Francis Thompson

Born in Titusville, PA on January 3, 1908 — died December 26, 2003 (aged 95)

"Francis Thompson had a distinguished career in cinema that began in 1935. Throughout the 1950s, he accumulated footage for 'N.Y., N.Y.,' a success that led him to continue to experiment with World's Fair and Expo multiple screen films and later with large format films. In collaboration with Alexander Hammid, Thompson made the Academy Award winning film 'To Be Alive!' (1962-64) and the first IMAX film 'To Fly' (1976). Thompson considered 'N.Y., N.Y.' to be his most significant achievement in cinema." —Bruce Posner