Marshall Thompson

Marshall Thompson Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: November 27, 1925

Death Date: May 18, 1992

Birth Place: Peoria, Illinois

A descendant of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, this veteran of over 40 films is best remembered as the star of "Daktari," a popular family TV series set in Africa that ran on CBS from January 1966 to January 1969. The inspiration for the show was the feature film "Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion" (1964) which Thompson starred in and co-wrote.

Cast in naive juvenile roles in MGM films of the 1940s, Thompson began playing a wide variety of roles as a mature lead or second lead. He appeared in Vincente Minnelli's "The Clock" (1945), John Ford's "They Were Expendable" (1945), William Wellman's "Battleground" (1949), Anthony Mann's "Devil's Doorway" (1950) and "The Tall Target" (1951), Herbert Ross' "The Turning Point" (1977) and Sam Fuller's "White Dog" (1982). He also faced down the uncanny in the likes of "Fiend Without a Face," "It! The Terror From Beyond Space" and "First Man in Space." Thompson spent much of his time in Africa in his later years, where he produced, directed, and acted in the documentary series "Orphans of the Wild."

Credits

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Ward Silloway
Series
1984

Bog

Actor
Sheriff Neal Rydholm
Movie
1983

Cruise Into Terror

Actor
Bennett
Movie
1978

The Turning Point

Actor
Carter
Movie
1977
63%

Charlie's AngelsStream

Guest Star
Series
1976

George

Actor
Jim Hunter
Show
1972

George

Creator
Show
1972

The Streets of San FranciscoStream

Guest Star
Fr. Carey
Series
1972

Un ami pas trop fidèle

Actor
Movie
1972

George!

Actor
Jim Paulsen
Movie
1971

Ride the Tiger

Actor
Movie
1971

The Partridge FamilyStream

Guest Star
Dr. Milstead
Series
1970

Jambo

Narrator
Storyteller
Show
1969

DaktariStream

Actor
Dr. Marsh Tracy
Series
1966

Around the World Under the Sea

Actor
Dr. Orin Hillyard
Movie
1966

To the Shores of Hell

Actor
Maj. Greg Donahue
Movie
1966

Clarence, the Cross-Eyed LionStream

Actor
Dr. Marsh Tracy
Movie
1965

FlipperStream

Director
Series
1964

FlipperStream

Guest Star
Series
1964

The Mighty Jungle

Actor
Marsh Connors
Movie
1964

A Yank in Viet-Nam

Actor
Maj. Benson
Movie
1964

A Yank in Viet-Nam

Director
Movie
1964

Uno Contra Todos

Actor
Movie
1962

East of Kilimanjaro

Actor
Movie
1962

No Man Is an Island

Actor
Jonn Sonnenberg
Movie
1962

Al Este del Kilimanjaro

Actor
Movie
1962

Angel

Actor
John Smith
Show
1960

Flight of the Lost Balloon

Actor
Dr. Joseph Farady
Movie
1960

Ford Startime

Actor
Show
1959

Men Into Space

Guest Star
Maj. Vic Devery
Show
1959

World of Giants

Actor
Mel Hunter
Show
1959

First Man Into Space

Actor
Cmdr. Charles Ernest Prescott
Movie
1959

Bronco

Guest Star
Series
1958

Fiend Without A FaceStream

Actor
Major Cummings
Movie
1958
67%

The Secret Man

Actor
Dr. Cliff Mitchell
Movie
1958

It! The Terror From Beyond Space

Actor
Carruthers
Movie
1958

The Fall of the House of Usher

Actor
David
Movie
1958

Perry MasonStream

Guest Star
Arthur Poe
Series
1957

Wagon TrainStream

Guest Star
Series
1957

The Blackwell Story

Actor
David
Movie
1957

Lure of the Swamp

Actor
Simon Lewt
Movie
1957

East of Kilimanjaro

Actor
Marsh Connors
Movie
1957

Zane Grey Theater

Actor
Series
1956

The Ethel Barrymore Theater

Actor
Show
1956

Hour of Stars

Actor
Show
1955

GunsmokeStream

Guest Star
Leach Fields
Series
1955

Marshal Dillon

Guest Star
Show
1955

Regreso del Infierno

Actor
Movie
1955

Do pakla i natrag

Actor
Movie
1955

Cult of the Cobra

Actor
Tom Markel
Movie
1955

Battle Taxi

Actor
2nd Lt. Tim Vernon
Movie
1955

Good Morning, Miss Dove

Actor
Wilfred Banning `'Wolf'` Pendleton III
Movie
1955

To Hell and Back

Actor
Johnson
Movie
1955
100%

Climax!

Actor
Series
1954

The United States Steel Hour

Actor
Capt. Ed Hall Jr.
Show
1953

Showcase 39

Actor
Show
1952

Death Valley DaysStream

Actor
Mayor Ben Dowell
Series
1952

My Six Convicts

Actor
Blivens Scott
Movie
1952

The Rose Bowl Story

Actor
Steve Davis
Movie
1952

The Basketball Fix

Actor
Johnny Long
Movie
1951

The Tall Target

Actor
Lance Beaufort
Movie
1951

Mystery Street

Actor
Henry Shanway
Movie
1950

Stars in My CrownStream

Narrator
Movie
1950

Dial 1119

Actor
Gunther Wyckoff
Movie
1950

Devil's Doorway

Actor
Rod MacDougall
Movie
1950

Battleground

Actor
Jim Layton
Movie
1949

Roseanna McCoyStream

Actor
Tolbert McCoy
Movie
1949

Words and MusicStream

Actor
Herbert Fields
Movie
1948
20%

B.F.'s Daughter

Actor
The Sailor
Movie
1948

HomecomingStream

Actor
Staff Sgt. "Mac" McKeen
Movie
1948

Command Decision

Actor
Capt. George Washington Bellpepper Lee
Movie
1948

The Romance of Rosy Ridge

Actor
Ben Mac Bean
Movie
1947

Galante Bess

Actor
Movie
1946

Bad Bascomb

Actor
Jimmy Holden
Movie
1946

Gallant Bess

Actor
Tex Barton
Movie
1946

The Secret Heart

Actor
Brandon Reynolds
Movie
1946

The Show-Off

Actor
Joe Fisher
Movie
1946

The Cockeyed Miracle

Actor
Jim Griggs
Movie
1946

Bess

Actor
Movie
1946

Regalo del Destino

Actor
Movie
1946

The Clock

Actor
Bill
Movie
1945

Twice Blessed

Actor
Jimmy
Movie
1945

The Valley of Decision

Actor
Ted Scott
Movie
1945

They Were ExpendableStream

Actor
Ens. "'Snake" Gardner
Movie
1945
92%

Blonde Fever

Actor
Freddie Bilson
Movie
1944