Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsSXSW Film FestivalSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Tom Laughlin(1931-2013)

  • Actor
  • Director
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
"Billy Jack" Tom Laughlin 1971 Warner Brothers
Freedom fighter Billy Jack takes his cause to the nation's capital where he confronts political corruption.
21
 
This video file cannot be played.(Error Code: 224003)
Play trailer3:50
Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977)
21
3 Videos
15 Photos
Tom Laughlin was born on 10 August 1931 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Billy Jack (1971), The Trial of Billy Jack (1974) and The Born Losers (1967). He was married to Delores Taylor. He died on 12 December 2013 in Thousand Oaks, California, USA.
BornAugust 10, 1931
DiedDecember 12, 2013(82)
BornAugust 10, 1931
DiedDecember 12, 2013(82)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Awards
    • 1 win & 1 nomination total

Photos15

View Poster
View Poster
View Poster
View Poster
+ 11
View Poster

Known for

Billy Jack (1971)
Billy Jack
6.2
  • Billy Jack
  • 1971
Tom Laughlin and Delores Taylor in The Trial of Billy Jack (1974)
The Trial of Billy Jack
4.6
  • Billy Jack
  • 1974
The Born Losers (1967)
The Born Losers
5.9
  • Billy Jack
  • 1967
Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor in South Pacific (1958)
South Pacific
6.8
  • Lt. Buzz Adams
  • 1958

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • The Return of Billy Jack (1986)
    The Return of Billy Jack
    6.3
    • Billy Jack
    • 1986
  • Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977)
    Billy Jack Goes to Washington
    4.5
    • Billy Jack
    • 1977
  • Voyage of the Damned (1976)
    Voyage of the Damned
    6.4
    • Engineering Officer (uncredited)
    • 1976
  • The Littlest Horse Thieves (1976)
    The Littlest Horse Thieves
    6.8
    • 1976
  • Tom Laughlin in The Master Gunfighter (1975)
    The Master Gunfighter
    4.5
    • Finley
    • 1975
  • Tom Laughlin and Delores Taylor in The Trial of Billy Jack (1974)
    The Trial of Billy Jack
    4.6
    • Billy Jack
    • 1974
  • Callan (1974)
    Callan
    6.8
    • (uncredited)
    • 1974
  • Billy Jack (1971)
    Billy Jack
    6.2
    • Billy Jack
    • 1971
  • The Born Losers (1967)
    The Born Losers
    5.9
    • Billy Jack
    • 1967
  • Tom Laughlin and Nyra Monsour in The Proper Time (1962)
    The Proper Time
    7.4
    • Mickey Henderson
    • 1962
  • Like Father, Like Son (1961)
    Like Father, Like Son
    6.1
    • Chris Wotan
    • 1961
  • Jane Fonda and Anthony Perkins in Tall Story (1960)
    Tall Story
    5.9
    • Fred Jensen
    • 1960
  • Dale Robertson in Tales of Wells Fargo (1957)
    Tales of Wells Fargo
    7.9
    TV Series
    • Jess Wilson (as Thomas R. Laughlin)
    • 1959
  • Battle of the Coral Sea (1959)
    Battle of the Coral Sea
    5.6
    • Ens. Franklin
    • 1959
  • Riverboat (1959)
    Riverboat
    7.3
    TV Series
    • Tom Fowler
    • 1959

Director

  • The Return of Billy Jack (1986)
    The Return of Billy Jack
    6.3
    • Director
    • 1986
  • Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977)
    Billy Jack Goes to Washington
    4.5
    • Director (as T.C. Frank)
    • 1977
  • Tom Laughlin in The Master Gunfighter (1975)
    The Master Gunfighter
    4.5
    • Director (as Frank Laughlin)
    • 1975
  • Tom Laughlin and Delores Taylor in The Trial of Billy Jack (1974)
    The Trial of Billy Jack
    4.6
    • Director (as Frank Laughlin)
    • 1974
  • Billy Jack (1971)
    Billy Jack
    6.2
    • Director (as T.C. Frank)
    • 1971
  • The Born Losers (1967)
    The Born Losers
    5.9
    • Director (as T.C. Frank)
    • 1967
  • Tom Laughlin and Nyra Monsour in The Proper Time (1962)
    The Proper Time
    7.4
    • Director
    • 1962
  • Like Father, Like Son (1961)
    Like Father, Like Son
    6.1
    • Director
    • 1961

