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Jack Elam

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Biography

The quintessential Western villain in the 1950s and '60s, Jack Elam has appeared in well over a hundred films. Famous for his bulgy eyes…more

Born

11/13/1920, Miami, Gila County, Arizona, USA

Died

10/20/2003

Birth Name

William Scott Elam

Gender

Male

Credits

Star (9)

Role
- Easy Street
  Uncle Alvin
  - S 1: Ep 22 Spring Fever
    4/29/87
  - S 1: Ep 16 The Mad Gardener
    1/31/87
  - S 1: Ep 15 The Check is in the Mail
    1/18/87
  - S 1: Ep 14 Frames and Dames
    1/11/87
  - S 1: Ep 13 Friends for Life
    12/14/86
  - + 11 More Credits
- Easy Street
  Uncle Alvin "Bully" Stevenson
  - S 1: Ep 1 Pilot
    9/13/86
- Detective in the House
  Nick Turner
  - S 1: Ep 6 Episode 6
    4/19/85
  - S 1: Ep 5 Episode 5
    4/12/85
  - S 1: Ep 4 Games People Play
    4/5/85
  - S 1: Ep 3 Episode 3
    3/29/85
  - S 1: Ep 2 Episode 2
    3/22/85
  - + 1 More Credits
- Struck by Lightning
  Frank
  - S 1: Ep 3 The Movie
    10/3/79
  - S 1: Ep 2 Toot Toot Tutor Goodbye
    9/26/79
  - S 1: Ep 4 Frank Meets the Press
  - S 1: Ep 9 Looking out for Number 2
  - S 1: Ep 6 The Main Event
  - + 5 More Credits
- The Texas Wheelers
  Zack Wheeler
  - S 1: Ep 8 The Rebel
    7/24/75
  - S 1: Ep 7 The Call
    7/17/75
  - S 1: Ep 6 The Music Box
    7/10/75
  - S 1: Ep 5 The Bookmobile
    7/3/75
  - S 1: Ep 4 The Twister
    10/4/74
  - + 6 More Credits
- Temple Houston
  George Taggart
  - S 1: Ep 26 Miss Katherine
    4/2/64
  - S 1: Ep 25 The Town That Trespassed
    3/26/64
  - S 1: Ep 24 Do Unto Others, Then Gallop
    3/19/64
  - S 1: Ep 23 The Gun That Swept the West
    3/5/64
  - S 1: Ep 22 Last Full Moon
    2/27/64
  - + 21 More Credits
- The Dakotas
  Deputy Marshal J.D. Smith
  - S 1: Ep 19 A Nice Girl From Goliath
    5/13/63
  - S 1: Ep 18 Sanctuary At Crystal Springs
    5/6/63
  - S 1: Ep 17 Feud At Snake River
    4/29/63
  - S 1: Ep 16 The Chooser Of The Slain
    4/22/63
  - S 1: Ep 14 One Day In Vermillion
    4/8/63
  - + 14 More Credits
- The Cheyenne Show
  Deputy J.D. Smith
  - S 2: Ep 31 The Dakotas: A Man Called Regan
    4/23/62
- Sugarfoot
  Toothy Thompson
  - S 4: Ep 9 Trouble at Sand Springs
    4/17/61
  - S 4: Ep 8 Stranger in Town
    3/27/61
  - S 4: Ep 7 Angel
    3/6/61
  - S 4: Ep 6 Shepherd with a Gun
    2/6/61
  - S 4: Ep 5 Toothy Thompson
    1/16/61
  - + 64 More Credits
Recurring Role (19)

