Donald Whitney Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1937-08-18)August 18, 1937 Hornell, New York, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 2019(2019-07-17) (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 an American film director, producer and screenwriter of Christian films. He was best known for theevangelicalChristian film seriesA Thief in the Night about theRapture andTribulation.
Thompson was born inHornell, New York. He graduated from Hamburg Central High School in 1956.
Upon graduating from high school, Thompson joined the Air Force where he served as a motion picture editorial specialist,[1] director and producer. He moved toDes Moines in 1967 to write a series of movies for General Motors. In 1968, he married his wife, Beverly. For a time, he made television programs for Paramount Pictures.[2]
In 1972, Thompson, a newlyborn again Christian, partnered withRussell Doughten to form the Christian film company Mark IV Pictures.[3]: 577-578 [2] Thompson wrote and directed 12 feature-length motion pictures, including the prophecy series that began withA Thief in the Night. According to film scholarHeather Hendershot,
"It would be hard to overstate the influence of Thompson's films on evangelical culture. Today, many teen evangelicals have not seenA Thief in the Night, but virtually every evangelical over thirty I've talked to is familiar with it, and most have seen it."[4]: 187
After twelve years and twelve pictures together, a disagreement over management and distribution forced Thompson out of Mark IV in 1984.[3]: 355 Doughten retained Mark IV Pictures, while Thompson signed on with American Media in Des Moines.[5]: 66
The Christian and secular film industries alike have praised Thompson's work. Harry Bristow of the Christian Film Distributors Association calls him "the finest director in the industry."[5]: 65
Thompson also spent time as a radio disk jockey atKRNT in Des Moines, and did a Christian radio broadcast onKWKY in Des Moines.[5]: 69
He died in 2019 in Iowa.[6]
| 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) |
| 1986 | The Miracle Man | International Silver Screen Award,New York Times Film Critics' Award[5]: 66 |
| 1987 | Life Flight: The Movie | Producer, Director, Writer (screenplay/story) |
| 1993 | Alone in the Dark (Short) | Producer, Director |
| International | |
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| National | |
