Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr. (December 26, 1903 – May 18, 1995) was an American

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

famed for his work in films noir. According to Bill Georgaris of TSPDT: They Shoot Pictures, Don't They, Cook appeared in a total of 21 film noirs, more than any other actor or actress. He played cheerful, brainy collegiates until he was cast against type as the bug-eyed baby-faced psychopathic killer Wilmer Cook in the 1941 version of '' The Maltese Falcon''. He went on to play deceptively mild-mannered villains. Cook's acting career spanned more than 60 years, with roles in productions including '' The Big Sleep'', ''

Shane Shane may refer to: People * Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress * Shane (New Zealand singer) (born 1946) * iamnotshane (born 1995), formerly known as Shane, American singer * Shane (name), a masculine given name and a su ...

'', '' The Killing'', ''

House on Haunted Hill ''House on Haunted Hill'' is a 1959 American horror film produced and directed by William Castle, written by Robb White and starring Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Carolyn Craig and Elisha Cook Jr. Price plays an ...

'', and '' Rosemary's Baby''.

Early life, stage, and military service

Cook was born in December 1903 in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, the son of Elisha Vanslyck Cook Sr., a pharmacist, and grew up in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

. He first worked in theater lobbies selling programs, but by the age of 14 he was already performing in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

and

stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a compan ...

. As a young man, he traveled and honed his acting skills on stages along the East Coast and in the Midwest before arriving in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, where in 1926 he debuted on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in ''Hello, Lola.'' Some other Broadway productions in which Cook performed were ''Henry-Behave'' (1926), ''Kingdom of God'' (1928), ''Her Unborn Child'' (1928), ''Many a Slip'' (1930), ''Privilege Car'' (1931), ''Lost Boy'' (1932), ''Merry-Go-Round'' (1932), and ''Chrysalis'' (1932). Then, in 1933,

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earli ...

cast him in the role of Richard Miller in his play ''

Ah, Wilderness ''Ah, Wilderness!'' is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. It differs from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction of a ...

,'' which ran on Broadway for two years. Cook continued to appear on stage during the remainder the 1930s; and although his acting career after that focused increasingly on films and then on television roles, he periodically returned to Broadway, where as late as 1963 he performed as Giuseppe Givola in

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

's play '' The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.'' Cook enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

in Los Angeles, California, on August 15, 1942."United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938–1946: Cook Jr, Elisha V.
enlistment date August 15, 1942, Los Angeles, California, United States; merged database with "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ''ca.'' 1938–1946," Access to Archival Databases (AAD), National Archives and Records Administration (2002), National Archives, College Park, Maryland. Transcription of enlistment record available at

FamilySearch FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is closely connected with the church's Family His ...

, a free online genealogical database by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved July 30, 2017. According to his enlistment record he stood 5-feet-5-inches tall and weighed 123 pounds. Cook's military record documents his level of education at "3 years of high school." Some online references state that he had attended "St. Albans College," "The Chicago Academy of Dramatic Art," and "The Chicago Academy of Fine Arts," which had been renamed the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

in 1882.

Career in film

In 1930, Cook traveled to California, where he made his film debut in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

's version of the play ''Her Unborn Child'', a motion picture directed by

Albert Ray Albert Ray (August 28, 1897 – February 5, 1944) was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He directed more than 70 films between 1920 and 1939. He also appeared in 18 films between 1915 and 1922. He was born in New Roche ...

and produced by Windsor Picture Plays Inc. At

Twentieth Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American 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 of Walt Dis ...

, Cook made an impression as a bespectacled college freshman with radical ideas in the musical comedy ''

Pigskin Parade ''Pigskin Parade'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film which tells the story of husband-and-wife college football coaches who convince a backwoods player to play for their team so they can go to the big game. It was written by William M. Consel ...

'' (1936). He was also featured in the unofficial sequel, ''

Life Begins in College ''Life Begins in College'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter. It marked the Ritz Brothers' first starring role in a feature film. Plot The action takes place at Lombardy College, founded "to give the Indian nations of ...

'' (1937). Cook remained at Fox for two years, and then began freelancing at other studios. He did return to Fox occasionally in prominent roles: as a songwriter in the

Alice Faye Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as ''On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime B ...

