James Drury
Acting • Born 1934-04-18 – Died 2020-04-06
Biography
James Child Drury Jr. (April 18, 1934 – April 6, 2020) was an American actor. He is best known for having played the title role in the 90-minute weekly Western television series The Virginian, which was broadcast on NBC from 1962 to 1971. Drury was born in New York City, the son of James Child Drury and Beatrice Crawford Drury. His father was a New York University professor of marketing. He grew up between New York City and Salem, Oregon, where his mother owned a farm. Drury contracted polio at the age of 10. He studied drama at New York University and took additional classes at UCLA to complete his degree after he began acting in films at MGM. On February 7, 1957, Drury married Cristall Othones, and fathered two sons, Timothy and James III. The couple divorced on November 23, 1964 and on April 27, 1968, he married Phyllis Jacqueline Mitchell; the marriage ended in divorce on January 30, 1979. His third marriage was to Carl Ann Head on July 30, 1979; it lasted until her death on August 25, 2019. Drury had three stepchildren from his previous marriages, a stepdaughter, Rhonda Brown, and two stepsons, Frederick Drury and Gary Schero. Drury died from natural causes on April 6, 2020.
Filmography
87 credits
Pollyanna
Movie • 1960
George Dodds
Ride the High Country
Movie • 1962
Billy Hammond
Diane
Movie • 1956
Lieutenant (uncredited)
Good Day for a Hanging
Movie • 1959
Paul Ridgely
Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks with a Circus
Movie • 1960
Jim Weaver
Love Me Tender
Movie • 1956
Ray Reno
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Movie • 1979
Self
Third of a Man
Movie • 1962
Emmet
Backtrack!
Movie • 1969
Ramrod (archive footage)
The Bull of the West
Movie • 1972
Man from Virginia
The Meanest Men in the West
Movie • 1978
The Range Boss (The Virginian)
Ten Who Dared
Movie • 1960
Walter Powell
The Devil and Miss Sarah
Movie • 1971
Gil Turner
The Young Warriors
Movie • 1967
Sergeant Cooley
The Cartoon Cowboys: Spirit of the Alamo
Movie • 2015
Buffalo Bill Cody (voice)/"The Mysterious Traveler" (voice)
Walker, Texas Ranger: One Riot, One Ranger
Movie • 1993
Captain Tom Price
Forbidden Planet
Movie • 1956
Crewman Strong
Hell to Pay
Movie • 2005
JT Coffee
Maverick
Movie • 1994
Riverboat Poker Player (uncredited)
Blackboard Jungle
Movie • 1955
Hospital Attendant (uncredited)
Breakout
Movie • 1970
Joe Baker
The Devil's Children
Movie • 1962
The Virginian
The Final Hour
Movie • 1965
The Virginian
The Brazen Bell
Movie • 1964
The Virginian
The Virginian
Movie • 2000
Rider
Bitter Heritage
Movie • 1958
Jesse James, Jr.
Bernardine
Movie • 1957
Langley Philip Beaymont
The Last Wagon
Movie • 1956
Rapids Ahead/Bear Country
Movie • 1960
The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw
Movie • 1991
Jim
Return to the Titanic
Movie • 1981
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
TV • 1993
Deacon
Bourbon Street Beat
TV • 1959
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
TV • 1993
Ethan Emerson
Walker, Texas Ranger
TV • 1993
Captain Tom Price
Firehouse
TV • 1974
Captain Spike Ryerson
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Booth Rider
Perry Mason
TV • 1957
Eddy King
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
TV • 1955
Michael Grimes
Rawhide
TV • 1959
Kenley
The Virginian
TV • 1962
The "Virginian"
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
TV • 1957
Arthur Harding
Bronco
TV • 1958
John Smith
The 20th Century Fox Hour
TV • 1955
Anton Cavrek
The Rebel
TV • 1959
Bert Pace
The Detectives
TV • 1959
Adrian
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
TV • 1956
Jess McHugh
Lawman
TV • 1958
Clay
Letter to Loretta
TV • 1953
Tony
Ironside
TV • 1967
Al
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV • 1962
Self
The Texan
TV • 1958
Johnny Kaler
Rawhide
TV • 1959
Johnny Adler
Rawhide
TV • 1959
Rance
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Jerry Cass
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Johnny Red
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Tom
Letter to Loretta
TV • 1953
Bob Prentiss
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
TV • 1993
Doctor
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
TV • 1956
Roy Richards
The Rebel
TV • 1959
Paul Travers
Trackdown
TV • 1957
John Ward
It Takes a Thief
TV • 1968
Mr. Clifton
The Wonderful World of Disney
TV • 1954
Deputy Joe Monroe
The Rifleman
TV • 1958
Lloyd Carpenter
Have Gun, Will Travel
TV • 1957
Tony DeVries
Cheyenne
TV • 1955
Bill Magruder
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
TV • 1968
The Virginian (uncredited)
Lock-Up
TV • 1959
Frank Crotty
The Bob Hope Show
TV • 1950
Self
The Merv Griffin Show
TV • 1962
Self
The Mike Douglas Show
TV • 1961
Self
Stagecoach West
TV • 1960
'Stace'
Alias Smith and Jones
TV • 1971
Sheriff Lom Trevors
Alias Smith and Jones
TV • 1971
Sheriff Tankersley
Black Saddle
TV • 1959
Neal Adams
Steve Canyon
TV • 1958
Lt. Richard Muller
The Ed Wynn Show
TV • 1958
The Rifleman
TV • 1958
Spicer
Lawman
TV • 1958
Stan Bates
Wagon Train
TV • 1957
Justin Claiborne
Wagon Train
TV • 1957
Cole Crawford
Broken Arrow
TV • 1956
Tahzay
The Wonderful World of Disney
TV • 1954
George Dodds
The Wonderful World of Disney
TV • 1954
Jim Weaver
The Red Skelton Show
TV • 1951
Self - Auctioneer
Cameo Theatre
TV • 1950
George