James Ellison (born James Ellison Smith; May 4, 1910 – December 23, 1993) was an American film actor who appeared in nearly 70 films from 1932 to 1962.
Biography
Ellison was born in
Guthrie Center, Iowa
Guthrie Center is a city in Guthrie County, Iowa, United States, along the South Raccoon River. The population was 1,593 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Guthrie County.
Guthrie Center is part of the Des Moines–West De ...
, the son of Edward James Smith and Ona Mary Ellis. He worked for a time in a
film laboratory A film laboratory is a commercial service enterprise and technical facility for the film industry where specialists develop, print, and conform film material for classical film production and distribution which is based on film material, such as n ...
and while there was offered a
screen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...
. He developed the film footage himself, and after he saw it, decided it was not satisfactory so he would not show it to the director. But the director saw it anyway and Ellison got a contract.
He spent much of his career in
westerns
The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...
, including a stint in the mid-1930s as Johnny Nelson, the sidekick of
Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He was ...
in
Paramount
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
's highly successful series. Although he was a "supporting player" in the series, his name is oddly billed the same size and format as veteran actor and matinee idol
William Boyd's. Though it is not confirmed, this is believed to be because the character Johnny Nelson is very prominent in the original Hopalong Cassidy book series.
In 1936, he played his highest-profile role as
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, Bison hunting, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa, Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but ...
in
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...
's ''
The Plainsman
''The Plainsman'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. The film presents a highly fictionalized account of the adventures and relationships between Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jan ...
'', which also starred
Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...
and
Jean Arthur
Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American Broadway and film actress whose career began in silent films in the early 1920s and lasted until the early 1950s.
Arthur had feature roles in three F ...
. Although this film was a success, DeMille reportedly hated Ellison's performance and wanted to be certain the young actor never appeared in a film of equal quality again.
In 1938, he played the role of Keith Morgan in the romantic comedy ''
Vivacious Lady
''Vivacious Lady'' is a 1938 American black-and-white romantic comedy film directed by George Stevens and starring Ginger Rogers and James Stewart. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures. The screenplay was written by P.J. Wolfson and Ernest Paga ...
'', receiving third billing to
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...
and
Jimmy Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
.
The same year, he played a charming, romantic character opposite
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...
in the
RKO Pictures
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...
comedy ''
Next Time I Marry
''Next Time I Marry'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Garson Kanin and written by John Twist and Helen Meinardi. The film stars Lucille Ball, James Ellison, Lee Bowman, Granville Bates and Mantan Moreland. The film was released on ...
''. He later shared top billing with Ball in 1940's ''
You Can't Fool Your Wife
''You Can't Fool Your Wife'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Ray McCarey and written by Jerome Cady. The film stars Lucille Ball, James Ellison, Robert Coote, Virginia Vale, Emma Dunn and Elaine Shepard. The film was released on May 2 ...
''.
![That Other Woman (1942) 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/That_Other_Woman_%281942%29_1.jpg)
Ellison spent most of the remainder of his career shuttling between cowboy pictures and more varied roles, primarily in
B movie
A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...
s like
Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case
''Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case'' is a 1941 American crime film directed by Bernard Vorhaus and written by Sidney Sheldon and Ben Roberts. The film stars James Ellison, Virginia Gilmore, Franklin Pangborn, Paul Harvey, Lynne Carver ...
and
The Undying Monster
''The Undying Monster'', also known as ''The Hammond Mystery'', is a 1942 American mystery horror film directed by John Brahm and written by Lillie Hayward and Michel Jacoby, based on Jessie Douglas Kerruish's 1922 novel of the same name.Meehan, ...
. He had a supporting role in 1941's ''
Charley's Aunt
''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot inc ...
'' (which starred
Jack Benny
Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...
) and played the romantic lead in 1943's ''
The Gang's All Here'', a
Twentieth Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...
musical in which he seemed somewhat lost among the vivid antics of
Carmen Miranda
Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The B ...