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...

musical ''

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of History of music publishing, music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the American popular music, popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It origin ...

'' (1940), and as a mobster disguised as an old woman in the

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in t ...

feature '' A-Haunting We Will Go'' (1942). Typical of his early, bookish roles was his turn as a meek screenwriter in the madcap Olsen and Johnson comedy '' Hellzapoppin'' (1941). After ''The Maltese Falcon,'' Cook became typecast again, as weaklings or sadistic losers and hoodlums, who in the plots were usually murdered, either being strangled, poisoned or shot. In

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

's '' Phantom Lady'' (1944), he portrays a slimy, intoxicated nightclub-orchestra drummer to memorable effect. He received excellent notices for his portrayal of a happy, breezy disc jockey who turns out to be a homicidal maniac in ''

The Falcon's Alibi ''The Falcon's Alibi'' is a 1946 American mystery film directed by Ray McCarey and starring Tom Conway, Rita Corday and Vince Barnett. It was the ninth film featuring Conway as The Falcon. After the following film, '' The Falcon's Adventure'', t ...

'' (1946). He also had a substantial, though uncredited role as Bobo in the 1953

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...

production '' I, the Jury''. WilmerMaltFalc1941Trailer

In addition to his performance as Wilmer in '' The Maltese Falcon'' (1941), some of Cook's other notable roles include the doomed informant Harry Jones in '' The Big Sleep'' (1946), the henchman (Marty Waterman) of the murderous title character in ''

Born to Kill Born to Kill may refer to: Film * ''Born to Kill'' (1947 film), a film noir directed by Robert Wise * ''Born to Kill'' (1967 film), a Spaghetti Western directed by Antonio Mollica * ''Born to Kill'' (1974 film) or ''Cockfighter'', a film direct ...

'' (1947), the pugnacious ex-Confederate soldier 'Stonewall' Torrey who is gunned down by

Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...

in ''

'' (1953), and George Peatty, the shady, cuckolded husband in

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...

's '' The Killing'' (1956). Other films in which he appeared are

William Castle William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Orphaned at 11, Castle dropped out of high school at 15 to work in the theater. He came to the attenti ...

's horror film ''

'' (1959), ''

One-Eyed Jacks ''One-Eyed Jacks'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by and starring Marlon Brando, his only directorial credit. Brando portrays the lead character Rio, and Karl Malden plays his partner, "Dad" Longworth. The supporting cast features Pin ...

'' (1961), ''

Papa's Delicate Condition ''Papa's Delicate Condition'' is a 1963 American comedy film starring Jackie Gleason and Glynis Johns. It was an adaptation of the Corinne Griffith memoir of the same name, about her father and growing up in Texarkana, Texas. Jimmy Van Heusen ( ...

'' (1963), ''

Blood on the Arrow ''Blood on the Arrow'' is a 1964 Western film directed by Sidney Salkow and written by Mark Hanna and starring Dale Robertson and Martha Hyer. The plot is about the sole survivor of an Apache ambush, who rides out to save a young boy who has be ...

'' (1964), '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1968), '' The Great Bank Robbery'' (1969), '' El Condor'' (1970), '' Blacula'' (1972), ''

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid ''The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid'' is a 1972 American Western film about the James-Younger Gang distributed by Universal Pictures. It was written and directed by Philip Kaufman in a cinéma vérité style and starring Cliff Robertson. The ...

'' (1972), '' Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' (1973), '' The Outfit'' (1973), ''

Tom Horn Thomas Horn Jr., (November 21, 1860 – November 20, 1903) was an American scout, cowboy, soldier, range detective, and Pinkerton agent in the 19th-century and early 20th-century American Old West. Believed to have committed 17 killings as a ...

'' (1980), and '' Treasure: In Search of the Golden Horse'' (1984).

Television

Cook appeared on a wide variety of American television series from the early 1950s to the late 1980s. He played a private detective, Homer Garrity, in an episode of '' Adventures of Superman''

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

titled "Semi-Private Eye," airing for the first time on January 16, 1954. That same year, on April 12, he guest-starred on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's '' The Dennis Day Show.'' In 1960, he was cast in the episode "The Hermit" of the ABC

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

The Real McCoys ''The Real McCoys'' is an American situation comedy starring Walter Brennan, Richard Crenna, and Kathleen Nolan. Co-produced by Danny Thomas's Marterto Productions in association with Walter Brennan and Irving Pincus's Westgate Compan ...

