Jack Elam
Biography
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
All Movies (116)
- Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western1997 · as Self
- Bonanza: Under Attack1995 · as Buckshot
- Bonanza: The Return1993 · as Buckshot
- Uninvited1993 · as Grady
- Shadow Force1992 · as Tommy
- Suburban Commando1991 · as Col. Dustin 'Dusty' McHowell
- The Giant of Thunder Mountain1990 · as Hezekiah Crow
- Big Bad John1990 · as Jake Calhoun
- Where the Hell's That Gold?!!?1988 · as Boone
- Once Upon a Texas Train1988 · as Jason Fitch
- I Am Not a Freak1987 · as Self
- Hawken's Breed1987 · as Tackett
- Louis L'Amour's Down the Long Hills1986 · as Squires
- The Aurora Encounter1986 · as Charlie
- Scrooge's Rock 'N' Roll Christmas1984 · as Scrooge
- Cannonball Run II1984 · as Doc
- Lost1983 · as Mr. Newsom
- Sacred Ground1983 · as Lum Witcher
- Jinxed!1982 · as Otto
- Skyward Christmas1981 · as Clay Haller
- Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.1981 · as Troscliar Boudreaux
- The Cannonball Run1981 · as Doctor
- The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite1981 · as Seth Beaumont
- The Villain1979 · as Avery Simpson
- The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again1979 · as Big Mac
- The Norseman1978 · as Death Dreamer
- Hot Lead & Cold Feet1978 · as Rattlesnake
- Lacy and the Mississippi Queen1978 · as Willie Red Fire
- Huckleberry Finn1978 · as King
- Grayeagle1977 · as Trapper Willis
- Pony Express Rider1976 · as Crazy Charlie
- The Winds of Autumn1976 · as J. Pete Hankins
- The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe1976 · as Bitterroot
- Hawmps!1976 · as Bad Jack Cutter
- Creature from Black Lake1976 · as Joe Canton
- A Knife for the Ladies1974 · as Jarrod (Sheriff)
- Sidekicks1974 · as Boss
- Shootout in a One-Dog Town1974 · as Handy
- Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid1973 · as Alamosa Bill Kermit
- The Red Pony1973 · as Granddad
- The Daughters of Joshua Cabe1972 · as Bitterroot
- The Last Escape of Billy the Kid1972 · as Pat Garrett
- Hannie Caulder1971 · as Frank Clemens
- The Last Rebel1971 · as Matt
- Cat Ballou1971 · as Kid Sheleen
- Support Your Local Gunfighter1971 · as Jug May
- The Wild Country1970 · as Thompson
- Plimpton! Shoot-Out at Rio Lobo1970 · as Self
- Dirty Dingus Magee1970 · as John Wesley Hardin
- Rio Lobo1970 · as Phillips
- The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County1970 · as Kittrick
- The Over the Hill Gang1969 · as Sheriff Clyde Barnes
- Support Your Local Sheriff!1969 · as Jake
- Ride a Northbound Horse1969 · as Sheriff
- Once Upon a Time in the West1968 · as Frank's Gunman
- Sartana Does Not Forgive1968 · as Slim Kovacs
- Never a Dull Moment1968 · as Ace Williams
- Firecreek1968 · as Norman
- The Last Challenge1967 · as Ernest Scarnes
- The Way West1967 · as Preacher Weatherby
- The Night of the Grizzly1966 · as Hank
- The Rare Breed1966 · as Deke Simons
- 4 for Texas1963 · as Dobie
- Pocketful of Miracles1961 · as Cheesecake
- The Comancheros1961 · as Horseface (Comanchero)
- The Last Sunset1961 · as Ed Hobbs
- The Girl in Lovers Lane1960 · as Jesse
- The Slowest Gun in the West1960 · as Ike Dalton
- Edge of Eternity1959 · as Bill Ward
- The Gun Runners1958 · as Arnold
- Baby Face Nelson1957 · as Fatso Nagel
- Dragoon Wells Massacre1957 · as Tioga
- Night Passage1957 · as Shotgun
- Gunfight at the O.K. Corral1957 · as Tom McLowery
- Lure of the Swamp1957 · as Henry Bliss
- Thunder Over Arizona1956 · as Slats Callahan
- Pardners1956 · as Pete
- Jubal1956 · as McCoy
- Artists and Models1955 · as Ivan
- Kismet1955 · as Hasan-Ben
- The Man from Laramie1955 · as Chris Boldt
- Wichita1955 · as Al
- Moonfleet1955 · as Damen
- Kiss Me Deadly1955 · as Charlie Max
- Man Without a Star1955 · as Knife Murderer (uncredited)
- Tarzan's Hidden Jungle1955 · as Burger
- Vera Cruz1954 · as Tex
- Cattle Queen of Montana1954 · as Yost
- Princess of the Nile1954 · as Basra
- Jubilee Trail1954 · as Whitey
- The Far Country1954 · as Frank Newberry
- Ride Clear of Diablo1954 · as Tim Lowerie
- Appointment in Honduras1953 · as Castro
- The Moonlighter1953 · as Slim
- Gun Belt1953 · as Rusty Kolloway
- Ride, Vaquero!1953 · as Barton
- Count the Hours!1953 · as Max Verne
- Kansas City Confidential1952 · as Pete Harris
- The Ring1952 · as Harry Jackson
- My Man and I1952 · as Celestino Garcia
- Lure of the Wilderness1952 · as Dave Longden
