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Marshall Thompson

Marshall Thompson

Actor, also writer and producer · Died May 18, 1992, aged 66 · Peoria, Illinois, USA

Marshall Thompson (November 27, 1925 – May 18, 1992) was an American film and television actor. He was born James Marshall Thompson in Peoria, Illinois. In 1943 Thompson, known for his boy-next-door good looks, was signed by Universal Pictures. He played quiet, thoughtful teens in Universal's feature films, including a lead opposite singing star Gloria Jean in Reckless Age, earning $350 weekly. During 1946 Universal discharged most of its contract players; that same year Thompson moved to MGM and his film roles steadily increased and improved. Thompson became a freelance actor in the 1950s and worked for various studios on a variety of pictures, including a number of horror and science-fiction features; this included the role of Carruthers in It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958), one of the two feature films that would later inspire the plot for director Ridley Scott's 1979 big budget feature film Alien. Thompson also starred as Mel Hunter in the syndicated science fiction TV series World of Giants, about a man who has been miniaturized and must live in a dollhouse. By the 1960s, Thompson's boyish looks had matured and his screen persona became more authoritative. He co-starred with Annie Fargé in the 33-episode CBS sitcom Angel (1960–1961) about an American architect with a charming but scatterbrained French wife, who often got into zany, Lucy Ricardo-esque situations, caused in part by her lack of English; the show was canceled after 33 episodes due to low ratings, despite critical acclaim for French-born newcomer Annie Fargé. In the mid-1960s Thompson starred in CBS's Daktari, a television series about a veterinarian in Africa; the series was based on Thompson's 1965 feature film Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion. Later in his career, he appeared in many television episodes and in feature films such as The Turning Point (1977) and The Formula(1980). Thompson was a brother-in-law of actor Richard Long, best known for his role as Jarrod Barkley in ABC's The Big Valley. Thompson's wife, Barbara, was Long's sister. Marshall Thompson died from congestive heart failure at the age of sixty-six in Royal Oak, Michigan. Description above from the Wikipedia article  Marshall Thompson , licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 27, 1925
Died
May 18, 1992 (aged 66)
From
Peoria, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor, also writer and producer
Titles
41 on MovieCove · 98 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 15% in 30 days

What are Marshall Thompson's films like?

Across their 26 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
28%
Bonds
23%
Survival
17%
Self
12%
Society
10%
Ideas
6%
Power
4%
Survival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 26 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 16 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 8 · Charged 13 · Intense 5

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 17 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 14 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 11 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 10 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 6

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 25 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

10 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 7 of 10 analyzed roles.

Hero
7 of 10
Ally
2 of 10
Herald
1 of 10
Show the 10 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Melancholic
13
Romantic
9
Warm
7
Dread
6
Other
20

How their films linger

Bittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Marshall Thompson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 41 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Marshall Thompson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

98 credits, 41 with a MovieCove page.

  • McBain(1991)

    as Mr. Rich

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Dallas: The Early Years(1986)

    as Dr. Ted Johnson

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Ward Silloway

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • White Dog(1982)

    as Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Formula(1980)

    as Geologist #1

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Benson(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • Bog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Dr. Brad Wednesday

  • The Eddie Capra Mysteries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Race for Survival (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Story

  • Cruise Into Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Bennett

  • The Turning Point(1977)

    as Carter

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Lou Grant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Paul Newman

  • Quincy, M.E. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Charlie's Angels(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Meadows

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • George (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 26 episodes · Creator · as Jim Hunter

  • The Streets of San Francisco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Fr. Carey

  • George!(1972)

    Original Story · Producer · as Jim

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Jeff Crane

  • The Partridge Family(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Milstead

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • Ride the Tiger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Actor

  • Jambo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Ironside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Tom Ames

  • To the Shores of Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Maj. Greg Donahue

  • Daktari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 89 episodes · as Dr. Marsh Tracy

  • Around the World Under the Sea(1966)

    as Dr. Orin Hillyard

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion(1965)

    Story · as Dr. Marsh Tracy

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Zebra in the Kitchen(1965)

    as Shaving Man

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Mighty Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Actor

  • Flipper(1964)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Actor

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • A Yank in Viet-Nam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director · as Maj. Benson

