
Jack Elam
Acting • Born 1920-11-13 – Died 2003-10-20
Biography
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.
Filmography
212 credits
Pocketful of Miracles
Movie • 1961
Cheesecake

High Noon
Movie • 1952
Charlie - Drunk in Jail (uncredited)

Firecreek
Movie • 1968
Norman

The Night of the Grizzly
Movie • 1966
Hank

Finders Keepers
Movie • 1952
Eddie

Kansas City Confidential
Movie • 1952
Pete Harris

The Comancheros
Movie • 1961
Horseface (Comanchero)

The Cannonball Run
Movie • 1981
Doctor

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Movie • 1957
Tom McLowery

Support Your Local Sheriff!
Movie • 1969
Jake

The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
Movie • 1979
Big Mac

Pardners
Movie • 1956
Pete

Hawmps!
Movie • 1976
Bad Jack Cutter

Suburban Commando
Movie • 1991
Col. Dustin 'Dusty' McHowell

Hannie Caulder
Movie • 1971
Frank Clemens

Cannonball Run II
Movie • 1984
Doc

Night Passage
Movie • 1957
Shotgun

Never a Dull Moment
Movie • 1968
Ace Williams

Rio Lobo
Movie • 1970
Phillips

Count the Hours!
Movie • 1953
Max Verne

Hot Lead & Cold Feet
Movie • 1978
Rattlesnake

Rancho Notorious
Movie • 1952
Mort Geary

Baby Face Nelson
Movie • 1957
Fatso Nagel

Moonfleet
Movie • 1955
Damen

The Way West
Movie • 1967
Preacher Weatherby

Artists and Models
Movie • 1955
Ivan

Rawhide
Movie • 1951
Tevis

The Sundowners
Movie • 1950
Earl Boyce

Creature from Black Lake
Movie • 1976
Joe Canton

The Rare Breed
Movie • 1966
Deke Simons

Ride, Vaquero!
Movie • 1953
Barton

The Ring
Movie • 1952
Harry Jackson

The Last Sunset
Movie • 1961
Ed Hobbs

The Norseman
Movie • 1978
Death Dreamer

4 for Texas
Movie • 1963
Dobie

Kiss Me Deadly
Movie • 1955
Charlie Max

Dirty Dingus Magee
Movie • 1970
John Wesley Hardin

The Far Country
Movie • 1954
Frank Newberry

The Man from Laramie
Movie • 1955
Chris Boldt

Support Your Local Gunfighter
Movie • 1971
Jug May

Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
Movie • 1997
Self

Dragoon Wells Massacre
Movie • 1957
Tioga

The Gun Runners
Movie • 1958
Arnold

Bird of Paradise
Movie • 1951
The Trader

Hawken's Breed
Movie • 1987
Tackett

The Over the Hill Gang
Movie • 1969
Sheriff Clyde Barnes

American Guerrilla in the Philippines
Movie • 1950
The Speaker

Sidekicks
Movie • 1974
Boss

Tarzan's Hidden Jungle
Movie • 1955
Burger

Thunder Over Arizona
Movie • 1956
Slats Callahan

Lure of the Swamp
Movie • 1957
Henry Bliss

Edge of Eternity
Movie • 1959
Bill Ward

Jinxed!
Movie • 1982
Otto

Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.
Movie • 1981
Troscliar Boudreaux

High Lonesome
Movie • 1950
Smiling Man

The Girl in Lovers Lane
Movie • 1960
Jesse

The Last Challenge
Movie • 1967
Ernest Scarnes

The Daughters of Joshua Cabe
Movie • 1972
Bitterroot

The Last Rebel
Movie • 1971
Matt

Where the Hell's That Gold?!!?
Movie • 1988
Boone

Gun Belt
Movie • 1953
Rusty Kolloway

Sartana Does Not Forgive
Movie • 1968
Slim Kovacs

Wichita
Movie • 1955
Al

Once Upon a Texas Train
Movie • 1988
Jason Fitch

The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County
Movie • 1970
Kittrick

The Giant of Thunder Mountain
Movie • 1990
Hezekiah Crow

One Way Street
Movie • 1950
Arnie (uncredited)

The Villain
Movie • 1979
Avery Simpson

Princess of the Nile
Movie • 1954
Basra

Man Without a Star
Movie • 1955
Knife Murderer (uncredited)

Sacred Ground
Movie • 1983
Lum Witcher

Shadow Force
Movie • 1992
Tommy

Appointment in Honduras
Movie • 1953
Castro

Big Bad John
Movie • 1990
Jake Calhoun

The Winds of Autumn
Movie • 1976
J. Pete Hankins

A Knife for the Ladies
Movie • 1974
Jarrod (Sheriff)

Lure of the Wilderness
Movie • 1952
Dave Longden

The Slowest Gun in the West
Movie • 1960
Ike Dalton

The Last Escape of Billy the Kid
Movie • 1972
Pat Garrett

Key to the City
Movie • 1950
Councilman (uncredited)

Louis L'Amour's Down the Long Hills
Movie • 1986
Squires

The Aurora Encounter
Movie • 1986
Charlie

The Red Pony
Movie • 1973
Granddad

My Man and I
Movie • 1952
Celestino Garcia

Lacy and the Mississippi Queen
Movie • 1978
Willie Red Fire

Skyward Christmas
Movie • 1981
Clay Haller

Uninvited
Movie • 1993
Grady

The Battle at Apache Pass
Movie • 1952
Mescal Jack

Ride a Northbound Horse
Movie • 1969
Sheriff

Jubal
Movie • 1956
McCoy

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
Movie • 1973
Alamosa Bill Kermit

