James Whitmore
Biography
James Allen Whitmore Jr. was an American film, theatre, and television actor born on October 1, 1921, in White Plains, New York. He passed away on February 6, 2009. During his career, Whitmore won a Tony, a Grammy, an Emmy, and a Golden Globe, and he received two Academy Award nominations. Following World War II, he appeared on Broadway as the sergeant in Command Decision. Although Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave him a contract, that film role was played by Van Johnson. Whitmore's first major picture for MGM was Battleground, taking on a role turned down by Spencer Tracy, because Whitmore bore a noted physical resemblance to him. He was known for acting with 156 known credits listed on the Movie Database.
Career overview
James Allen Whitmore Jr. was an American film, theatre, and television actor born on October 1, 1921, in White Plains, New York. During his extensive career, he accumulated 156 known credits and won three of the four major entertainment honors, specifically a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy. In addition to these accolades, Whitmore won a Golden Globe and received two Academy Award nominations.
Following World War II, Whitmore appeared on Broadway as the sergeant in Command Decision. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer subsequently gave Whitmore a contract, although his stage role in the film adaptation was played by Van Johnson. Whitmore's first major picture for MGM was Battleground, taking on a role that had been turned down by Spencer Tracy, an actor to whom Whitmore bore a noted physical resemblance. His performance in Battleground earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Whitmore passed away on February 6, 2009, at the age of 87. Throughout his lifetime, he established a prolific acting presence across film, theatre, and television, leaving behind a legacy marked by major industry awards and nominations before his death in 2009.
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Full filmography
- Arthur Miller: Writer (2017) as Self (archive footage)
- Meet Mr. Miracle-Gro: The Horace Hagedorn Story (2005)
- Mister Sterling (2003) as William Sterling Sr.
- Cole Porter in Hollywood: Too Darn Hot (2003) as Self
- A Minute with Stan Hooper (2003) as Dr. Goldman
- A Ring of Endless Light (2002) as Grandfather
- The Majestic (2001) as Stan Keller
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) as Milton
- Here's to Life! (2000) as Gus Corley
- Swing Vote (1999) as Daniel Morissey
- The Practice (1997) as Raymond Oz
- The Relic (1997) as Dr. Albert Frock
- Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick (1995) as Self
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994) as Brooks Hatlen
- Old Explorers (1990) as Leinen Roth
- Sky High (1990) as Gus Johnson
- Glory! Glory! (1989) as Lester Babbitt
- Favorite Son (1988) as The President
- Nuts (1987) as Judge Stanley Murdoch
- All My Sons (1987) as Joe Keller
- The Ray Bradbury Theater (1985) as Craig Bennett Stiles
- George Burns Comedy Week (1985) as Ebenezer Scrooge
- The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985) as Mark Twain (voice)
- I Will Fight No More Forever (1985) as General Oliver O. Howard
- Celebrity (1984) as Clifford Casey
- Love Those Trains (1984) as Narrator
- American Playhouse (1982) as Joe Keller
- Hail Columbia! (1982) as Narrator
- The Klan: A Legacy of Hate in America (1982) as Narrator
- Code Red (1981)
- Mark, I Love You (1980) as Dwight Hamilton
- The First Deadly Sin (1980) as Dr. Sanford Ferguson
- The Golden Honeymoon (1980) as Charley Tate
- Rage! (1980) as Borski
- The Horror Show (1979) as (archive footage)
- The White Shadow (1978) as Jake Reeves
- The Word (1978) as George Wheeler
- Bully: An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt (1978) as Teddy Roosevelt
- The Serpent's Egg (1977) as Priester
- The Flying Misfits (1976) as Capt. James 'Jim' Gutterman
- Give 'em Hell, Harry! (1975) as Harry S. Truman
- Dinah! (1974) as Self
- The Canterville Ghost (1974) as Hyram B. Otis
- Where the Red Fern Grows (1974) as Grandpa
- The Balloon Vendor (1974) as Antonio
- Man Belongs to the Earth (1974) as Narrator
- The Harrad Experiment (1973) as Philip Tenhausen
- High Crime (1973) as Commissioner Aldo Scavino
- Temperatures Rising (1972) as Vincent Campanelli
- Chato's Land (1972) as Joshua Everette
- If Tomorrow Comes (1971) as Frank Phillips
- Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) as Admiral William F. Halsey
- The Challenge (1970) as Overman
- Then Came Bronson (1969) as Wilson Ford
- Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) as Levi
- My Friend Tony (1969) as Prof. John Woodruff
- The Name of the Game (1968) as Harry Roarke
- Planet of the Apes (1968) as President of the Assembly
- Madigan (1968) as Chief Inspector Charles Kane
- Nobody's Perfect (1968) as Capt. Mike Riley
