Donald W. Thompson
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Donald Whitney Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 18, 1937 Hornell, New York, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 2019 (aged 81) Iowa, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, producer and screenwriter |
| Years active | 1959–1993 |
Donald Whitney Thompson (August 18, 1937 – July 17, 2019) was a film director, producer and screenwriter of Christian films. He was best known for his an evangelical Christian film series A Thief in the Night about the Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming of Christ.
Life and career
Thompson was born in Hornell, New York. He graduated from Hamburg Central High School in 1956.
Upon graduating high school Don joined the Air Force where he served as a motion picture editorial specialist,[1] director and producer. Don came to Des Moines in 1967 to write a series of movies for General Motors. He fell in love with an Iowa girl, Beverly, and they were married in 1968.
In the 1972 Donald with Russell Doughten formed a Christian film company Mark IV Pictures[2]. Don wrote and directed 12 feature-length motion pictures, including the action-packed prophecy series that began with "A Thief In The Night". He died in 2019 in Iowa.[3]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Candle in the Wind (TV Movie) | Producer, Director |
| 1972 | A Thief in the Night | Producer, Director, Writer (story) |
| 1974 | The Enemy | Director |
| 1974 | Blood on the Mountain | Producer, Director, Writer (screenplay/story) |
| 1975 | Survival | Producer, Director, Writer (story/screenplay) |
| 1976 | A Stranger in My Forest | Producer, Director, Writer (screenplay) |
| 1977 | All the King's Horses | Director, Writer |
| 1978 | A Distant Thunder | Producer, Director, Writer (screenplay/story) |
| 1979 | Paradise Trail | Producer, Director, Writer (screenplay) |
| 1980 | Heaven's Heroes | Producer, Director, Writer (screenplay) |
| 1980 | Image of the Beast | Producer, Director, Writer (screenplay/story) |
| 1981 | Home Safe | Director, Writer |
| 1982 | Face in the Mirror | Actor |
| 1983 | The Prodigal Planet | Producer, Director, Writer (screenplay/story) |
| 1984 | The Shepherd | Producer, Director, Writer (original story) |
| 1987 | Life Flight: The Move | Producer, Director, Writer (screenplay/story) |
| 1993 | Alone in the Dark (Short) | Producer, Director |
References
For an account of Thompson's life and influence within evangelicals, see Randall Balmer, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America, chap. 3.