Thomas Carr (director)

Thomas Carr
Born	July 4, 1907 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	April 23, 1997 (aged 89) Ventura, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, director
Years active	1915-68

Thomas Carr (July 4, 1907 – April 23, 1997) was an American actor and film director of Hollywood movies and television programs.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1907, Carr was born into an acting family. His father was the actor William Carr and his mother was the actress Mary Carr. Thomas Carr followed the family profession, and in 1915 began acting in silent films. From 1915 through 1953, Carr played small supporting roles in a number of low budget Hollywood films. However, Carr's star as an actor didn't rise.

In 1945, he turned to directing, and from 1945 through 1951 Carr directed numerous B movies for Hollywood's poverty row. Most of Carr's films were Westerns; however, in 1948 he was co-director (along with Spencer Gordon Bennet) of the live-action Superman serial. From 1951 to 1968, Carr's directing was focused mainly on television. He directed episodes of numerous television shows in the 1950s and 1960s, including episodes of Lassie, The Adventures of Superman, Daniel Boone, Wanted: Dead or Alive and Gunsmoke.

His older brother Stephen was a recurring cast member, in various roles, during the first season of Adventures of Superman. Steve is also seen pointing "up in the sky" during the opening credits of the black and white episodes.

Thomas Carr retired from directing in 1968. He died in Ventura, California on 23 April 1997.

Partial filmography

• A Heart to Let (1921) (*as a young actor)
• The Cherokee Flash, (1945)
• Red River Renegades, (1946)
• Jesse James Rides Again, (1947)
• Brick Bradford, (1947)
• Superman, (1948)
• Congo Bill, (1948)
• The Maverick, (1952)
• Dino, (1957)

Bibliography

• Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995, Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 30.

External links

• Thomas Carr at the Internet Movie Database