Role
- Bonanza
  Recurring Role
  - S 15: Ep 3 Bonanza: Under Attack
    1/15/95
- Gunsmoke
  Pierre
  - S 18: Ep 2 The River (2)
    9/18/72
- Gunsmoke
  Pierre Audubon
  - S 18: Ep 1 The River (1)
    9/11/72
- Gunsmoke
  Lucas Murdoch
  - S 16: Ep 20 Murdoch
    2/8/71
- Gunsmoke
  Pack Landers
  - S 15: Ep 14 The Sisters
    12/29/69
- Gunsmoke
  William Prange
  - S 13: Ep 23 The First People
    2/19/68
- Gunsmoke
  Jim Barrett
  - S 11: Ep 30 My Father, My Son
    4/23/66
- Gunsmoke
  Del Ordman
  - S 11: Ep 9 Malachi
    11/13/65
- Gunsmoke
  Sam Band
  - S 11: Ep 3 Clayton Thaddeus Greenwood
    10/2/65
- Gunsmoke
  Spector
  - S 10: Ep 7 Help Me Kitty
    11/7/64
- Gunsmoke
  Hector Lowell
  - S 9: Ep 34 Homecoming
    5/23/64
- Lawman (1958)
  Paul Henry
  - S 4: Ep 26 Clootey Hutter
    3/11/62
- The Rifleman
  Russell
  - S 4: Ep 10 The Shattered Idol
    12/4/61
- The Rifleman
  Gates
  - S 4: Ep 7 Knight Errant
    11/13/61
- Lawman (1958)
  Herm Forrest
  - S 4: Ep 3 The Four
    10/1/61
- Gunsmoke
  Ben
  - S 6: Ep 20 Love Thy Neighbor
    1/28/61
- Gunsmoke
  Clint Dodie
  - S 5: Ep 27 Where'd They Go
    3/12/60
- Gunsmoke
  Clem Steed
  - S 5: Ep 8 Saludos
    10/31/59
- Gunsmoke
  Dolph Quince
  - S 4: Ep 21 Jayhawkers
    1/31/59
Guest Star (93)

