James Ellison (actor)
James Ellison Smith (born May 4, 1910 in Guthrie Center , Iowa , † December 23, 1993 in Montecito , California ) was an American actor .
life and career
After a job in a film laboratory and his first small film roles, James Ellison had his breakthrough in 1936 as Buffalo Bill in the western The Hero of the Prairie alongside Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur . From then on he made a name for himself as the Leading Man in mostly light and comedic roles, mostly in B-Movies at 20th Century Fox and RKO Pictures . He played one of his best-known roles in Jacques Tourneurs horror classic I Followed a Zombie in 1943 . From the mid-1940s, his career silted up into less significant westerns . In the 1950s, Ellison switched from acting to the lucrative real estate business, in which he remained active until his retirement. After a ten-year hiatus, he made his last movie in 1962 with the comedy When the Girls Take Over , in which he appeared on the side of Robert Lowery and Jackie Coogan .
James Ellison was married to Gertrude Durkin from 1937 until her death in 1970, and the couple had two children. In 1972 he married Lois Bretherton, with whom he stayed until his death. Ellison died in December 1993 at the age of 83 of a broken neck from a fall.
Filmography (selection)
- 1932: Play Girl
- 1935: After office hours - 11:20 a.m. homicide alarm (After Office Hours)
- 1935: Public Opinion (Reckless)
- 1936: The Plainsman (The Plainsman)
- 1938: Next Time I Marry
- 1938: Vivacious Lady
- 1939: Zenobia, the fairground elephant (Zenobia)
- 1939: 5th Ave Girl
- 1941: Charley's Aunt
- 1941: Ice-Capades
- 1942: The Undying Monster
- 1943: I Walked with a Zombie (I Walked with a Zombie)
- 1943: The Gang's All Here
- 1943: Best Food Forward
- 1944: Belita dances (Lady, Let's Dance)
- 1944: Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore
- 1947: Calendar Girl
- 1948: Horse thieves on the Missouri (Last of the Wild Horses)
- 1952: Dead Man's Trail
- 1962: When the Girls Take Over
Web links
- James Ellison at the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ James Ellison | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos. Retrieved February 5, 2019 (American English).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ellison, James |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Smith, James Ellison (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | US-American actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 4, 1910 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Guthrie Center , Iowa , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 23, 1993 |
| Place of death | Montecito , California , United States |