,
Charlotte Greenwood
Frances Charlotte Greenwood (June 25, 1890 – December 28, 1977) was an American actress and dancer. Born in Philadelphia, Greenwood started in vaudeville, and starred on Broadway, movies and radio. Standing almost six feet tall (some sour ...
, and
Edward Everett Horton
Edward Everett Horton Jr. (March 18, 1886 – September 29, 1970) was an American character actor. He had a long career in film, theater, radio, television, and voice work for animated cartoons.
Early life
Horton was born in Kings County ...
(and was the only principal not to sing a note). He also co-starred with
Tom Conway
Tom Conway (born Thomas Charles Sanders, 15 September 1904 – 22 April 1967) was a British film, television, and radio actor remembered for playing private detectives (including The Falcon, Sherlock Holmes, Bulldog Drummond, and The Saint) ...
and
Frances Dee
Frances Marion Dee (November 26, 1909 – March 6, 2004) was an American actress. Her first film was the musical ''Playboy of Paris'' (1930). She starred in the film ''An American Tragedy'' (1931). She is also known for starring in the 1943 Va ...
in
Val Lewton
Val Lewton (May 7, 1904 – March 14, 1951) was a Russian-American novelist, film producer and screenwriter best known for a string of low-budget horror films he produced for RKO Pictures in the 1940s. His son, also named Val Lewton, was a pain ...
's production of ''
I Walked with a Zombie
''I Walked with a Zombie'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Val Lewton for RKO Pictures. It stars James Ellison (actor), James Ellison, Frances Dee, and Tom Conway, and follows a Canadian nurse who trave ...
'', directed by
Jacques Tourneur
Jacques Tourneur (; November 12, 1904 – December 19, 1977) was a French film director known for the classic film noir ''Out of the Past'' and a series of low-budget horror films he made for RKO Studios, including ''Cat People (1942 film), Cat ...
.
Ellison landed another romantic lead role as Jerry Gibson in the musical film ''
Lady, Let's Dance'' (1944) which starred ice-skating sensation
Belita
Belita Jepson-Turner (21 October 1923 – 18 December 2005), known professionally as Belita, was a British Olympic figure skater, dancer and film actress.
Biography
Born at Nether Wallop, Hampshire,[Jackie Coogan
John Leslie Coogan (October 26, 1914 – March 1, 1984) was an American actor and comedian who began his film career as a child actor in silent films.
Charlie Chaplin's film classic ''The Kid'' (1921) made him one of the first child stars in the ...]
, Ellison returned to the screen to play Axel 'Longhorn' Gates in a picture called ''
When the Girls Take Over
''When the Girls Take Over'' is an American men's adventure comedy film produced and directed by Russell Hayden and starring Marvin Miller, Jackie Coogan, and Robert Lowery. Inspired by the Cuban Revolution, it was filmed in Puerto Rico in 196 ...
'' (1962).
Death
James Ellison died at age 83 in
Monterey, California
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...
after suffering a
broken neck
A cervical fracture, commonly called a broken neck, is a fracture of any of the seven cervical vertebrae in the neck. Examples of common causes in humans are traffic collisions and diving into shallow water. Abnormal movement of neck bones or pie ...
as the result of a fall. He is interred at
Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.
[Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 14118). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.]
Selected filmography
* ''
Play Girl'' (1932) - Elmer
* ''
The Famous Ferguson Case
''The Famous Ferguson Case'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Joan Blondell, Grant Mitchell and Vivienne Osborne.Louis Pizzitola. ''Hearst Over Hollywood: Power, Passion, and Propaganda in the Movies' ...
'' (1932) - Lane--Reporter (uncredited)
* ''
Central Airport'' (1933) - Amarillo Pilot Crossing Fingers (uncredited)
* ''
Eight Girls in a Boat'' (1934) - Romantic Boy (uncredited)
* ''
Carolina'' (1934) - Dancer (uncredited)
* ''
Death on the Diamond
''Death on the Diamond'' is a 1934 comedy-mystery film starring Robert Young. It was based on the novel ''Death on the Diamond: A Baseball Mystery Story'' by Cortland Fitzsimmons, directed by Edward Sedgwick and produced and released by Metro-G ...