Role
- Bonanza
  Guest Star
  - S 15: Ep 2 Bonanza: The Return
    11/28/93
- Home Improvement
  Hick Peterson
  - S 1: Ep 20 Birds Of A Feather Flock To Taylor
    3/3/92
- Paradise
  Guest Star
  - S 2: Ep 1 A Gather Of Guns
    9/10/89
- Late Night With David Letterman
  Guest
  - S 6: Ep 8 Show #0826
    2/16/87
- Simon & Simon
  Bud Krelman
  - S 5: Ep 21 D-I-V-O-R-C-E
    3/27/86
- Webster
  Dusty
  - S 3: Ep 2 How the West Was Once (2)
    9/20/85
  - S 3: Ep 1 How the West Was Once (1)
    9/20/85
- Father Murphy
  Eli McQuade
  - S 1: Ep 7 By the Bear That Bit Me (2)
    12/8/81
  - S 1: Ep 6 By the Bear That Bit Me (1)
    12/1/81
- Fantasy Island
  Kid Corey
  - S 5: Ep 2 The Devil and Mr. Roarke / Ziegfeld Girls / Kid Corey Rides Again
    10/17/81
- Eight Is Enough
  Joe Simons
  - S 4: Ep 20 The Return of Joe Simons
    2/13/80
  - S 3: Ep 13 You Won't Have Nicholas to Kick Around Anymore (2)
    11/29/78
  - S 3: Ep 12 You Won't Have Nicholas to Kick Around Anymore (1)
    11/29/78
- ABC Weekend Specials
  Sam
  - S 3: Ep 7 The Revenge of Red Chief
    12/15/79
- Fantasy Island
  Hollis Buford Jr.
  - S 2: Ep 13 The Lady and the Longhorn / Vampire
    12/16/78
- The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams
  Gus Thackery
  - S 2: Ep 17 The Great Burro Race
    3/1/78
- ABC Weekend Specials
  Sam Howard
  - S 1: Ep 5 The Ransom of Red Chief
    10/22/77
- Phyllis
  Van
  - S 2: Ep 4 Off The Bench
    10/11/76
- Phyllis
  Van Horn
  - S 1: Ep 16 The $17,623,419.53 Man
    1/5/76
- Phyllis
  Man in Park
  - S 1: Ep 5 The First Day
    9/30/75
- The Brian Keith Show
  Capt. Tuttle
  - S 2: Ep 22 No Man is an Atoll
    3/8/74
- Kung Fu
  Marcus Taylor
  - S 2: Ep 6 The Squaw Man
    11/1/73
- Alias Smith and Jones
  Boot Caby
  - S 2: Ep 23 Bad Night in Big Butte
    3/2/72
- Nichols
  Marcus A.F. Baxter
  - S 1: Ep 19 About Jessie James
    2/15/72
- Gunsmoke
  Titus Spangler
  - S 17: Ep 15 P.S. Murry Christmas
    12/27/71
- Bonanza
  Honest John
  - S 12: Ep 13 Honest John
    12/20/70
- Lonesome Dove: The Series
  Curtis
  - S 1: Ep 19 The List
  - S 1: Ep 12 High Lonesome
- Something Wilder
  Guest Star
  - S 1: Ep 16 Dumping's Rotten in the State of Massachusetts
- Lancer
  Tom Mangren
  - S 2: Ep 2 Zee
    9/30/69
- Disneyland
  Sheriff Eppes
  - S 15: Ep 21 Ride a Northbound Horse (1)
    3/16/69
- The Outcasts
  Blackner
  - S 1: Ep 15 The Glory Wagon
    2/3/69
- The High Chaparral
  Mackdin
  - S 2: Ep 8 North to Tucson
    11/8/68
- Cimarron Strip
  Moon
  - S 1: Ep 20 Big Jessie
    2/8/68
- Hondo
  Diablo
  - S 1: Ep 17 Hondo And The Rebel Hat
    12/29/67
- The Wild Wild West (1969)
  Zack Slade
  - S 3: Ep 8 The Night of Montezuma's Hordes
    10/27/67
- The Guns of Will Sonnett
  Sheriff
  - S 1: Ep 7 A Son for a Son
    10/20/67
- Tarzan (1966)
  Bellak
  - S 1: Ep 28 The Circus
    3/24/67
- Bonanza
  Buford Buckelew
  - S 8: Ep 18 A Bride for Buford
    1/15/67
- F Troop
  Sam Urp
  - S 1: Ep 6 Dirge for the Scourge
    10/19/65
- The Legend of Jesse James
  Deacon
  - S 1: Ep 1 Three Men From Now
    9/13/65
- Daniel Boone
  Dr. Miller Petch
  - S 1: Ep 18 The Sound of Fear
    2/11/65
- Ben Casey
  Felix Gault
  - S 2: Ep 2 The Night That Nothing Happened
    10/8/62
- The Untouchables
  Jug Alverson
  - S 3: Ep 26 Pressure
    6/14/62
- Cheyenne
  Deputy J.D. Smith
  - S 6: Ep 14 A Man Called Ragan
    4/23/62
- Target: The Corruptors
  Stickface
  - S 1: Ep 26 A Man's Castle
    3/30/62
- Rawhide
  Turkey Creek Jackson
  - S 4: Ep 21 The Pitchwagon
    3/2/62
- Have Gun - Will Travel
  Shaffner
  - S 5: Ep 23 One, Two, Three
    2/17/62
- Bronco
  Toothy Thompson
  - S 4: Ep 4 Equalizer
    12/18/61
- Outlaws
  Diamond
  - S 2: Ep 10 The Outlaw Marshal
    12/14/61
- National Velvet
  Black Barr
  - S 2: Ep 11 The Desperado
    11/27/61
- The Twilight Zone
  Avery
  - S 2: Ep 28 Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up
    5/26/61
- Cheyenne
  Nicholas Potosi
  - S 5: Ep 12 Massacre at Gunsight Pass
    5/1/61
- The Rebel
  Uncle Luce
  - S 2: Ep 33 Helping Hand
    4/30/61
- The Untouchables
  Stan Willinski
  - S 2: Ep 23 Testimony Of Evil
    3/30/61
- Sugarfoot
  Toothy Thompson
  - S 4: Ep 7 Angel
    3/6/61
  - S 4: Ep 5 Toothy Thompson
