James Best: movies and TV shows
James Best has 170 credits in the archive: 78 films and 92 TV series, from 1950 to 2021. Highest rated: Hallmark Hall of Fame (8.8/10).
Career timeline
1950 – 2021 · busiest year: 1959 (20 credits)
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Full filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Type | Rating | Age then |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists! | Self | Film | 4.7 | 94 |
| 2013 | The Sweeter Side of Life | Paddy Kerrigan | Film | 5.8 | 86 |
| 2013 | Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia | Self (archive footage) | Film | 7.7 | 86 |
| 2012 | Return of the Killer Shrews | Thorne Sherman | Film | 5.2 | 85 |
| 2012 | Return of the Killer Shrews | Film | 5.2 | 85 | |
| 2007 | Moondance Alexander | McClancy | Film | 6.0 | 80 |
| 2006 | Hot Tamale | Hank Larson | Film | 4.9 | 79 |
| 2005 | CMT: Inside Fame | TV | 7.0 | 78 | |
| 2002 | The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller | Sgt. David Brent (archive footage) (uncredited) | Film | 5.8 | 75 |
| 2000 | The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood | Rosco P. Coltrane | Film | 6.0 | 73 |
| 1997 | The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! | Boss / Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane | Film | 5.4 | 70 |
| 1996 | E! True Hollywood Story | TV | 8.2 | 69 | |
| 1995 | Death Mask | Wilbur Johnson | Film | 5.6 | 68 |
| 1995 | Death Mask | Film | 5.6 | 68 | |
| 1989 | B.L. Stryker | TV | 6.1 | 62 | |
| 1988 | In the Heat of the Night | TV | 7.6 | 61 | |
| 1983 | The Dukes | Rosco Coltrane (voice) | TV | 4.5 | 56 |
| 1980 | Enos | TV | 7.2 | 53 | |
| 1979 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Rosco P. Coltrane | TV | 7.4 | 52 |
| 1979 | The Dukes of Hazzard | TV | 7.4 | 52 | |
| 1978 | Centennial | TV | 7.7 | 51 | |
| 1978 | Hooper | Cully | Film | 6.3 | 51 |
| 1978 | Hooper | Film | 6.3 | 51 | |
| 1978 | The End | Pacemaker Patient | Film | 5.6 | 51 |
| 1978 | The End | Film | 5.6 | 51 | |
| 1977 | Rolling Thunder | Texan | Film | 6.7 | 50 |
| 1976 | Gator | Film | 5.2 | 49 | |
| 1976 | Nickelodeon | Jim | Film | 6.2 | 49 |
| 1976 | Ode to Billy Joe | Dewey Barksdale | Film | 6.1 | 49 |
| 1976 | The Savage Bees | Pellegrino | Film | 5.3 | 49 |
| 1975 | The Runaway Barge | Bingo Washington | Film | — | 48 |
| 1974 | The Manhunter | TV | 7.0 | 47 | |
| 1974 | Savages | Sheriff Bert Hamilton | Film | 6.5 | 47 |
| 1973 | Hawkins | Sheriff John Early | TV | 7.8 | 46 |
| 1972 | Sounder | Sheriff Charlie Young | Film | 7.5 | 45 |
| 1972 | The Brain Machine | Rev. Emory Neill | Film | 3.2 | 45 |
| 1970 | Run, Simon, Run | Henry Burroughs | Film | 5.4 | 43 |
| 1968 | The Mod Squad | Clay Lynch | TV | 6.1 | 41 |
| 1968 | Lancer | TV | 5.6 | 41 | |
| 1968 | Firecreek | Drew | Film | 6.3 | 41 |
| 1967 | The Guns of Will Sonnett | TV | 6.3 | 40 | |
| 1967 | First to Fight | Sergeant Carnavan | Film | 7.9 | 40 |
| 1966 | Felony Squad | TV | 6.5 | 39 | |
| 1966 | The Green Hornet | Yale Barton | TV | 7.4 | 39 |
| 1966 | Hawk | TV | 8.0 | 39 | |
| 1966 | Three on a Couch | Dr. Ben Mizer | Film | 5.4 | 39 |
| 1965 | Honey West | Vince Zale | TV | 7.2 | 38 |
| 1965 | Shenandoah | Carter, Rebel Soldier | Film | 7.0 | 38 |
| 1965 | Black Spurs | Ralph Elkins | Film | 6.3 | 38 |
| 1964 | Daniel Boone | Jethro Wyatt | TV | 7.0 | 37 |
| 1964 | Flipper | TV | 6.2 | 37 | |
