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Tommy Lee Wallace

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Tommy Lee Wallace
Wallace in 2024
Born
Thomas Lee Wallace

(1949-09-06) September 6, 1949 (age 75)
Other namesTommy L. Wallace
Tom Wallace
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter
SpouseNancy 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.

Early life and education

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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

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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

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

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Director Writer
1982 Amityville II: The Possession No Yes
1982 Halloween III: Season of the Witch Yes Yes
1988 Aloha Summer Yes No
Fright Night Part 2 Yes Yes
1989 Far from Home No Yes
2002 Vampires: Los Muertos Yes Yes
TBA Helliversity Yes Yes

Acting credits

Year Title Role
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

Year Title Role
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

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Year Title Director Writer Notes
1985–1986 The Twilight Zone Yes Yes Directed episodes "Dreams for Sale" and "Little Boy Lost";
Wrote and directed episode "The Leprechaun-Artist"
1987 Max Headroom Yes No 2 episodes
1989 Tour of Duty Yes No Episode "Nightmare"
CBS Summer Playhouse Yes No Episode "Outpost"
A Peaceable Kingdom Yes No Episode "Elephant"
Baywatch Yes No Episode "Cruise Ship"
1990 Stephen King's It Yes Yes Miniseries
1995–1996 Flipper Yes No 3 episodes

TV movies

Year Title Director Writer
1990 El Diablo No Yes
1991 And the Sea Will Tell Yes No
1992 The Comrades of Summer Yes No
Danger Island Yes No
1994 Witness to the Execution Yes No
Green Dolphin Beat Yes No
1996 Born Free: A New Adventure Yes No
Once You Meet a Stranger Yes Yes
1997 Steel Chariots Yes No
1998 The Spree Yes No
Final Justice Yes No
2004 12 Days of Terror No Yes

Awards

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

References

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

Bibliography

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  • "The Devil (and Dino) Made Him Do It!" by Lee Gambin, Fangoria magazine No. 317, October 2012, pages 58–59. 97. Interview of screenwriter Tommy Lee Wallace regarding his scripting of Amityville II: The Possession. Three-page article has five photos, one of Wallace.
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