Image of Jack Elam

Jack Elam

Colorful American character actor equally adept at vicious killers or grizzled sidekicks. As a child he worked in the cotton fields. He attended Santa Monica Junior College in California and subsequently became an accountant and, at one time, manager of the Bel Air Hotel. Elam got his first movie job by trading his accounting services for a role. In short time he became one of the most memorable supporting players in Hollywood, thanks not only to his near-demented screen persona but also to an out-of-kilter left eye, sightless from a childhood fight. He appeared with great aplomb in Westerns and gangster films alike, and in later years played to wonderful effect in comedic roles.


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Born:
Nov 13, 1920 In Miami, Gila, Arizona, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
182
First Appeared:
In the movie Wild Weed 1949-07-20
Latest Project:
Movie Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade 2004-07-25
Known For
Poster of Lost
Poster of Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Poster of Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Poster of A Ticket to Tomahawk
Filmography
Movie Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (archive footage) 2004-07-25
Movie Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western Self 1997-07-27
Movie Bonanza: Under Attack Buckshot 1995-01-15
Movie Uninvited Grady 1993-01-01
Movie Bonanza: The Return Buckshot 1993-11-24
Series Lucky Luke Axel Ericson 1992-03-20
Movie Shadow Force Tommy 1992-12-01
Series Home Improvement Hick Peterson 1991-09-17
Movie Suburban Commando Col. Dustin 'Dusty' McHowell 1991-10-04
Movie Big Bad John Jake Calhoun 1990-02-01
Movie The Giant of Thunder Mountain Hezekiah Crow 1990-12-25
Movie Once Upon a Texas Train Jason Fitch 1988-10-12
Series Paradise Skragg 1988-10-27
Movie Where the Hell's That Gold?!!? Boone 1988-11-13
Movie Hawken's Breed Tackett 1987-01-01
Series J.J. Starbuck Unknown 1987-09-26
Movie I Am Not a Freak Self 1987-11-01
Movie The Aurora Encounter Charlie 1986-08-01
Series Easy Street 1986-09-13
Movie Louis L'Amour's Down the Long Hills Squires 1986-11-15
Series Detective in the House 1985-03-15
Movie Cannonball Run II Doc 1984-06-29
Movie Scrooge's Rock 'N' Roll Christmas Scrooge 1984-12-23
Movie Sacred Ground Lum Witcher 1983-03-11
Movie Lost Mr. Newsom 1983-10-22
Movie Jinxed! Otto 1982-10-22
Movie The Cannonball Run Doctor 1981-06-19
Movie The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite Seth Beaumont 1981-05-21
Movie Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. Troscliar Boudreaux 1981-10-09
Series Simon & Simon Unknown 1981-11-24
Movie Skyward Christmas Clay Haller 1981-12-03
Series Father Murphy Unknown 1981-11-03
Series The Sacketts Ira Bigelow 1979-05-15
Movie The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again Big Mac 1979-06-27
Movie The Villain Avery Simpson 1979-07-26
Series Struck by Lightning Frank 1979-09-19
Series Black Beauty Jonas McBride 1978-01-31
Movie Lacy and the Mississippi Queen Willie Red Fire 1978-05-17
Movie The Norseman Death Dreamer 1978-10-05
Movie Hot Lead & Cold Feet Rattlesnake 1978-07-05
Series How the West Was Won Cully Madigan 1977-02-06
Series Grizzly Adams Unknown 1977-02-09
