woman" (1943), "The Pearl Of Death" (1944), "The House Of Fear" (1945), and "Terror By Night" (1946). He is also best remembered for playing the role of 'Inspector Owen' in the fantasy Sci-Fi horror film classic, "Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man" (1943). The film which was directed by Roy William Neill, which was written for the screen by Curt Siodmak, and which also starred Lon Chaney Jr., Ilona Massey, Patric Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Dwight Frye, Maria Ouspenskaya, and Bela Lugosi, tells the story of the resurrected Wolf Man, seeking a cure for his malady, enlists the aid of a mad scientist, who claims he will not only rid the Wolf Man of his nocturnal metamorphosis but also revive the frozen body of Frankenstein's inhuman creation. He is also ironically remembered for playing the role of Sherlock Holmes creator 'Sir Arthur Conan Doyle' in the episode entitled, "The Fine Art Of Murder," of the historical musical television series drama, "Omnibus," which originally aired on December 9, 1956, also starred Lulu Claire, Alistair Cooke, James Daly, Daniel Ocko, and Alice Pearce. He was born one of three children as Samuel David Hyams in London, England, to Ellis Hyams (1863-1952), a hotel keeper who ran a small bed and breakfast business in Brighton, England, and his wife Leah Green Hyams on March 30, 1893. He was educated locally in the common public schools and later attended and graduated from the prestigious Brighton College in Brighton, England. He initially trained as a stockbroker and later performed as a concert singer and operatic singer for British troops during World War I before pursuing an acting career on the stage. He wanted to be a 'legitimate actor,' and he studied Shakespeare for several seasons and was a member of Sydney W. Carroll's Shakespearean Troupe in the Open-Air Theatre in Regents Park. He also toured extensively including with actor Godfrey Tearle's Shakespearean Repertory Company. He then appeared in the stage productions of such plays as "Shanghai" (1918-1919), as 'Ali Ben Ali' in "The Desert Song" (1927), as 'Sir George Farley' in "Silver Wings" (February 14, 1930, to July 14, 1930), and as 'Joe Salvatore' in "Whistling In The Dark" (October 29, 1933, to ). He also appeared on the stage in London, England, in "Katinka," "Pygmalion," and "Jane Eyre." During his time on the stage, he appeared with or worked with the Garrick Theatre in London, England, the Dominion Theatre in London, England, the Daly's Theatre in London, England, the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, England, the Theatre Royal in London, England, and the Drury Lane in London, England. He also appeared on Broadway in New York City, New York, in several stage productions of such plays as, "Masrur' in "Hassan" (September 22, 1924, to October 1924), as 'Ivo' in "Katja" (October 18, 1926, to January 22, 1927), as 'Ian McRuvie' in "Green Waters" (November 04, 1936, to November 1936), as 'Sir Guy Carleton' in "Virginia" (September 02, 1937, to October 23, 1937), as 'Potemkin' in "Empress Of Destiny" (March 09, 1938, to March 1938), as 'Lord Porteous' in "The Circle" (April 18, 1938, to June 18, 1938), as 'Reprecht Eisenkranz' in "Lorelei" (November 29, 1938, to December 1938), as 'Captain Applegate' in "The Burning Deck" (March 01, 1940, to March 02, 1940), as 'Leo Saddle' in "Heart Of A City" (February 12, 1942, to March 07, 1942), as 'Edmund Durward' in the play which he also wrote, "The Haven (November 13, 1946, to November 16, 1946), and as 'The General' in "Getting Married" (May 13, 1951, to May 20, 1951). During his time on the Broadway stage in New York City, New York, he worked with the likes of Peter Frye, Margaret Bannerman, Barbara Britton, John Buckmaster, Bramwell Fletcher, Frances Greet, Edith Meiser, John Merivale, Michaele Myers, Dora Sayers, Guy Spaull, Ronald Telfer, Arthur Treacher, Frederic Warriner, Peggy Wood, Marjorie Ewing, Sherman Ewing, Andrew Rosenthal, Robert Milton, Vera Allen, George Calvert, Frank Downing, Gregory Gaye, Russell Hardie, Alfred Hesse, Mary Howes, Zita Johann, Edith