Thomas Dewitt Causey, Jr., a Hollywood production sound mixer for over four decades, died on January 11, 2024, in Cathedral City, California, at the age of 76 after a long illness. Thomas, known by all as Tommy, lived a life rich with creativity, hard work, laughter, and a deep love of family and friends.
Born on December 5, 1949, in New Orleans and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Tommy graduated from C. E. Byrd High School in 1967 and was very proud of becoming an Eagle Scout at age 17. Soon after graduation, he moved back to his birthplace to attend the University of New Orleans. Tommy fell in love with movies in New Orleans through film classes at UNO and by frequenting the Gentilly Theatre, which specialized in arthouse and foreign films. Watching every French film that came to town subsequently spurred him to attend a course in Paris focused on directors of the French New Wave. It was there that he was fortunate to meet Claude Chabrol, Agnes Varda, and Francois Truffaut.
Tommy's journey into the world of filmmaking began serendipitously when he was hired as a driver for the sound crew on a British film shooting in New Orleans. Fate intervened when he broke his arm and could no longer drive, but rather than send him home, the sound team kept him on and drove him around themselves. His job became telling stories about New Orleans and choosing a great restaurant for dinner. By the end of the shoot, Tommy had fallen head over heels for filmmaking.
With a $5,000 startup loan from his father, he purchased a Nagra recorder along with a couple of Sennheiser microphones and some cables—and thus began an extraordinary career. He started out working on feature films that came to New Orleans, as well as recording live albums for many local jazz musicians. In 1977, Tommy and his wife Maggie decided to make the big step of moving to Los Angeles. They filled a U-Haul with their books and sound gear and drove cross-country with their dog Blackie, towing their old Chevy behind, with just enough money for first and last month's rent.
They were inspired to make this move due to a recent court ruling that temporarily opened membership in the IATSE union to all non-union sound mixers who had worked at least 90 days on Los Angeles productions in the past year. Rather than working his way up through different sound categories, he was fortunate to join the union as a Group 1 sound mixer—a break that allowed him, at age 28, to begin working immediately as a location mixer for movies and television shows, eventually working on more than 85 films over the course of his career.
As a production sound mixer in Hollywood, Tommy left an indelible mark on the industry. He loved working on films and often worked back-to-back projects, having the Teamsters arrive at the set of the film he was finishing on a Friday night to pick up his 58 cases of sound equipment and deliver them to the new film set by Monday morning. He was young, indefatigable, and energized daily by the thrill of being a sound mixer in Hollywood.
His work earned him prestigious accolades, including a BAFTA Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound for "Dick Tracy," as well as an Emmy nomination for "Fire on the Mountain." He collaborated with some of cinema's most iconic directors—Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Ritt, James L. Brooks, Warren Beatty, Adam Sandler, Terry Gilliam, and John Carpenter among them—earning their trust and admiration through his technical mastery and infectious spirit. Some of his favorite films to work on were "Gardens of Stone," "The Fisher King," "Dick Tracy," "Bulworth," "Defending Your Life," "Broadcast News," "Halloween," "Big Trouble in Little China," and "Starman." For much of his career, Tommy had the pleasure of working with his dear friend and boom operator, Joe Brennan.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Tommy was known as a great host and storyteller. He often said, laughingly, "Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!" He loved to golf, beginning on his high school golf team and later representing Oakmont Country Club in the Metro Golf League in Los Angeles. He was an avid reader with a passion for collecting rare books and had a lifelong love for his faithful canine companions. Tommy had a zest for life that drew people to him, frequently hosting lively gatherings filled with laughter and good food. He annually hosted a large Fourth of July party to watch the stupendous fireworks extravaganza launched from the Rose Bowl, which was adjacent to his backyard.
Tommy is lovingly remembered by his wife, Christina Causey; his son, Jesse Causey; daughter-in-law, Crystal Causey; granddaughter, Coraline Causey; brother, Dr. Matthew Causey; sister-in-law, DG Fisher; nephews, Tennessee Causey and Walker Stern; and stepsons Kyle Black, Tyler Black, and Paul Black. He is also survived by his two former wives, Maggie Reavis Causey (m. 1973-1993) and Katherine Sullivan (m. 1997-2022). He was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Martha Brill Causey, and father, Thomas Dewitt Causey, Sr.