'' (1934) - Cubs Player (uncredited)
* ''
Student Tour
''Student Tour'' is a 1934 American musical film directed by Charles Reisner, written by Ralph Spence and Philip Dunne, and starring Jimmy Durante, Charles Butterworth, Maxine Doyle, Phil Regan, Douglas Fowley and Nelson Eddy. It was release ...
'' (1934) - Student (uncredited)
* ''
Buried Loot
''Buried Loot'' is a 1935 American crime film, the first installment of 50 Short film, shorts in the ''Crime Does Not Pay'' series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and released to theaters between 1935 and 1947.Kehr, David (2012)"Justice Served, J ...
'' (1935, Short) - Bob - Detective (uncredited)
* ''
The Winning Ticket
''The Winning Ticket'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Charles Reisner and starring Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, and Ted Healy. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Plot summary
Poor Italian-American barber Joe Thomasello (Leo Car ...
'' (1935) - Jimmy Powers
* ''
After Office Hours
''After Office Hours'' is a 1935 crime drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Clark Gable and Constance Bennett. The screenplay was written by Herman Mankiewicz.
Plot
Jim Branch (Clark Gable), a newspaper editor, falls for wealt ...
'' (1935) - Harvey (uncredited)
* ''
Reckless'' (1935) - Dale Every
* ''
Hop-Along Cassidy
''Hop-Along Cassidy'' (reissued as ''Hopalong Cassidy Enters'') is a 1935 American Western film that features the character '' Hop-Along Cassidy'' created by writer Clarence E. Mulford. This is the first of 66 ''Hopalong Cassidy'' films produce ...
'' (1935) - Johnny Nelson
* ''
The Eagle's Brood
''The Eagle's Brood'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Doris Schroeder and Harrison Jacobs. The film stars William Boyd, James Ellison, William Farnum, George "Gabby" Hayes, Addison Richards, Nana M ...
'' (1935) - Johnny Nelson
* ''
Bar 20 Rides Again
''Bar 20 Rides Again'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Gerald Geraghty and Doris Schroeder. The film stars William Boyd, James Ellison, Jean Rouverol, George "Gabby" Hayes, Harry Worth, Frank McGlynn ...
'' (1935) - Johnny Nelson
* ''
Hitch Hike Lady
''Hitch Hike Lady'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Aubrey Scotto and written by Gordon Rigby and Lester Cole. The film stars Alison Skipworth, Mae Clarke, Arthur Treacher, James Ellison, Warren Hymer and Beryl Mercer. The film was re ...
'' (1935) - Jimmy Peyton
* ''
The Leathernecks Have Landed
''The Leathernecks Have Landed'' is a 1936 American adventure film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Seton I. Miller. The film stars Lew Ayres, Isabel Jewell, James Ellison, James Burke, J. Carrol Naish and Clay Clement. The film wa ...
'' (1936) - Mac MacDonald
* ''
Heart of the West'' (1936) - Johnny Nelson
* ''
Call of the Prairie
''Call of the Prairie'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Doris Schroeder and Vernon Smith. The film stars William Boyd, James Ellison, Muriel Evans, George "Gabby" Hayes, Chester Conklin, Al Bridge ...
'' (1936) - Johnny Nelson
* ''
Three on the Trail
''Three on the Trail'' is the debut studio album by the Western band Riders in the Sky, released in 1979 by Rounder Records Group.
Riders in the Sky specializes in Western singing in the style of the Sons of the Pioneers; the Riders became one ...
'' (1936) - Johnny Nelson
* ''
The Plainsman
''The Plainsman'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. The film presents a highly fictionalized account of the adventures and relationships between Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jan ...
'' (1936) - Buffalo Bill Cody
* ''
Trail Dust
''Trail Dust'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Nate Watt, written by Al Martin, and starring William Boyd, James Ellison, George "Gabby" Hayes, Morris Ankrum, Gwynne Shipman, Britt Wood and Dick Dickson. It was released on Decembe ...