'' with

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in '' Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky'' (1938), and '' The Westerner ...

. He appeared too in 1960 as Jeremy Hake in the episode "The Bequest" of the ABC western series '' The Rebel'', which starred Nick Adams. He also portrayed the character Gideon McCoy in the 1966 episode "The Night of the Bars of Hell" on ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels ...

''. He performed as well in the second episode of ABC's crime drama '' The Fugitive''. Cook made two guest appearances on the CBS courtroom drama series ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

''. In 1958, he played Art Crowley in "The Case of the Pint-Sized Client", and in 1964 he played Reelin' Peter Rockwell in "The Case of the Reckless Rockhound". Cook portrayed lawyer Samuel T. Cogley in the ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' 1967 episode "

Court Martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

", Isaac Isaacson on the ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

'' television series, Weasel Craig in ''

Salem's Lot ''Salem's Lot'' is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot for short) in Maine, where he l ...

'', and later had a long-term recurring role as

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the isla ...

crime lord "Ice Pick" on CBS's '' Magnum, P.I.'' In 1974 he made a surprise guest appearance on '' The Odd Couple'' as government agent

Eliot Ness Eliot Ness (April 19, 1903 – May 16, 1957) was an American Prohibition agent known for his efforts to bring down Al Capone and enforce Prohibition in Chicago. He was the leader of a team of law enforcement agents, nicknamed The Untouchables. ...

. He appeared too in '' The Bionic Woman'' episode "Once a Thief" in 1977. Toward the end of his life, Cook often played dimwitted or cranky elderly characters. He played a bum in an episode of ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court ma ...

'' as well as an elderly uncle in an episode of '' Alf'', which was one of his last roles prior to his retirement entirely from acting in 1988, followed by his death seven years later.

Personal life

Cook was married to singer Mary Gertrude Dunckley (known professionally as Mary Lou Cook of the popular vocal quartet

The Merry Macs The Merry Macs were an American close-harmony pop music quartet active from the 1920s till the 1960s and best known for the hits " Mairzy Doats", "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" and " Sentimental Journey". The group also sang on recording ...

) from 1928 until their divorce on November 4, 1941. He then married Illinois native Elvira Ann (Peggy) McKenna in 1943. The couple were married for twenty-five years until they formally divorced in

Inyo County, California Inyo County () is a county in the eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 census, the population was 19,016. The county seat is Independence. Inyo County is ...

, in February 1968. They remarried on December 30, 1971. Their second marriage lasted another nineteen years until Peggy's death on December 23, 1990. Various references about Cook state that he had no children from his marriages; yet, his army enlistment record of 1942 documents his marital status as "Divorced, with dependents," which suggests he may have had a child or children with his first wife, or been responsible for the well-being of others. Cook never became part of the Hollywood social scene, which he held in low regard. His slight build and calm demeanor belied his offscreen status as a rugged outdoorsman. He resided for many years in Bishop, California, but he typically spent his summers at Lake Sabrina in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primar ...

. According to

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

, who in 1941 directed him in ''The Maltese Falcon'':

ooklived alone up in the High Sierra, tied flies and caught golden trout between films. When he was wanted in Hollywood, they sent word up to his mountain cabin by courier. He would come down, do a picture, and then withdraw again to his retreat.

Death

Elisha Cook, Jr. died of a

stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...

at age 91, on May 18, 1995, at a

nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to i ...

Big Pine, California Big Pine (formerly, Bigpine) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Inyo County, California, United States. Big Pine is located approximately south-southeast of Bishop, at an elevation of . The population was 1,756 at the 2010 census, up from 1,3 ...

. He was the last surviving member of the main cast of '' The Maltese Falcon''.

Complete filmography

*''Her Unborn Child'' (1930) as Stewart Kennedy (film debut) *''Chills and Fever'' (1930 short) as Member of the Glee Club (uncredited) *''

Honor Among Lovers ''Honor Among Lovers'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Dorothy Arzner. The film stars Claudette Colbert, Fredric March, Monroe Owsley, Charles Ruggles and Ginger Rogers. Plot Julia Traynor (Claud ...