Tommy's legacy lives on not only through the films that bear his sonic signature but also through the countless lives he touched with his humor, generosity, and boundless enthusiasm. May his memory bring comfort to those who knew him.
Born on December 5, 1949, in New Orleans and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Tommy graduated from C. E. Byrd High School in 1967 and was very proud of becoming an Eagle Scout at age 17. Soon after graduation, he moved back to his birthplace to attend the University of New Orleans. Tommy fell in love with movies in New Orleans through film classes at UNO and by frequenting the Gentilly Theatre, which specialized in arthouse and foreign films. Watching every French film that came to town subsequently spurred him to attend a course in Paris focused on directors of the French New Wave. It was there that he was fortunate to meet Claude Chabrol, Agnes Varda, and Francois Truffaut.
Tommy's journey into the world of filmmaking began serendipitously when he was hired as a driver for the sound crew on a British film shooting in New Orleans. Fate intervened when he broke his arm and could no longer drive, but rather than send him home, the sound team kept him on and drove him around themselves. His job became telling stories about New Orleans and choosing a great restaurant for dinner. By the end of the shoot, Tommy had fallen head over heels for filmmaking.
With a $5,000 startup loan from his father, he purchased a Nagra recorder along with a couple of Sennheiser microphones and some cables—and thus began an extraordinary career. He started out working on feature films that came to New Orleans, as well as recording live albums for many local jazz musicians. In 1977, Tommy and his wife Maggie decided to make the big step of moving to Los Angeles. They filled a U-Haul with their books and sound gear and drove cross-country with their dog Blackie, towing their old Chevy behind, with just enough money for first and last month's rent.
They were inspired to make this move due to a recent court ruling that temporarily opened membership in the IATSE union to all non-union sound mixers who had worked at least 90 days on Los Angeles productions in the past year. Rather than working his way up through different sound categories, he was fortunate to join the union as a Group 1 sound mixer—a break that allowed him, at age 28, to begin working immediately as a location mixer for movies and television shows, eventually working on more than 85 films over the course of his career.
As a production sound mixer in Hollywood, Tommy left an indelible mark on the industry. He loved working on films and often worked back-to-back projects, having the Teamsters arrive at the set of the film he was finishing on a Friday night to pick up his 58 cases of sound equipment and deliver them to the new film set by Monday morning. He was young, indefatigable, and energized daily by the thrill of being a sound mixer in Hollywood.
His work earned him prestigious accolades, including a BAFTA Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound for "Dick Tracy," as well as an Emmy nomination for "Fire on the Mountain." He collaborated with some of cinema's most iconic directors—Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Ritt, James L. Brooks, Warren Beatty, Adam Sandler, Terry Gilliam, and John Carpenter among them—earning their trust and admiration through his technical mastery and infectious spirit. Some of his favorite films to work on were "Gardens of Stone," "The Fisher King," "Dick Tracy," "Bulworth," "Defending Your Life," "Broadcast News," "Halloween," "Big Trouble in Little China," and "Starman." For much of his career, Tommy had the pleasure of working with his dear friend and boom operator, Joe Brennan.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Tommy was known as a great host and storyteller. He often said, laughingly, "Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!" He loved to golf, beginning on his high school golf team and later representing Oakmont Country Club in the Metro Golf League in Los Angeles. He was an avid reader with a passion for collecting rare books and had a lifelong love for his faithful canine companions. Tommy had a zest for life that drew people to him, frequently hosting lively gatherings filled with laughter and good food. He annually hosted a large Fourth of July party to watch the stupendous fireworks extravaganza launched from the Rose Bowl, which was adjacent to his backyard.
Tommy is lovingly remembered by his wife, Christina Causey; his son, Jesse Causey; daughter-in-law, Crystal Causey; granddaughter, Coraline Causey; brother, Dr. Matthew Causey; sister-in-law, DG Fisher; nephews, Tennessee Causey and Walker Stern; and stepsons Kyle Black, Tyler Black, and Paul Black. He is also survived by his two former wives, Maggie Reavis Causey (m. 1973-1993) and Katherine Sullivan (m. 1997-2022). He was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Martha Brill Causey, and father, Thomas Dewitt Causey, Sr.
Tommy's legacy lives on not only through the films that bear his sonic signature but also through the countless lives he touched with his humor, generosity, and boundless enthusiasm. May his memory bring comfort to those who knew him.
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