James Whitmore

Acting • Born 1921-10-01 – Died 2009-02-06

Acting2White Plains, New York, USA

Biography

James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American film, theatre, and television actor. During his career, Whitmore won three of the four EGOT honors; - a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy. Whitmore also won a Golden Globe and was nominated for two Academy Awards. Following World War II, Whitmore appeared on Broadway in the role of the sergeant in Command Decision. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave Whitmore a contract, but his role in the film adaptation was played by Van Johnson. His first major picture for MGM was Battleground, in a role that was turned down by Spencer Tracy, to whom Whitmore bore a noted physical resemblance. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role, and won the Golden Globe Award as Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role. Other major films included Angels in the Outfield, The Asphalt Jungle, The Next Voice You Hear, Above and Beyond, Kiss Me, Kate, Them!, Oklahoma!, Black Like Me, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and Give 'em Hell, Harry!, a one-man show for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of former U.S. President Harry S Truman. In the film Tora! Tora! Tora!, he played Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey. Whitmore appeared during the 1950s on many television anthology series. He was cast as Father Emil Kapaun in the 1955 episode "The Good Thief" in the ABC religion anthology series Crossroads. Other roles followed on Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theater, Lux Video Theatre, Kraft Theatre, Studio One in Hollywood, Schlitz Playhouse, Matinee Theatre, and the Ford Television Theatre. In 1958, he carried the lead in "The Gabe Carswell Story" of NBC's Wagon Train, with Ward Bond. Whitmore has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6611 Hollywood Boulevard. The ceremony was held on February 8, 1960.

Filmography

172 credits

The Shawshank Redemption

Movie • 1994

Brooks Hatlen

Arthur Miller: Writer

Movie • 2017

Self (archive footage)

The Harrad Experiment

Movie • 1973

Philip Tenhausen

The Relic

Movie • 1997

Dr. Albert Frock

Madigan

Movie • 1968

Chief Inspector Charles Kane

The Last Frontier

Movie • 1955

Gus

Tora! Tora! Tora!

Movie • 1970

Admiral William F. Halsey

Them!

Movie • 1954

Sgt. Ben Peterson

The Majestic

Movie • 2001

Stan Keller

Hail Columbia!

Movie • 1982

Narrator

The Undercover Man

Movie • 1949

George Pappas

Battleground

Movie • 1949

Kinnie

The Split

Movie • 1968

Herb Sutro

The Hoaxters

Movie • 1952

Narrator (voice)

Where the Red Fern Grows

Movie • 1974

Grandpa

Guns of the Magnificent Seven

Movie • 1969

Levi

Chato's Land

Movie • 1972

Joshua Everette

The Horror Show

Movie • 1979

(archive footage)

Kiss Me Kate

Movie • 1953

Slug

I Will Fight No More Forever

Movie • 1985

General Oliver O. Howard

Nuts

Movie • 1987

Judge Stanley Murdoch

Oklahoma!

Movie • 1955

Mr. Carnes

Crime in the Streets

Movie • 1956

Ben Wagner

The Eddy Duchin Story

Movie • 1956

Lou Sherwood

The Next Voice You Hear...

Movie • 1950

Joe Smith

The Asphalt Jungle

Movie • 1950

Gus Minissi

Chuka

Movie • 1967

Lou Trent

The Challenge

Movie • 1970

Overman

The Adventures of Mark Twain

Movie • 1985

Mark Twain (voice)

Above and Beyond

Movie • 1953

Maj. William M. Uanna

Los Angeles Plays Itself

Movie • 2004

Lou Hopke in Shadow in The Sky (archive footage)

Battle Cry

Movie • 1955

MSgt. Mac

The Girl Who Had Everything

Movie • 1953

Charles "Chico" Menlow

It's a Big Country

Movie • 1951

Mr. Stacey

The Tenderfoot

Movie • 1966

Captain Ewell

Black Like Me

Movie • 1964

John Finley Horton

All the Brothers Were Valiant

Movie • 1953

Fetcher

Please Believe Me

Movie • 1950

Vincent Maran

High Crime

Movie • 1973

Commissioner Aldo Scavino

The Deep Six

Movie • 1958

Cmdr. Warren Meredith

The McConnell Story

Movie • 1955

SSgt. / Maj . / Col. Ty 'Dad' Whitman

The Restless Years

Movie • 1958

Ed Henderson

The Command

Movie • 1954

Sgt. Elliott

Who Was That Lady?

Movie • 1960

Harry Powell

Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone

Movie • 1950

John Malone

Here's to Life!

Movie • 2000

Gus Corley

The Outriders

Movie • 1950

Clint Priest

The Young Don't Cry

Movie • 1957

Rudy Krist

Mark, I Love You

Movie • 1980

Dwight Hamilton

The Great Diamond Robbery

Movie • 1954

Mr. Remlick, Lawyer

Shadow in the Sky

Movie • 1952

Lou Hopke

Because You're Mine

Movie • 1952

Sergeant 'Bat' Batterson

Give 'em Hell, Harry!