The Moonlighter
Movie • 1953
Slim

The Bushwhackers
Movie • 1951
Cree

Grayeagle
Movie • 1977
Trapper Willis

Jubilee Trail
Movie • 1954
Whitey

Vera Cruz
Movie • 1954
Tex

I Am Not a Freak
Movie • 1987
Self

Montana Territory
Movie • 1952
Gimp

Cattle Queen of Montana
Movie • 1954
Yost

Ride Clear of Diablo
Movie • 1954
Tim Lowerie

Lost
Movie • 1983
Mr. Newsom

Bonanza: The Return
Movie • 1993
Buckshot

Bonanza: Under Attack
Movie • 1995
Buckshot

Shootout in a One-Dog Town
Movie • 1974
Handy

Scrooge's Rock 'N' Roll Christmas
Movie • 1984
Scrooge

The Wild Country
Movie • 1970
Thompson

Pony Express Rider
Movie • 1976
Crazy Charlie

A Ticket to Tomahawk
Movie • 1950
Fargo

Wild Weed
Movie • 1949
Raymond - Henchman

Huckleberry Finn
Movie • 1978
King

Once Upon a Time in the West
Movie • 1968
Frank's Gunman

Kismet
Movie • 1955
Hasan-Ben

The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite
Movie • 1981
Seth Beaumont

Cat Ballou
Movie • 1971
Kid Sheleen

The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe
Movie • 1976
Bitterroot

Plimpton! Shoot-Out at Rio Lobo
Movie • 1970
Self

Cheyenne
TV • 1955

F Troop
TV • 1965

Home Improvement
TV • 1991
Hick Peterson

Simon & Simon
TV • 1981

Alias Smith and Jones
TV • 1971

Tales of Wells Fargo
TV • 1957
Chris

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Dolph Quince

Eight Is Enough
TV • 1977

Father Murphy
TV • 1981

The Twilight Zone
TV • 1959
Avery

Bonanza
TV • 1959
Dodie Hoad

Target: The Corruptors!
TV • 1961

Outlaws
TV • 1960

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
TV • 1958

Rawhide
TV • 1959
Turkey Creek Jack Johnson

Have Gun, Will Travel
TV • 1957

Cimarron Strip
TV • 1967

Daniel Boone
TV • 1964
Petch

The Outcasts
TV • 1968

The High Chaparral
TV • 1967
Macklin

Lancer
TV • 1968

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV • 1951
Lee Dineen

Richard Diamond, Private Detective
TV • 1957
Danny Boy

M Squad
TV • 1957
Luke Morgan

Bronco
TV • 1958

Tarzan
TV • 1966

Hondo
TV • 1967

National Velvet
TV • 1960
Black Barr

The Rebel
TV • 1959
Uncle Luce

The Rifleman
TV • 1958
Sim Groder

The Dakotas
TV • 1963
Deputy J.D. Smith

Lawman
TV • 1958

Sugarfoot
TV • 1957
Toothy Thompson

Ben Casey
TV • 1961

The Texan
TV • 1958

The Brian Keith Show
TV • 1972

The Sacketts
TV • 1979
Ira Bigelow

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
TV • 1956
Hock Ellis

Grizzly Adams
TV • 1977
Gus

The Legend of Jesse James
TV • 1965
Deacon Smith

Tightrope
TV • 1959

Frontier
TV • 1955
Ness Fowler

Detective in the House
TV • 1985

The Restless Gun
TV • 1957
Tony Molinor

Mr. & Mrs. North
TV • 1952

Easy Street
TV • 1986

J.J. Starbuck
TV • 1987

Struck by Lightning
TV • 1979
Frank

Zorro
TV • 1957
Gomez (uncredited)

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV • 1951
Halleck

Temple Houston
TV • 1963
George Taggart

Nichols
TV • 1971
Marcus A.F. Baxter

Richard Diamond, Private Detective
TV • 1957
Perk Butler

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Steed

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Clint Dodie

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Ben

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Hector

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Specter

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Sam Band

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Del Ordman

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Jim Barrett

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
William Prange

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Lucas Murdoch

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Titus Spangler

Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Pierre Audubon

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
TV • 1956
Little Jimmy Lehigh

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
TV • 1956
Stage Driver Cass

Four Star Playhouse
TV • 1952
Vic

The Lone Ranger
TV • 1949
Reno Lawrence

Black Beauty
TV • 1978
Jonas McBride

Bonanza
TV • 1959
Honest John

The Texan
TV • 1958
Luke Watson

Bonanza
TV • 1959
Buford Buckalew

How the West Was Won
TV • 1977
Cully Madigan

The Untouchables
TV • 1959
Jug Alverson

The Virginian
TV • 1962
Harve Yost

Paradise
TV • 1988
Skragg

Lawman
TV • 1958
Herm Forrest

Kung Fu
TV • 1972
Marcus Taylor

Lucky Luke
TV • 1992
Axel Ericson

Screen Director's Playhouse
TV • 1955
Shanks

Cheyenne
TV • 1955
Calhoun Durango

The Untouchables
TV • 1959
Nick Bravo

Have Gun, Will Travel
TV • 1957
Arnold Shaffner

The Wonderful World of Disney
TV • 1954
Sheriff

Mr. Lucky
TV • 1959
Phil Bricker

The Guns of Will Sonnett
TV • 1967
Sam - Sheriff

Lawman
TV • 1958
Paul Henry

Stagecoach West
TV • 1960
Clell

Laramie
TV • 1959
Parson Hawks

$weepstake$
TV • 1979

The Restless Gun
TV • 1957
Link Jerrod

The Rifleman
TV • 1958
Russell

The Wild Wild West
TV • 1965
Zack Slade

Gunslinger
TV • 1961
Clint Gannet

Studio 57
TV • 1954