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James Griffith

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For other people named James Griffith, see James Griffith (disambiguation).

James Griffith
James Griffith in The Amazing Transparent Man (1960)
Born(1916-02-13)February 13, 1916
Los Angeles, California, U.S
DiedSeptember 17, 1993(1993-09-17) (aged 77)
Avila Beach, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • musician
  • screenwriter
Years active1948–1982

James Jeffrey Griffith (February 13, 1916 – September 17, 1993) was an American character actor, musician and screenwriter.[1]

Early life and career

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Born in Los Angeles, California and raised in San Pedro, Griffith was the eldest of two born to Albert James Griffith and Ruth Elizabeth Jeffrey.[1][2] They later moved to Balboa, where he attended Newport Beach Grammar School. Following his parents' divorce in 1931, Griffith lived in Santa Monica with his mother, sister and grandmother, attending Huntington Beach High School and, later, Santa Monica High School,[1] where he befriended a young Glenn Ford.[3][4] Although his extracurricular activity at Santa Monica High appears to have been primarily musical (he played clarinet), Griffith's devotion to the theater outside of school hours, as reported by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, mirrored that of Ford.

During that time he and his boyhood friend, Gwyllyn Ford, went around town trying out for all the plays. On occasion they spread their territory beyond Santa Monica and would hitchhike over to Pasadena and audition at the Pasadena Playhouse. By the time he was 17, Mr. Griffith had acted in 70 plays and graduated from high school.[5]

After graduating from University of California, Los Angeles,[citation needed] he managed to find work in little theatres around Los Angeles, where the budding musician eased into a dual career of acting. He found success in the production They Can't Get You Down in 1939, but put his career on hold during World War II to serve with the United States Marine Corps. Following the war, Griffith switched from the stage to films when he appeared in the 1948 film noir picture Blonde Ice. From then on, he enjoyed a lengthy career of supporting and bit roles (sometimes uncredited) in westerns and detective films.[citation needed]

Though Griffith was generally cast as the outlaw in Western pictures,[6] he managed to garner a few memorable "good guy" roles over his many years in Hollywood – Abraham Lincoln in both 1950's Stage to Tucson and 1955's Apache Ambush (as well as episodes of Cavalcade of America and—as a Lincoln lookalike—The Lone Ranger), Doc Holliday in 1954's Masterson of Kansas, sheriff Pat Garrett in 1954's The Law vs. Billy the Kid, and Davy Crockett in 1956's The First Texan.[7] In 1951's Apache Drums, Griffith portrayed a cavalry officer sensitive to Native-American concerns, and in 1957, he co-starred on Gunsmoke, playing a simple farmer involved in a feud in S3E16's "Twelfth Night".[8][9] He was also featured in the season one episode, "Pike's Reward," and several others.[10][11]

In 1959, Griffith appeared as John Wesley Hardin on the TV western Maverick in the episode titled "Duel at Sundown" featuring James Garner and Clint Eastwood.[12]

In the role of Aaron Adams, the town barber, Griffith appeared in 1958 in twelve episodes of the CBS western series, Trackdown.[13]

Griffith also portrayed deputy Tom Ferguson in the syndicated series, Sheriff of Cochise, starring John Bromfield, and U.S. Marshal.[13]: 1134 

Griffith made more than seventy guest appearances on television shows, including eight episodes of Wagon Train, seven episodes of The Range Rider, seven episodes of The Lone Ranger, two episodes of Annie Oakley, four episodes of Cheyenne, three episodes of Buffalo Bill, Jr., six episodes of Gunsmoke, four episodes of Perry Mason, four episodes of Dragnet, three episodes (42, 43 and 108) of Batman, and two segments of Little House on the Prairie.