'' (1936) - Johnny Nelson
* ''
Borderland'' (1937) - Johnny Nelson
* ''
23 1/2 Hours' Leave
''23 1/2 Hours' Leave'' is a lost 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Henry King and written by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Agnes Christine Johnston. The film stars Douglas MacLean, Doris May, Tom Guise, Maxfield Stanley, Wade Boteler an ...
'' (1937) - Sgt. Robert Gray
* ''
The Barrier
The Barrier is a lava dam retaining the Garibaldi Lake system in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is over thick and about long where it impounds the lake.
The area below and adjacent to The Barrier is considered hazardous due to the u ...
'' (1937) - Lieutenant Burrell
* ''
Annapolis Salute
''Annapolis Salute'' is a 1937 film. A few scenes were shot at William Paca House.
Cast
* James Ellison as Bill J. Martin
* Marsha Hunt as Julia Clemens
* Harry Carey as Chief Martin
* Van Heflin as Clay V. Parker
* Ann Hovey as Bunny Oliver
...
'' (1937) - Bill Martin
* ''
Vivacious Lady
''Vivacious Lady'' is a 1938 American black-and-white romantic comedy film directed by George Stevens and starring Ginger Rogers and James Stewart. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures. The screenplay was written by P.J. Wolfson and Ernest Paga ...
'' (1938) - Keith Morgan
* ''
Mother Carey's Chickens'' (1938) - Ralph Thurston
* ''
Next Time I Marry
''Next Time I Marry'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Garson Kanin and written by John Twist and Helen Meinardi. The film stars Lucille Ball, James Ellison, Lee Bowman, Granville Bates and Mantan Moreland. The film was released on ...
'' (1938) - Anthony J. Anthony
* ''
Almost a Gentleman'' (1939) - Dan Preston
* ''
Zenobia
Septimia Zenobia (Palmyrene Aramaic: , , vocalized as ; AD 240 – c. 274) was a third-century queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Syria. Many legends surround her ancestry; she was probably not a commoner and she married the ruler of the city, ...
'' (1939) - Jeff Carter
* ''
Sorority House
North American fraternity and sorority housing refers largely to the houses or housing areas in which fraternity and sorority members live and work together. In addition to serving as housing, fraternity and sorority housing may also serve to ...
'' (1939) - Bill Loomis
* ''
Hotel for Women
''Hotel for Women'' (or ''Elsa Maxwell's Hotel for Women'') is a 1939 American drama film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Ann Sothern, Linda Darnell, and James Ellison. It was Darnell's screen debut.
Plot
When she is jilted by her boyfr ...
'' (1939) - Jeff Buchanan
* ''
5th Ave Girl
''Fifth Avenue Girl'', sometimes stylized as ''5th Ave Girl'', is a 1939 RKO Radio Pictures comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Ginger Rogers, Walter Connolly, Verree Teasdale, and James Ellison. The screenplay was written by Al ...
'' (1939) - Mike
* ''
You Can't Fool Your Wife
''You Can't Fool Your Wife'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Ray McCarey and written by Jerome Cady. The film stars Lucille Ball, James Ellison, Robert Coote, Virginia Vale, Emma Dunn and Elaine Shepard. The film was released on May 2 ...
'' (1940) - Andrew 'Hinkie' Hinklin
* ''
Anne of Windy Poplars
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
'' (1940) - Tony Pringle
* ''
Play Girl'' (1941) - Thomas Elwood Dice
* ''
They Met in Argentina
''They Met in Argentina'' is a 1941 American film directed by Leslie Goodwins and Jack Hively for RKO Pictures. Hively had to come in and finish the picture after Goodwins was hospitalized for pneumonia. Maureen O'Hara plays an Argentinian who fal ...
'' (1941) - Tim Kelly
* ''
Charley's Aunt
''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot inc ...
'' (1941) - Jack Chesney
* ''
Ice-Capades
''Ice-Capades'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Joseph Santley and starring James Ellison, Phil Silvers, and Barbara Jo Allen. Its score, composed by Cy Feuer, was nominated for the Best Scoring of a Musical Picture. The film's sets ...
