James Brown (actor)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James E. Brown (born March 22, 1920 in Desdemona , Texas , † April 11, 1992 in Woodland Hills , California ) was an American actor.

life and career

James Brown was born in 1920 in the Texan oil boom town Desdemona. As a teenager he attended Baylor University in Waco and was a successful tennis player. James Brown made his film debut in 1941 with a small role in Ride, Kelly, Ride , directed by Norman Foster . Just two years later, he received the second leading role in the war film Korvette K 225 . In 1944 he had a bigger role alongside Bing Crosby in The Road to Happiness , the financially most successful film of that year, which also won the Oscar for Best Picture. The athletic Brown was used particularly often in war films, for example The Hero of Burma (1945) and You Were Our Comrade (1949).

His film roles in the 1950s tended to become less significant, but television brought him his perhaps best-known role from 1954: In the western series Rin Tin Tin , he played the role of Lieutenant Ripley "Rip" Masters for five years in 164 episodes . He performed here alongside a German Shepherd and child star Lee Aaker . In 1956, Rin Tin Tin was the first American series to be shown on German television. After the end of Rin Tin Tin , the role offers for Brown decreased noticeably, which is why he founded a successful company for bodybuilding equipment in the late 1960s . He later worked in an important position for the Faberge cosmetics group. Nevertheless, he continued to work as an actor in the 1970s and 1980s. Of his late roles, he might also be known to many television viewers for his portrayal of the corrupt cop Harry McSween on the soap opera Dallas . Between 1979 and 1988 he played this character in a total of 39 episodes.

James Brown died of lung cancer in 1992 at the age of 72. He left behind his wife Betty and three daughters.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Obituary in the New York Times
  2. ↑ James Brown at Allmovie
  3. ^ Obituary in the New York Times
personal data
SURNAME Brown, James
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Brown, James E.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US-American actor
DATE OF BIRTH March 22, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH Desdemona , Texas
DATE OF DEATH April 11, 1992
Place of death Woodland Hills , Los Angeles , California