| 1964 | The Quick Gun | Scotty Wade | Film | 6.4 | 37 |
| 1963 | The Fugitive | Dan Murray | TV | 7.3 | 36 |
| 1963 | Burke's Law | Tucson, 'The Cowboy' | TV | 6.3 | 36 |
| 1963 | Temple Houston | Gotch | TV | 6.0 | 36 |
| 1963 | Redigo | TV | 6.3 | 36 | |
| 1963 | Shock Corridor | Stuart | Film | 7.0 | 36 |
| 1962 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Tom Carmody | TV | 7.8 | 35 |
| 1962 | The Virginian | Curt Westley | TV | 6.5 | 35 |
| 1962 | Combat! | Trenton | TV | 7.8 | 35 |
| 1962 | The Gallant Men | TV | 8.0 | 35 | |
| 1962 | General Electric True | TV | — | 35 | |
| 1962 | Black Gold | Jericho Larkin | Film | 4.5 | 35 |
| 1961 | Ben Casey | TV | 5.9 | 34 | |
| 1961 | Whispering Smith | TV | 5.8 | 34 | |
| 1960 | The Andy Griffith Show | Jim Lindsey | TV | 7.6 | 33 |
| 1960 | Surfside 6 | TV | 6.3 | 33 | |
| 1960 | The Barbara Stanwyck Show | Joe | TV | 6.4 | 33 |
| 1960 | Stagecoach West | TV | 6.7 | 33 | |
| 1960 | Pony Express | Bart Gentry | TV | 7.7 | 33 |
| 1960 | Overland Trail | TV | 6.3 | 33 | |
| 1960 | Michael Shayne | TV | 6.5 | 33 | |
| 1960 | The Mountain Road | Niergaard | Film | 6.6 | 33 |
| 1960 | Aftermath | Hardy Coulter | Film | 8.0 | 33 |
| 1959 | Bonanza | Sheriff Vern Schaler | TV | 7.5 | 32 |
| 1959 | The Twilight Zone | Jeff Myrtlebank | TV | 8.5 | 32 |
| 1959 | The Twilight Zone | Billy-Ben Turner | TV | 8.5 | 32 |
| 1959 | Rawhide | Willie Cain | TV | 7.2 | 32 |
| 1959 | Rawhide | Brock Quade | TV | 7.2 | 32 |
| 1959 | The Rebel | Ted Evans | TV | 5.1 | 32 |
| 1959 | The Rebel | Abel Waares | TV | 5.1 | 32 |
| 1959 | Laramie | TV | 6.7 | 32 | |
| 1959 | Hawaiian Eye | TV | 5.6 | 32 | |
| 1959 | Lock-Up | TV | 6.4 | 32 | |
| 1959 | Startime | Duke | TV | 6.8 | 32 |
| 1959 | Black Saddle | Ben Travers | TV | 6.2 | 32 |
| 1959 | The DuPont Show with June Allyson | Jovan Wilanskov | TV | 6.8 | 32 |
| 1959 | Men Into Space | TV | 7.4 | 32 | |
| 1959 | The Man and the Challenge | TV | 9.0 | 32 | |
| 1959 | Verboten! | Sgt. David Brent | Film | 6.6 | 32 |
| 1959 | Ride Lonesome | Billy John | Film | 6.7 | 32 |
| 1959 | The David Niven Show | Boland | TV | 8.0 | 32 |
| 1959 | The Killer Shrews | Thorne Sherman | Film | 4.5 | 32 |
| 1959 | Cast a Long Shadow | Sam Mullen | Film | 6.6 | 32 |
| 1958 | The Rifleman | TV | 7.1 | 31 | |
| 1958 | Bat Masterson | Joe Best | TV | 6.1 | 31 |
| 1958 | Bat Masterson | Danny Dakota | TV | 6.1 | 31 |
| 1958 | The Texan | TV | 6.0 | 31 | |
| 1958 | Wanted: Dead or Alive | Stoner | TV | 7.0 | 31 |
| 1958 | Wanted: Dead or Alive | Luke Perry | TV | 7.0 | 31 |
| 1958 | 77 Sunset Strip | TV | 7.2 | 31 | |
| 1958 | Bronco | TV | 6.0 | 31 | |
| 1958 | Behind Closed Doors | Webb | TV | 8.0 | 31 |
| 1958 | The Left Handed Gun | Tom Folliard | Film | 6.0 | 31 |
| 1958 | The Naked and the Dead | Rhidges | Film | 5.7 | 31 |
| 1958 | Cole Younger, Gunfighter | Kit Caswell | Film | 6.6 | 31 |
| 1957 | Perry Mason | Allan Winford | TV | 7.7 | 30 |
| 1957 | Perry Mason | Martin Potter | TV | 7.7 | 30 |
| 1957 | Have Gun, Will Travel | TV | 7.3 | 30 | |
| 1957 | Richard Diamond, Private Detective | Jack Milhoan | TV | 6.8 | 30 |
| 1957 | Tombstone Territory | TV | 6.8 | 30 | |
| 1957 | Trackdown | TV | 6.9 | 30 | |
| 1957 | Last of the Badmen | Ted Hamilton | Film | 6.8 | 30 |
| 1957 | Hot Summer Night | Kermit | Film | 5.7 | 30 |
| 1957 | Man on the Prowl | Doug Gerhardt | Film | 3.5 | 30 |
| 1956 | West Point | TV | 7.5 | 29 | |
