 | About Frank ThompsonFrank Thompson is a film historian and author. He has published more than forty books and hundreds of articles, interviews and reviews in newspapers and magazines. He has worked as a writer for many television shows and has produced, written and/or directed several documentaries.
His books include Nothing Sacred: The Cinema of William A. Wellman (2012, co-author John Andrew Gallagher), The Moving Picture Girl (2012, novel), It’s Always a Game (2008, novel; ghost writer), Lost 3: Signs of Life (2006, Hyperion), King Arthur: A Novel (2004, Hyperion), The Alamo: A Novel (2004, Hyperion), The Alamo: The Illustrated Story of the Epic Film (2004, Newmarket), Cowboy Princess: Life With My Parents, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (2003, Taylor;co-author with Cheryl Rogers-Barnett), Texas Hollywood: Filmmaking in San Antonio Since 1910 (Maverick Publishing, 2002), The Alamo: A Cultural History (Taylor Publishing, 2001; new paperback edition, 2003), The “Blind Date” Guide to Dating (St. Martin’s, 2001), Abraham Lincoln: 20th Century Popular Portrayals (Taylor, 1999), AMC’s Great Christmas Movies (Taylor, 1998), I Was That Masked Man (Taylor; 1998, Co-author with Clayton Moore), Lost Films (Citadel, 1996), The Star Film Ranch: Texas’ First Picture Show (Republic of Texas Press, 1996), Robert Wise: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood, 1995), Henry King, Director – From Silents to ‘Scope (DGA, 1995), Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (Hyperion 1993), Between Action and Cut: Five American Directors (Scarecrow, 1985) and William A. Wellman (Scarecrow, 1983)
While affiliated with American Movie Classics, back when they showed movies, he wrote speeches on the subject of film preservation for Lauren Bacall, Shirley Jones, Martin Scorsese, Sharon Stone, Nick Clooney and others.
His articles have appeared in magazines and newspapers such as American Cinematographer, American Film, Atlanta Magazine, Film Comment, The Hollywood Reporter, ,The Disney Channel Magazine, Sight and Sound, Tower Pulse!, Texas Monthly, The Atlanta Journal & Constitution, The Miami Herald, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, The San Antonio Express News.
He has worked in film and video in various capacities, from producing and writing original programming to providing commentary tracks to classic films, to appearing in documentaries. Most recently he can be seen in the documentary Wings: Grandeur in the Skies, included in the Blu-Ray release of the 2012 restoration of William A. Wellman's Wings (1927).
Soon to be released are The Lost Remake of Beau Geste (2012; in production; Writer, director, producer) and The Legend of the Foreign Legion (2012; in production; Writer, director, producer).
Other videos include Objective, Burma! (commentary with Rudy Behlmer and Jon Burlingame for Warner Home Video DVD set of Errol Flynn films), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008; onscreen interview in Blu-Ray documentary), Wild Boys of the Road (1933; commentary with Bill Wellman Jr.), The Time of Their Lives (1946; commentary), Walt Disney Presents Heroes of the American Frontier (documentary in box set Walt Disney Treasures: Elfego Baca/The Swamp Fox; onscreen interview), Silverado: Special Edition (1985; Commentary track with Steve Aron and Paul Andrew Hutton; also wrote the thirty page essay booklet), McLintock! (1963; commentary with Leonard Maltin), Hondo (1953; commentary with Leonard Maltin), Virginia City (1941; commentary), Two Flags West (1950; commentary), Destination Gobi (1953; commentary), The Sun Also Rises (1957; commentary with Patricia King Hanson), The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952; commentary with Patricia King Hanson), Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962; commentary with Patricia King Hanson), Plunder of the Sun (1953; commentary with Peter Ford, son of Glenn Ford), The Alamo: A True Story of Courage (Delta Ent., 2004; Producer, Onscreen Interviewee), Track of the Cat (1954; commentary with Tab Hunter and Bill Wellman Jr.), Yellowneck (1955; Onscreen intro), Where Trails Divide (1937; Onscreen intro), Martyrs of the Alamo (1915; Onscreen intro), Heroes of the Alamo (1937; Onscreen intro), The Alamo (History Channel, 1996; Onscreen interview), The Original Mermaid (2002; Onscreen interview), Jay Silverheels: the Man Behind the Mask (2000; Onscreen interview), E! Mysteries and Scandals: Louis Brooks (November 16, 1998; Onscreen interview), Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick (1995; Associate Producer, Historical Advisor, Onscreen interview),
He has worked on television as a writer and producer: Southern Fried Stings (truTV/Zoo Productions, 2010) Writer; All Worked Up (truTV/RDF USA, 2009) Writer; High School Reunion (TV Land, 2009) Story Producer; Party Heat (truTV, 2008-2009) Writer; Stringers L.A. (truTV, 2008-2009) Senior Producer; Dance Machine (ABC, 2008) Writer; Bandits vs. Smokies (CMT, 2007) Producer, Writer; Speeders (Court TV, 2007) Producer; The Bachelor (ABC, 2004-2006) Story Producer; The Fifth Wheel (Universal, 2002-2003) Writer; Blind Date (Universal, 1999-2002) Writer, Segment Producer and Host Producer; Fifty Greatest Movie Animals (Animal Planet, 2003) Writer; The Fifth Wheel (Universal, 2002 - 2003) Writer, Host Wraps; The Great Christmas Movies (American Movie Classics, 1998) Writer, Director, Producer; Fast Food Films (FX, 1998-99) Writer, Host Producer; Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick (1996, Turner Network Television). Associate Producer, Historical Consultant, Onscreen Interviewee; Reel Wild Cinema (USA Network, 1996 - 1997) Writer, Host Producer, Consultant; Hollywood Babylon (syndicated, 1992) Writer and Researcher; American Movie Classics (1993- 2003) Host scripts for, among many others: Cher, Alec Baldwin, Jodie Foster, Winona Ryder, Billy Bob Thornton, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Stefanie Powers, Morgan Fairchild, Phyllis Diller, Brendan Fraser, Shirley Jones, Ali MacGraw, Kirsten Dunst, Lesley-Anne Down, Patrick Wayne, Lesley Ann Warren, Sean Young; Frank Capra: A Personal Remembrance (VidAmerica, 1992). Writer; The Making of "It's a Wonderful Life" (Republic Pictures, 1991) Writer.
For more information about Frank Thompson, as if this weren't enough , visit his website at www.frankthompson.tv.
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