{{Short description|American actor (1923–1965)}} {{for multi|the Australian racing cyclist|Frankie Thomas (cyclist)|other people with similar names|Frank Thomas (disambiguation){{!}}Frank Thomas}} {{Use American English|date=January 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Frankie Thomas | image = Frankie Thomas in On Dress Parade 1939.jpg | image_size = | caption = Thomas in ''[[On Dress Parade]]'' (1939) | birth_name = Frank Marion Thomas Jr. | birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|04|09|mf=yes}} | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|05|11|1921|04|09|mf=yes}} | death_place = [[Sherman Oaks, California]], U.S. | resting_place = | other_names = Frankie Thomas Jr.<br>Frank M. Thomas Jr. | occupation = {{hlist|Actor|author|bridge-strategy expert}} | years_active = 1932–1955 | spouse = {{marriage|Virginia Thomas|<!--unknown?-->|1997|end=died}} }}

'''Frank Marion Thomas Jr.''' (April 9, 1921 &ndash; May 11, 2006), was an American actor, author and [[Contract bridge|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 (TV-series)|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]''.<ref>Obituary ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', May 17, 2010.</ref><ref>Obituary ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 18, 2010.</ref>

==Early years== Thomas was born in New York City to actors [[Frank M. Thomas]] and [[Mona Bruns]]. His uncle, [[Calvin Thomas (actor)|Calvin Thomas]], was also an actor.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/frankie-thomas-478400.html | work=The Independent | location=London | title=Frankie Thomas | date=2006-05-16 | access-date=2010-05-02}}</ref>

Thomas portrayed a Kiowan youth in the Broadway play ''[[Carry Nation (play)|Carry Nation]]'' (1932). He appeared in six other Broadway plays between 1932 and 1936, including ''Little Ol' Boy'', ''Thunder on the Left'', ''Wednesday's Child'', ''The First Legion'', ''Remember the Day'', and ''Seen But Not Heard''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Frankie Thomas |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/frankie-thomas-62158 |website=Internet Broadway Database |publisher=The Broadway League |access-date=June 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608023114/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/frankie-thomas-62158 |archive-date=June 8, 2020}}</ref>

Thomas's last "A" film was ''[[Boys Town (film)|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 (1939 film)|Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase]]'', ''[[On Dress Parade]]'' and ''[[Invisible Stripes]]'' (all 1939).

In the summer of 1940, Thomas acted with the Guy Palmerton Players.<ref>{{cite news |title=Frankie Thomas, Young, Engaging, Delights Big Whalom Audience; Portland Stars Are Welcomed Back |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/53008486/fitchburg-sentinel/ |access-date=June 8, 2020 |work=Fitchburg Sentinel |date=August 13, 1940 |location=Massachusetts, Fitchburg |page=5|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In 1941 he had small parts in ''Flying Cadets'' and ''[[One Foot in Heaven]]''. His last film roles were small roles in ''[[Always in My Heart (film)|Always in My Heart]]'' and ''[[The Major and the Minor]]'' (1942), where he played a military school cadet who flirted with [[Ginger Rogers]]' character.

==Death== Thomas died in 2006 at age 85 at a [[Sherman Oaks]], [[California]], hospital of respiratory failure, following a stroke. At his request, he was buried in his Space Cadet uniform. His wife, Virginia, had preceded him in death in 1997.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McLellan |first1=Dennis |title=Frankie Thomas, 85; actor starred as a TV space cadet |url=https://archive.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/05/21/frankie_thomas_85_actor_starred_as_a_tv_space_cadet/ |website=Boston.com News |access-date=4 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922013158/http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/05/21/frankie_thomas_85_actor_starred_as_a_tv_space_cadet/ |url-status=live |archive-date=September 22, 2017}}</ref>

==Partial filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1934|| ''[[Wednesday's Child (film)|Wednesday's Child]]'' || Bobby Phillips || |- |1935|| ''[[A Dog of Flanders]]'' || Nello Daas || |- |1937|| ''[[Tim Tyler's Luck (serial)|Tim Tyler's Luck]]'' || Tim Tyler || Serial |- |rowspan=2 | 1938|| ''[[Boys Town (film)|Boys' Town]]'' || Freddie Fuller || |- | ''[[Little Tough Guys in Society]]'' || Danny || |- |rowspan=8 | 1939|| ''[[Nancy Drew... Detective]]'' || rowspan="2"|Ted Nickerson || |- | ''[[Nancy Drew... Reporter]]'' || |- | ''[[Code of the Streets]]'' || Bob Lewis || |- | ''[[Nancy Drew… Trouble Shooter]]'' || Ted Nickerson || |- | ''[[The Angels Wash Their Faces]]'' || Gabe Ryan || |- | ''[[Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (1939 film)|Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase]]'' || Ted Nickerson || |- | ''[[On Dress Parade]]'' || Cadet Lt. Murphy || |- | ''[[Invisible Stripes]]'' || Tommy || |- |rowspan=2 | 1941|| ''[[One Foot in Heaven]]'' || Hartzell Spence || |- | ''[[Flying Cadets]]'' || Newton R. Adams / Ames || |- |rowspan=2 | 1942|| ''[[Always in My Heart (film)|Always in My Heart]]'' || Martin Scott || |- | ''[[The Major and the Minor]]'' || Cadet Osborne || |}

==Bibliography== * {{cite book | last=Thomas | first=Frank | title=Sherlock Holmes, Bridge Detective | year=1973 }} * {{cite book | last=Thomas | first=Frank | title=Sherlock Holmes, Bridge Detective Returns | year=1975 }} * {{cite book | last=Thomas | first=Frank | title=Sherlock Holmes and the Golden Bird | url=https://archive.org/details/sherlockholmesg00thom | url-access=registration | year=1979 | publisher=Pinnacle Books | isbn=9780523406169 }} * {{cite book | last=Thomas | first=Frank | title=Sherlock Holmes and the Sacred Sword | url=https://archive.org/details/sherlockholmessa00fran | url-access=registration | year=1980 | publisher=Pinnacle Books | isbn=9780523410135 }} * {{cite book | last=Thomas | first=Frank | title=Secret Cases of Sherlock Holmes | year=1984 }} * {{cite book | last=Thomas | first=Frank | title=Sherlock Holmes and the Treasure Train | year=1985 }} * {{cite book | last=Thomas | first=Frank | title=Sherlock Holmes and the Masquerade Murders | year=1986 }} * {{cite book | last=Thomas | first=Frank | title=Sherlock Holmes and the Bizarre Alibi | year=1989 }} * {{cite book | last=Thomas | first=Frank | title=Sherlock Holmes and the Panamanian Girls | year=2000 }} * {{cite book | last=Thomas | first=Frank | title=Sherlock Holmes Mystery Tales | year=2002 }} * {{cite book | last=Thomas | first=Frank | title=Secret Files of Sherlock Holmes | year=2002 }}

==References== <references/> * {{cite news | author=Anthony Hayward | title=Frankie Thomas Star of 'Tom Corbett, Space Cadet' | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/frankie-thomas-478400.html | work=The Independent | date=16 May 2006 | access-date=2008-06-14 | location=London}} *{{cite book|last=Goldrup|first=Tom and Jim|title=Growing Up on the Set: Interviews with 39 Former Child Actors of Film and Television|date=2002|publisher=McFarland & Co.|isbn=1476613702|pages=277–285}} * Holmstrom, John (1996). ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995''. Norwich: Michael Russell, p.&nbsp;103-104. * Willson, Dixie (1935). ''Little Hollywood Stars''. Akron, OH, e New York: Saalfield Pub. Co.

==External links== {{Portal|Biography}} {{Commons category}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060330023611/http://www.slick-net.com/space/interviews/thomas.phtml Frankie Thomas interview] * {{Find a Grave|14310694}} * {{IBDB name}} * {{IMDb name|858833}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Frankie}} [[Category:1921 births]] [[Category:2006 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century American novelists]] [[Category:21st-century American novelists]] [[Category:American male child actors]] [[Category:American mystery writers]] [[Category:American male novelists]] [[Category:20th-century American male writers]] [[Category:21st-century American male writers]] [[Category:American male stage actors]] [[Category:20th-century American male actors]] [[Category:Film serial actors]] [[Category:United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II]] [[Category:United States Coast Guard officers]] [[Category:Deaths from respiratory failure in the United States]]