Jim Davis (actor)
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Marlin "Jim" Davis (August 26, 1909 - April 26, 1981) was an American character actor who appeared in motion pictures from the 1940s to the 1980s.
| Jim Davis | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Marlin Davis | |
| Born | August 26, 1909 | |
| Origin |  Edgerton, Missouri, United States |
|
| Died | April 26, 1981 of brain cancer (age 71) | |
| Occupation(s) | Actor | |
[edit] Biography
Born Marlin Davis in Edgerton, Missouri, he is remembered in film for portraying a senator in the Warren Beatty conspiracy thriller The Parallax View, although he is best remembered by most for playing the role of Jock Ewing on TV's Dallas.
Tragedy struck when his only child, daughter Tara Diane (1953-1970), was killed in a car crash at the age of sixteen. After years of roles in a large number of Western films, in 1978 he was given the part of family patriarch, "Jock Ewing" in the Dallas TV series.
He died of complications of brain cancer after three seasons. Despite being diagnosed during Season 3, he continued to film the show as long as he could. In many scenes as that season progressed, he was seen seated, and was obviously wearing a wig and looked and sounded fatigued. A storyline regarding the Takopa development and his separation from Miss Ellie was ended abruptly, and the writers had the couple leave to go on an extended second honeymoon when it became obvious Davis could no longer continue to work.
Very popular with the audience, the show's writers made the decision not to write his death into the storyline right away. Initially, plans were made to replace him with another actor, but decided that because of audience awareness, his character was kept alive for a short time with the storyline that he was in South America drilling for oil. During the first part of the 1982 season, an episode featured his death in a helicopter crash.
For his contribution to the television industry, Jim Davis has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6290 Hollywood Blvd.
Jim Davis is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Jim Davis