Movie Grayeagle Trapper Willis 1977-12-28
Series Eight Is Enough Unknown 1977-03-15
Movie Creature from Black Lake Joe Canton 1976-03-01
Movie Hawmps! Bad Jack Cutter 1976-05-20
Movie Pony Express Rider Crazy Charlie 1976-11-01
Movie The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe Bitterroot 1976-05-29
Movie The Winds of Autumn J. Pete Hankins 1976-06-01
Movie Huckleberry Finn King 1975-03-25
Movie Shootout in a One-Dog Town Handy 1974-01-09
Movie Sidekicks Boss 1974-03-21
Movie A Knife for the Ladies Jarrod (Sheriff) 1974-05-02
Movie The Red Pony Granddad 1973-03-17
Movie Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid Alamosa Bill Kermit 1973-05-23
Movie The Last Escape of Billy the Kid Pat Garrett 1972-01-01
Movie The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Bitterroot 1972-09-13
Series The Brian Keith Show Unknown 1972-09-15
Series Kung Fu Marcus Taylor 1972-10-14
Series Alias Smith and Jones Unknown 1971-01-05
Movie Support Your Local Gunfighter Jug May 1971-05-26
Movie Cat Ballou Kid Sheleen 1971-09-05
Movie Hannie Caulder Frank Clemens 1971-11-08
Movie The Last Rebel Matt 1971-09-24
Series Nichols Marcus A.F. Baxter 1971-09-16
Movie Rio Lobo Phillips 1970-04-01
Movie Dirty Dingus Magee John Wesley Hardin 1970-11-18
Movie The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County Kittrick 1970-04-01
Movie Plimpton! Shoot-Out at Rio Lobo Self 1970-12-09
Movie The Wild Country Thompson 1970-12-16
Movie Ride a Northbound Horse Sheriff 1969-03-16
Movie Support Your Local Sheriff! Perk Butler 1969-03-26
Movie The Over the Hill Gang Sheriff Clyde Barnes 1969-07-06
Movie Never a Dull Moment Ace Williams 1968-06-26
Series The Outcasts Unknown 1968-09-23
Movie Firecreek Norman 1968-01-24
Series Lancer Unknown 1968-09-24
Movie Once Upon a Time in the West Frank's Gunman 1968-12-21
Movie Sartana Does Not Forgive Slim Kovacs 1968-10-25
Series Cimarron Strip Unknown 1967-09-07
Movie The Way West Preacher Weatherby 1967-05-24
Series Hondo Unknown 1967-09-08
Series The Guns of Will Sonnett Unknown 1967-09-08
Movie The Last Challenge Ernest Scarnes 1967-12-22
Series The High Chaparral Macklin 1967-09-10
Movie The Rare Breed Deke Simons 1966-02-02
Series Tarzan Unknown 1966-09-08
Movie The Night of the Grizzly Hank 1966-04-20
Series The Legend of Jesse James Deacon Smith 1965-09-13
Series F Troop Unknown 1965-09-14
Series Daniel Boone Petch 1964-09-24
Movie 4 for Texas Dobie 1963-12-21
Series The Dakotas Unknown 1963-01-07
Series Temple Houston George Taggart 1963-09-19
Series The Virginian Harve Yost 1962-09-19
Movie The Last Sunset Ed Hobbs 1961-06-08
Series Target: The Corruptors! Unknown 1961-09-29
Movie Pocketful of Miracles Cheesecake 1961-12-18
Series Ben Casey Unknown 1961-10-02
Movie The Comancheros Horseface (Comanchero) 1961-12-16
Movie The Slowest Gun in the West Ike Dalton 1960-05-07
Movie The Girl in Lovers Lane Jesse 1960-06-16
Series National Velvet Unknown 1960-09-18
Series Outlaws Unknown 1960-09-26
Series Bonanza Buford Buckalew 1959-09-12
Series Tightrope Unknown 1959-09-08
Series Rawhide Turkey Creek Jack Johnson 1959-01-09
Series The Twilight Zone Avery 1959-10-02
Series The Rebel Uncle Luce 1959-10-04
Movie Edge of Eternity Bill Ward 1959-11-02
Series Mr. Lucky Phil Bricker 1959-10-24