'' (1931) as Office Boy (uncredited) *''

Two in a Crowd ''Two in a Crowd'' is a 1936 romantic comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Joan Bennett and Joel McCrea. It was released by Universal Pictures. The screenplay was written by Lewis R. Foster, Doris Malloy, and Earle Snell, base ...

'' (1936) as Skeeter *''

'' (1936) as Herbert Van Dyke *''

Breezing Home ''Breezing Home'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Milton Carruth and starring Binnie Barnes, William Gargan William Dennis Gargan (July 17, 1905February 17, 1979) was an American film, television and radio actor. He was the 5th re ...

'' (1937) as Pete Espinosa (uncredited) *''

Love Is News ''Love Is News'' is a 1937 romantic comedy film starring Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, and Don Ameche. The movie was directed by Tay Garnett and was the first film for which Power had top billing. The picture was remade in 1947 as '' That Wonder ...

'' (1937) as Egbert Eggleston *'' The Devil Is Driving'' (1937) as Tony Stevens *''

They Won't Forget ''They Won't Forget'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Claude Rains, Gloria Dickson, Edward Norris, and Lana Turner, in her feature debut. It was based on a novel by Ward Greene called ''Death in the Deep Sou ...

'' (1937) as Joe Turner *''

Wife, Doctor and Nurse ''Wife, Doctor and Nurse'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Walter Lang and starring Loretta Young. Plot Cast * Loretta Young as Ina Heath Lewis * Warner Baxter as Dr. Judd Lewis * Virginia Bruce as Miss Stephens aka Steve * Jane D ...

'' (1937) as Glen Wylie *'' Danger - Love at Work'' (1937) as Chemist *''

'' (1937) as Ollie Stearns *''

Thoroughbreds Don't Cry ''Thoroughbreds Don't Cry'' is a 1937 American musical comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in their first film together. Plot Cricket West is a hopeful actress with a pair of vocal cords that bring ...

'' (1937) as Boots Maguire (uncredited) *'' Three Blind Mice'' (1938) as Boy on Bench (uncredited) *'' My Lucky Star'' (1938) as Waldo *''

Submarine Patrol ''Submarine Patrol'' is a 1938 film directed by John Ford and starring Richard Greene, Nancy Kelly and Preston Foster. The supporting cast features George Bancroft, Elisha Cook, Jr., John Carradine, Maxie Rosenbloom, Jack Pennick, Ward Bond an ...

'' (1938) as Seaman Rutherford Davis Pratt, aka 'The Professor' *''

Newsboys' Home ''Newsboys' Home'' is a 1938 crime film that starred Jackie Cooper and '' The Little Tough Guys''. Plot When his father, a small town sheriff, is slain by a big city gangster, "Rifle" Edwards becomes a homeless vagabond, drifting from town to tow ...

'' (1938) as Danny *''

Grand Jury Secrets ''Grand Jury Secrets'' is a 1939 American mystery film directed by James P. Hogan and written by Irving Reis, Maxwell Shane and Robert Yost. The film stars John Howard, Gail Patrick, William Frawley, Jane Darwell, Porter Hall and Harvey Stephens ...

'' (1939) as Robert Austin / Norman Hazlitt *'' He Married His Wife'' (1940) as Dicky Brown *''

Stranger on the Third Floor ''Stranger on the Third Floor'' is a 1940 American film noir directed by Boris Ingster and starring Peter Lorre, John McGuire, and Margaret Tallichet, and featuring Elisha Cook Jr. It was written by Frank Partos. Modern research has shown tha ...

'' (1940) as Joe Briggs *''

Public Deb No. 1 ''Public Deb No. 1'' (or ''Elsa Maxwell's Public Deb No. 1'') is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring George Murphy, Brenda Joyce and Ralph Bellamy. Plot A socialite is introduced to communism by her butler. Part ...

'' (1940) as Communist *''

'' (1940) as Joe Codd *'' Love Crazy'' (1941) as Elevator Man *''

Sergeant York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known as Sergeant York, was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machi ...

