Person Biography:
James Marshall Thompson, also known as Marshall Thompson, was born on November 27, 1925, in Peoria, Illinois, to a family of dentists. His parents, James and Ruth Thompson, moved to the Los Angeles area when Marshall was just five years old. His mother was a concert singer and musician, and Marshall was their only child.
Marshall developed an interest in acting while in high school, appearing in several school productions. He was spotted by a local talent agent, but it didn't lead to any major opportunities. Instead, he pursued his writing skills, and his three-act play "Faith" was produced by the Westwood Village Players.
Marshall attended Occidental College, where he switched from pre-med to drama and was a member of the cross-country team. He was discovered by a Universal talent scout and signed a contract with the studio. He began his film career in minor war-era films, including "Reckless Age" (1944) and "Blonde Fever" (1944).
Throughout the 1950s, Marshall worked steadily in perfunctory nice-guy assignments, including "The Clock" (1945),"They Were Expendable" (1945),and "Bad Bascomb" (1946). He also appeared in war dramas such as "Homecoming" (1948),"Command Decision" (1948),and "Battleground" (1949).
In the 1960s, Marshall's career took a dramatic turn when he was cast as game warden Dr. Marsh Tracy in the TV series "Daktari" (1966). The show, developed by Ivan Tors, was filmed at Africa, U.S.A., a wild-animal theme park near Los Angeles, and featured a cast of animals, including Clarence the Cross-eyed Lion and Judy the Chimpanzee.
Marshall's association with Ivan Tors continued, and he went on to host the live-action daytime series "Jambo" (1969),star in the feature film "Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion" (1965),and direct some episodes of "Flipper" (1964). He also spent much of his later time providing footage for wildlife documentaries.
Marshall Thompson was an avid photographer, horseman, and guitarist, and he died at the age of 66 in 1992 of congestive heart failure, leaving behind his wife Barbara Long, daughter Janet, and grandson Jackson.