| 1956 | Forbidden Planet | Crewman (uncredited) | Film | 7.2 | 29 |
| 1956 | The Rack | Millard Chilson Cassidy | Film | 6.6 | 29 |
| 1956 | Come Next Spring | Bill Jackson | Film | 5.9 | 29 |
| 1956 | Gaby | Jim | Film | 7.3 | 29 |
| 1956 | Calling Homicide | Det. Arnie Arnhoff | Film | 6.1 | 29 |
| 1955 | Cheyenne | TV | 6.1 | 28 | |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke | Beal | TV | 6.7 | 28 |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke | Charlie Noon | TV | 6.7 | 28 |
| 1955 | The Millionaire | Fred Morgan | TV | 5.8 | 28 |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Norman Frayne | TV | 7.8 | 28 |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Hennessy | TV | 7.8 | 28 |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Bish Darby | TV | 7.8 | 28 |
| 1955 | Buffalo Bill Jr. | TV | 6.0 | 28 | |
| 1955 | Frontier | TV | 7.5 | 28 | |
| 1955 | Seven Angry Men | Jason Brown | Film | 6.0 | 28 |
| 1955 | Top of the World | Col. French's Orderly (uncredited) | Film | 6.5 | 28 |
| 1954 | Climax! | Shag | TV | 3.8 | 27 |
| 1954 | Stories of the Century | TV | 7.2 | 27 | |
| 1954 | The Lineup | TV | 7.0 | 27 | |
| 1954 | The Caine Mutiny | Lt. JG Jorgensen | Film | 7.2 | 27 |
| 1954 | The Yellow Tomahawk | Private Bliss | Film | 6.6 | 27 |
| 1954 | The Raid | Lt. Robinson | Film | 6.5 | 27 |
| 1954 | Riders to the Stars | Dr. Sidney K. Fuller | Film | 5.9 | 27 |
| 1954 | They Rode West | Lt. Finlay (uncredited) | Film | 6.5 | 27 |
| 1954 | Return from the Sea | Barr | Film | 6.0 | 27 |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater | Hardy Coulter | TV | 6.8 | 26 |
| 1953 | City of Bad Men | Deputy Gig (uncredited) | Film | 6.2 | 26 |
| 1953 | Seminole | Corp. Gerad | Film | 5.6 | 26 |
| 1953 | Column South | Primrose | Film | 6.2 | 26 |
| 1953 | Skip Taylor | Film | 9.0 | 26 | |
| 1952 | Hopalong Cassidy | TV | 5.4 | 25 | |
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America | TV | 4.6 | 25 | |
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America | Harry | TV | 4.6 | 25 |
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America | Slate Morley | TV | 4.6 | 25 |
| 1952 | The Battle at Apache Pass | Cpl. Hassett | Film | 6.6 | 25 |
| 1952 | The Cimarron Kid | Bitter Creek Dalton | Film | 6.1 | 25 |
| 1952 | Francis Goes to West Point | Corporal Ransom | Film | 5.7 | 25 |
| 1952 | Flat Top | Radio Operator | Film | 4.6 | 25 |
| 1952 | Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair | Marvin Johnson | Film | 6.5 | 25 |
| 1952 | Steel Town | Joe Rakich | Film | 7.0 | 25 |
| 1951 | The Adventures of Kit Carson | TV | 6.0 | 24 | |
| 1951 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | TV | 8.8 | 24 | |
| 1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | TV | 7.2 | 24 | |
| 1951 | Target Unknown | Sgt. Ralph Phelps | Film | 7.0 | 24 |
| 1951 | Air Cadet | Jerry Connell | Film | 5.7 | 24 |
| 1951 | Apache Drums | Bert Keon | Film | 6.3 | 24 |
| 1950 | Lux Video Theatre | Clem Wallace | TV | 6.7 | 23 |
| 1950 | The Gene Autry Show | TV | 4.7 | 23 | |
| 1950 | Winchester '73 | Crater | Film | 7.3 | 23 |
| 1950 | Kansas Raiders | Cole Younger | Film | 6.0 | 23 |
| 1950 | Comanche Territory | Sam | Film | 5.0 | 23 |
| 1950 | One Way Street | Driver (uncredited) | Film | 5.3 | 23 |
| 1950 | I Was a Shoplifter | Film | 5.8 | 23 | |
| 1950 | Peggy | Frank Addison | Film | 6.0 | 23 |