This page is sponsored by:
Tommy Kirk Original and Reproduction Posters and Photos Available From Movie Goods
Tommy Kirk
1941-
Updated 2/2/2007 with more films available on DVD.
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)
From Disney's well-crafted tearjerker Old Yeller with Kevin Corcoran
Bon Voyage! (1962)
From the cute Disney movie Bon Voyage!. LEFT: With Deborah Walley, Fred MacMurray, Kevin Corcoran, and Jane Wyman as the Willard family. RIGHT: Kirk as Elliott Willard
Son of Flubber (1963)
From Disney's Son of Flubber with Fred MacMurray
The Monkey's Uncle (1965)
A dapper Kirk escorts Annette Funicello in Disney's The Monkey's Uncle
From Village of the Giants with Vickie London, Toni Basil, and Johnny Crawford
Mars Needs Women (1966)
Perhaps one of the best exploitation film titles ever, Mars Needs Women was produced by AIP's TV subsidiary and directed by Larry Buchanan on a budget of about $25,000.
The Unkissed Bride (1966)
From The Unkissed Bride with Anne Helm
Catalina Caper (1967)
From Catalina Caper. LEFT: With love interest Ulla Strömstedt. RIGHT: Kirk in a scuffle with one of the bad guys
With Deborah Walley in the fun low-budget beach flick It's a Bikini World
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 highly successful carpet-cleaning business in Los Angeles.
LEFT: Tommy Kirk in a 1990 photo. RIGHT: Cast member photo from Attack of the 60-Foot Centerfold (1995). Left to right: Russ Tamblyn, Tommy Kirk, Stanley Livingston (Chip from My Three Sons), and Ross Hagen. Seated: Director Fred Olen Ray
In the 1980s, Kirk began making irregular but welcome appearances in direct-to-video, 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).
Walt Disney Treasures: The Hardy Boys: The Mickey Mouse Club: 1956-1957 [DVD] DVD
Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk star as sleuthing siblings Joe and Frank Hardy in this collection of the first 20 mystery installments that aired on "The Mickey Mouse Club" during 1956 and 1957. 4 1/2 hrs. on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH); featurettes; photo gallery.
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).
Old Yeller(1957) VHS
Disney's deeply moving family 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. 89 min.
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.
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.
Swiss Family Robinson(1960) VHS
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. NOTE: This Title Is Out Of Print; Limit One Per Customer.
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.
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.
Attack Of The Puppet People (1958)/Village Of The Giants (1965) [DVD] DVD
It's teenagers both tiny and titanic in a twin bill from director Bert I. Gordon. First, a demented old dollmaker discovers a way to miniaturize humans with a special machine, then keeps them as his personal playthings. "Attack of the Puppet People" stars John Hoyt, John Agar and June Kenney. AKA: "Fantastic Puppet People." Next, when some delinquents down an experimental formula and shoot up to King Kong-sized proportions, they start pushing adults around and turn a town into the "Village of the Giants." Beau Bridges, Tommy Kirk, Johnny Crawford, Tisha Sterling, and Ronny Howard as "Genius" star. 158 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; theatrical trailers.
Village Of The Giants [VHS](1965) VHS
When some teenagers drink a secret formula and become 60-foot adolescents, every adult in town learns to show them respect. Classic camp sci-fi romp with Tommy Kirk, Tisha Sterling, Beau Bridges, The Beau Brummels, Joy Harmon, and Ronny Howard as "Genius." 80 min. NOTE: This Title Is Out Of Print; Limit One Per Customer.
Ghost Of Dragstrip Hollow (1959)/Ghost In The Invisible Bikini (1966) [DVD] DVD
It's hot rods, hot bodies and haunted houses in this double bill of teen horror/comedies. Some rubber-burnin' guys and gals use an old mansion as their racing club's new hangout, but the building is apparently already home to the "Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow." Russ Bender, Jody Fair, and Leon Tyler as Bonzo the Clown star. Next, recently deceased Boris Karloff must perform a good deed to get into Heaven, so he convinces bikini-clad, ghostly ex-girlfriend Susan Hart to return to Earth and stop heir Tommy Kirk from being cheated out of his inheritance by crooked lawyer Basil Rathbone. The final official entry in the "Beach Party" series, "Ghost in the Invisible Bikini" also stars Deborah Walley, Nancy Sinatra, and Harvey Lembeck as Eric Von Zipper. 148 min. total. Standard/Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; theatrical trailer.
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 [DVD] DVD
Special four-disc set includes "Bloodlust," "Catalina Caper," "The Creeping Terror," and "The Skydivers."
It's Alive! (1969)/Year 2889 [DVD](1967) DVD
From the always incredible world of shlockmeister Larry Buchanan ("Beyond the Doors") comes this monstrous double bill. First, a rancher discovers a grotesque lizard-like creature in a cave and proceeds to find it unsuspecting travellers for meals in "It's Alive!," starring Tommy Kirk, Shirley Bond and Billy Thurman. Next, Buchanan's loose remake of Roger Corman's "The Day the World Ended" follows a group of nuclear war survivors as they fight hideous mutants to stay alive. With Paul Petersen, Quinn O'Hara, Neil Fletcher. 159 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; featurette.
It's Alive(1968) VHS
From the always incredible schlockmeister Larry Buchanan ("Zontar, The Thing From Venus," "Beyond the Doors") comes this tale of a rancher who discovers a monstrous lizard-like creature in a cave and proceeds to find it unsuspecting travellers for meals. Tommy Kirk, Shirley Bond and Billy Thurman star.
Blood Of Ghastly Horror [DVD](1971) DVD
Mad medico John Carradine develops a method of bringing the dead back to life. His latest experiment, involving a soldier killed in Vietnam, results in zombie-style terror. Made and first released in 1965, Al Adamson's shocker also stars Disney regular Tommy Kirk, Regina Carrol (Mrs. Adamson), Roy Morton and Kent Taylor. AKA: "The Fiend with the Atomic Brain," "The Man with the Synthetic Brain," "Psycho-a-Go-Go." 87 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; audio commentary; documentary; theatrical trailer; TV spots; scene access.
Attack Of The 60 Foot Centerfold [DVD](1995) DVD
Angel Grace, one of three women trying to win a Centerfold of the Year competition, attempts to enhance her assets by using a doctor's secret beauty program. But the endowments go awry, and Angel's body, along with her body parts, keep getting bigger. This spoof of 1950s sci-fi epics stars J.J. North, Michelle Bauer; Russ Tamblyn, Tommy Kirk and John ("Z-Man") LaZar provide cameos. 84 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; theatrical trailer; interactive menus; scene access.
out-of-print tommy kirk dvds available from amazon.com
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 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 Jo Anne Worley
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 and Janet Munro
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
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.
Click on the logo to go back to Brian's Drive-In Theater
This page premiered March 20, 1998.
Counter reset March 1, 2001.
Copyright and Disclaimer Information
