Tommy Lee Wallace

Last updated
Tommy Lee Wallace
Tommy Lee Wallace Photo Op Animate Nightmare Weekend Des Moines 2024 (cropped).jpg
Wallace in 2024
Born
Thomas Lee Wallace

(1949-09-06) September 6, 1949 (age 75)
Other names
  • Tommy L. Wallace
  • Tom Wallace
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Spouse Nancy Kyes (divorced)
Children2

Thomas Lee Wallace (born September 6, 1949) is an American film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror genre, directing films such as Halloween III: Season of the Witch and Fright Night Part 2 and also directing the 1990 television miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's epic horror novel It . He is a long-time collaborator of director John Carpenter, receiving his first credit as art director on Carpenter's directorial debut Dark Star . Along with Charles Bornstein, he edited both the original Halloween film and The Fog .

Contents

Early life and education

Born Thomas Lee Wallace in Somerset, Kentucky to Robert G. and Kathleen Wallace, he has one older sister, Linda. He grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and attended high school at Western Kentucky University teachers training school (College High).

Career

Wallace entered the film business while attending USC film school, starting as an art director and film editor for commercials and industrial films. While in school, he began collaborating with childhood friend and fellow student John Carpenter, working on Carpenter's Dark Star (1974), a low-budget, science-fiction comedy that began as a student film. In 1976, he worked as sound effects editor and art director on Carpenter's second film, Assault on Precinct 13 . He continued working with Carpenter, serving as production designer and co-editor of Halloween (1978) and The Fog (1980). In addition to his behind-the-scenes duties for these last two films, Wallace also appeared in front of the camera: intermittently as The Shape (the masked Michael Myers in the closet scene) in Halloween, and in The Fog as several different ghosts; his voice was also featured in both films as TV/radio announcers.

For Halloween II , John Carpenter (who was producing) initially offered directorial responsibilities to Wallace. After careful deliberation, Wallace declined, citing disappointment with the script (the job eventually went to Rick Rosenthal). He did, however, agree to write and direct the third film in the franchise, Halloween III: Season of the Witch , which was the first and only one to deviate from the Michael Myers storyline (Wallace's voice was also featured as the announcer and the munchkin singers in the "Silver Shamrock" commercial).

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Wallace continued to write and direct for television and film. Notable work includes writing the screenplay for 1982's Amityville II: The Possession ; co-writing and directing 1988's Fright Night Part 2 starring Roddy McDowell; and adapting and directing the 1990 television miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's epic horror novel It .

Wallace's work in television was varied, including directing episodes of the cult TV series Max Headroom ; the 1980s revival of The Twilight Zone ; and Baywatch . At the height of television film popularity in the 1990s, Wallace directed several notable films, including an adaptation of the Vincent Bugliosi novel, And the Sea Will Tell (1991), The Comrades of Summer (1992), Steel Chariots (1997), and The Spree (1998).

In 1983, he co-wrote a second draft of the film adaptation of the 1980 novel The Ninja with Carpenter. [1] In 1986, he performed the title song of Carpenter's film Big Trouble in Little China as part of the band The Coup de Villes, alongside Carpenter and another friend, Nick Castle.

Personal life

Wallace is divorced from actress Nancy Kyes, with whom he has two children. He still lives in California and continues to write.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriter
1982 Amityville II: The Possession NoYes
1982 Halloween III: Season of the Witch YesYes
1988 Aloha Summer YesNo
Fright Night Part 2 YesYes
1989 Far from Home NoYes
2002 Vampires: Los Muertos YesYes
TBAHelliversityYesYes

Acting credits

YearTitleRole
1978 Halloween Michael Myers (closet scene)
1980 The Fog Ghost
1982 Halloween III: Season of the Witch Silver Shamrock Commercial Announcer (Voice role)
1986 The Boy Who Could Fly The Coupe de Villes
2002 Vampires: Los Muertos Scared Guy
2011 The Fields Hotel Bar Patron #4

Other credits

YearTitleRole
1974 Dark Star Associate art director
1976 Assault on Precinct 13 Sound effects and art director
1978 Halloween Editor and production designer
1980 The Fog
1986 Big Trouble in Little China 2nd unit director
2011 The Fields Associate producer

Television

YearTitleDirectorWriterNotes
1985–1986 The Twilight Zone YesYesDirected episodes "Dreams for Sale" and "Little Boy Lost";
Wrote and directed episode "The Leprechaun-Artist"
1987 Max Headroom YesNo2 episodes
1989 Tour of Duty YesNoEpisode "Nightmare"
CBS Summer Playhouse YesNoEpisode "Outpost"
A Peaceable Kingdom YesNoEpisode "Elephant"
Baywatch YesNoEpisode "Cruise Ship"
1990 Stephen King's It YesYesMiniseries
1995–1996 Flipper YesNo3 episodes

TV movies

YearTitleDirectorWriter
1990 El Diablo NoYes
1991 And the Sea Will Tell YesNo
1992 The Comrades of Summer YesNo
Danger Island YesNo
1994 Witness to the Execution YesNo
Green Dolphin Beat YesNo
1996 Born Free: A New Adventure YesNo
Once You Meet a Stranger YesYes
1997 Steel Chariots YesNo
1998The SpreeYesNo
Final JusticeYesNo
2004 12 Days of Terror NoYes

Awards

YearResultAwardCategory/Recipient(s)
1981Nominated Saturn Award Best Special Effects for The Fog
Shared with:
Richard Albain
James F. Liles
1991Won ACE Award Writing a Movie or Miniseries for El Diablo
Shared with:
John Carpenter
Bill Phillips
1989Nominated International Fantasy Film Award Best Film for Fright Night Part 2

References

  1. Rainville, Keith J. (April 17, 2016). ""THE NINJA" vs. "THE NINJA: The Movie"". VintageNinja.net. Retrieved October 25, 2019.

Bibliography