Jack Elam | |
|---|---|
 Elam in 1950s | |
| Born | William Scott Elam (1920-11-13)November 13, 1920 Miami, Arizona, U.S. |
| Died | October 20, 2003(2003-10-20) (aged 82) Ashland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Years active | 1944–1995 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
William Scott "Jack"Elam (November 13, 1920[1] – October 20, 2003) was an American film and television actor best known for his numerous roles as villains inWestern films and, later in his career, comedies (sometimes spoofing his villainous image). His most distinguishing physical quality was hismisaligned eye. Before his career in acting, he took several jobs in finance and served two years in theU.S. Navy duringWorld War II. Elam performed in 73 movies and in at least 41 television series.
Born in 1920 inMiami, Arizona—a small mining town located 85 miles east ofPhoenix—Jack was one of two children of Millard Elam (1887–1965) and Alice Amelia,née Kerby (1884–1924)[2][3] Jack's father supported the family by working assorted jobs over the years, including stints as a carpenter,millman, and accountant.[3][4][a] The Elams by 1924 had moved from Miami to the nearby community ofGlobe, Arizona, where in September that year Alice died at the age of 40, succumbing to what state medical records cite as a three-year struggle with "general paralysis".[5] After their mother's death, young Jack and his older sister Mildred went to live with various family members until Millard married again in April 1928 toKansas native Flossie Varney.[6][7] Federal census records show that two years later the children, their father, stepmother, and Flossie's own mother were residing together in Globe, where Millard had a new job as an investigator for a loan company.[8] Flossie was employed as well at the time as a public school teacher, while Jack also contributed to the family's income by periodically working on nearby farmsgleaning cotton.[8][9]
In 1931 Elam suffered a severe injury to his left eye during an altercation with another boy, an injury that ultimately blinded him in that eye and permanently damaged the muscles surrounding it.[10] As Jack grew older, the impaired muscles caused his eye increasingly to "drift" within its socket and not track in unison with his right eye, often giving him acockeyed appearance. Percy Shain, a veteran film and televisioncritic forThe Boston Globe, interviewed Elam in 1974 and quoted the actor's comments about the injury:
I lost my eye when I was 11 in a fight at—would you believe it?—a boy scout meeting...It was a big initiation night but I got into a scrap with this other kid and he put a pencil through my eye.
There was no doctor there and it wasn't looked at until sometime afterward. They finally took out thelens and made it sightless. It was 20 years, though, before it started drifting. If it became an issue I could have it operated on, but at this stage of life I probably won't.
There was a time, though, when I was makingRawhide, the movie [1951], that I mentioned toDarryl Zanuck [head of20th Century-Fox] that I could have it fixed. He said, "Don't do it. It's part of yourmystique." So I never got back to it and it's become my trademark, in a way.At this stage, it only causes me minor inconvenience. Sometimes I'm a little off center, or when I'm talking to someone I do it at a slight angle.[11]
Zanuck's remarks about Elam's eye proved to be wise career advice, for despite any lifelong disadvantages that his "lazy eye" created for him personally, it proved to be an asset professionally, at least as a performer. His eye's distinctive appearance, combined with Elam's natural acting abilities, drew the attention of many casting directors of films and television series throughout the 1950s and 1960s.[11]