  • No Man Is an Island(1962)

    as Jonn Sonnenberg

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • East of Kilimanjaro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Marsh Connors

  • Flight of the Lost Balloon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Dr.Joseph Farady

  • Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 34 episodes · as Johnny Smith

  • Startime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Lt. Train

  • Men Into Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • World of Giants (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 13 episodes · Actor

  • First Man Into Space(1959)

    as Cmdr. Charles Ernest Prescott

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Secret Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Dr. Cliff Mitchell

  • Bronco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • It! The Terror from Beyond Space(1958)

    as Carruthers

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Fiend Without a Face(1958)

    as Major Jeff Cummings

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Arthur Poe

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Wagon Train(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Bradley Mason · as Will Stebbins

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Lure of the Swamp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Simon Lewt

  • Panic! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Blackwell Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as David

  • Down Liberty Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Mysterious Stranger

  • Born to Fight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Man Exiting Airplane (uncredited)

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Eli Hendericks

  • Good Morning, Miss Dove(1955)

    as Wilfred Banning Pendleton III

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Matinee Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • The 20th Century Fox Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Matt Clay

  • To Hell and Back(1955)

    as Johnson

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Leach Fields

  • Cult of the Cobra(1955)

    as Tom Markel

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Crashout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Billy Lang

  • The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Bill Andreson · as Tom Hunt

  • Battle Taxi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as 2nd Lt. Tim Vernon

  • Port of Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Marsh Walker

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as (segment "Child of the Wind")

  • The Whistler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Public Defender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Jeff Norton

  • The Loretta Young Show(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Dan Jenkins · as Jim Turner

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • The Caddy(1953)

    as Bruce Reeber

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Ford Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Rose Bowl Story(1952)

    as Steve Davis

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • My Six Convicts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Blivens Scott

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as George Washington · as Pythias

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as James Wilson

  • The Tall Target(1951)

    as Lance Beaufort

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Basketball Fix (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Johnny Long

  • Dial 1119 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Gunther Wyckoff

  • Devil's Doorway(1950)

    as Rod MacDougall

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Mystery Street(1950)

    as Henry Shanway

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Stars in My Crown(1950)

    as Narrator (adult John Kenyon) (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Battleground(1949)

    as Jim Layton

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Roseanna McCoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Tolbert McCoy

  • Words and Music(1948)

    as Herbert Fields

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Command Decision(1948)

    as Capt. George Washington Bellpepper Lee

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Homecoming(1948)

    as Staff Sgt. 'Mac' McKeen

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • B.F.'s Daughter(1948)

    as The Sailor

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Romance of Rosy Ridge(1947)

    as Ben Mac Bean

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Secret Heart(1946)

    as Brandon Reynolds

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Gallant Bess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Tex Barton

  • The Show-Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Joe Fisher

  • The Cockeyed Miracle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Jim Griggs

  • Bad Bascomb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Jimmy Holden

  • They Were Expendable(1945)

    as Ens. 'Snake' Gardner

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Twice Blessed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Jimmy

  • The Clock(1945)

    as Bill

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Valley of Decision(1945)

    as Ted Scott

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Blonde Fever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Freddie Bilson

  • Reckless Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Roy Connors

  • The Purple Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Morrison (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 98 titles from 1944 to 1991; peak year 1981.

Biggest box office

The Turning Point (1977)

$26M worldwide

Highest rated

The Clock (1945)

Midcredits 90th

Film career

19441991

Peak 1981 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 5 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting97 of 98: 92 only acting, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score67thDirecting2 of 98: 0 only directing, 2 with another roleWriting3 of 98: 1 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing1 of 98: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 98: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

98 titles, 5 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1940s20 · acting1950s43 · acting1960s14 · 14 acting · 3 crew1970s16 · 15 acting · 3 crew1980s4 · acting1990s1 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 21% of 19 roles
4555

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Marshall Thompson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 33; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Approval · how many liked their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Reach · how many have seen their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Midcredits score across 41 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up15
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 41 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser21
  • Broadly Agreed9
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor, writer, producer

George! (1972)

76th percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Stars in My Crown (1950)

Midcredits 91st · 78% liked

Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 26 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Marshall Thompson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Marshall Thompson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Keenan Wynn shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers