Harry Thomason

{{short description|American film producer}} {{distinguish|Harry Thomson (disambiguation){{!}}Harry Thomson}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}} {{Infobox person | name = Harry Zell Thomason | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = Harry Zell Thomason | alma_mater = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1940|11|30}} | birth_place = Hampton, Arkansas, U.S. | occupation = Film & television director/producer, screenwriter | years_active = 1983–present | spouse = }}

'''Harry Zell Thomason''' (born November 30, 1940) is an American film and television producer and director, best known for the television series ''Designing Women''. Thomason and his wife, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, are close friends of President Bill Clinton and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and played a major role in President Clinton's election campaigns.

== Biography == Harry Z. Thomason was born in Hampton, Arkansas, the son of a Southern Baptist deacon. He was a Little Rock, Arkansas, high school science teacher and football coach. He married and divorced Judy Crump, with whom he has a daughter, Stacy.<ref>[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20114310,00.html When Not Battling Delta Burke, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and Harry Thomason Are Redesigning CBS], People.com. Accessed October 23, 2022.</ref>

In 1983, Thomason and his second wife, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, were married and formed Mozark Productions, the vehicle for several successful television series, including ''Designing Women'', ''Hearts Afire'', and ''Evening Shade''. In 2007, they began production on the HBO series ''12 Miles of Bad Road'', starring Lily Tomlin.

Thomason was a close friend of Bill Clinton and produced the glowing biographical film, ''The Man from Hope'', the centerpiece of the 1992 Democratic National Convention. Thomason and his partner, Darnell Martens, provided charter air service for the Clinton campaign and served as an image consultant. After Clinton was elected, Thomason became embroiled in the Travelgate scandal. His partner, Martens, reported that he had heard rumors that the White House Travel Office was corrupt and disloyal to the Clintons. This view of the Travel Office was compounded by a series of leaks at the White House that were unfavorable to the Clintons. Thomason began pressing Hillary Clinton to investigate the travel office. When the financial irregularities were discovered, the White House called in the FBI. The resulting firings generated a great deal of negative press coverage and an investigation of the events surrounding it, including Thomason and Martens' air service. Thomason served as co-chairman of the 1992 Presidential Inauguration Committee and once again worked as an image consultant at the beginning of the Lewinsky scandal. Thomason ended up testifying before the Lewinsky Grand Jury.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Waxman |first1=Sharon |title=Hollywood Friend Comes Back Into the Picture |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/thomason012998.htm?noredirect=on |accessdate=12 February 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=29 January 1998}}</ref>

In 2004, Thomason produced the film documentary version of ''The Hunting of the President'' from the book by Joe Conason and Gene Lyons, about political efforts to discredit and defeat Bill and Hillary Clinton.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kehr |first1=Dave |title=FILM IN REVIEW; 'The Hunting of the President' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/18/movies/film-in-review-the-hunting-of-the-president.html |accessdate=12 February 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=18 June 2004}}</ref> With Nickolas Perry, Thomason was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay for the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2005/film/awards/wga-serves-up-1st-doc-kudo-to-super-1117918019/|title=WGA serves up 1st doc kudo to 'Super'|last=McNary|first=Dave|date=15 February 2005|website=Variety|accessdate=18 February 2019}}</ref>

==Filmography== '''Film''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Title ! Director ! Producer ! Writer |- | ''A Shining Season'' | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |- | ''Encounter with the Unknown'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} |- | ''Revenge of Bigfoot'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |- | ''So Sad About Gloria'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |- | ''The Day it Came to Earth'' | {{yes}} | {{yes|Executive}} | {{no}} |- | ''The Designing Women Reunion'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |- | ''The Great Lester Boggs'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |- | ''The Man from Hope'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |- | ''To Find My Son'' | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |- | ''The Hunting of the President'' | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |- | ''The Last Ride'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |}

'''Television''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Title ! Director ! Producer ! Writer |- | ''Designing Women'' | {{yes}} | {{yes|Executive}} | {{no}} |- | ''Emeril'' | {{yes}} | {{yes|Executive}} | {{no}} |- | ''Evening Shade'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |- | ''Hearts Afire'' | {{yes}} | {{yes|Executive}} | {{yes}} |- | ''Lime Street'' | {{no}} | {{yes|Executive}} | {{no}} |- | ''The Blue and the Gray'' | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |- | ''The Fall Guy'' | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} |- | ''Women of the House'' | {{yes}} | {{yes|Executive}} | {{no}} |}

== Quotes == *''"When you're in the political realm, you become a public figure, and anything is fair."''

''Adapted from the article [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195453/http://www.wikinfo.org/wiki.phtml?title=Harry_Thomason Harry Thomason], from Wikinfo, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.''

== References ==

== External links == *[http://www.mozarkproductions.com/ Mozark Productions Official Site] *{{IMDb name|id=0859707|name=Harry Thomason}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomason, Harry}} Category:1940 births Category:Living people Category:Film producers from Arkansas Category:American television producers Category:People from Hampton, Arkansas Category:Whitewater controversy Category:Designing Women