- High Noon1952 · as Charlie - Drunk in Jail (uncredited)
- Montana Territory1952 · as Gimp
- The Battle at Apache Pass1952 · as Mescal Jack
- Rancho Notorious1952 · as Mort Geary
- Finders Keepers1952 · as Eddie
- The Bushwhackers1951 · as Cree
- Rawhide1951 · as Tevis
- Bird of Paradise1951 · as The Trader
- American Guerrilla in the Philippines1950 · as The Speaker
- High Lonesome1950 · as Smiling Man
- A Ticket to Tomahawk1950 · as Fargo
- One Way Street1950 · as Arnie (uncredited)
- The Sundowners1950 · as Earl Boyce
- Key to the City1950 · as Councilman (uncredited)
- Wild Weed1949 · as Raymond - Henchman
All TV Shows (97)
- Lucky Luke1992 · as Axel Ericson
- Home Improvement1991 · as Hick Peterson
- Paradise1988 · as Skragg
- J.J. Starbuck1987
- Easy Street1986
- Detective in the House1985
- Simon & Simon1981
- Father Murphy1981
- Struck by Lightning1979 · as Frank
- The Sacketts1979 · as Ira Bigelow
- $weepstake$1979
- Black Beauty1978 · as Jonas McBride
- Eight Is Enough1977
- Grizzly Adams1977 · as Gus
- How the West Was Won1977 · as Cully Madigan
- Kung Fu1972 · as Marcus Taylor
- The Brian Keith Show1972
- Nichols1971 · as Marcus A.F. Baxter
- Alias Smith and Jones1971
- Lancer1968
- The Outcasts1968
- The High Chaparral1967 · as Macklin
- Hondo1967
- The Guns of Will Sonnett1967 · as Sam - Sheriff
- Cimarron Strip1967
- Tarzan1966
- The Wild Wild West1965 · as Zack Slade
- F Troop1965
- The Legend of Jesse James1965 · as Deacon Smith
- Daniel Boone1964 · as Petch
- Temple Houston1963 · as George Taggart
- The Dakotas1963 · as Deputy J.D. Smith
- The Virginian1962 · as Harve Yost
- Ben Casey1961
- Target: The Corruptors!1961
- Gunslinger1961 · as Clint Gannet
- Stagecoach West1960 · as Clell
- Outlaws1960
- National Velvet1960 · as Black Barr
- Mr. Lucky1959 · as Phil Bricker
- The Untouchables1959 · as Jug Alverson
- The Untouchables1959 · as Nick Bravo
- The Rebel1959 · as Uncle Luce
- The Twilight Zone1959 · as Avery
- Laramie1959 · as Parson Hawks
- Bonanza1959 · as Dodie Hoad
- Bonanza1959 · as Honest John
- Bonanza1959 · as Buford Buckalew
- Tightrope1959
- Rawhide1959 · as Turkey Creek Jack Johnson
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse1958
- Lawman1958
- Lawman1958 · as Herm Forrest
- Lawman1958 · as Paul Henry
- The Rifleman1958 · as Sim Groder
- The Rifleman1958 · as Russell
- The Texan1958
- The Texan1958 · as Luke Watson
- Bronco1958
- Zorro1957 · as Gomez (uncredited)
- The Restless Gun1957 · as Tony Molinor
- The Restless Gun1957 · as Link Jerrod
- M Squad1957 · as Luke Morgan
- Sugarfoot1957 · as Toothy Thompson
- Have Gun, Will Travel1957
- Have Gun, Will Travel1957 · as Arnold Shaffner
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective1957 · as Danny Boy
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective1957 · as Perk Butler
- Tales of Wells Fargo1957 · as Chris
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre1956 · as Hock Ellis
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre1956 · as Little Jimmy Lehigh
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre1956 · as Stage Driver Cass
- Screen Director's Playhouse1955 · as Shanks
- Frontier1955 · as Ness Fowler
- Cheyenne1955
- Cheyenne1955 · as Calhoun Durango
- Cheyenne1955 · as Count Nicholas Potosi
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Dolph Quince
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Clint Dodie
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Steed
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Ben
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Hector
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Specter
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Del Ordman
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Sam Band
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Jim Barrett
- Gunsmoke1955 · as William Prange
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Lucas Murdoch
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Titus Spangler
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Pierre Audubon
- The Wonderful World of Disney1954 · as Sheriff
- Studio 571954
- Mr. & Mrs. North1952
- Four Star Playhouse1952 · as Vic
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951 · as Lee Dineen
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951 · as Halleck
- The Lone Ranger1949 · as Reno Lawrence