Frankie Thomas
| Frankie Thomas | |
|---|---|
Thomas as Tom Corbett in Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, 1951.
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| Born |
Frank Marion Thomas, Jr. April 9, 1921 New York City, United States |
| Died | May 11, 2006 (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Other names | Frankie Thomas, Jr. Frank M. Thomas, Jr. |
| Occupation | Stage, film, television actor |
| Years active | 1934–1955 |
| Spouse(s) | Virginia Thomas (? - 1997) (her death) |
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.
Thomas was born in New York City to actors Frank M. Thomas and Mona Bruns. His uncle, Calvin Thomas, was also an actor.
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.
When Wednesday's Child was filmed in 1934, Thomas and his family traveled to Hollywood. His parents found character parts in films, while Thomas played the role of Bobby Phillips for the cameras. The following year he played Nello Daas in the film adaptation of the novel, A Dog of Flanders, by Ouida. In 1937 he appeared in the serial Tim Tyler's Luck, based on the comic strip by Lyman Young. Thomas often said that the serial was his equivalent of attending college, since he met so many notable silent-film stars who were in the cast. When not busy in Hollywood, Thomas would return to Broadway; however, after the serial, he was not seen on Broadway for nearly five years, and that brief return to the stage was his swan song there.
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