Early Life and Career
Marshall Thompson was an American actor who starred as veterinarian Marsh Tracy in the 1960s Africa-based television series Daktari. He was born on November 27, 1925, in Peoria, Illinois, and moved to California with his parents when he was a year old. He attended University High School, where he was a classmate of Marilyn Monroe, and later enrolled at Occidental College, where he studied drama
He began his acting career in 1944, when he was signed by Universal Pictures and appeared in several war-era films. He then moved to MGM, where he played leading roles in movies such as Gallant Bess, Battleground, and Dial 1119. He also narrated the storyline in Stars in My Crown
Transition to Television and Daktari
In the 1950s, Thompson became a freelance actor and worked in various genres, including horror, science fiction, and biographical films. He starred in cult classics such as Cult of the Cobra, Fiend Without a Face, and It! The Terror from Beyond Space. He also portrayed war hero Audie Murphy in To Hell and Back
In 1960, he co-starred with Annie Fargé in the CBS sitcom Angel, about an American architect and his French wife. The show lasted for one season
In 1966, he landed his most famous role as Marsh Tracy, a veterinarian who runs an animal study center in East Africa, in the TV series Daktari. The show was based on the 1965 film Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion, in which Thompson also starred. The show featured a lion named Clarence and a chimpanzee named Judy, who became popular characters with the audience. The show ran for four seasons and 89 episodes until 1969
Later Years and Death
After Daktari, Thompson continued to act in films and TV shows, mostly in guest roles. He also became a producer and director, working on projects such as The Killer Inside Me, The Turning Point, and Bog
He developed a lifelong passion for Africa and wildlife, and became an avid photographer, horseman, and guitarist. He was married to Barbara Long, an actress and singer, since 1949. They had one daughter, Janet, and one grandson, Jackson
Thompson died of congestive heart failure on May 18, 1992, in Royal Oak, Michigan. He was 66 years old He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles
He is remembered as a versatile and talented actor, who brought joy and adventure to millions of viewers with his portrayal of Marsh Tracy in Daktari.