Before becoming an actor, Elam completed his high-school education, got married, attended college, worked in a variety of jobs, and, despite being blind in one eye, served two years in theU.S. Navy duringWorld War II.[9] He completed his secondary education in Arizona, graduating fromPhoenix Union High School in the late 1930s and then moving toCalifornia, where he majored in "business studies" atModesto[12] andSanta Monica junior colleges.[9][b] During that time, he was also employed in several positions before entering military service, including work as a salesman for a "house trailer agency",[13] as an accountant for theStandard Oil Company, a bookkeeper at theBank of America, and a manager at theHotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.[6][9][14] For a few years after his discharge from the navy, Elam continued to apply his business training as an accountant forHopalong Cassidy Productions and as an independentauditor forSamuel Goldwyn and other moguls and companies associated with the film industry.[9][15] That work required Jack to spend long hours each day reading and examining in detail large quantities of financial records, a routine that put too much strain on his right eye, his "good eye".[16] "'I only see out of one eye'", he explained in an interview published inThe Baltimore Sun in 1974, "'and that eye kept going shut.'" While Elam was widely recognized in Hollywood as "a leading independent auditor in motion pictures", by 1947 he found it necessary to quit that successful occupation entirely.[16] He added, "'I had [my right eye] operated on several times and finally the doctor said he couldn't open it any more. He told me I had to get out of the business immediately or go blind.'"[16]
Elam made his screen debut in 1949 inShe Shoulda Said No!, anexploitation film in which a chorus girl's habitual marijuana smoking ruins her career and then drives her brother to suicide. Over the next decade as an actor, Elam continued to perform most often in gangster films and Westerns, firmly establishing himself in thosegenres as a reliable and memorable villain or "heavy". In fact, by the end of the 1950s various American news outlets and moviegoers were referring to him as "'the screen's most loathsome character'".[17]
On television in the 1950s and 1960s, he made multiple guest-star appearances on many popular Western series, includingThe Lone Ranger,Gunsmoke,The Rifleman,Lawman,Bonanza,Cheyenne,Have Gun – Will Travel,Zorro,The Rebel,F Troop,Tales of Wells Fargo,The Texan, andRawhide. In 1961, he played a slightly crazed bus passenger onThe Twilight Zone episode "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?". That same year, he also portrayed the Mexican historical figureJuan Cortina in "The General Without a Cause", an episode of the anthology seriesDeath Valley Days. In 1962, Elam appeared as Paul Henry onLawman in the episode titled "Clootey Hutter".
Elam was the antagonist of the 1960 filmThe Girl in Lovers Lane, which was subsequently the subject of a season five episode ofMystery Science Theater 3000.
Elam in 1963 received a rare opportunity to portray the good guy, appearing as a reformed gunfighter, Deputy U.S. Marshal J. D. Smith, in theABC/Warner Bros. seriesThe Dakotas, a Western intended as the successor ofCheyenne.[18]The Dakotas ran for 19 episodes.[18] He was then cast as George Taggart, "a former gunfighter who has become aU.S. marshal", in the 1963–1964 NBC/WB seriesTemple Houston.[19]
