More than 250 movies have been filmed in San Antonio since the first movie studio in Texas opened in the city in 1910. They range from silent flickers to major Hollywood productions, off-beat independent films, low-budget horror films and everything in between. Some of history's most honored and loved films have been filmed in San Antonio, including the winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture.
A broad San Antonio presence is obvious in some: Cloak and Dagger (1984), Still Breathing (1998), Evenhand (2000). Others draw on the city's longstanding relationship with the military: Wings (1927), West Point of the Air (1935), Air Cadet (1951), plus a host of Alamo films beginning with The Immortal Alamo (1911). San Antonio also substitutes for such places as the Old South (The Warrens of Virginia, 1924), Chicago (The Big Brawl, 1980), even Africa (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, 1995).
Frank Thompson sorts it all out in this entertainingly written, dramatically illustrated (109 illustrations) and thoroughly researched work, concluding with a landmark San Antonio filmography. He leaves no doubt about the richness of the filmmaking heritage that gives San Antonio claim to the title "Texas Hollywood."
Frank Thompson is an author, comedy writer, filmmaker and film historian. From his home base in California he has written, directed and/or produced several film-related documentaries. He frequently lectures on topics related to cinema history. Among his books are William A. Wellman, Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas," Alamo Movies, I Was That Masked Man (with Clayton Moore), Lost Films and The Alamo: A Cultural History.
Frank Thompson is a filmmaker, comedy writer and film historian, the author of 38 books.
His most recent television work includes "Southern Fried Stings" (truTV, 2010), "High School Reunion" (TV Land, 2009), "Stringers: LA" (Tru TV, 2008-2009), "Party Heat" (Tru TV, 2008-2009), "Dance Machine" (ABC, 2008), "Speeders" (Court TV, 2007) and "Bandits vs. Smokies" (CMT, 2007). He wrote and directed a special for American Movie Classics: "The Great Christmas Movies" (1998). Other television credits include "The Bachelor: Paris" (ABC, 2006), "Blind Date" (1999-2003), "The Fifth Wheel" (2003), "Fast Food Films" (FX, 1998-99) "Reel Wild Cinema" (USA Network, 1996 - 1997), "Hollywood Babylon" (syndicated, 1992) and others.
He has written hundreds of introductory scripts for American Movie Classics hosts Cher, Alec Baldwin, Jodie Foster, Winona Ryder, Billy Bob Thornton, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Stefanie Powers, Morgan Fairchild, Phyllis Diller, Brendan Fraser, Shirley Jones, Ali MacGraw, Kirsten Dunst, Lesley-Anne Down, Patrick Wayne, Lesley Ann Warren, Sean Young and many others.
He wrote and co-produced "Frank Capra: A Personal Remembrance" (VidAmerica, 1992), and "The Making of 'It's a Wonderful Life'" (Republic Pictures, 1991), both of which appear on the DVD and Blu-Ray releases of "It's a Wonderful Life."
Thompson has contributed to several film encyclopedia and has written for magazines such as American Cinematographer, American Film, Film Comment, The Big Frame, The Hollywood Reporter, The Disney Channel Magazine, Sight and Sound, Tower Pulse! and Texas Monthly.
He has also written for many newspapers, notably The Atlanta Journal & Constitution, The Miami Herald, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, The San Antonio Express News.
He served as Guest Curator for a major museum exhibit called "Hollywood Comes to South Carolina: A Century of Filmmaking in the Palmetto State" which ran from January through October, 2008 at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia SC. This was a follow-up to his exhibit "Texas Movies" which ran in 2005 at the Bob Bullock State History Museum in Austin, Texas.
In 2004 he had a cameo appearance in "The Alamo" and also wrote two books that tied in with the film: "The Alamo: A Novel" (2004, Hyperion) and "The Alamo: The Illustrated Story of the Epic Film" (2004, Newmarket).
He has written and/or produced several videos and have contributed audio commentary to more than a dozen classic films, notably "Wild Boys of the Road" (1933), "The Time of Their Lives" (1946), "McLintock!" (1963), "Hondo" (1953) and "Track of the Cat" (1954).
And he appears onscreen in many documentaries, most recently on the Blu-Ray release of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (2009).
Frank Thompson lives in North Hollywood, California with his wife Claire McCulloch and their dogs Maggie and Jake.