    1/16/61
- Gunslinger
  Clint Gannet
  - S 1: Ep 2 The Hostage Fort
    2/16/61
- Klondike
  Eli Roper
  - S 1: Ep 14 Queen Of The Klondike
    1/23/61
- Bonanza
  Dodie Hoad
  - S 2: Ep 17 The Spitfire
    1/14/61
- Zane Grey Theater
  Dirk Ryan
  - S 5: Ep 13 Ambush
    1/5/61
- Stagecoach West
  Clell
  - S 1: Ep 5 A Fork In The Road
    11/1/60
- Zane Grey Theater
  Cass
  - S 4: Ep 28 Deception
    4/14/60
- The Rifleman
  Gus Smith
  - S 2: Ep 29 Shotgun Man
    4/12/60
- Lawman (1958)
  Jake Wilson
  - S 2: Ep 24 Thirty Minutes
    3/20/60
- Mr. Lucky
  Phil Bricker
  - S 1: Ep 21 Big Squeeze
    3/12/60
- Tightrope
  Tim Renick
  - S 1: Ep 18 Broken Rope
    1/12/60
- The Rebel
  Lawyer
  - S 1: Ep 14 Angry Town
    1/10/60
- Zane Grey Theater
  Little Jimmy Lehigh
  - S 4: Ep 14 Miss Jenny
    1/7/60
- The Untouchables
  Nick Bravo
  - S 1: Ep 13 Syndicate Sanctuary
    1/7/60
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective
  Perk Butler
  - S 4: Ep 13 One Dead Cat
    12/28/59
- The Rifleman
  Gavin Martin
  - S 2: Ep 5 Tension
    10/27/59
- The Texan
  Luke Watson
  - S 1: Ep 33 South of the Border
    5/18/59
- Lawman (1958)
  Spence
  - S 1: Ep 33 The Senator
    5/17/59
- Have Gun - Will Travel
  Joe Gage
  - S 2: Ep 31 The Man Who Lost
    4/25/59
- The Texan
  Tug Swann
  - S 1: Ep 12 The Easterner
    12/15/58
- The Rifleman
  Sim Groder
  - S 1: Ep 7 Duel of Honor
    11/11/58
- Lawman (1958)
  Flynn Hawks
  - S 1: Ep 1 The Deputy
    10/5/58
- Bronco
  Dooley
  - S 1: Ep 1 The Besieged
    9/23/58
- Frontier Justice
  Hock Ellis
  - S 1: Ep 4 Dangerous Orders
    8/4/58
- M Squad
  Luke
  - S 1: Ep 27 Hideout
    3/28/58
- The Jane Wyman Show
  Quirt Avery
  - S 3: Ep 16 Tunnel Eight
    2/20/58
- The Restless Gun
  Sheriff Riker
  - S 1: Ep 21 Hornitas Town
    2/10/58
- Zorro
  Gomez
  - S 1: Ep 16 Slaves of the Eagle
    1/23/58
  - S 1: Ep 15 Garcia Stands Accused
    1/16/58
  - S 1: Ep 14 Shadow of Doubt
    1/9/58
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective
  Danny-Boy
  - S 2: Ep 2 The Dark Horse
    1/9/58
- Wagon Train
  Charlie Otis
  - S 1: Ep 3 The John Cameron Story
    10/2/57
- The Restless Gun
  Link Jerrod
  - S 1: Ep 2 Trail to Sunset
    9/30/57
- Tales of Wells Fargo
  Chris
  - S 1: Ep 11 The Hijackers
    6/17/57
- Zane Grey Theater
  Hock Ellis
  - S 1: Ep 19 Dangerous Orders
    2/8/57
- Screen Director's Playhouse
  Shanks
  - S 1: Ep 12 The Silent Partner
    12/21/55
- Frontier
  Father Matias
  - S 1: Ep 11 Ferdinand Meyer's Army
    12/18/55
- The Lone Ranger
  Jack Miles
  - S 4: Ep 50 The Sheriff's Wife
    8/18/55
- The Lone Ranger
  Reno Lawrence
  - S 4: Ep 7 Outlaw's Trail
    10/21/54
- Stories of the Century
  Black Jack Ketchum
  - S 1: Ep 23 Black Jack Ketchum
    6/24/54
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
  Halleck
  - S 3: Ep 26 Night Ride to Butte
    2/26/54
- Mr. & Mrs. North
  Matt Weber
  - S 2: Ep 3 Loon Lake
    2/16/54
- Waterfront (1954)
  Guest Star
  - S 1: Ep 1 The Skipper's Day
    1/1/54
- Four Star Playhouse
  Guest Star
  - S 2: Ep 9 The Hard Way
    9/10/53
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
  Guest Star
  - S 2: Ep 47 Knave of Hearts
    7/24/53

Trivia and Quotes

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Trivia
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- Jack's son, Scott Elam, is an actor.
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- Jack worked as a bookkeeper for Samuel Goldwyn Studios and then as a controller for Hopalong Cassidy Productions, but he was told by a doctor that if he continued to stare at small numbers for much longer that he would lose the sight of his good eye. He made a deal with a desperate movie director friend and offered to get his movies financed if he would give him an acting part in his movies thus launching his long career in show business.
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- Jack was married to Jean Elam from 1937 until her death on January 24th, 1961. He was then married to Margaret Jennison from August 23rd, 1961 until his death on October 20th, 2003.
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Quotes
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