Jack Elam
November 13, 1920 (103 years old) in Miami, Gila, Arizona, USA
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.
Known For
Credits
- 2004 · Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade as (archive footage)
- 1997 · Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western as Self
- 1995 · Bonanza: Under Attack as Buckshot
- 1993 · Bonanza: The Return as Buckshot
- 1993 · Uninvited as Grady
- 1992 · Shadow Force as Tommy
- 1992 · Lucky Luke as Axel Ericson
- 1991 · Suburban Commando as Col. Dustin 'Dusty' McHowell
- 1991 · Home Improvement as Hick Peterson
- 1990 · The Giant of Thunder Mountain as Hezekiah Crow
- 1990 · Big Bad John as Jake Calhoun
- 1988 · Where the Hell's That Gold?!!? as Boone
- 1988 · Paradise as Skragg
- 1988 · Once Upon a Texas Train as Jason Fitch
- 1987 · I Am Not a Freak as Self
- 1987 · J.J. Starbuck as
- 1987 · Hawken's Breed as Tackett
- 1986 · Louis L'Amour's Down the Long Hills as Squires
- 1986 · Easy Street as
- 1986 · The Aurora Encounter as Charlie
- 1985 · Detective in the House as
- 1984 · Scrooge's Rock 'N' Roll Christmas as Scrooge
- 1984 · Cannonball Run II as Doc
- 1983 · Lost as Mr. Newsom
- 1983 · Sacred Ground as Lum Witcher
- 1982 · Jinxed! as Otto
- 1981 · Skyward Christmas as Clay Haller
- 1981 · Simon & Simon as
- 1981 · Father Murphy as
- 1981 · Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. as Troscliar Boudreaux
- 1981 · The Cannonball Run as Doctor
- 1981 · The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite as Seth Beaumont
- 1979 · Struck by Lightning as Frank
- 1979 · The Villain as Avery Simpson
- 1979 · The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again as Big Mac
- 1979 · The Sacketts as Ira Bigelow
- 1978 · The Norseman as Death Dreamer
- 1978 · Hot Lead & Cold Feet as Rattlesnake
- 1978 · Lacy and the Mississippi Queen as Willie Red Fire
- 1978 · Black Beauty as Jonas McBride
- 1977 · Grayeagle as Trapper Willis
- 1977 · Eight Is Enough as
- 1977 · Grizzly Adams as
- 1977 · How the West Was Won as Cully Madigan
- 1976 · Pony Express Rider as Crazy Charlie
- 1976 · The Winds of Autumn as J. Pete Hankins
- 1976 · The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe as Bitterroot
- 1976 · Hawmps! as Bad Jack Cutter
- 1976 · Creature from Black Lake as Joe Canton
- 1975 · Huckleberry Finn as King
- 1974 · A Knife for the Ladies as Jarrod (Sheriff)
- 1974 · Sidekicks as Boss
- 1974 · Shootout in a One-Dog Town as Handy
- 1973 · Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid as Alamosa Bill Kermit
- 1973 · The Red Pony as Granddad
- 1972 · Kung Fu as Marcus Taylor
- 1972 · The Brian Keith Show as
- 1972 · The Daughters of Joshua Cabe as Bitterroot
- 1972 · The Last Escape of Billy the Kid as Pat Garrett
- 1971 · Hannie Caulder as Frank Clemens
- 1971 · The Last Rebel as Matt
- 1971 · Nichols as Marcus A.F. Baxter
- 1971 · Cat Ballou as Kid Sheleen
- 1971 · Support Your Local Gunfighter as Jug May
- 1971 · Alias Smith and Jones as
- 1970 · The Wild Country as Thompson
- 1970 · Plimpton! Shoot-Out at Rio Lobo as Self
- 1970 · Dirty Dingus Magee as John Wesley Hardin
- 1970 · Rio Lobo as Phillips
- 1970 · The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County as Kittrick
- 1969 · The Over the Hill Gang as Sheriff Clyde Barnes
- 1969 · Support Your Local Sheriff! as Jake
- 1969 · Ride a Northbound Horse as Sheriff
- 1968 · Once Upon a Time in the West as Frank's Gunman
- 1968 · Sartana Does Not Forgive as Slim Kovacs
- 1968 · Lancer as
- 1968 · The Outcasts as
- 1968 · Never a Dull Moment as Ace Williams
- 1968 · Firecreek as Norman
- 1967 · The Last Challenge as Ernest Scarnes
- 1967 · The High Chaparral as Macklin
- 1967 · The Guns of Will Sonnett as
- 1967 · Hondo as
- 1967 · Cimarron Strip as
- 1967 · The Way West as Preacher Weatherby
- 1966 · Tarzan as
- 1966 · The Night of the Grizzly as Hank
- 1966 · The Rare Breed as Deke Simons
- 1965 · F Troop as
- 1965 · The Legend of Jesse James as Deacon Smith
- 1964 · Daniel Boone as Petch
- 1963 · 4 for Texas as Dobie
- 1963 · Temple Houston as George Taggart
- 1963 · The Dakotas as
- 1962 · The Virginian as Harve Yost
- 1961 · Pocketful of Miracles as Cheesecake
- 1961 · The Comancheros as Horseface (Comanchero)
- 1961 · Ben Casey as
- 1961 · Target: The Corruptors! as
- 1961 · The Last Sunset as Ed Hobbs
- 1960 · Outlaws as
- 1960 · National Velvet as
- 1960 · The Girl in Lovers Lane as Jesse