Writer

  • The Return of Billy Jack (1986)
    The Return of Billy Jack
    6.3
    • Writer
    • 1986
  • Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977)
    Billy Jack Goes to Washington
    4.5
    • written by (as Frank Christina)
    • 1977
  • Tom Laughlin in The Master Gunfighter (1975)
    The Master Gunfighter
    4.5
    • Writer (as Harold Lapland)
    • 1975
  • Tom Laughlin and Delores Taylor in The Trial of Billy Jack (1974)
    The Trial of Billy Jack
    4.6
    • screenplay (as Frank Christina)
    • 1974
  • Billy Jack (1971)
    Billy Jack
    6.2
    • screenplay by (as Frank Christina)
    • 1971
  • Tom Laughlin and Nyra Monsour in The Proper Time (1962)
    The Proper Time
    7.4
    • original screenplay
    • 1962
  • Like Father, Like Son (1961)
    Like Father, Like Son
    6.1
    • written by
    • 1961

Videos3

Trailer
Trailer 3:50
Trailer
21
Trailer
Trailer 4:57
Trailer
2
Trailer
Trailer 4:57
Trailer
2
Clip
Trailer 0:32
Clip
2

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Frank Christina
  • Height
    • 5′ 8½″ (1.74 m)
  • Born
    • August 10, 1931
    • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
  • Died
    • December 12, 2013
    • Thousand Oaks, California, USA(complications from pneumonia)
  • Spouse
    • Delores TaylorOctober 15, 1954 - December 12, 2013 (his death, 3 children)
  • Children
      Frank Laughlin
  • Parents
      Margaret Laughlin
  • Other works
    He also was the star, writer and director of "The Return Of Billy Jack" (1985), an unfinished film that also featured Rodney Harvey and William Wellman Jr. Raji Gosnell and Nicholas C. Smith were the editors and Robert Saad was the cinematographer.

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Tom's movie Billy Jack (1971) cost $800,000 to make and grossed over $65 million.

FAQ14

Powered by Alexa
  • When did Tom Laughlin die?
  • How did Tom Laughlin die?
  • How old was Tom Laughlin when he died?

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Production art
Photos
These Stars Are on the Rise
See the gallery

Editorial lists

Related lists created by IMDb editors
In Memoriam 2014
updated 10 years ago • 73 images
Philip Seymour Hoffman at an event for The Ides of March (2011)
Oscars In Memoriam 2014
updated 11 years ago • 47 people
James Gandolfini
Production art
List
New and Upcoming Family Friendly Films
See what's coming

User lists

Related lists from IMDb users
Create a list
Actors Involved in Politics
created 10 years ago • 32 people
Ronald Reagan
Screen Actors Guild Awards Memoriam 2013
created 6 years ago • 41 people
Peter O'Toole
Notable Writers and Producers
created 8 years ago • 1933 people
TCM Remembers: added in revised versions
created 3 years ago • 17 people
Hope Lange
TCM Remembers (full list)
created 5 years ago • 1685 people
Ava Gabor CBS Green Acres (c.1968)
Actors we are tallying on AllOuttaBubbleGum but haven't broken 100 kills
created 12 years ago • 528 people
Hiroshi Abe in Thermae Romae (2012)

User polls

Related polls from IMDb users
Actor we lost in 2013 you'll miss most?
Conrad Bain
Actors Involved in Politics
Ronald Reagan
2014 Oscars - In Memoriam: The Men
James Gandolfini
Favorite Fictional U.S. Marine Corps Junior Officer Movie Character?
Favorite Film Vigilante

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Demo reel thumbnail
Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel
Demo reel thumbnail

How much have you rated?

Keep track of how much of Tom Laughlin’s work you have rated. Go to your list.

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb app
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
Follow IMDb on social
Get the IMDb app
For Android and iOS
Get the IMDb app
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • License IMDb Data
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.