'' (1941) as Piano Player (uncredited) *''

Man at Large ''Man at Large'' is a 1941 American mystery film directed by Eugene Forde and written by John Larkin. The film stars Marjorie Weaver, George Reeves, Richard Derr, Steven Geray, Milton Parsons and Spencer Charters. The film was released on Sept ...

'' (1941) as Hotel Clerk *'' The Maltese Falcon'' (1941) as Wilmer Cook *''

I Wake Up Screaming ''I Wake Up Screaming'' (originally titled ''Hot Spot'') is a 1941 film noir. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, adapted by Dwight Taylor. The film stars Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis, and features one of G ...

'' (1941) as Harry Williams *'' Hellzapoppin''' (1941) as Harry Selby *'' Ball of Fire'' (1941) as Waiter *''

A Gentleman at Heart A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name ...

'' (1942) as Genius *''

Sleepytime Gal ''Sleepytime Gal'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Albert S. Rogell and written by Art Arthur, Albert Duffy and Max Lief. The film stars Judy Canova, Tom Brown, Billy Gilbert, Ruth Terry, Thurston Hall, Elisha Cook Jr., Jerry Lest ...

'' (1942) as Ernie *'' A-Haunting We Will Go'' (1942) as Frank Lucas *''

Wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while th ...

'' (1942) as Harold 'Chicopee' Nevins *''

Manila Calling ''Manila Calling'' is a 1942 American black-and-white World War II propaganda war film drama from 20th Century Fox, produced by Sol M. Wurtzel, directed by Herbert I. Leeds, that stars Lloyd Nolan, Carole Landis, Cornel Wilde, James Gleason, ...

'' (1942) as Gillman *'' Kill or Be Killed'' (1942) *'' Baptism of Fire'' (1943 documentary) as Bill *'' Phantom Lady'' (1944) as Cliff *''

Up in Arms ''Up in Arms'' is a 1944 musical film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Danny Kaye and Dinah Shore. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1945. Plot Danny Weems works as an elevator operator in a New York Medical building, so he can b ...

'' (1944) as Info Jones *''

Dark Mountain Dark Mountain, formerly also known as Black Mountain, is a mountain in the Tanzilla Plateau of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located northeast of the settlement of Dease Lake, near Cry Lake. Before 1937 Dark Mountain was k ...

'' (1944) as Whitey *'' Dark Waters'' (1944) as Cleeve *'' Dillinger'' (1945) as Kirk Otto *'' Why Girls Leave Home'' (1945) as Jimmy Lobo *''

Blonde Alibi ''Blonde Alibi'' is a 1946 American black-and-white noir thriller directed by Will Jason and starring Tom Neal, Martha O'Driscoll, Donald MacBride, and Peter Whitney. Cast *Tom Neal as Rick Lavery *Martha O'Driscoll as Marian Gale *Donald MacBr ...

'' (1946) as Sam Collins *''

Cinderella Jones ''Cinderella Jones'' is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by Busby Berkeley and written by Charles Hoffman. The film stars Joan Leslie, Robert Alda, Julie Bishop, William Prince, S. Z. Sakall, and Edward Everett Horton. The film wa ...

'' (1946) as Oliver S. Patch *''

'' (1946) as Nick *''

Joe Palooka, Champ ''Joe Palooka, Champ'' is a 1946 American film featuring the comic-strip boxer Joe Palooka. This film from Monogram Pictures is the beginning of a series with eleven sequels: * ''Gentleman Joe Palooka'' (1946) * ''Joe Palooka in the Knockout ...

'' (1946) as Eugene *''

Two Smart People ''Two Smart People'' is a 1946 American drama film directed by Jules Dassin and starring Lucille Ball and John Hodiak, Lloyd Nolan and Hugo Haas. Plot Ace Connors (John Hodiak) is a con man who has half a million dollars in bonds hidden in a co ...

'' (1946) as Fly Feletti *'' The Big Sleep'' (1946) as Harry Jones *'' Fall Guy'' (1947) as Joe *''

'' (1947) as Marty *'' The Long Night'' (1947) as Frank Dunlap *'' The Gangster'' (1947) as Oval *''

Flaxy Martin ''Flaxy Martin'' is a 1949 film noir starring Zachary Scott and Virginia Mayo, and featuring Elisha Cook Jr., Dorothy Malone, and Douglas Kennedy. The crime thriller was directed by Richard L. Bare based on a story written by David Lang. The ...