- The Split (1968) as Herb Sutro
- The Invaders (1967) as Harry Swain
- Judd, for the Defense (1967)
- Custer (1967)
- The Danny Thomas Hour (1967) as Professor John Woodruff
- Chuka (1967) as Lou Trent
- Cowboy in Africa (1967)
- Waterhole #3 (1967) as Capt. Shipley
- Tarzan (1966)
- T.H.E. Cat (1966)
- The Monroes (1966)
- Shane (1966) as Harry Himber
- The Tenderfoot (1966) as Captain Ewell
- Run for Your Life (1965) as Chief Jim Holland
- The Big Valley (1965) as Handy
- The Big Valley (1965) as Joshua Hawks
- The Big Valley (1965) as Tom Wills
- The Big Valley (1965) as Marshal Seth Campbell
- The Loner (1965)
- The Loner (1965) as Doc Fritchman
- National Geographic Specials (1965) as Narrator (voice)
- For the People (1965)
- 12 O'Clock High (1964)
- Slattery's People (1964)
- The Tenderfoot (1964) as Captain Ewell
- Black Like Me (1964) as John Finley Horton
- Burke's Law (1963) as Joe Piante
- Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963) as J. Marvin Bean
- Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963) as Major Will Stanton
- Arrest and Trial (1963) as Martin Burnham
- The Greatest Show on Earth (1963)
- The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963) as Foxy Smith
- The Long Lost Life of Edward Smalley (1963) as J. Marvin Bean
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Virginian (1962) as Capt. Piper Pritican
- The Virginian (1962) as Ezra Hollis
- The Virginian (1962) as Carl Kabe
- The Virginian (1962) as Marshal Krug
- Combat! (1962) as Hertzbrun
- Going My Way (1962)
- Icarus Montgolfier Wright (1962)
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Henry Clay Kincaid
- Ben Casey (1961)
- Alcoa Premiere (1961)
- Bus Stop (1961)
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1961)
- Route 66 (1960)
- Checkmate (1960) as Detective Lt. Dave Harker
- The Chevy Mystery Show (1960) as Philip Selby
- The Law and Mr. Jones (1960) as Abraham Lincoln Jones
- Who Was That Lady? (1960) as Harry Powell
- Bonanza (1959) as John Postley
- The Twilight Zone (1959)
- Rawhide (1959) as Sgt. Joe Duclos
- Rawhide (1959) as Colonel John Macklin
- The Detectives (1959)
- Face of Fire (1959) as Monk Johnson
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)
- The Deep Six (1958) as Cmdr. Warren Meredith
- The Restless Years (1958) as Ed Henderson
- Decision (1958)
- Panic! (1957)
- The Young Don't Cry (1957) as Rudy Krist
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Jeb
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Ben Kincaid
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Joel Begley
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Jonas - Blacksmith
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Narrator (voice)
- The Eddy Duchin Story (1956) as Lou Sherwood
- Crime in the Streets (1956) as Ben Wagner
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Amos Campbell
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Jim Forbes
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Timothy Fitzpatrick
- The 20th Century Fox Hour (1955)
- Crossroads (1955)
- Playwrights '56 (1955)
- Oklahoma! (1955) as Mr. Carnes
- Battle Cry (1955) as MSgt. Mac
- The Last Frontier (1955) as Gus
- The McConnell Story (1955) as SSgt. / Maj . / Col. Ty 'Dad' Whitman
- Climax! (1954) as Stash Prohaska
- Climax! (1954) as Tom Miller
- Studio 57 (1954)
- Them! (1954) as Sgt. Ben Peterson
- The Command (1954) as Sgt. Elliott
- The Great Diamond Robbery (1954) as Mr. Remlick, Lawyer
- The United States Steel Hour (1953)
- Above and Beyond (1953) as Maj. William M. Uanna
- Kiss Me Kate (1953) as Slug
- All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953) as Fetcher
- The Girl Who Had Everything (1953) as Charles "Chico" Menlow
- Shadow in the Sky (1952) as Lou Hopke
- Because You're Mine (1952) as Sergeant 'Bat' Batterson
- The Hoaxters (1952) as Narrator (voice)
- Angels in the Outfield (1951) as Angel (voice) (uncredited)
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951)
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951) as Tommy McDermott
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951) as Joe Benson
- The Red Badge of Courage (1951) as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- Across the Wide Missouri (1951) as Old Bill (uncredited)
- It's a Big Country (1951) as Mr. Stacey
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Tracy
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Self
- The Asphalt Jungle (1950) as Gus Minissi
- The Outriders (1950) as Clint Priest
- Please Believe Me (1950) as Vincent Maran
- The Next Voice You Hear... (1950) as Joe Smith
- Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone (1950) as John Malone
- Battleground (1949) as Kinnie
- The Undercover Man (1949) as George Pappas
- Studio One (1948) as Sam
- Kraft Television Theatre (1947)
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominated
- Tony e il Professore as il professore