King, George Lloyd, Marion Mill, Onslow Stevens, Ivan Triesault, Jack Small, Bretaigne Windust, Tallulah Bankhead, James E. Corbett, John Emery, Grace George, Cecil Humphreys, May Marshall, Audrey Ridgewell, William A. Brady, Ivy Tresmand, Gene Gerrard, Gregory Stroud, Bobbie Comber, Princess Lilian and Rene Mallory, Binnie Hale, Joe Coyne, Helen Gilliland, Peter Gawthorne, Fred Wright, Evelyn Drewe, Katharine Hepburn, Pat Peardon, Viola Roache, Leon Leonidoff, Martha Adamson, Ajax, James Allison, Nelson Ames, Viola Anderson, Avis Andrews, Elizabeth Andrews, Gene Archer, Bruce Barclay, Milton Barnette, Mona Barrie, John Barry, George Beach, Clarence Beasley, Bertha Belmore, Max Benson, Margaret Benton, Alice Berwald, Anne Booth, Geraldine Bork, Patricia Bowman, Virginia Browning, Nigel Bruce, John W. Bubbles, Ford L. Buck, Boris Butleroff, Jack Carr, Helen Carroll, Tania Clell, G. Congreve, Don Cortez, Henry Davis, John Diggs, Mable Downs, Janice Dremann, Laura Duncan, Ranolds Dupler, John Eldon, Maurice Ellis, Sally Ellis, Esta Elman, James Evans & Co., Gordon Felts, Doris Fischer, Leon Fokine, Marie Fox, Ed. Galloway, Herbert Garstin, Margo Gavin, Ray Giles, Herbert Goff, Ronald Graham, Gail Grant, Marie Grimaldi, Val Gueral, Katie Hall, Lansing Hatfield, Gladys Haverty, Hermoine Hawkins, Lola Hayes, Margaret Hayness, Bruce Howard, Louisa Howard, Mabel Howard, Polly Iuen, Lo Iven, Norman Jackson, Eleanor James, Charlotte Junius, Nora Kaye, George Kiddon, Karl Kohrs, Leona Krauss, Robert Landine, Anna Lazarevich, Bubblesette Leacock, Linn Ledford, James Lillard, Gene Lockhart, Thalia Mara, Anthony Marvin, Joseph Meyer, Margaret Miller, Doris Moore, Charlotte Mount, Mae Muth, Fyodor Nazinoff, Doris Newcomb, Eunice Northup, Martha Pacina, Muriel Pack, George Prentice, David Preston, Marion Raber, Robert Raines, John Ravold, William Redfield, Gordon Richards, Bruce Rogers, Margaret Rogers, Peggy Romano, Rosa Rubenstein, Nina Sabatini, Joseph Scandur, Tom Scott, Winton Sears, Zelda Shelton, Morrie Siegel, Maude Simmons, Gus Simons, Ed Smith, Irene Soussanin, Sylvia Stone, Tatyanna, Harold Taub, Tom Tempest, Charles Timpson, Adrienne Toner, Valia Valentinoff, Gladys Vincent, Grace Walsh, Howard Warriner, Charles Welch, Alma Wertley, Lewis White, W.W. Whitfield, Katherine Wilson, David Worth, and Irene Zambelli. During this time he also made the transition to appearing in films and eventually on television in both his native England and the United States. He made his actual film debut playing the role of the 'Hotelier' in the comedy romance film, "Tiptoes" (1927). The film which was directed by Herbert Wilcox, which was produced by J.D. Williams, which was based on a book for the stage musical, "Tip-Toes," by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson, and which also starred Dorothy Gish, Will Rogers, Jack Cardiff, Ivy Ellison, Annie Esmond, Judd Green, Nelson Keys, Miles Mander, John Manners, Fred Rains, and Jerrold Robertshaw, is also a silent film version of the George Gershwin stage musical. Besides, playing the role of the 'Hotelier' in the comedy romance film, "Tiptoes" (1927), playing the role of the pompous, but wonderfully dim-witted, "Inspector Lestrade" of Scotland Yard in several of the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery films that were made through Universal Studios in the 1940s which starred Basil Rathbone as the great master British detective Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as his assistant Dr. John Watson, including, "Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon" (1942), "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death" (1943), "The Spider Woman" (1943), "The Pearl Of Death" (1944), "The House Of Fear" (1945), and "Terror By Night" (1946), and playing the role of 'Inspector Owen' in the fantasy Sci-Fi horror film classic, "Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man" (1943), his many other film credits include, "The Man From Chicago" (1930), "The Battle Of Gallipoli" (1931), "No Lady" (1931), "Never Trouble Trouble" (1931), "Love Lies" (1931), "Life Goes