'' (1949) as Roper *''

The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby ...

'' (1949) as Klipspringer *'' Behave Yourself'' (1951) as Albert Jonas *''

Don't Bother to Knock ''Don't Bother to Knock'' is a 1952 American psychological film noir thriller starring Richard Widmark and Marilyn Monroe and directed by Roy Ward Baker. The screenplay was written by Daniel Taradash, based on the 1951 novel ''Mischief'' by C ...

'' (1952) as Eddie Forbes *''

'' (1953) as Stonewall Torrey *'' I, the Jury'' (1953) as Bobo (uncredited) *''

Thunder Over the Plains ''Thunder Over The Plains'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Andre DeToth and starring Randolph Scott with Lex Barker, Phyllis Kirk, Henry Hull, Elisha Cook, Jr. and Fess Parker. It was Barker's first film after starring in five ' ...

'' (1953) as Joseph Standish *''

The Outlaw's Daughter ''The Outlaw's Daughter'' is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Wright about bushranging. Plot A bushranger, Devil Devine, abandons his daughter. Years later he holds her up and tries to marry her but is stopped. The bushranger is pursued by the ...

'' (1954) as Lewis 'Tulsa' Cook *'' Drum Beat'' (1954) as Blaine Crackel *''

Timberjack Timberjack is a manufacturer of forestry machinery for both cut-to-length and whole tree logging, and was a subsidiary of John Deere from 2000 to 2006. History Timberjack was founded in Woodstock, Ontario in the 1950s by Wesley Maggill and R ...

'' (1955) as Punky *''

Trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribun ...

'' (1955) as Finn *'' The Indian Fighter'' (1955) as Briggs *''Indian Agent'' (1955, TV movie) as Pete, the Cavalry Scout (uncredited) *'' The Killing'' (1956) as George Peatty *''

Accused of Murder ''Accused of Murder'' is a 1956 American Trucolor film noir crime film directed by Joseph Kane and starring David Brian, Vera Ralston and Sidney Blackmer. Plot Nightclub singer Ilona Vance is accused of murder because she was the last person to ...

'' (1956) as "Whitey" Pollock *'' Voodoo Island'' (1957) as Martin Schuyler *'' The Lonely Man'' (1957) as Willie *''

Chicago Confidential ''Chicago Confidential'' is a 1957 American crime film noir directed by Sidney Salkow, starring Brian Keith, Beverly Garland and Dick Foran. It is based on the 1950 book ''Chicago: Confidential!'' by Jack Lait and Lee Mortimer. ''Chicago Confid ...

'' (1957) as Candymouth Duggan *'' Plunder Road'' (1957) as Skeets Jonas *''

Baby Face Nelson Lester Joseph Gillis (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934), also known as George Nelson and Baby Face Nelson, was an American bank robber who became a criminal partner of John Dillinger, when he helped Dillinger escape from prison, in Crown P ...

'' (1957) as Homer van Meter *''

'' (1959) as Watson Pritchard *'' Day of the Outlaw'' (1959) as Larry Teter (town barber) *''

Platinum High School ''Platinum High School'' is a 1960 American crime drama romance film directed by Charles Haas and starring Mickey Rooney, Terry Moore and Dan Duryea. It was based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Irving Shulman. Plot Sailing to a coastal ...

'' (1960) as Harry Nesbit *'' College Confidential'' (1960) as Ted Blake *''

'' (1961) as Carvey *''

'' (1963) as Mr. Keith *''

Black Zoo ''Black Zoo'' is a 1963 American horror film directed by Robert Gordon and starring Michael Gough, Jeanne Cooper, Rod Lauren, Virginia Grey, Jerome Cowan, and Elisha Cook, Jr. It was produced and co-written by Herman Cohen. It is a violent, go ...

'' (1963) as Joe *''

The Haunted Palace ''The Haunted Palace'' is a 1963 horror film released by American International Pictures, starring Vincent Price, Lon Chaney Jr. and Debra Paget (in her final film), in a story about a village held in the grip of a dead necromancer. The film wa ...

