Always to be remembered as one of the early pioneers of television, Frankie Thomas has died at the age of 85.

Although the actor starred opposite Hollywood legends like Spencer Tracy, the veteran of the Broadway stage and the silver screen became a household name and world famous as the leading man in the 1950’s TV children’s scifi show “Tom Corbett, Space Cadet.”

Because of the early vision of people like Thomas, scifi and fantasy are alive and well in the media today.