Tom Laughlin (actor)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tom Laughlin (born August 10, 1931) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, author, psychologist, and political activist. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Laughlin is best known for his series of Billy Jack films.
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[edit] Background
Laughlin began his on-screen acting career in the 1955 feature film Climax! From there he went on to appear in numerous feature films including: These Wilder Years, Tea and Sympathy and South Pacific. He also appeared in several episodes of various television series throughout the late 1950s and 1960s. He also appeared in Gidget (1959) as "Lover Boy."
Laughlin's first starring role was in Robert Altman's 1957 film The Delinquents. He made his directorial debut three years later with 1960's The Proper Time. In 1963, he was the editor of the cult classic The Slime People. He was also the writer, director, and star of 1965's The Young Sinner.
In 1967 he directed (as T. C. Frank) and starred in the film The Born Losers. This was the first film in which the character of Billy Jack appeared. He followed this up with the sequel, Billy Jack, which was very successful, and The Trial of Billy Jack, which was also successful. But the 1977 version of the franchise, Billy Jack Goes to Washington, was a failure, and proved to be Laughlin's last film as a director.
He is currently seeking funding for a fifth Billy Jack film in two parts. When originally announced in 2004, it was entitled Billy Jack's Crusade to End the War in Iraq and Restore America to Its Moral Purpose; this was shortened to Billy Jack's Moral Revolution in 2006. In 2008, the film was titled Billy Jack for President. Recently, it has been re-titled Billy Jack and Jean. Laughlin promises it will be a "new genre of film": a great deal of social commentary on politics, religion, psychology, etc. will be discussed, and a debate will take place between Billy Jack and President Bush via computer manipulation of archived speeches.
Prior to the financial failure of Billy Jack Goes to Washington he also wrote, directed and starred in, alongside Super Fly star Ron O'Neal, the 1975 feature film The Master Gunfighter. This was a cult film success; it was set in the old west and the lead characters fought their battle with a combination of pistols and samurai swords. However it was a box office failure.
He also directed 1969's The Babysitter, as well as Weekend With the Babysitter and The Touch of Satan, both released in 1971.
Laughlin has continued acting, appearing in such features as The Big Sleep and The Legend of the Lone Ranger.
[edit] Politics
In recent years, Laughlin has turned his attention to politics, an arena that has always interested him. In 1992 he sought the Democratic Party nomination for President, and appeared on the primary ballots in New Hampshire and Louisiana. He campaigned on a platform of a tax cut for "ordinary Americans," term limits, an overhaul of public education, and universal health care. Despite being excluded from debates by party officials who did not consider him a serious candidate, he received 3,251 votes, or about 2%, in the New Hampshire primary. He ran for president again in 2004, this time as a Republican. Campaigning as an opponent of the Iraq war, he received 154 votes (0.23%). He has also expressed interest in running for Governor of California.
Laughlin has been an outspoken critic of the Iraq War, and his website presents several writings on why it is turning out to be worse than the Vietnam War, in addition to pieces on what he calls "realistic exit strategies." He also devotes several pages of the Billy Jack website to reasons that he feels justify an impeachment of George W. Bush, and has also repeatedly stated the need for a viable, mainstream 3rd political party.
[edit] Health
In 2001 the public learned Laughlin was suffering from cancer of the tongue. [1] His website says it is in remission. [2] He has written The Psychology of Cancer, a book about faith, attitude and such factors that may have an alternative effect on the progression of cancer. [3]
On November 20, 2007, he posted a video on YouTube explaining that his poor health caused him to leave his BillyJack.com website in a dormant state. He is suffering from Coeliac disease, an auto-immune disorder. On the video, he announced that he had the condition under control, has updated the website, is continuing his plans for a new Billy Jack film, and announced his intention to run for President of the United States.
[edit] Bibliography
Laughlin has written several books over the years, most of which are presently out of print.
- How to invest in motion pictures ... and why you shouldn't 1972
- The Master Gunfighter 1975
- Jungian Theory and Therapy (Jungian Psychology, Vol. 2) 1982
- The 6 psychological factors that may lead to cancer and what you can do about them 1990
- The Cancer Personality 1998
- 9 Indispensable Ingredients That Are Always Present in Every Hit Film 1999
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official Billy Jack website, including information on Tom Laughlin's political aspirations
- Tom Laughlin at the Internet Movie Database
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