Frankie Thomas

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Frank "Frankie" Marion Thomas Jr. (born April 9, 1921 in New York City - † May 11, 2006 in Sherman Oaks , California ) was an American actor and author.

life and career

Frankie Thomas was born the son of actors Frank M. Thomas (1889–1989) and Mona Burns (1899–2000) in New York City. At the age of 11, he was randomly selected for a role in a Broadway play while accompanying his mother to an audition. On Broadway, he starred in nine productions in just four years. In 1934 he made his cinema debut in the theater film Wednesday's Child , where he played the son of Karen Morley and Edward Arnold in a major role . He had previously played his role in Wednesday's Child on Broadway.

Subsequently, Thomas became a busy actor in Hollywood, who, among other things, played the lead role in the 1937 film series Tim Tyler's Luck . The following year he had a supporting role in Norman Taurog's hit film The Devil, alongside Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy . In the four-part Nancy Drew film series he was seen in the late 1930s as Ted Nickerson , friend of the title character of a teenage detective, played by Bonita Granville . He had one of the last roles before his military service in 1942 in Billy Wilder's comedy The Major and the Girl , where he wants to seduce Ginger Rogers as a teenage cadet . He served in the United States Navy for five years during World War II . After his return he worked as an actor on radio and television. He experienced the peak of his career from 1950 as the leading actor in the successful science fiction television series Tom Corbett, Space Cadet .

Soon after hiring Tom Corbett, Space Cadet in 1955, Frankie Thomas retired from acting. He later worked as a writer for radio and television and also wrote some detective novels. Several of his pastiche novels with Sherlock Holmes were published in German by Franckh-Kosmos . Thomas was also a world-renowned bridge teacher and expert , and served as president and editor of the American Bridge Teachers' Association Quarterly Magazine . Frankie Thomas died of respiratory failure in 2006 at the age of 85 ; his wife of many years, Virginia, had died in 1997.

Filmography (selection)

Bibliography (selection)

  • 1979: Sherlock Holmes and the Golden Bird
  • 1980: Sherlock Holmes and the Sacred Sword (The Holy Sword)
  • 1983: Sherlock Holmes and the Treasure Train
  • 1984: Sherlock Holmes and the Masquerade Murders (The Mask Murderer) and
  • 1984: The Secret Cases of Sherlock Holmes (The Indian Gem & Confusion in London)
  • 1988: Sherlock Holmes and the Panamanian Girls
  • 1989: Sherlock Holmes and the Bizarre Alibi (The Chancellor's Grandson)
  • 2000: Sherlock Holmes and the Panamanian Girls
  • 2002: Sherlock Holmes Mystery Tales
  • 2002: Secret Files of Sherlock Holmes

Web links

Commons : Frankie Thomas  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Frank M. Thomas at the Internet Movie Database
  2. ^ Mona Burns at the Internet Broadway Database
  3. ↑ Frankie Thomas at the Internet Broadway Database
  4. ↑ Frankie Thomas at the Internet Broadway Database
  5. ↑ Frankie Thomas at Allmovie
  6. ^ Obituary in the Boston Globe for Frankie Thomas
  7. ^ Obituary in the New York Times for Frankie Thomas
personal data
SURNAME Thomas, Frankie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Thomas, Frank Marion junior
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American actor and writer
DATE OF BIRTH April 9, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH May 11, 2006
Place of death Sherman Oaks , California