In 1966 Jack Elam was cast in his first comedic role byParamount Pictures, playing Hank in the Western filmThe Night of the Grizzly starringClint Walker.[20] The next year, for theHarold Hecht productionThe Way West, he was chosen for another light-hearted role, playing Preacher Weatherby and providing support to costarsRobert Mitchum,Richard Widmark, andKirk Douglas in a story about awagon train traveling theOregon Trail.[21] Then, in 1968, Elam performed in the opening scenes ofSergio Leone's celebrated "spaghetti Western"Once Upon a Time in the West. In that film he portrays one of a trio of gunslingers sent to a train station to killCharles Bronson's character. Elam in one sequence spends a good portion of his screen time simply trying to rid himself of an annoying fly, finally capturing the elusive insect inside the barrel of his pistol.[22]
In 1969, he played another comedic role inSupport Your Local Sheriff!, which was followed two years later bySupport Your Local Gunfighter, both oppositeJames Garner. After his performances in those two films, Elam found his villainous parts dwindling and his comic roles increasing. (Both films were also directed byBurt Kennedy, who had seen Elam's potential as a comedian and directed him a total of 15 times in features and television.) Between those two films, he also played a comically cranky old coot oppositeJohn Wayne inHoward Hawks'sRio Lobo (1970). In 1974–1975, he was cast as Zack Wheeler inThe Texas Wheelers, a short-lived comedy series in which he portrayed a long-lost father returning home to raise his four children after their mother dies. Also on television, in 1979, he performed asFrankenstein's monster on the CBS sitcomStruck by Lightning, but the show was cancelled after only three episodes (the remaining eight were unaired (and remain so) in the U.S., though all 11 were aired in theUK in 1980).[23] He then appeared in the role of Hick Peterson in a first-season episode ofHome Improvement alongsideErnest Borgnine (season one, episode 20, "Birds of a Feather Flock to Taylor").[24]
Elam portrayed Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing, a "crazedproctologist", in the 1981action-comedy filmThe Cannonball Run; and three years later, he reprised the role for the production's sequel,Cannonball Run II.[25][26] Elam then played the character Charlie Hankins, atown drunk, in the 1986 "Weird Western" pictureThe Aurora Encounter.[27] During production, Elam developed what would become a lifelong relationship with an 11-year-old boy inTexas namedMickey Hays, who suffered fromprogeria. The 1987 documentaryI Am Not a Freak portrays the close friendship between Elam and Hays. Elam, in what may be an apocryphal quote, said, "You know I've met a lot of people, but I've never met anybody that got next to me like Mickey."[28]
In 1986, Elam also co-starred on the short-lived comedy seriesEasy Street as Alvin "Bully" Stevenson, the down-on-his-luck uncle ofLoni Anderson's character, L. K. McGuire. In 1988, Elam co-starred with Willie Nelson in themade-for-television movieWhere The Hell's That Gold?[29]
In 1994, Elam was inducted into theHall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum inOklahoma City, OK.[30]
Elam was married twice, first to Jean Louise Hodgert from 1937 until her death fromcolon cancer on January 24, 1961.[31][c] Seven months later, in August 1961, Elam married again, then to Margaret M. Jennison.[32] The couple remained together for 42 years, until 2003, when Jack died ofcongestive heart failure at their home inAshland, Oregon.[6][10]
| Title | Year | Roles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mystery Range | 1947 | Burvel Lambert | |
| Wild Weed | 1949 | Raymond – Henchman | |
| The Sundowners | 1950 | Earl Boyce | |