'' (1963) as Peter Smith / Micah Smith *'' Johnny Cool'' (1963) as Undertaker *''The Judge'' (1963, TV movie) *''The Glass Cage'' (1964) as Girl's father *''

'' (1964) as Tex *''McNab's Lab'' (1966, TV movie) as Coach *''

The Spy in the Green Hat ''The Spy in the Green Hat'' is a 1967 feature-length film version of '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''s third season two-part episode " The Concrete Overcoat Affair". The episodes were originally broadcast in the United States on November 25, 1966 and ...

'' (1967) as Arnold *'' Welcome to Hard Times'' (1967) as Hanson *'' Rosemary's Baby'' (1968) as Mr. Nicklas *''Cry for Poor Wally'' (1969) as Preacher *'' The Great Bank Robbery'' (1969) as Jeb *''The Movie Murderer'' (1970, TV movie) as Willie Peanuts *'' El Condor'' (1970) as Old Convict *''

Night Slaves ''Night Slaves'' is a 1970 American television science fiction horror film directed by Ted Post and starring James Franciscus and Lee Grant. It was based on a 1965 novel by science fiction writer Jerry Sohl, best known for writing episodes of '' T ...

'' (1970, TV movie) *''Night Chase'' (1970, TV movie) as Proprietor *''The Scarecrow'' (1972, TV movie) as Micah *'' The Night Stalker'' (1972, TV movie) as Mickey Crawford *''

'' (1972) as Bunker *'' Blacula'' (1972) as Sam *'' Messiah of Evil'' (1973) as Charlie *''

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' is a 1973 American Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jas ...

'' (1973) as Cody *'' Emperor of the North Pole'' (1973) as Gray Cat *''

Electra Glide in Blue ''Electra Glide in Blue'' is a 1973 American action film, starring Robert Blake as a motorcycle cop in Arizona and Billy "Green" Bush as his partner. The film was produced and directed by James William Guercio, and is named after the Harley-Da ...

'' (1973) as Willie *'' The Outfit'' (1973) as Carl *'' The Phantom of Hollywood'' (1974, TV movie) as Studio Engineer (uncredited) *'' Winterhawk'' (1975) as Finley *'' The Black Bird'' (1975) as Wilmer Cook *'' St. Ives'' (1976) as Eddie *''

Dead of Night ''Dead of Night'' is a 1945 black and white British anthology horror film, made by Ealing Studios. The individual segments were directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden and Robert Hamer. It stars Mervyn Johns, Googie W ...

'' (1977, TV movie) as Karel *''Mad Bull'' (1977, TV movie) as Sweeper *'' The Champ'' (1979) as Georgie *''

'' (1979, TV movie) as Gordon "Weasel" Phillips *''

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar E ...

'' (1979) as The Patron (Dexter) *''

'' (1980) as Stablehand *''

Carny Carny, also spelled carnie, is an informal term used in North America for a traveling carnival employee, and the language they use, particularly when the employee operates a game ("joint"), food stand ("grab", "popper" or "floss wagon"), or ride ...

'' (1980) as On-Your-Mark *'' Harry's War'' (1981) as Sgt. Billy *''Leave 'em Laughing'' (1981 TV movie) as Jetter *'' National Lampoon's Movie Madness'' (1982) as Mousy ("Municipalians") *'' Hammett'' (1982) as Eli the Taxi Driver *''Terror at Alcatraz'' (1982, TV movie) as Hotel Desk Clerk *''This Girl for Hire'' (1983, TV movie) as Eddie *''Shadow of Sam Penny'' (1983, TV movie) as Dutch Silver *''

Off Sides (Pigs vs. Freaks) ''Off Sides (Pigs vs. Freaks)'' (originally titled ''Pigs vs. Freaks'') is a 1984 American made-for-television sports comedy film. Based on a short film by Jack Epps Jr., the feature-length film was scheduled for release in 1980 but was not ac ...

'' (1984, TV movie) as Novatney *''

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear", sometimes rendered as "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear", is an 1849 poem and Christmas carol written by Edmund Sears, pastor of the Unitarian Church in Wayland, Massachusetts. In 1850, Sears' lyrics were set ...

