Frankie Thomas

Frankie Thomas

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.

  • Title: Frankie Thomas
  • Popularity: 2.349
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1921-04-09
  • Place of Birth: New York, New York, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: Frankie Thomas Jr., Frank M. Thomas Jr., Frank Thomas, Frank Marion Thomas Jr.
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Frankie Thomas Movies

  • 1939
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    Nancy Drew... Reporter

    Nancy Drew... Reporter

    6.2 1939 HD

    While participating in a contest at a local newspaper in which school children are asked to submit a news story, local attorney Carson Drew's...

    Genre: Comedy

    Cast: Bonita Granville

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  • 1938
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    Nancy Drew… Detective

    Nancy Drew… Detective

    6.3 1938 HD

    After a wealthy dowager who has made a substantial donation to her alma mater suddenly disappears, Nancy Drew sets out to solve the mystery.

    Genre: Comedy

    Cast: Bonita Granville

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  • 1939
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    Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase

    Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase

    6.7 1939 HD

    Nancy helps two aging spinsters fulfill the byzantine provisions of their father's will, but the murder of their chauffeur complicates matters.

    Genre: Comedy

    Cast: Bonita Granville

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  • 1939
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    Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

    Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

    6 1939 HD

    When a close friend of the Drew family is accused of murder in a rural community, Nancy, aided by boyfriend Ted, helps her lawyer father expose the...

    Genre: Comedy

    Cast: Bonita Granville

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  • 1942
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    The Major and the Minor

    The Major and the Minor

    7 1942 HD

    Returning to her hometown from New York, Susan Applegate learns that she hasn't enough for the train fare and disguises herself as a twelve-year-old...

    Genre: Comedy

    Cast: Ginger Rogers

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  • 1942
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    Always in My Heart

    Always in My Heart

    6 1942 HD

    A man is pardoned from prison and returns to Santa Rita, CA to be with his family, but discovers his children have been told he's dead and his wife...

    Genre: Drama

    Cast: Kay Francis

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  • 1939
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    Angels Wash Their Faces

    Angels Wash Their Faces

    6.4 1939 HD

    A young man just released from a reformatory moves to a new neighborhood with his sister, intending to start a new life. However, he gets mixed up...

    Genre: Drama

    Cast: Ann Sheridan

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  • 1934
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    Wednesday's Child

    Wednesday's Child

    3 1934 HD

    A 10-year-old's happy life is shattered when his parents are divorced.

    Genre: Drama

    Cast: Edward Arnold

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  • 1938
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    Boys Town

    Boys Town

    6.727 1938 HD

    Devout but iron-willed Father Flanagan leads a community called Boys Town, a different sort of juvenile detention facility where, instead of being...

    Genre: Drama

    Cast: Spencer Tracy

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  • 1935
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    A Dog of Flanders

    A Dog of Flanders

    7 1935 HD

    Adaptation of Ouida's sentimental classic about a poor Flemish boy (Frankie Thomas) whose ambition is to become a painter.

    Genre: Drama

    Cast: Frankie Thomas

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  • 1937
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    Tim Tyler's Luck

    Tim Tyler's Luck

    1 1937 HD

    A 12-episode serial in which Tim Tyler goes to Africa in search of his father in gorilla country. He meets up with Laura, who is after Spider Webb...

    Genre: Family

    Cast: Frankie Thomas

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  • 1938
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    Little Tough Guys in Society

    Little Tough Guys in Society

    6 1938 HD

    A society matron invites the gang to her estate as playmates for her spoiled brat son.

    Genre: Comedy

    Cast: Mischa Auer

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  • 1939
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    Code of the Streets

    Code of the Streets

    7 1939 HD

    Frankie Thomas plays Bob Lewis, leader of a gang consisting of Sailor, Murph, Monk, Trouble and Yap. The son of disgraced police officer Lt. Lewis,...

    Genre: Drama

    Cast: Harry Carey

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  • 1939
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    On Dress Parade

    On Dress Parade

    6.3 1939 HD

    The final feature in the "Dead End Kids" film series finds a youth trying to adjust to life at a military school.

    Genre: Drama

    Cast: Billy Halop

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  • 1939
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    Invisible Stripes

    Invisible Stripes

    6.1 1939 HD

    A gangster is unable to go straight after returning home from prison.

    Genre: Crime

    Cast: George Raft

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  • 1941
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    Flying Cadets

    Flying Cadets

    3 1941 HD

    Story of test pilots at a school that trains new flyers.

    Genre: Action

    Cast: William Gargan

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  • 1941
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    One Foot in Heaven

    One Foot in Heaven

    6.6 1941 HD

    Episodic look at the life of a minister and his family as they move from one parish to another.

    Genre: Drama

    Cast: Fredric March

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  • 1949
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    A Woman to Remember

    A Woman to Remember

    1 1949 HD

    A Woman to Remember is a soap opera which ran on the DuMont Television Network from February 21, 1949 to July 15, 1949. The show initially ran in...

    Genre:

    Cast: Frankie Thomas

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  • 1955
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    First Love

    First Love

    5 1955 HD

    First Love is an American soap opera which ran on NBC Daytime from July 5, 1954 to December 30, 1955. The series aired at 4:15 p.m. EST, between...

    Genre: Soap

    Cast: Rosemary Prinz

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  • 1954
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    Suspense

    Suspense

    4.6 1954 HD

    An anthology series adapted from the radio program of the same name. Like the radio program, many scripts were adaptations of literary classics by...

    Genre: Drama

    Cast:

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