On" (1932), "The Maid Of The Mountains" (1932), "Love In Morocco" (1932), "The Good Companions" (1933), "Facing The Music" (1933), "The Wandering Jew" (1933), "Maid Happy" (1933), "My Old Duchess" (1934), "The Bride Of The Lake" (1934), "Dangerous Ground" (1934), "Chu Chin Chow" (1934), "I Spy" (1934), "Power" (1934), "The Immortal Gentleman" (1935), "Brewster's Millions" (1935), "Honeymoon For Three" (1935), "Transatlantic Tunnel" (1935), "Phantom Ship" (1935), "Maria Marten" (1936), or "The Murder In The Red Barn" (1936), "Black Roses" (1936), "Uncivilized" (1937), "Hay Fever" (1939), "A Criminal At Large" (1939), "A Yank In The RAF" (1941), "Confirm Or Deny" (1941), "Son Of Fury: The Story Of Benjamin Blake" (1942), "This Above All" (1942), "Cairo" (1942), "Forever And A Day" (1943), "They Came To Blow Up America" (1943), "Bomber's Moon" (1943), "Uncertain Glory" (1944), "National Velvet" (1944), "The Keys Of The Kingdom" (1944), "A Thousand And One Nights" (1945), "Kitty" (1945), "Tarzan And The Leopard Woman" (1946), "She-Wolf Of London" (1946), "Anna And The King Of Siam" (1946), "Role On Texas Moon" (1946), "The Strange Woman" (1946), "The Crimson Key" (1947), "Second Chance" (1947), "Golden Earrings" (1947), "The Foxes Of Harrow" (1947), "Christmas Eve" (1947), "Where There's Life" (1947), "If Winter Comes" (1947), "Ruthless" (1948), "Joan Of Arc" (1948), "Wake Of The Red Witch" (1948), "Badmen Of Tombstone" (1949), "The Secret Garden" (1949), "The Kid from Texas" (1950), "David And Bathsheba" (1951), "Caribbean" (1952), and "Plymouth Adventure" (1952). Besides, playing the role of Sherlock Holmes creator 'Sir Arthur Conan Doyle' in the episode entitled, "The Fine Art Of Murder," of the historical musical television series drama, "Omnibus," which originally aired on December 9, 1956, also starred Lulu Claire, Alistair Cooke, James Daly, Daniel Ocko, and Alice Pearce, his many other television credits include, "The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre," "Actor's Studio," "The Adventures Of Ellery Queen," "Somerset Maugham TV Theatre," "Cosmopolitan Theatre," and "Armstrong Circle Theatre." His last television role was playing 'Jock' in the episode entitled, "Who Killed Kovali?" of the television series drama, "ITV Television Playhouse," which originally aired on June 13, 1957, also starred Annette Carell, Peter Kerr, John Kidd, Allan Cuthbertson, and Frederick Treves. He retired from acting shortly thereafter and spent his final years living in the Tampa, Florida, area. He passed away from a heart attack in a hospital in Tampa, Florida, on July 25, 1960, at the age of 67. Following his death, his funeral service was held at the J.L. Reed & Son Funeral Home in Tampa, Florida, while the funeral service was presided over by the Rabbi David L. Zielonka of the Temple Schaarai Zedek in Tampa, Florida. Following the funeral service, he was buried in Myrtle Hill Memorial Park in Tampa, Florida. He was married three times, first to, Sarah Pearl "Cissie" Lyons Hoey from October 8, 1915, to October 16, 1928, but the couple later divorced, and they had no children together. He married secondly to, Josephine Marta Ricca Hoey from 1931 to 1946, but the couple later divorced, and they had one child together, a son named Michael Alexander Hoey. He was married thirdly to Henrietta Lazarus Hoey (1888-1961), a poetess, in New York City, New York, in 1950, and they were together until his death on July 25, 1960, at the age of 67, and the couple had no children together. His son, Michael Alexander Hoey (1934-2014), became an actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, in his own right. He was also the grandfather of actor, graphic artist, and makeup artist Dennis Hoey. On an interesting note, In his book, "Elvis, Sherlock And Me: How I Survived Growing Up In Hollywood" (2007), his son, Michael Alexander Hoey, discusses his father's career and their somewhat fractious relationship in great detail, and also his son Michael Alexander Hoey talks extensively about his father in an interview in the book, "A Sci-Fi Swarm And Horror Horde" (2010), by Tom Weaver.