| Key to the City | 1950 | Councilman | Uncredited |
| Quicksand | 1950 | Man at Bar | Uncredited |
| One Way Street | 1950 | Arnie | Uncredited |
| A Ticket to Tomahawk | 1950 | Fargo | Uncredited |
| Love That Brute | 1950 | Henchman #2 in Cigar Store | Uncredited |
| High Lonesome | 1950 | Smiling Man | |
| American Guerrilla in the Philippines | 1951 | The Speaker | |
| The Texan Meets Calamity Jane | 1951 | Henchman | Uncredited |
| Bird of Paradise | 1951 | The Trader | |
| Rawhide | 1951 | Tevis | |
| The Bushwackers | 1951 | Cree | |
| Finders Keepers | 1952 | Eddie | |
| Rancho Notorious | 1952 | Mort Geary | |
| The Battle at Apache Pass | 1952 | Mescal Jack | |
| High Noon | 1952 | Charlie – Drunk in Jail | Uncredited |
| Montana Territory | 1952 | Gimp | |
| Lure of the Wilderness | 1952 | Dave Longden | |
| My Man and I | 1952 | Celestino Garcia | |
| The Ring | 1952 | Harry Jackson | |
| Kansas City Confidential | 1952 | Pete Harris | |
| Count the Hours | 1953 | Max Verne | |
| Ride, Vaquero! | 1953 | Barton | |
| Gun Belt | 1953 | Rusty Kolloway | |
| The Moonlighter | 1953 | Slim | |
| Appointment in Honduras | 1953 | Castro | |
| Jubilee Trail | 1954 | Whitey | |
| Ride Clear of Diablo | 1954 | Tim Lowerie | |
| Princess of the Nile | 1954 | Basra | |
| The Far Country | 1954 | Frank Newberry | |
| Cattle Queen of Montana | 1954 | Yost | |
| Vera Cruz | 1954 | Tex | |
| Tarzan's Hidden Jungle | 1955 | Burger | |
| The Man from Laramie | 1955 | Chris Boldt | |
| Man Without a Star | 1955 | Knife Murderer | Uncredited |
| Kiss Me Deadly | 1955 | Charlie Max | |
| Moonfleet | 1955 | Damen | |
| Wichita | 1955 | Al | |
| Artists and Models | 1955 | Ivan | |
| Kismet | 1955 | Hasan-Ben | |
| Jubal | 1956 | McCoy – Bar 8 Rider | |
| Pardners | 1956 | Pete | |
| Thunder Over Arizona | 1956 | Deputy Slats Callahan | |
| Dragoon Wells Massacre | 1957 | Tioga | |
| Gunfight at the O.K. Corral | 1957 | Tom McLowery | |
| Lure of the Swamp | 1957 | Henry Bliss | |
| Night Passage | 1957 | Shotgun | |
| Baby Face Nelson | 1957 | Fatso Nagel | |
| The Gun Runners | 1958 | Arnold | |
| Edge of Eternity | 1959 | Bill Ward | |
| The Girl in Lovers Lane | 1960 | Jesse | |
| The Last Sunset | 1961 | Ed Hobbs | |
| The Comancheros | 1961 | Horseface (Comanchero) | |
| Pocketful of Miracles | 1961 | Cheesecake | |
| 4 for Texas | 1963 | Dobie | |
| The Rare Breed | 1966 | Simons | |
| The Night of the Grizzly | 1966 | Hank | |
| The Way West | 1967 | Preacher Weatherby | |
| The Last Challenge | 1967 | Ernest Scarnes | |
| Firecreek | 1968 | Norman | |
| Never a Dull Moment | 1968 | Ace Williams | |
| Sonora | 1968 | Slim Kovacs | |
| Once Upon a Time in the West | 1968 | Snaky – Member of Frank's Gang | |
| Support Your Local Sheriff! | 1969 | Jake | |
| The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County | 1970 | Kittrick | |
| Dirty Dingus Magee | 1970 | John Wesley Hardin | |
| The Wild Country | 1970 | Thompson | |
| Rio Lobo | 1970 | Mr Phillips | |
| Support Your Local Gunfighter | 1971 | Jug May | |
| The Last Rebel | 1971 | Matt | |
| Hannie Caulder | 1971 | Frank Clemens | |
| Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid | 1973 | Alamosa Bill | |
| Knife for the Ladies | 1974 | Jarrod (Sheriff) | |
| Creature from Black Lake | 1976 | Joe Canton | |
| Hawmps! | 1976 | Bad Jack Cutter | |
| The Winds of Autumn | 1976 | J. Pete Hankins | |
| Pony Express Rider | 1976 | Crazy Charlie | |
| Grayeagle | 1977 | Trapper Willis | |
| Hot Lead and Cold Feet | 1978 | Rattlesnake | |
| The Norseman | 1978 | Death Dreamer | |
| The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again | 1979 | Big Mac | |
