"The West Side Waltz", Thompson’s second popular play, opened on Broadway, starring Katharine Hepburn on November 19, 1981. Thompson is quoted as saying that "The West Side Waltz" came about after a telephone call he received on behalf of screenwriter George Seaton, creator of movies such as "Miracle on 34th Street", offering Thompson "the only George Seaton grant" to write a new play for the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Thompson wrote and directed a television version based on the play, premiering on Thanksgiving night 1995, starring Shirley MacLaine, Liza Minnelli, Kathy Bates, and Jennifer Grey.