Background
Born in San Diego in 1922, he grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was a film publicist.
Born in San Diego in 1922, he grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was a film publicist.
He attended University of California, Los Los Angeles He lived in Encino with his wife, Patricia.
Thomas made his mark by engaging celebrities in activities that brought out their personalities, whether by measuring their waistline after childbirth (as he did with Betty Grable) or testing just how tall a leading lady needed to be by kissing her himself (as he did with June Haver). Acclaimed as the dean of Hollywood reporters, Bob Thomas has been writing about the movie business for the Associated Press since the days when Hollywood was run by the men who founded it: Jack L. Warner, Darryl F. Zanuck, Harry Cohn and Louis B. Mayer. During his long history of reporting for the Associated Press, Thomas authored at least 30 books
Many in the film industry cr his 1969 biography of producer Irving G. Thalberg as sparking their interest in pursuing a career behind the scenes.
His biographies on Howard Hughes and Abbott & Costello have been made into television movies.