| The Sacketts | 1979 | Ira Bigelow | |
| The Villain | 1979 | Avery Simpson | |
| The Cannonball Run | 1981 | Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing | |
| Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. | 1981 | Troscliar Boudreaux | |
| Jinxed! | 1982 | Otto | |
| Sacred Ground | 1983 | Lum Witcher | |
| Lost | 1983 | Mr. Newsome | |
| Cannonball Run II | 1984 | Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing | |
| The Aurora Encounter | 1986 | Charlie Hankins | |
| Hawken's Breed | 1987 | Tackett | |
| Once Upon a Texas Train | 1988 | Jason Fitch | |
| Big Bad John | 1990 | Jake Calhoun | |
| The Giant of Thunder Mountain | 1991 | Hezekiah Crow | |
| Suburban Commando | 1991 | Col. Dustin 'Dusty' McHowell | |
| Shadow Force | 1992 | Tommy | |
| Uninvited | 1993 | Grady |
| Title | Year | Role | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Restless Gun | 1957 | Link Jared | "Trail to Sunset" |
| Lawman | 1958 | Flynn Hawks | "The Deputy" |
| The Restless Gun | 1958 | Tony Molenauer | "Hornitas Town" |
| Have Gun – Will Travel | 1958 | Joe Gage | "The Man Who Lost" (Written by Ida Lupino) |
| The Texan | 1958 | Tug Swann | "The Eastener" |
| The Rifleman | 1958 | Sim Groder | "Duel of Honor" |
| Gunsmoke | 1959 | Dolph Quince | "Jayhawkers" |
| Gunsmoke | 1959 | Steed | "Saludos" |
| The Texan | 1959 | Luke Watson | "South of the Border" |
| The Texan | 1959 | Dud Parsons | "Lady Tenderfoot" |
| The Rifleman | 1959 | Gavin Martin | "Tension" |
| Tombstone Territory | 1959 | Wally Jobe | "Day of the Amnesty" |
| Gunsmoke | 1960 | Clint Dodie | "Where'd They Go" |
| The Twilight Zone | 1961 | Crazy Man | "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" |
| Bonanza | 1961 | Dodie Hoad | "The Spitfire" |
| Cheyenne | 1961 | Count Nicholas Potosi | "Massacre at Gunsight Pass" |
| Gunsmoke | 1961 | Ben | "Love Thy Neighbor" |
| The Untouchables | 1962 | Jug Alverson | "Pressure" |
| Cheyenne | 1962 | Deputy J. D. Smith | "A Man Called Ragan" |
| Cheyenne | 1962 | Calhoun Durango | "The Durango Brothers" |
| Have Gun – Will Travel | 1962 | Arnold Shaffner | "One, Two, Three" |
| Gunsmoke | 1964 | Hector | "Homecoming" |
| Gunsmoke | 1964 | Specter | "Help Me, Kitty" |
| Daniel Boone | 1965 | Petch | S1/E18 - "The Sound of Fear" |
| Gunsmoke | 1965 | Sam Band | "Clayton Thaddeus Greenwood" |
| Gunsmoke | 1965 | Del Ormand | "Malachi" |
| Gunsmoke | 1966 | Jim Barrett | "My Father, My Son" |
| Bonanza | 1967 | Buford Buckalew | "A Bride for Buford" |
| The Wild Wild West | 1967 | Zack Slade | "The Night of Montezuma's Hordes" |
| Gunsmoke | 1968 | William Prange | "The First People" |
| Gunsmoke | 1969 | Pack Landers | The Sisters |
| Bonanza | 1970 | Honest John | "Honest John" |
| The Virginian | 1970 | Harve Yost | "Rich Man, Poor Man" |
| Gunsmoke | 1971 | Lucas Murdoch | "Murdoch" |
| Gunsmoke | 1971 | Titus Spangler | "P.S. Murry Christmas" |
| Gunsmoke | 1972 | Pierre Audubon | "The River- Parts 1 & 2" |
| The Texas Wheelers | 1974–1975 | Zack Wheeler | Main role; 8 episodes |
| Phyllis | 1975–1976 | Van Horn | A lovable wino, 3 episodes |
| How the West Was Won | 1976 | Cully Madigan | 2 episodes |
| Eight is Enough | 1978, 1980 | Joe Simons | 2 episodes |
| Sweepstakes | 1979 | Frank | Episode: "Billy, Wally and Ludmilla, and Theodore" |
| Easy Street | 1986 | Alvin "Bully" Stevenson | 22 episodes |
| Home Improvement | 1992 | Hick Peterson | "Birds of a Feather Flock to Taylor" |
| Bonanza: The Return | 1993 | Buckshot | Television movie |
| Bonanza: Under Attack | 1995 | Buckshot | Television movie |
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