'' (1941) - Bob Clemens
* ''
Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case
''Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case'' is a 1941 American crime film directed by Bernard Vorhaus and written by Sidney Sheldon and Ben Roberts. The film stars James Ellison, Virginia Gilmore, Franklin Pangborn, Paul Harvey, Lynne Carver ...
'' (1941) - P. Cadwallader Jones
* ''
Careful, Soft Shoulder'' (1942) - Thomas Aldrich
* ''
Army Surgeon'' (1942) - Capt. James 'Jim' Mason
* ''
That Other Woman
''That Other Woman'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Ray McCarey, written by Jack Jungmeyer, and starring Virginia Gilmore, James Ellison, Dan Duryea, Janis Carter, Alma Kruger and Lon McCallister. It was released on November 13, 19 ...
'' (1942) - Henry Summers
* ''
The Undying Monster
''The Undying Monster'', also known as ''The Hammond Mystery'', is a 1942 American mystery horror film directed by John Brahm and written by Lillie Hayward and Michel Jacoby, based on Jessie Douglas Kerruish's 1922 novel of the same name.Meehan, ...
'' (1942) - Robert Curtis
* ''
Dixie Dugan
''Dixie Dugan'' is best known as a long-running syndicated newspaper comic strip published from October 21, 1929 to October 8, 1966. The title character was originally modeled after 1920s film actress Louise Brooks and early stories followed Dix ...
'' (1943) - Roger Hudson
* ''
I Walked with a Zombie
''I Walked with a Zombie'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Val Lewton for RKO Pictures. It stars James Ellison (actor), James Ellison, Frances Dee, and Tom Conway, and follows a Canadian nurse who trave ...
'' (1943) - Wesley Rand
* ''
Best Foot Forward'' (1943) - Cadet (uncredited)
* ''
The Gang's All Here'' (1943) - Andy Mason
* ''
Lady, Let's Dance'' (1944) - Jerry Gibson
* ''
Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore
''Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' is a 1944 American comedy/romance film starring Simone Simon, James Ellison, William Terry, and featuring Robert Mitchum in an early role. Produced by King Brothers Productions, it was co-written by Philip Yo ...
'' (1944) - Mike O'Brien
* ''
Hollywood and Vine
Hollywood and Vine, the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, a district of Los Angeles, became known in the 1920s for its concentration of radio and movie-related businesses. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is centered ...
'' (1945) - Larry Winters
* ''
G.I. War Brides
''G.I. War Brides'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by George Blair and written by John K. Butler. The film stars Anna Lee, James Ellison, Harry Davenport, William "Bill" Henry, Stephanie Bachelor, Doris Lloyd and Robert Armstrong. ...
'' (1946) - Steve Giles
* ''
Calendar Girl'' (1947) - Steve Adams
* ''
The Ghost Goes Wild
''The Ghost Goes Wild'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by George Blair and written by Randall Faye. The film stars James Ellison, Anne Gwynne, Edward Everett Horton, Ruth Donnelly, Stephanie Bachelor and Grant Withers. It was released o ...
'' (1947) - Monte Crandall
* ''
Last of the Wild Horses
''Last of the Wild Horses'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Robert L. Lippert and starring James Ellison, Mary Beth Hughes and Jane Frazee.
It was featured in episode 611 of '' Mystery Science Theater 3000''.
Plot
Duke Barnum, a ...
'' (1948) - Duke Barnum
* ''
Hostile Country
''Hostile Country'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Thomas Carr and starring James Ellison, Raymond Hatton and Julie Adams.Pitts, p. 157.
Plot
In this remake of No Man's Range (1935), Shamrock travels to the ranch of his stepfath ...
'' (1950) - Shamrock Ellison
* ''
Everybody's Dancin'
''Everybody's Dancin is the tenth studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang is an American R&B/soul/funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, with Dennis "Dee T ...
'' (1950) - Jimmy Ellison
* ''
Marshal of Heldorado
''Master of Heldorado'' is a 1950 American Western film.
