Tommy Kirk (1941-)

biography

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, on December 10, 1941, Tommy Kirk was raised in Los Angeles. At the age of 13, he was discovered while performing in a local production of Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness. Kirk began a long association with Disney Studios in 1955 in the Hardy Boys serials that aired on ABC-TV's Mickey Mouse Club. Undoubtedly the finest child actor to emerge from Disney, Tommy Kirk acted in some of Disney's biggest moneymakers, including Old Yeller (1957; with Dorothy McGuire), The Shaggy Dog (1959; with Fred MacMurray), and The Absent-Minded Professor (1961; with Fred MacMurray), easily handling both dramatic and comedic roles.

Following the production of Disney's The Monkey's Uncle (1965), Kirk was released from his contract; this film was also Annette Funicello's last for Disney. The talented Kirk easily found other film roles, and went to work for American International Pictures (AIP) making beach party films. Kirk's first film for AIP was the 1964 release Pajama Party with Annette Funicello and Jody McCrea. He also starred in Village of the Giants (1965; with Joy Harmon) and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966; with Deborah Walley). Unfortunately, the beach party genre folded, which left Kirk to contend with lesser scripts. In the late 1960s he was also contending with drug and alcohol problems, none of which did his career any favors.

the films of tommy kirk

Old Yeller (1957)

Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

Bon Voyage! (1962)

Son of Flubber (1963)

The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964)

Pajama Party (1964)

The Monkey's Uncle (1965)

Village of the Giants (1965)

The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966)

Mars Needs Women (1966)

The Unkissed Bride (1966)

Track of Thunder (1967)

Catalina Caper (1967)

It's a Bikini World (1967)

tommy kirk today

By the late 1960s, Tommy Kirk's acting career was over. In the early 1970s, plagued by substance abuse, Kirk left acting after appearing in Al Adamson's Blood of Ghastly Horror (1971; with John Carradine and Regina Carrol). Fortunately, he mustered the strength and willpower to end to his drug and alcohol problems. Later in the 1970s Kirk started a successful carpet-cleaning business.

In the 1980s, Kirk began making irregular but welcome appearances in direct-to-video films, including the low-budget Streets of Death (1987). He has made a handful of film appearances since, such as Fred Olen Ray's campy Attack of the 60-Foot Centerfold (1995; with Russ Tamblyn and and Ross Hagen). His latest film to date is the horror flick The Education of a Vampire (2001).

