profile

    Frankie Thomas

    1921-04-09 (103 years old) in New York, New York, USA

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Frank Marion Thomas Jr. (April 9, 1921 – May 11, 2006), credited as Frankie Thomas, was an American actor, author and bridge-strategy expert who played both lead and supporting roles on Broadway, in films, in post-World War II radio, and in early television. He was best known for his starring role in Tom Corbett, Space Cadet. He was only 11 when he accompanied his mother to a casting office, where he stood in the background while his mother asked about possible openings in new Broadway shows. The agent replied, "I have nothing that suits you, Mona, but I can use the boy." Thomas wound up in a small part in Carry Nation (1932), where Jimmy Stewart was cast as a constable. Thomas appeared in six other Broadway plays between 1932 and 1936, including Little Ol' Boy with Burgess Meredith, Thunder on the Left, Wednesday's Child, The First Legion, Remember the Day, in which he appeared with his father, and Seen But Not Heard. In Wednesday's Child he played the role of Bobby Phillips, the longest stage part ever written for a child performer. Thomas also developed a lifelong fascination with the character of Sherlock Holmes during this period, when he saw William Gillette perform the part during his farewell tour. Thomas's last "A" film was Boys' Town (1938) with Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney. Thomas was Freddy Fuller, Boys' Town's mayor, and was not asked to appear in the sequel, Men of Boys' Town (1941). He then appeared in a string of "B" films such as Little Tough Guys in Society and Nancy Drew... Detective (both 1938), Nancy Drew... Reporter, Code of the Streets, Nancy Drew… Trouble Shooter, The Angels Wash Their Faces, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, On Dress Parade and Invisible Stripes (all 1939). In 1941 Thomas had small parts in Flying Cadets and One Foot in Heaven. His last film roles were small roles in Always in My Heart and The Major and the Minor (1942), where he played a military school cadet who flirted with Ginger Rogers' character. After World War II, Thomas moved into television. In the fall of 1950 he became the idol of millions of children when he played the starring role in Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, beginning on CBS and transferring to ABC in January 1951. Thomas had beaten out Jack Lemmon for the part.

    Movies

    poster
    The Major and the Minor
    70 %|Sep 16, 1942
    Comedy, Romance
    poster
    Always in My Heart
    60 %|Mar 14, 1942
    Drama, Music
    poster
    One Foot in Heaven
    66 %|Nov 1, 1941
    Drama, Romance
    poster
    Flying Cadets
    30 %|Oct 24, 1941
    Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance, War
    poster
    Invisible Stripes
    61 %|Dec 30, 1939
    Crime, Drama
    poster
    On Dress Parade
    63 %|Nov 18, 1939
    Drama
    poster
    Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
    67 %|Sep 9, 1939
    Comedy, Crime, Mystery
    poster
    Angels Wash Their Faces
    64 %|Aug 26, 1939
    Drama, Romance
    poster
    Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter
    60 %|Jun 17, 1939
    Comedy, Mystery
    poster
    Code of the Streets
    70 %|Apr 13, 1939
    Drama, Crime
    poster
    Nancy Drew... Reporter
    62 %|Feb 18, 1939
    Comedy, Crime, Mystery
    poster
    Nancy Drew… Detective
    63 %|Nov 19, 1938
    Comedy, Mystery
    poster
    Little Tough Guys in Society
    0 %|Nov 1, 1938
    Comedy
    poster
    Boys Town
    67 %|Sep 8, 1938
    Drama
    poster
    Tim Tyler's Luck
    0 %|Dec 27, 1937
    Family, Adventure
    poster
    A Dog of Flanders
    70 %|Mar 22, 1935
    Drama
    poster
    Wednesday's Child
    30 %|Oct 26, 1934
    Drama

    Series

    poster
    First Love
    50 %|Jul 5, 1954
    Soap
    actor
    A Woman to Remember
    0 %|Feb 21, 1949
    poster
    Suspense
    42 %|Jan 6, 1949
    Drama