Jack Elam
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Nov 13, 1920
- Died
- Oct 20, 2003 (aged 82)
- Place of birth
- Miami, Gila, Arizona, USA
- Credits
- 186
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.
Known for
Once Upon a Time in the West
1968Movie
Frank's Gunman
High Noon
1952Movie
Charlie - Drunk in Jail (uncredited)
The Twilight Zone
1959TV
Avery
Home Improvement
1991TV
Hick Peterson
The Cannonball Run
1981Movie
Doctor
Bonanza
1959TV
Dodie Hoad, Honest John, Buford Buckalew
Filmography
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
1997Movie
Self
Bonanza: Under Attack
1995Movie
Buckshot
Bonanza: The Return
1993Movie
Buckshot
Uninvited
1993Movie
Grady
Shadow Force
1992Movie
Tommy
Lucky Luke
1992TV
Axel Ericson
Suburban Commando
1991Movie
Col. Dustin 'Dusty' McHowell
Home Improvement
1991TV
Hick Peterson
The Giant of Thunder Mountain
1990Movie
Hezekiah Crow
Big Bad John
1990Movie
Jake Calhoun
Where the Hell's That Gold?!!?
1988Movie
Boone
Paradise
1988TV
Skragg
Once Upon a Texas Train
1988Movie
Jason Fitch
I Am Not a Freak
1987Movie
Self
J.J. Starbuck
1987TV
Hawken's Breed
1987Movie
Tackett
Louis L'Amour's Down the Long Hills
1986Movie
Squires
Easy Street
1986TV
The Aurora Encounter
1986Movie
Charlie
Detective in the House
1985TV
Scrooge's Rock 'N' Roll Christmas
1984Movie
Scrooge
Cannonball Run II
1984Movie
Doc
Lost
1983Movie
Mr. Newsom
Sacred Ground
1983Movie
Lum Witcher
Jinxed!
1982Movie
Otto
Skyward Christmas
1981Movie
Clay Haller
Simon & Simon
1981TV
Father Murphy
1981TV
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.
1981Movie
Troscliar Boudreaux
The Cannonball Run
1981Movie
Doctor
The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite
1981Movie
Seth Beaumont
Struck by Lightning
1979TV
Frank
The Villain
1979Movie
Avery Simpson
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
1979Movie
Big Mac
The Sacketts
1979TV
Ira Bigelow
$weepstake$
1979TV
The Norseman
1978Movie
Death Dreamer
Hot Lead & Cold Feet
1978Movie
Rattlesnake
Lacy and the Mississippi Queen
1978Movie
Willie Red Fire
Huckleberry Finn
1978Movie
King
Black Beauty
1978TV
Jonas McBride
Grayeagle
1977Movie
Trapper Willis
Eight Is Enough
1977TV
Grizzly Adams
1977TV
Gus
How the West Was Won
1977TV
Cully Madigan
Pony Express Rider
1976Movie
Crazy Charlie
The Winds of Autumn
1976Movie
J. Pete Hankins
The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe
1976Movie
Bitterroot
Hawmps!
1976Movie
Bad Jack Cutter
Creature from Black Lake
1976Movie
Joe Canton
A Knife for the Ladies
1974Movie
Jarrod (Sheriff)
Sidekicks
1974Movie
Boss
Shootout in a One-Dog Town
1974Movie
Handy
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
1973Movie
Alamosa Bill Kermit
The Red Pony
1973Movie
Granddad
Kung Fu
1972TV
Marcus Taylor
The Brian Keith Show
1972TV
The Daughters of Joshua Cabe
1972Movie
Bitterroot
The Last Escape of Billy the Kid
1972Movie
Pat Garrett
Hannie Caulder
1971Movie
Frank Clemens
The Last Rebel
1971Movie
Matt
Nichols
1971TV
Marcus A.F. Baxter
Cat Ballou
1971Movie
Kid Sheleen
Support Your Local Gunfighter
1971Movie
Jug May
Alias Smith and Jones
1971TV
The Wild Country
1970Movie
Thompson
Plimpton! Shoot-Out at Rio Lobo
1970Movie
Self
Dirty Dingus Magee
1970Movie
John Wesley Hardin
Rio Lobo
1970Movie
Phillips
The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County
1970Movie
Kittrick
The Over the Hill Gang
1969Movie
Sheriff Clyde Barnes
Support Your Local Sheriff!
1969Movie
Jake
Ride a Northbound Horse
1969Movie
Sheriff
Once Upon a Time in the West
1968Movie
Frank's Gunman
Sartana Does Not Forgive
1968Movie
Slim Kovacs
Lancer
1968TV
The Outcasts
1968TV
Never a Dull Moment
1968Movie
Ace Williams
Firecreek
1968Movie
Norman
The High Chaparral
1967TV
Macklin
Hondo
1967TV
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967TV
Sam - Sheriff
Cimarron Strip
1967TV
The Last Challenge
1967Movie
Ernest Scarnes
The Way West
1967Movie
Preacher Weatherby
Tarzan
1966TV
The Night of the Grizzly
1966Movie
Hank
The Rare Breed
1966Movie
Deke Simons
The Wild Wild West
1965TV
Zack Slade
F Troop
1965TV
The Legend of Jesse James
1965TV
Deacon Smith
Daniel Boone
1964TV
Petch
4 for Texas
1963Movie
Dobie
Temple Houston
1963TV
George Taggart
The Dakotas
1963TV
Deputy J.D. Smith
The Virginian
1962TV
Harve Yost
Pocketful of Miracles
1961Movie
Cheesecake
The Comancheros
1961Movie
Horseface (Comanchero)
Ben Casey
1961TV
Target: The Corruptors!