tommy kirk films available from movies unlimited

Old Yeller 2-Movie Collection [DVD] DVD
Get the hankies ready for this double-bill of family classics. First, "Old Yeller" (1957) is Disney's deeply moving drama set in the Texas frontier of the 1860s about a farm family who find their lives changed by the stray yellow dog they take in. Fess Parker, Dorothy McGuire, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran star. And, Old Yeller's son continues his father's legacy, protecting siblings Kirk and Corcoran against wild animals and an attack by hostile Indians in 19th-century Texas, in "Savage Sam" (1963). With Jeff York, Brian Keith. 188 min. total on two discs. Widescreen (Enhanced)/Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English (SDH), French; interview; featurette; bonus short "Bone Trouble" (1940).
The Snow Queen [DVD](1957) DVD
An enchanting animated version of Hans Christian Andersen's timeless tale of a young girl who journeys to a frigid land to find her friend, imprisoned by a heartless queen. Filmed in the USSR, the film was adapted for U.S. audiences with additional music, the voices of Sandra Dee, Tommy Kirk and Paul Frees, and an introduction by Art Linkletter. 74 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
The Shaggy Dog [DVD](1959) DVD
Thanks to a magical ring, a teenager is transformed into a sheepdog and has to perform an act of bravery in order to change back in this doggone funny film, Disney's first live-action comedy. Fred MacMurray, Tommy Kirk, Annette Funicello, Jean Hagen star. Includes both the original black-and-white and the newly colorized versions; 102 min./97 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish, French; featurette; audio commentary.
The Shaggy Dog (1959)/The Shaggy D.A. (1976) [DVD] DVD
Two-disc set includes "The Shaggy Dog" (1959) and "The Shaggy D.A."
Swiss Family Robinson [DVD](1960) DVD
Adventure classic from Walt Disney about a shipwrecked family who try to make a paradise out of the South Seas island on which they're stranded. They battle the elements, tame wild animals and square off against a nasty gang of pirates. John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, Sessue Hayakawa, Tommy Kirk and James MacArthur star. 126 min.
Babes In Toyland [DVD](1961) DVD
Grand Disney adaptation of the holiday musical favorite "March of the Wooden Soldiers" stars Tommy Sands and Annette Funicello as Mother Goose Land lovers Tom Piper and Mary Contrary, Ray Bolger as wicked Mr. Barnaby, and Ed Wynn as the addlebrained Toymaker. 105 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital Surround.
The Absent-Minded Professor [DVD](1961) DVD
One of the most popular of Disney's live-action films was this whimsical comedy. Fred MacMurray stars as the addled academian who invents a miraculous anti-gravity substance he calls "flubber" and uses it to propel his school's basketball team to victory and send his Model T on a flight around Washington. With Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Kirk. 97 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital Surround.
The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)/Son Of Flubber (1963) [DVD] DVD
Two-disc set includes "The Absent-Minded Professor" and "Son of Flubber."
Bon Voyage! [DVD](1962) DVD
Harry Willard's (Fred MacMurray) dream vacation with his family in France was everything he expected and then some: he didn't count on his wife (Jane Wyman) having to dodge a relentless Hungarian admirer, his daughter (Deborah Walley) taking up with a young playboy, and his being lost in the Paris sewer system. 132 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish.
Son Of Flubber [DVD](1963) DVD
The first sequel made by the Disney studio returns Fred MacMurray to the role of addled academician Ned Brainard. Among the crazy creations he comes up with to save his college are "flubbergas," a "dry rain" gun, and more. With Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Kirk. 100 min.
The Misadventures Of Merlin Jones [DVD](1964) DVD
Tommy Kirk and Annette Funicello star in this slapstick Disney comedy about a college "genius" whose latest invention, a mind-reading machine, backfires and lands him in hot water with a judge. With Leon Ames, Stuart Erwin, Alan Hewitt. 92 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish; photo gallery; video gallery.
The Unkissed Bride [DVD](1966) DVD
A newlywed couple faces a strange problem on their honeymoon: the hubby faints every time his wife kisses him thanks to his childhood obsession with Mother Goose! Can a psychiatrist (and liberal doses of LSD) help get him over this strange affliction? Wacky, sexy comedy stars Tommy Kirk, Anne Helm, and Henny Youngman as himself. AKA: "Mother Goose a Go Go." 82 min.
War Of The Robots (1978)/It's Alive [DVD](1969) DVD
First, in "War of the Robots," the people of the planet Anthor kidnap the best of Earth's genetic scientists in a desperate gambit to save their race. "Star Wars"-inspired sci-fi tale stars Antonio Sabato, Yanti Somer, Melissa Long. AKA: "Reactor," "Robots," "Stratostars." Then, in "It's Alive," a rancher finds a monstrous lizard-like creature in a cave and begins feeding it unsuspecting travellers. Tommy Kirk, Shirley Bond star; directed by Larry Buchanan. Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.

