This one-time wiry, curly-haired juvenile actor of 30s Depression era films grabbed major focus toward the end of his acting career as 50s space hero Tom Corbett on the smaller screen, then moved away from the limelight finally seeing his future in the cards. He was born Frank M. Thomas, Jr. on April 9, 1921, the only child of acting Manhattanites ...
I have no regrets. I got all the breaks I had coming. I consider myself to have been very lucky during my career, especially in knowing when to leave it. I smile when I think of those years but I've never missed any part of acting.
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Fact
1
His gravestone is emblazoned with Tom Corbett's catchphrase, "Spaceman's Luck".
2
Interviewed in Tom Weaver's books "Earth vs. the Sci-Fi Filmmakers" (McFarland & Co., 2005), "I Talked with a Zombie" (McFarland & Co., 2008) and "A Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde" (McFarland & Co., 2010).
3
Interviewed in "Growing Up on the Set: Interviews with 39 Former Child Actors of Classic Film and Television" by Tom Goldrup and Jim Goldrup (McFarland, 2002).
4
Did not marry until his late 60s to wife Virginia. She passed away in 1997. She had two children from a prior marriage. He was survived by them and a step-grandson.
5
Was up for the role of David Copperfield in David Copperfield (1935) for MGM but Louis B. Mayer thought he was not frail enough for the part.
There were over 100 different products bearing the name of Frankie's space character Tom Corbett during the early 1950s. One product was called Kellogg's Pep, the "Solar Cereal," which had Frankie's picture on the box.
8
Beat out actor Jack Lemmon for the role of space hero Tom Corbett in 1950.
9
Starred with both of his parents in his first movie, Wednesday's Child (1934).
10
Both his mother and father lived to age 100.
11
He became most famous for his title role in the television series Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1950). Fifty years after the series ended, he was still making personal appearances as a result of that role.
12
He was scheduled to be a special guest at the 2006 Worldcon in Los Angeles (LA Con IV) but died before the convention was held.
$100,000