Series The Untouchables Nick Bravo 1959-10-15
Movie The Gun Runners Arnold 1958-08-01
Series Bronco Unknown 1958-09-23
Series The Texan Luke Watson 1958-09-29
Series Lawman Herm Forrest 1958-10-05
Series Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Unknown 1958-10-06
Series The Rifleman Unknown 1958-09-30
Movie Night Passage Shotgun 1957-07-24
Series Richard Diamond, Private Detective Perk Butler 1957-07-01
Series Tales of Wells Fargo Chris 1957-03-18
Movie Dragoon Wells Massacre Tioga 1957-08-28
Movie Lure of the Swamp Henry Bliss 1957-05-01
Movie Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Tom McLowery 1957-05-30
Series Zorro Gomez (uncredited) 1957-10-10
Series Have Gun, Will Travel Arnold Shaffner 1957-09-14
Series The Restless Gun Tony Molinor 1957-09-23
Movie Baby Face Nelson Fatso Nagel 1957-12-11
Series Sugarfoot Toothy Thompson 1957-09-17
Series M Squad Luke Morgan 1957-09-20
Movie Pardners Pete 1956-08-01
Movie Jubal McCoy 1956-02-25
Movie Thunder Over Arizona Slats Callahan 1956-08-04
Series Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Stage Driver Cass 1956-10-05
Movie Moonfleet Damen 1955-06-24
Movie Wichita Al 1955-07-03
Movie Kiss Me Deadly Charlie Max 1955-04-28
Movie The Man from Laramie Chris Boldt 1955-08-19
Movie Tarzan's Hidden Jungle Burger 1955-02-16
Movie Man Without a Star Knife Murderer (uncredited) 1955-03-24
Movie Kismet Hasan-Ben 1955-10-08
Movie The Silent Partner Shanks 1955-12-21
Series Gunsmoke Pierre Audubon 1955-09-10
Series Screen Director's Playhouse Shanks 1955-10-05
Movie Artists and Models Ivan 1955-11-07
Series Frontier Unknown 1955-09-25
Series Cheyenne Calhoun Durango 1955-09-20
Movie Jubilee Trail Whitey 1954-05-15
Movie Ride Clear of Diablo Tim Lowerie 1954-02-10
Movie Princess of the Nile Basra 1954-07-01
Movie The Far Country Frank Newberry 1954-02-12
Series The Wonderful World of Disney Sheriff 1954-10-27
Movie Cattle Queen of Montana Yost 1954-11-18
Movie Vera Cruz Tex 1954-12-25
Movie Count the Hours! Max Verne 1953-04-01
Movie Gun Belt Rusty Kolloway 1953-07-24
Movie Ride, Vaquero! Barton 1953-07-17
Movie The Moonlighter Slim 1953-09-19
Movie Appointment in Honduras Castro 1953-10-16
Movie The Battle at Apache Pass Mescal Jack 1952-05-09
Movie Montana Territory Gimp 1952-05-31
Movie Rancho Notorious Mort Geary 1952-03-06
Movie Finders Keepers Eddie 1952-01-01
Movie High Noon Charlie - Drunk in Jail (uncredited) 1952-06-09
Movie The Ring Harry Jackson 1952-09-26
Movie Kansas City Confidential Pete Harris 1952-11-11
Movie Lure of the Wilderness Dave Longden 1952-07-16
Series Mr. & Mrs. North Unknown 1952-10-03
Series Four Star Playhouse Vic 1952-09-25
Movie My Man and I Celestino Garcia 1952-09-05
Movie Rawhide Tevis 1951-03-25
Movie Bird of Paradise The Trader 1951-03-14
Series Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Halleck 1951-10-05
Movie The Bushwhackers Cree 1951-12-07
Movie The Sundowners Earl Boyce 1950-02-02
Movie Key to the City Councilman (uncredited) 1950-02-02
Movie One Way Street Arnie (uncredited) 1950-04-01
Movie A Ticket to Tomahawk Fargo 1950-05-19
Movie High Lonesome Smiling Man 1950-09-01
Movie American Guerrilla in the Philippines The Speaker 1950-11-08
Movie Wild Weed Raymond - Henchman 1949-07-20
Series The Lone Ranger Reno Lawrence 1949-09-15