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filmography

FILM
The Education of a Vampire (2001)
Club Dead (2000)
Billy Frankenstein (1998)
Little Miss Magic (1998) with Russ Tamblyn; directed by Fred Olen Ray
Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold (1995) with Russ Tamblyn, Ross Hagen, and Stanley Livingston; directed by Fred Olen Ray
My Name is Legend (1976)
Blood of Ghastly Horror (1972) with Regina Carrol, Kent Taylor, and John Carradine; directed by Al Adamson
Ride the Hot Wind (1971)
It's Alive! (1969) with Bill Thurman; directed by Larry Buchanan
Track of Thunder (1968) with Faith Domergue and Brenda Benet
Catalina Caper (1967) with Del Moore, Michael Blodgett, Peter Duryea, Little Richard, Lyle Waggoner, Robert Donner, and Jim Begg
It's a Bikini World (1967) with Deborah Walley, Bobby "Boris" Pickett, and Suzie Kaye
The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966) with Deborah Walley, Aron Kincaid, Quinn O'Hara, Boris Karloff, Patsy Kelly, Susan Hart, and Basil Rathbone
Mars Needs Women (1966) with Yvonne Craig; directed by Larry Buchanan
The Unkissed Bride (1966) with Jacques Bergerac, Henny Youngman, and Anne Helm
The Monkey's Uncle (1965) with Annette Funicello
Village of the Giants (1965) with Beau Bridges, Joy Harmon, Johnny Crawford, Toni Basil, Ronnie Howard, and the Beau Brummels
Pajama Party (1964) with Elsa Lancester, Jesse White, Jody McCrea, Annette Funicello, Bobbi Shaw, and Donna Loren
The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964) with Annette Funicello
Son of Flubber (1963) with Fred MacMurray, Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Ed Wynn, William Demarest, Paul Lynde, and Joanna Moore
Savage Sam (1963) with Brian Keith, Kevin Corcoran, and Marta Kristen
Bon Voyage! (1962) with Deborah Walley, Fred MacMurray, Michael Callen, Jane Wyman, and Kevin Corcoran
Escapade in Florence (1962) with Annette Funicello
Moon Pilot (1962) with Tom Tryon, Brian Keith, and Edmond O'Brien
The Absent Minded Professor (1961) with Fred MacMurray, Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Elliott Reid, and Jack Mullaney
Babes in Toyland (1961) with Annette Funicello, Tommy Sands, and Kevin Corcoran
The Horsemasters (1961) with Annette Funicello and Janet Munro
Swiss Family Robinson (1960) with Dorothy McGuire, Janet Munro, and James MacArthur
The Shaggy Dog (1959) with Fred MacMurray, Annette Funicello, Jean Hagen, Tim Considine, Kevin Corcoran, Cecil Kellaway, and Roberta Shore
Old Yeller (1957) with Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, Chuck Connors, Beverly Washburn, and Kevin Corcoran
Down Liberty Road (1957) with Marshall Thompson and Angie Dickinson
The Mystery of the Ghost Farm (1956) with Tim Considine
The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure (1955) with Tim Considine

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
The Streets of San Francisco, episode Deadline, originally aired February 15, 1973
Mr. Novak, episode Love in the Wrong Season, originally aired December 3, 1963
Angel, episode Goodbye, Young Lovers, originally aired May 17, 1961
Bachelor Father, episode A Key for Kelly, originally aired November 19, 1959
The Millionaire, episode Millionaire Charles Bradwell, originally aired June 10, 1959
Playhouse 90, episode A Corner of the Garden, originally aired April 23, 1959
The Californians, episode Little Lost Man, originally aired December 3, 1957
Matinee Theatre, episode The Others, originally aired February 15, 1957
Matinee Theatre, episode The Outing, originally aired November 2, 1956
The Loretta Young Show, episode Little League, originally aired September 16, 1956
Gunsmoke, episode Cow Doctor, originally aired September 8, 1956
Crossroads, episode The Rabbi Davis Story, originally aired June 8, 1956
Big Town, episode Adult Delinquents, originally aired May 8, 1956
The Loretta Young Show, episode But for God's Grace, originally aired April 1, 1956
Frontier, episode The Devil and Doctor O'Hara, originally aired February 5, 1956
TV Reader's Digest, episode The Last of the Old Time Shooting Sheriffs, originally aired January 17, 1955

tommy kirk links

Gay Today: The Tommy Kirk Story
This site contains a write-up on the film career of openly gay actor Tommy Kirk.

tommy kirk film now showing

Watch Tommy Kirk's 1969 horror film It's Alive!

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