Marshall Thompson

Who was Marshall Thompson?

Marshall Thompson was an American film and television actor.

He was born James Marshall Thompson in Peoria, Illinois. 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 Jean in Reckless Age, earning $350 weekly. During 1946 Universal discharged most of its contract players; that same year Thompson moved to MGM and his film roles steadily increased and improved.

Thompson became a freelance actor in the 1950s and worked for various studios on a variety of pictures, including a number of horror and science-fiction features; this included the role of Carruthers in It! The Terror from Beyond Space, one of the two feature films that would later inspire the plot for director Ridley Scott's 1979 big budget feature film Alien. Thompson also starred as counter-espionage agent Mel Hunter in the syndicated science-fiction TV series World of Giants, about a man who has been miniaturized and must live in a dollhouse.

By the 1960s, Thompson's boyish looks had matured and his screen persona became more authoritative.