'' (1984, TV movie) as Mr. Bibbs *''Treasure: In Search of the Golden Horse'' (1984) as Mr. Maps *'' The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains'' (1987, TV movie) as Pappy Glue

Television credits

*'' Adventures of Superman'' in "Semi-Private Eye," (January 16, 1954) as Homer Garrity, *''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'' in "Salvage" (1955) as Shorty *''

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults, premiering four days before '' Gunsmoke'' on September 6, 1955. Two weeks later came the Clint Walker western ''Cheyenne''. The series is loosely ...

'' as "Guns" McCallum *''

'' in "The Case of the Pint-Sized Client" (1958) as Art Crowley *''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'' in "Matt for Murder" (1958) as Huggins *''

'' in "Odd Man Out" (1959) as Cyrus Tucker *'' Rawhide'' (1959) as Bain *''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'' in "No Funeral For Thorn" (1959) as Thorn Loomis (playing Bat’s long time friend in a rare “good guy” role) *''

'' in "The Hermit" (1960) as Harry *’’

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...

’’ in “The Long Long Ride” (1960) as Snooker *''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'' in "The Tracy Sadler Story" (1960) as Cadge Waldo *''

Tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

'' in "The Long Odds" (1960) as Sam Parker *'' The Rebel'' in "The Bequest" (1960) as Jeremy Hake *''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' in "The Fatal Impulse" (1960) as The Assassin *'' The Islanders'' in "The Twenty-Six Paper" (1961) as Tomas *''

Surfside 6 ''Surfside 6'' is an ABC television series which aired from 1960 to 1962. The show centered on a Miami Beach detective agency set on a houseboat and featured Troy Donahue as Sandy Winfield II; Van Williams as Kenny Madison (a character recyc ...

'' in "Witness for the Defense" (1961) as Mike Pulaski *'' The Deputy'' in "Brand of Honesty" (1961) as Miller *'' Laramie'' in "The Tumbleweed Wagon" (1961) as Doc *''

Outlaws An outlaw is a person living outside the law. Outlaws or The Outlaws may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''The Outlaws'' (1950 film), an Italian crime film * ''Outlaws'' (1985 film), a French film * ''The Outlaws'' (2017 film), a Sou ...

'' in "The Dark Sunrise of Griff Kincaid" (1962) as Cully *''

The Dakotas The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, econo ...

'' in "A Nice Girl from Goliath" (1963) as Brinkman *''

'' in "Hung High" (1964) as George *''

'' in "Breckinridge" (1965) as Jackie Beal (S10E25) *''

'' in "The Night of the Bars of Hell" (1966) as Gideon McCoy *''

'' in "

" (1967) as Samuel T. Cogley, Esq *'' The Odd Couple'' in "Our Fathers" (1974) as Eliot Ness *''

Starsky & Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a ''Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by th ...

'' in "Lady Blue" (1975) as Polly the snitch *'' The Bionic Woman'' in "Once a Thief" (1977) as Inky (credited as Elisha Cook) *''

Insight Insight is the understanding of a specific cause and effect within a particular context. The term insight can have several related meanings: *a piece of information *the act or result of understanding the inner nature of things or of seeing intui ...

'' in "

The Trouble with Grandpa "The Trouble with Grandpa" is a 1982 episode of the syndicated American religious-themed anthology television series ''Insight'' starring Elisha Cook Jr. and Meg Tilly (in her television debut). The episode was produced in 1981 by Paulist Producti ...

" (1982) as Grandpa *'' Magnum, P.I.'' (1980s) as Francis "Ice Pick" Hofstetler in 13 episodes (final television appearance) *'' Night Court'' in "Married Alive" (1985) as Wilbur Posten *''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' in " Welcome to Winfield" (1986) as Weldon *''

'' (1985) in Season 4 Ep. 5 "Road To Hope" as Jim Beam *'' ALF'' in "We're So Sorry, Uncle Albert" (1988) as Uncle Albert

References

External links

* *
Elisha Cook Jr.
at

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Elisha Jr. 1903 births 1995 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Military personnel from California Male actors from Chicago Male actors from San Francisco Male Western (genre) film actors United States Army personnel of World War II Vaudeville performers Western (genre) television actors