Plot
Cast
* James Ellison as James "Shamrock" Ellison
* Russ "Lucky" Hayden as Russ "Lucky" Hayden
*Raymond Hatton as The colonel
*Fuzzy Knight as Deacon
* Betty Adams as Ann
*Tom Tyler ...
'' (1950) - James Shamrock Ellison
* ''
Crooked River'' (1950) - Shamrock Ellison
* ''
Colorado Ranger
The Colorado Ranger is a horse breed from the Colorado High Plains in the United States. The breed is descended from two stallions imported from Turkey to the US state of Virginia in the late 1800s. These stallions were then bred to ranch hor ...
'' (1950) - Shamrock Kid
* ''
West of the Brazos'' (1950) - James Everett Parkington 'Shamrock' Ellison
* ''
Fast on the Draw
''Fast on the Draw'' is a 1950 American western film directed by Thomas Carr (director), Thomas Carr.
Plot
Cast
External links
*''Fast on the Draw''
at BFI
1950 films
American Western (genre) films
1950 Western (genre) films
Films direc ...
'' (1950) - Shamrock Ellison
* ''
I Killed Geronimo
''I Killed Geronimo'' is a 1950 American Western film about the Chiricahua Apache leader Geronimo.
Directed by John Hoffman and starring James Ellison, Virginia Herrick, and Chief Thundercloud in the role of Geronimo, the film has been describ ...
'' (1950) - Capt. Jeff Packard
* ''
The Texan Meets Calamity Jane
''The Texan Meets Calamity Jane'' also known as ''Calamity Jane and the Texan'' in a 1952 re-release, is a 1950 Cinecolor Western movie starring Evelyn Ankers as Calamity Jane and written, produced and directed by Ande Lamb. The film was Anke ...
'' (1950) - Gordon Hastings
* ''
Kentucky Jubilee'' (1951) - Jeff Benson
* ''
Oklahoma Justice
''Oklahoma Justice'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Johnny Mack Brown, James Ellison and Lane Bradford.
The film's sets were designed by the art director Dave Milton.
Partial cast
*Johnny Mack Bro ...
'' (1951) - Clancy
* ''
Whistling Hills
''Whistling Hills'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and starring Johnny Mack Brown, James Ellison and Noel Neill.Drew p.179
The film's sets were designed by the art director Dave Milton.
Partial cast
* Johnny Mack ...
'' (1951) - Sheriff Dave Holland
* ''
Texas Lawmen
''Texas Lawmen'' is a 1951 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Johnny Mack Brown, James Ellison (actor), James Ellison and I. Stanford Jolley.
The film's sets were designed by the art directors Dave ...
'' (1951) - Sheriff Tod Merrick
* ''
Texas City
Texas City is a city in Galveston County, Texas, Galveston County in the U.S. state of Texas. Located on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay, Texas City is a busy deepwater port on Texas's Gulf Coast, as well as a petroleum-refining and pe ...
'' (1952) - Jim Kirby
* ''
Man from the Black Hills
''Man from the Black Hills'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Thomas Carr and starring Johnny Mack Brown, James Ellison and Rand Brooks.Drew p.179 It was distributed by Monogram Pictures which focused on low-budget second features. ...
'' (1952) - Jim Fallon
* ''
Dead Man's Trail
''Dead Man's Trail'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Johnny Mack Brown, James Ellison and Barbara Woodell.Drew, Bernard A. ''Motion Picture Series and Sequels: A Reference Guide''. Routledge, 2013. p. 1 ...
'' (1952) - Dan Winslow
* ''
When the Girls Take Over
''When the Girls Take Over'' is an American men's adventure comedy film produced and directed by Russell Hayden and starring Marvin Miller, Jackie Coogan, and Robert Lowery. Inspired by the Cuban Revolution, it was filmed in Puerto Rico in 196 ...
'' (1962) - Axel 'Longhorn' Gates (final film role, shot in 1960)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellison, James
1910 births
1993 deaths
Male actors from Iowa
American male film actors
20th-century American male actors
People from Guthrie Center, Iowa
Accidental deaths from falls
Accidental deaths in California
id:James Ellison