Movie • 1975

Harry S. Truman

Bully: An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt

Movie • 1978

Teddy Roosevelt

Face of Fire

Movie • 1959

Monk Johnson

Glory! Glory!

Movie • 1989

Lester Babbitt

If Tomorrow Comes

Movie • 1971

Frank Phillips

The Klan: A Legacy of Hate in America

Movie • 1982

Narrator

Icarus Montgolfier Wright

Movie • 1962

Across the Wide Missouri

Movie • 1951

Old Bill (uncredited)

Nobody's Perfect

Movie • 1968

Capt. Mike Riley

The Serpent's Egg

Movie • 1977

Priester

Swing Vote

Movie • 1999

Daniel Morissey

The Flying Misfits

Movie • 1976

Capt. James 'Jim' Gutterman

The Balloon Vendor

Movie • 1974

Antonio

Planet of the Apes

Movie • 1968

President of the Assembly

Cole Porter in Hollywood: Too Darn Hot

Movie • 2003

Self

Waterhole #3

Movie • 1967

Capt. Shipley

Old Explorers

Movie • 1990

Leinen Roth

The First Deadly Sin

Movie • 1980

Dr. Sanford Ferguson

Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick

Movie • 1995

Self

The Red Badge of Courage

Movie • 1951

Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Angels in the Outfield

Movie • 1951

Angel (voice) (uncredited)

A Ring of Endless Light

Movie • 2002

Grandfather

Meet Mr. Miracle-Gro: The Horace Hagedorn Story

Movie • 2005

Man Belongs to the Earth

Movie • 1974

Narrator

The Canterville Ghost

Movie • 1974

Hyram B. Otis

Love Those Trains

Movie • 1984

Narrator

Rage!

Movie • 1980

Borski

The Golden Honeymoon

Movie • 1980

Charley Tate

All My Sons

Movie • 1987

Joe Keller

Sky High

Movie • 1990

Gus Johnson

Burke's Law

TV • 1963

Joe Piante

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

TV • 2000

Milton

George Burns Comedy Week

TV • 1985

Ebenezer Scrooge

Kraft Suspense Theatre

TV • 1963

J. Marvin Bean

Route 66

TV • 1960

The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters

TV • 1963

Foxy Smith

The Practice

TV • 1997

Raymond Oz

Gunsmoke

TV • 1955

Amos Campbell

Studio One

TV • 1948

Sam

Combat!

TV • 1962

Hertzbrun

The Ray Bradbury Theater

TV • 1985

Craig Bennett Stiles

The Twilight Zone

TV • 1959

The Monroes

TV • 1966

The Greatest Show on Earth

TV • 1963

Going My Way

TV • 1962

Bus Stop

TV • 1961

The Law and Mr. Jones

TV • 1960

Abraham Lincoln Jones

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

TV • 1958

Rawhide

TV • 1959

Sgt. Joe Duclos

Temperatures Rising

TV • 1972

Vincent Campanelli

Run for Your Life

TV • 1965

Chief Jim Holland

A Minute with Stan Hooper

TV • 2003

Dr. Goldman

The White Shadow

TV • 1978

Jake Reeves

The Virginian

TV • 1962

Capt. Piper Pritican

Lux Video Theatre

TV • 1950

Tracy

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

TV • 1951

Climax!

TV • 1954

Stash Prohaska

The United States Steel Hour

TV • 1953

The Big Valley

TV • 1965

Handy

Cowboy in Africa

TV • 1967

Slattery's People

TV • 1964

The Loner

TV • 1965

Judd for the Defense

TV • 1967

The 20th Century Fox Hour

TV • 1955

Tarzan

TV • 1966

T.H.E. Cat

TV • 1966

Ben Casey

TV • 1961

12 O'Clock High

TV • 1964

The Detectives

TV • 1959

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

TV • 1956

Jeb

Playwrights '56

TV • 1955

The Wonderful World of Disney

TV • 1961

Custer

TV • 1967

Dr. Kildare

TV • 1961

Henry Clay Kincaid

Crossroads

TV • 1955

Alcoa Premiere

TV • 1961

Panic!

TV • 1957

Shane

TV • 1966

Harry Himber

For the People

TV • 1965

Decision

TV • 1958

My Friend Tony

TV • 1969

Prof. John Woodruff

Favorite Son

TV • 1988

The President

Rawhide

TV • 1959

Colonel John Macklin

The Big Valley

TV • 1965

Joshua Hawks

The Big Valley

TV • 1965

Tom Wills

The Big Valley

TV • 1965

Marshal Seth Campbell

The Virginian

TV • 1962

Ezra Hollis

The Virginian

TV • 1962

Carl Kabe

The Virginian

TV • 1962

Marshal Krug