- 1960 · The Slowest Gun in the West as Ike Dalton
- 1959 · Edge of Eternity as Bill Ward
- 1959 · Mr. Lucky as Phil Bricker
- 1959 · The Untouchables as Jug Alverson
- 1959 · The Untouchables as Nick Bravo
- 1959 · The Rebel as Uncle Luce
- 1959 · The Twilight Zone as Avery
- 1959 · Bonanza as Dodie Hoad
- 1959 · Bonanza as Honest John
- 1959 · Bonanza as Buford Buckalew
- 1959 · Tightrope as
- 1959 · Rawhide as Turkey Creek Jack Johnson
- 1958 · Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse as
- 1958 · Lawman as
- 1958 · Lawman as Herm Forrest
- 1958 · The Rifleman as
- 1958 · The Texan as
- 1958 · The Texan as Luke Watson
- 1958 · Bronco as
- 1958 · The Gun Runners as Arnold
- 1957 · Baby Face Nelson as Fatso Nagel
- 1957 · Zorro as Gomez (uncredited)
- 1957 · The Restless Gun as Tony Molinor
- 1957 · M Squad as Luke Morgan
- 1957 · Sugarfoot as Toothy Thompson
- 1957 · Have Gun, Will Travel as
- 1957 · Have Gun, Will Travel as Arnold Shaffner
- 1957 · Dragoon Wells Massacre as Tioga
- 1957 · Night Passage as Shotgun
- 1957 · Richard Diamond, Private Detective as Danny Boy
- 1957 · Richard Diamond, Private Detective as Perk Butler
- 1957 · Gunfight at the O.K. Corral as Tom McLowery
- 1957 · Lure of the Swamp as Henry Bliss
- 1957 · Tales of Wells Fargo as Chris
- 1956 · Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre as Hock Ellis
- 1956 · Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre as Little Jimmy Lehigh
- 1956 · Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre as Stage Driver Cass
- 1956 · Thunder Over Arizona as Slats Callahan
- 1956 · Pardners as Pete
- 1956 · Jubal as McCoy
- 1955 · The Silent Partner as Shanks
- 1955 · Artists and Models as Ivan
- 1955 · Kismet as Hasan-Ben
- 1955 · Screen Director's Playhouse as Shanks
- 1955 · Frontier as
- 1955 · Cheyenne as
- 1955 · Cheyenne as Calhoun Durango
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Dolph Quince
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Steed
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Clint Dodie
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Ben
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Hector
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Specter
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Sam Band
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Del Ordman
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Jim Barrett
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as William Prange
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Lucas Murdoch
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Titus Spangler
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Pierre Audubon
- 1955 · The Man from Laramie as Chris Boldt
- 1955 · Wichita as Al
- 1955 · Moonfleet as Damen
- 1955 · Kiss Me Deadly as Charlie Max
- 1955 · Man Without a Star as Knife Murderer (uncredited)
- 1955 · Tarzan's Hidden Jungle as Burger
- 1954 · Vera Cruz as Tex
- 1954 · Cattle Queen of Montana as Yost
- 1954 · The Wonderful World of Disney as Sheriff
- 1954 · Princess of the Nile as Basra
- 1954 · Jubilee Trail as Whitey
- 1954 · The Far Country as Frank Newberry
- 1954 · Ride Clear of Diablo as Tim Lowerie
- 1953 · Appointment in Honduras as Castro
- 1953 · The Moonlighter as Slim
- 1953 · Gun Belt as Rusty Kolloway
- 1953 · Ride, Vaquero! as Barton
- 1953 · Count the Hours! as Max Verne
- 1952 · Kansas City Confidential as Pete Harris
- 1952 · Mr. & Mrs. North as
- 1952 · The Ring as Harry Jackson
- 1952 · Four Star Playhouse as Vic
- 1952 · My Man and I as Celestino Garcia
- 1952 · Lure of the Wilderness as Dave Longden
- 1952 · High Noon as Charlie - Drunk in Jail (uncredited)
- 1952 · Montana Territory as Gimp
- 1952 · The Battle at Apache Pass as Mescal Jack
- 1952 · Rancho Notorious as Mort Geary
- 1952 · Finders Keepers as Eddie
- 1951 · The Bushwhackers as Cree
- 1951 · Schlitz Playhouse of Stars as Lee Dineen
- 1951 · Schlitz Playhouse of Stars as Halleck
- 1951 · Rawhide as Tevis
- 1951 · Bird of Paradise as The Trader
- 1950 · American Guerrilla in the Philippines as The Speaker
- 1950 · High Lonesome as Smiling Man
- 1950 · A Ticket to Tomahawk as Fargo
- 1950 · One Way Street as Arnie (uncredited)
- 1950 · Key to the City as Councilman (uncredited)
- 1950 · The Sundowners as Earl Boyce
- 1949 · The Lone Ranger as Reno Lawrence
- 1949 · Wild Weed as Raymond - Henchman