Thompson was born in Peoria, Illinois.[3][2] He and his parents, Dr. Laurence B. Thompson and Pauline (née Marshall),[2] moved to California when he was a year old. He attended University High School where he was a classmate of Norma Jean Baker, later to be known worldwide as Marilyn Monroe. Thompson enrolled at Occidental College with plans to become a dentist, but he switched to divinity studies.[4]
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 JeaninReckless Age, earning $350 weekly. During 1946, Universal discharged most of its contract players, so that same year Thompson moved over to MGM. His film roles steadily increased and improved with appearances in The Clock, the lead in Gallant Bess, MGM's first film shot in Cinecolor, and as one of the main stars in Battleground, as a green replacement in the 101st Airborne Division during the Siege of Bastogne.
At the age of 24, Thompson narrated the storyline in Stars in My Crown (1950). He became a freelance actor during the 1950s and worked for various studios on a variety of pictures, including the horror and science fiction films Cult of the Cobra (1955), Fiend Without a Face (1958), and First Man Into Space (1959), as well as Audie Murphy'sTo Hell and Back (1955). His starring role as Carruthers in It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958) was one of the two genre films that later inspired the plot for director Ridley Scott's 1979 big-budget feature Alien. Thompson also starred in the short-lived (13-episodes) 1959 syndicated science fiction TV seriesWorld of Giants. The drama follows Mel Hunter, a U. S. counter-espionage agent, accidentally miniaturized to just six inches in height, who must live in a dollhouse when not on missions.[5]: 1196-1197
By the 1960s, Thompson's boyish looks had matured and his screen persona became more authoritative. He co-starred with the Belgian-born Annie Fargé in the 33-episode CBSsitcomAngel (1960–1961)[6] 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 fluency in the English language. The show was canceled after 33 episodes due to low ratings, despite critical acclaim for the newcomer Fargé.
He also guest starred as murderer Arthur Poe in the 1960 Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Wayward Wife".
In 1965 he returned to MGM to play the lead in the Ivan Tors produced comedy-adventure film Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion (1965).[7] He played Dr. Marsh Tracy, a veterinarian and single father, who is raising his daughter (played by animal whisperer and Golden Globe-winning Cheryl Miller) alone in Kenya. The film was then spun off into the TV series Daktari (1966–1969), in which Thompson played the same role.[5] Since the series was shot in California and Africa, Thompson and his wife made several trips to various African nations to film second unit footage that was then used in the series[8] and in the film The Mighty Jungle (1965).
Thompson also was the host and storyteller for the TV anthology series Jambo (1969–1971).[5]: 524
Later in his career, he appeared in many television episodes and in feature films such as The Turning Point (1977), the Don Keeslar-directed creature feature Bog (1979), and The Formula (1980).
^Todd, John (December 10, 1945). "In Hollywood". The Tipton Daily Tribune. Indiana, Tipton. The Tipton Daily Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved March 20, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abcTerrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 229. ISBN978-0-7864-6477-7.