Throughout his acting career, beginning with an early stint as vocalist/reed man with Spike Jones,[14] Griffith frequently found ways to combine his two passions. Collaborating with former Pied Piper Hal Hopper, he co-wrote title tunes for several films.[3] He composed music for the 1958 film Bullwhip and the 1964 picture, Lorna, in which he also had a role and served as screenwriter. Griffith played the Reverend in Black in the opening, closing, and a few in the middle scenes of Lorna, starring Lorna Maitland in one of director Russ Meyer's black-and-white 'skin' movies before the height of Meyer's career in 1968 with Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

Griffith made his last onscreen appearance in a 1984 episode of CBS's Trapper John, MD.

Personal life and death

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Griffith was married twice: to Margaret Ellen Fluke from 1943 until her death in 1975,[2][15] and, from 1984 until his own death, to Elizabeth Thorpe (née Jackson).[1][16][17] He had one child, a daughter, by his first marriage.[5]

On September 17, 1993, Griffith died of cancer in Avila Beach, California,[1] survived by his wife, daughter and two granddaughters.[5]

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1948 Blonde Ice Al Herrick
Appointment with Murder Detective Uncredited
Every Girl Should Be Married Insurance salesman Uncredited
1949 Life of St. Paul Series Tertullus
Alaska Patrol Operative Dale
Daughter of the West Jed Morgan
Search for Danger Lt. Cooper
Special Agent Candy Vendor on Train Uncredited
Fighting Man of the Plains Quantrell
Oh, You Beautiful Doll Joe - Reporter Uncredited
Holiday Affair Crowley's Floorwalker Uncredited
1950 Young Man with a Horn Walt Uncredited
Bright Leaf Ellery Uncredited
The Cariboo Trail Higgins
The Petty Girl Royal Roof Orchestra Leader Uncredited
Indian Territory Apache Kid aka Johnny Corday
The Breaking Point Charlie, Bartender Uncredited
Stage to Tucson Abraham Lincoln Voice, Uncredited
Double Deal Walter Karnes
1951 Al Jennings of Oklahoma Slim Harris
The Great Missouri Raid Jack Ladd
Payment on Demand Arthur Uncredited
Apache Drums Lt. Glidden
Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison Carl Gebhardt Uncredited
Goodbye, My Fancy Somers (scenes deleted)
As Young as You Feel Cashier Uncredited
Chain of Circumstance Sid
Rhubarb Ogelthorpe 'Oggie' Meadows
Drums in the Deep South Union Officer Reporting to Denning Uncredited
The Lady Pays Off Ronald
The Blue Veil Joplin's Agent Uncredited
1952 Red Skies of Montana Boise Peterson Alternative title: Smoke Jumpers
Wait till the Sun Shines, Nellie Ollie Uncredited
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair Medicine Man Uncredited
Eight Iron Men Pvt. Ferguson
1953 Kansas Pacific Joe Farley, Railroad guard
Powder River Mac - Hotel Clerk Uncredited
The Kid from Left Field Newsstand Proprietor
No Escape Peter Hayden
A Lion Is in the Streets Mayor's Clerk Uncredited
1954 Ride Clear of Diablo Henry - Train Conductor Uncredited
The Boy from Oklahoma Joe Downey, Alderman
Jesse James vs. the Daltons Bob Dalton
Rails Into Laramie Marshal Orrie Sommers
The Law vs. Billy the Kid Pat Garrett, Sheriff
Dragnet Jesse Quinn
The Shanghai Story Carl Hoyt
The Black Dakotas Warren
Drum Beat Veteran One-Legged Soldier at White House gate Uncredited
Masterson of Kansas Doc Holliday
Day of Triumph Judas Iscariot
Manhunt in Space Ken
1955 I Cover the Underworld Smiley Di Angelo
Son of Sinbad Arab Guide Uncredited
The Kentuckian Riverboat Gambler Uncredited
The Night of the Hunter District Attorney Uncredited
Apache Ambush President Abraham Lincoln
Count Three and Pray Swallow Alternative title: The Calico Pony
At Gunpoint The Stranger (Bob Alexander)
1956 Tribute to a Bad Man Barjak
