CTVA Profile - Director- Thomas Carr
Profile - Director - Thomas Carr
Compiled for ctva by
Sal Crisanti
<crisanti52@netscape.net>
BEFORE BECOMING
ONE THE MOST BUSY AND PROLIFIC DIRECTORS IN TELEVISION, THOMAS CARR WAS
TURNING OUT TOP-NOTCH B-WESTERNS AT REPUBLIC PICTURES DURING THE 1940 ERA.
IN 1945 AND'46, CARR DIRECTED SOME OF THE MOST ACTION-CRAMMED WESTERNS IN
THE GENRE:
"THE CHEROKEE FLASH","SANTA FE SADDLEMATES","BANDITS OF THE
BADLANDS",
"ROUGH RIDERS OF CHEYENNE", ALL STARRING SUNSET CARSON.
TWO YEARS AFTER THAT TOMMY WAS ABLE TO DIRECT SIX COMPLETE WESTERN FEATURES
FOR LIPPERT PICTURES, STARRING JIMMY ELLISON AND RUSSELL HAYDEN.
HE RECOGNIZED EARLY ON THAT TV WAS GOING TO TAKE
OVER WHERE THE "B" MOVIE HAD LEFT OFF. WITH SOME CONNECTIONS HE HAD IN THE
BUSINESS, TOMMY CARR SLOWLY MIGRATED INTO NEW TV SERIES LIKE:
"WILD BILL HICKOK,"
"THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN",
"HOPALONG CASSIDY" AND MORE.
BESIDES HELMING WESTERNS, CARR CO-DIRECTED WITH THE LEGENDARY DIRECTOR-
WRITER SPENCER GORDON BENNETT, THE FIRST 'SUPERMAN' (COLUMBIA PICTURES)(1948)
SERIAL, STARRING KIRK ALYN.
AFTER WORKING ON SEVERAL TELEVISION SERIES DURING THE EARLY '50'S, THOMAS
CARR WENT BACK INTO THEATRICAL FILMS TO DIRECT SOME MORE WESTERNS
FOR ALLIED ARTISTS PICTURES
STARRING BILL ELLIOT:
("THE MAVERICK"(1952),(REBEL CITY"(1953),"TOPEKA"(1953),
"THE FORTY-NINERS"(1953),
AND WAYNE MORRIS:
"STAR OF TEXAS"(1953),"THE FIGHTING LAWMAN'(1953),
"THE DESPERADO"(1954).
THESE FILMS WERE CONSIDERED BY SOME TO BE MORE OF AN "ADULT" WESTERN.
WHEN HE RETURNED TO DIRECTING FOR TELEVISION, THOMAS CARR HAD REALLY
FOUND HIS NICHE IN THE MORE GROWN-UP WESTERNS LIKE:
"WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE"(1958-1961),
"BONANZA"(1959-1973),
"TRACKDOWN",(1957-1959),
"CHEYENNE",(1955-1963),
"RAWHIDE"(1959-1966).
BESIDES WESTERNS, THOMAS CARR WAS BEHIND THE CAMERA FOR OTHER TV SHOWS
LIKE:
"GOODYEAR THEATRE"(1957-1960),
"RICHARD DIAMOND PRIVATE DETECTIVE"(1957-1959),
"THE DAVID NIVEN SHOW"(1959-1963),
"The Dick Powell Show" (1961-1963).
THOMAS CARR TV CREDITS ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO LIST, BUT HE WAS STILL ACTIVELY
WORKING INTO THE LATE 1960'S HELMING SUCH SERIES
AS:
"HONEY WEST"(1965-1966)AND "FELONY SQUAD'(1966-1969).
THOMAS CARR RETIRED IN 1970. HIS LAST TV DIRECTORIAL ASSIGNMENT WAS:
"THE GUNS OF WILL SONNETT"(1967-1969).
HE WAS A REAL PROFESSIONAL.
Compiled for ctva by Sal Crisanti
<crisanti52@netscape.net>
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