James Griffith

James Griffith (February 13, 1916 – September 17, 1993) was an American character actor, musician and screenwriter.

Career

Born in Los Angeles, Griffith aspired to be a musician rather than an actor. Instead, he managed to find work in little theatres around Los Angeles, where the budding musician eased into a dual career of acting. He found success in the production They Can't Get You Down in 1939, but put his career on hold during World War II to serve with the U.S. military. Following the war, Griffith switched from the stage to films when he appeared in the 1948 film noir picture Blonde Ice. From then on, he enjoyed a lengthy career of supporting and bit roles (sometimes uncredited) in westerns and detective films.

Though Griffith was generally cast as the outlaw in Western pictures, he managed to garner a few memorable "good guy" roles over his many years in Hollywood – Abraham Lincoln in both 1950's Stage to Tucson and 1955's Apache Ambush, sheriff Pat Garrett in 1954's The Law vs. Billy the Kid, John Wesley Hardin in a 1959 television episode of Maverick entitled "Duel at Sundown" featuring Clint Eastwood, and Davy Crockett in 1956's The First Texan. Griffith also made more than 70 guest appearances on television shows like The Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, Dragnet and Little House on the Prairie. He also had recurring roles in two 1950's T.V. series; Robert Culp's Trackdown and Sheriff of Cochise starring John Bromfield. As a somewhat "extra" activity, Griffith played the Reverend in Black and the opening, closing, and a few in the middle scenes in the 1964 Russ Meyer film Lorna, starring Lorna Maitland in one of Russ's bigger black & white 'skin' movies before the height of his career with Beyond the Valley of the Dolls in 1968.

Throughout his acting career, Griffith continued to practice his original love of music, performing in Spike Jones' band and composing music for the 1958 film Bullwhip and the 1964 film Lorna (in which he also had a role and served as screenwriter). Griffith made his last onscreen appearance in a 1982 episode of Dallas.

Death

Griffith died of cancer in Avila Beach, California on September 17, 1993.

Selected filmography

References

• Tim Brooks; Earle Marsh (2003). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (8th ed.). Random House Digital, Inc. ISBN 0345455428. http://books.google.com/books?id=DyS3t8z6_ckC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 13 March 2011. 

External links

• James Griffith at the Internet Movie Database