Anything Goes Paul Holiday
The Killing Mr. Grimes
The First Texan Davy Crockett
Rebel in Town Marshal Adam Russell
1957 The Guns of Fort Petticoat Kipper
The Vampire Henry Winston
Omar Khayyam Buzorg
Domino Kid Sam Beal Uncredited
Raintree County Mr. Gray's searching companion Uncredited
1958 Return to Warbow Frank Hollister
Man from God's Country Mark Faber
Seven Guns to Mesa Papa Clellan
Bullwhip 'Slow' Karp
Frontier Gun Cash Skelton
1959 The Big Fisherman Beggar
1960 The Amazing Transparent Man Maj. Paul Krenner
Spartacus Otho Uncredited
North to Alaska Salvation Army Leader Uncredited
1961 Morgan keibu to nazô no otoko
Pocketful of Miracles Briscoe Uncredited
1962 How the West Was Won Poker player with Cleve Uncredited
1964 Advance to the Rear Hugo Zattig Alternative title: Company of Cowards?
Lorna The Man of God
1966 A Big Hand for the Little Lady Mr. Stribling
1968 Day of the Evil Gun Storekeeper – Hazenville
1969 Heaven with a Gun Abraham Murdock (sheepherder)
Seven in Darkness Harlan Cabot TV movie
Hail, Hero! Painter #2
1970 Like It Is Father
1974 Seven Alone Billy Shaw
1976 Flood! Charlie Davis TV movie
1977 Speedtrap Wino
1980 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Squire Van Tassel TV movie
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1952 Hopalog Cassidy Roscoe Hicks 1 episode
1953 Cavalcade of America Abraham Lincoln 1 episode
Death Valley Days Solomon Murtrey 1 episode
1954 City Detective Harry 1 episode
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Raymond Andrews 1 episode
1955 Buffalo Bill, Jr. Kelso Dodge 3 episodes
1955-1968 Gunsmoke Joe Kite / Joth Monger / Tillman / Bettis / Harford / Wade Lester 6 episodes
1957 The Gray Ghost Buddy 1 episode
The Adventures of Jim Bowie Jud Cameron 1 episode
1957–1962 Cheyenne Assorted roles 4 episodes
1957 Cheyenne Joe Epic Episode: "Land Beyond the Law"
1958 Frontier Justice Taggert 1 episode
Jefferson Drum Troy Bendick Episode: "Return"
1958 Official Detective Det Fred Ball Episode: "Body In The Trunk"
1958 The Walter Winchell File Don Gue Watson Episode: "A Thing of Beauty"
1959–1962 Laramie Assorted roles 3 episodes
1959 Rescue 8 Ramases 1 episode
Wichita Town Vic Parker 1 episode
U.S. Marshal Deputy Tom Ferguson series regular 1959–1960
Maverick John Wesley Hardin Episode: "Duel at Sundown"
1959 Steve Cayyon Bean N. Zook Episode: "The Muller Story"
1960 Rawhide Maury Episode: Incident of the Devil and His Due
1961 The Tall Man Clint Latimer "A Kind of Courage"
Two Faces West Les Hardy 1 episode
The Lawless Years Jonathan Willis 1 episode
Perry Mason Walter Hutchings "The Case of the Posthumous Painter"
Thriller Victor Harrod "Parasite Mansion"
Rawhide Tyree S3:E22, "Incident in the Middle of Nowhere"
1962 Empire Pete Stroud "A Place to Put a Life"
Tales of Wells Fargo Roland Jensen 1 episode
The Tall Man James Cutter "Trial by Fury"
Have Gun Will Travel Marauder "The Predators" episode.
Have Gun, Will Travel Dave Wilder, prisoner (Episode: The Waiting Room)
Lawman Heracles Snead 1 episode
1963 GE True "The Moonshiners" Stan Woolman
Ben Casey John Randall "Suffer the Little Children"
The Untouchables Monk Lyselle 1 episode
1964 The Great Adventure Harry Young 1 episode
Slattery's People Emmett Logan "Question, Is Laura the Name of the Game?"
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters Gambler, Bagsley, and Snake "The Day of the Toll Takers", "The Day of the Picnic", and "The Day of the Pretenders", respectively
1965 The Rouges Bert 1 episode
Daniel Boone Coll S2/E2 "The Tortoise and the Hare" (1965)
Laredo Deke Pryor 1 episode
1966 F Troop Sergeant Crawford 1 episode
The Monroes Henri "Fox" Bonnard 1 episode
1966 Batman Trusty 2 episodes (43 and 44)
1967 Batman Manx 1 episode (108)
