Today we take a look at the horror and sci-fi work of Marshall Thompson in the movies and on TV. Besides his movie career, Marshall was an avid photographer, horseman and guitarist, among many other talents. He was only 66 years old at the time of his death in 1992.
In 1955 Marshall starred along with my dream girl, Faith Domergue, in Universal's CULT OF THE COBRA. The story's about American G.I.s who trespass on a Hindu ceremony and are hunted down by a beautiful woman who has the power to transform herself into a cobra!
From 1955-6, Marshall appeared in seven episodes of SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE on TV, his first dive into sci-fi. Episodes include "The Human Circuit," "Three Minute Mile, "The Human Experiment," "Bullet Proof," "Target: Hurricane," "The Frozen Sound" and "Stranger In The Desert." I bought the complete series a few years ago and watched every episode!!
Then in 1958, Marshall stars in one of the best fifties sci-fi thrillers of all time, FIEND WITHOUT A FACE! I'm actually glad I missed this one at the theater because I was prone to an over-active imagination, especially at age 10... Freaky freakin' flick!! I do remember seeing the creepy coming attractions trailer for it though.
Paul Blaisdell is brought in to create the monster for IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE in 1959. Marshall plays Colonel Carruthers, falsely accused of killing his fellow crew members on Mars. While returning to Earth, the real monster behind the murders is revealed!
Again in 1959, Marshall stars as Commander Prescott in this unique sci-fi horror tale, FIRST MAN INTO SPACE. His brother flies into space in his rocket powered plane where he encounters a cloud of meteor dust and becomes a gruesome killing monster from Hell!
Last on the list is the TV series, MEN INTO SPACE, starring William Lundigan, airing from 1959-60. Marshall plays Major Devery in one episode. Other actors on the series include Joyce (13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS) Taylor, Jeremy (THE BORN LOSERS) Slate, Arthur (MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS) Franz, Warren (FORBIDDEN PLANET) Stevens, James (IN LIKE FLINT) Coburn, Harry (IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA) Lauter, Lance (THE SHE-CREATURE) Fuller, Gene (WAR OF THE WORLDS) Nelson, Whit (I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF/FRANKENSTEIN) Bissell, Robert (THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON) Clarke, Tod (THE SHE-DEMONS) Griffin, Ross (THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK) Elliott and Charles (13 GHOSTS) Herbert!
So, stay tuned in to The Dungeon for much more Wild 'n' Weird Cargo to keep you in your happy place!
5 comments:
Great actor! One of my favorites!
Marshall Thompson is often confused with Arthur Franz it seems, and while both are quite good in the "oldies but ghoulies" of the '50s, Thompson for whatever reason rates a bit higher for me (even though Franz smokes a mean pip-full-of-Coelacanth-blood!). Thompson always comes across so calm and reliable...very "professorial" in a local college kind of way!
That last comment describes him very well.
I haven't seen either show in forever (though the first one is probably easy to find), but he was also very good on DAKTARI, and as the host of the show JAMBO (which might be about the only anthology show devoted to animal stories).
I remember Fiend Without a Face and It the Terror From Beyond Space (of which Alien was just a bigger-budgeted remake). And I remember Daktari, but I had forgotten its semi-spinoff, Jambo.
He was also in Around the World Under the Sea, which was sort of/kind of sci-fi.
And he was in Battleground (1949, the classic WWII drama. IIRC, he played the rookie soldier who was excited about being in the 101 Airborne Division and wearing the Screaming Eagle patch. Then they were ordered to remove the patches, to keep the enemy from knowing which units were deployed where. Later, it turned out the Germans already knew where the 101 was, anyway.
Remedy for a bummer day: pop in any DVD from the SCIENCE FICTION THEATER complete series set (preferably with at least one episode guest-starring Marshall Thompson)! :)
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