1961TV
The Last Sunset
1961Movie
Ed Hobbs
Gunslinger
1961TV
Clint Gannet
Stagecoach West
1960TV
Clell
Outlaws
1960TV
National Velvet
1960TV
Black Barr
The Girl in Lovers Lane
1960Movie
Jesse
The Slowest Gun in the West
1960Movie
Ike Dalton
Edge of Eternity
1959Movie
Bill Ward
Mr. Lucky
1959TV
Phil Bricker
The Untouchables
1959TV
Jug Alverson, Nick Bravo
The Rebel
1959TV
Uncle Luce
The Twilight Zone
1959TV
Avery
Laramie
1959TV
Parson Hawks
Bonanza
1959TV
Dodie Hoad, Honest John, Buford Buckalew
Tightrope
1959TV
Rawhide
1959TV
Turkey Creek Jack Johnson
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958TV
Lawman
1958TV
Herm Forrest, Paul Henry
The Rifleman
1958TV
Sim Groder, Russell
The Texan
1958TV
Luke Watson
Bronco
1958TV
The Gun Runners
1958Movie
Arnold
Baby Face Nelson
1957Movie
Fatso Nagel
Zorro
1957TV
Gomez (uncredited)
The Restless Gun
1957TV
Tony Molinor, Link Jerrod
M Squad
1957TV
Luke Morgan
Sugarfoot
1957TV
Toothy Thompson
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957TV
Arnold Shaffner
Dragoon Wells Massacre
1957Movie
Tioga
Night Passage
1957Movie
Shotgun
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957TV
Danny Boy, Perk Butler
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
1957Movie
Tom McLowery
Lure of the Swamp
1957Movie
Henry Bliss
Tales of Wells Fargo
1957TV
Chris
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956TV
Hock Ellis, Little Jimmy Lehigh, Stage Driver Cass
Thunder Over Arizona
1956Movie
Slats Callahan
Pardners
1956Movie
Pete
Jubal
1956Movie
McCoy
Artists and Models
1955Movie
Ivan
Kismet
1955Movie
Hasan-Ben
Screen Director's Playhouse
1955TV
Shanks
Frontier
1955TV
Ness Fowler
Cheyenne
1955TV
Calhoun Durango, Count Nicholas Potosi
Gunsmoke
1955TV
Dolph Quince, Steed, Clint Dodie, Ben, Hector, Specter, Del Ordman, Sam Band, Jim Barrett, William Prange, Lucas Murdoch, Titus Spangler, Pierre Audubon
The Man from Laramie
1955Movie
Chris Boldt
Wichita
1955Movie
Al
Moonfleet
1955Movie
Damen
Kiss Me Deadly
1955Movie
Charlie Max
Man Without a Star
1955Movie
Knife Murderer (uncredited)
Tarzan's Hidden Jungle
1955Movie
Burger
Vera Cruz
1954Movie
Tex
Cattle Queen of Montana
1954Movie
Yost
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954TV
Sheriff
Studio 57
1954TV
Princess of the Nile
1954Movie
Basra
Jubilee Trail
1954Movie
Whitey
The Far Country
1954Movie
Frank Newberry
Ride Clear of Diablo
1954Movie
Tim Lowerie
Appointment in Honduras
1953Movie
Castro
The Moonlighter
1953Movie
Slim
Gun Belt
1953Movie
Rusty Kolloway
Ride, Vaquero!
1953Movie
Barton
Count the Hours!
1953Movie
Max Verne
Kansas City Confidential
1952Movie
Pete Harris
Mr. & Mrs. North
1952TV
The Ring
1952Movie
Harry Jackson
Four Star Playhouse
1952TV
Vic
My Man and I
1952Movie
Celestino Garcia
Lure of the Wilderness
1952Movie
Dave Longden
High Noon
1952Movie
Charlie - Drunk in Jail (uncredited)
Montana Territory
1952Movie
Gimp
The Battle at Apache Pass
1952Movie
Mescal Jack
Rancho Notorious
1952Movie
Mort Geary
Finders Keepers
1952Movie
Eddie
The Bushwhackers
1951Movie
Cree
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951TV
Lee Dineen, Halleck
Rawhide
1951Movie
Tevis
Bird of Paradise
1951Movie
The Trader
American Guerrilla in the Philippines
1950Movie
The Speaker
High Lonesome
1950Movie
Smiling Man
A Ticket to Tomahawk
1950Movie
Fargo
One Way Street
1950Movie
Arnie (uncredited)
The Sundowners
1950Movie
Earl Boyce
Key to the City
1950Movie
Councilman (uncredited)
The Lone Ranger
1949TV
Reno Lawrence
Wild Weed
1949Movie
Raymond - Henchman