1967 The Iron Horse Howley 1 episode
The Monkees Marshall S2:E13, "Monkees in Texas"
1969 The Guns of Will Sonnett Major Cross 1 episode
The Mod Squad Bubba Johnson 1 episode
1971 The Bold Ones: The Senator Channing 1 episode
1972 Kung Fu Purdy 1 episode
1974 Kolchak: The Night Stalker George M. Schwartz 1 episode
1975 The Six Million Dollar Man Will Long 1 episode
Barbary Coast Eikel 1 episode
1976 The Quest Donkin 1 episode
1977 Police Story Travis Caulder 1 episode
1978 Fantasy Island Hezekiah Pugh 1 episode
1979 B. J. and the Bear Uncle Moss 2 episodes
1981 Hart to Hart Prospector 1 episode
1982 Dallas 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 201. ISBN 978-1-4766-2856-1 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b "California, County Marriages, 1850-1953", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K82N-JMC : Fri Mar 08 17:08:43 UTC 2024), Entry for James Jeffrey Griffith and Margaret Ellen Fluke, 27 June 1943.
  3. ^ a b Maays, Stan (July 16, 1967). "'Working Actor' Wants to Work". The Town Talk. p. 2F. Retrieved August 4, 2024. "Griffith [...] turned to songwriting. He's collaborated with former Pied Piper Hal Hopper on a number of title tunes for movies. [...] Griffith has a rapport with some actors, too, far more successful than he. Glenn Ford, an old high school classmate of his, bumped into him one day and asked why he hadn't called him for a part. Griffith's pride got in the way of his answer. 'You know where I've been all the time.'"
  4. ^ Ford, Peter (2011). Glenn Ford: A Life. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-299-28154-0.
  5. ^ a b c "Obituaries: James J. Griffith". The San Luis Obispo Tribune. September 24, 1993. p. 8. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  6. ^ "The Heavy". Stockton Record. November 20, 1957. p. 37. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  7. ^ Brode, Douglas (2009). Shooting Stars of the Small Screen: Encyclopedia of TV Western Actors, 1946–present. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-292-71849-4.
  8. ^ "Feud Transplanted to Frontier Town". The Times Tribune. December 28, 1957. p. 17-A. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  9. ^ "News-Press TV". Santa Barbara News-Press. December 28, 1957. p. B-6. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  10. ^ "Past Leads to Trouble". The Marshall News Messenger. November 6, 1955. p. 2-D. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  11. ^ Peel, John (1989). Gunsmoke years : the behind-the-scenes story : exclusive interviews with the writers and directors : a complete guide to every episode aired : the longest running network television drama ever!. Las Vegas, NV: Pioneer Books. pp. 46, 59, 82, 93, 131. ISBN 9781556982217.
  12. ^ "Mavericks Face 'Duel at Sundown'". The Morning Union. August 2, 1959. p. 47. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 1102. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  14. ^ "Griffith for 'Bad Man'". The Hollywood Reporter. May 25, 1955. p. 2. ProQuest 2338097342. James Griffith, former sax player and vocalist with Spike Jones and for a year title role player in 'The Drunkard,' has been signed for a key role in 'Tribute to a Bad Man.'
  15. ^ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KWX-5G4C : 10 February 2023), Margaret F Griffith, .
  16. ^ "California Marriage Index, 1960-1985", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6K3-LXX : 26 January 2024), James J Griffith in entry for Elizabet J Thorpe, 1984.
  17. ^ "California Marriage Index, 1960-1985", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6LW-QCD : 26 January 2024), James J Griffith in entry for Elizabet Jackson, 1984.
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