James Gregory (December 23, 1911 – September 16, 2002) was an American character actor known for his deep, gravelly voice and playing brash roles such as Schaffer in '' Al Capone'' (1959), the McCarthy-like Sen. John Iselin in '' The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962), the audacious General Ursus in ''

Beneath the Planet of the Apes ''Beneath the Planet of the Apes'' is a 1970 American science fiction film directed by Ted Post and written by Paul Dehn. It is the second of five films in the original ''Planet of the Apes'' series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs. The film stars Ja ...

'' (1970), and crusty Inspector Frank Luger in the television sitcom '' Barney Miller'' (1975–1982).

Career

In 1939, he made his

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 ...

debut in a production of ''

Key Largo Key Largo ( es, Cayo Largo) is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the keys, at long. It is one of the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the keys connected by ...

'' and worked in about 25 more Broadway productions over the next 16 years. He served three years in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. His early acting work included army training films; one such appearance is excerpted in '' The Atomic Café'' (1982). He also worked in radio, including a year (1955–1956) on ''

21st Precinct ''21st Precinct'' (aka ''Twenty-First Precinct'' and ''Twenty First Precinct'') was a police drama broadcast on CBS radio from July 7, 1953, to July 26, 1956. It was initially a summer replacement for ''My Friend Irma''. The program was produc ...

''. Gregory was the lead in ''

The Lawless Years ''The Lawless Years'' is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from April 16, 1959, to September 22, 1961. The series is the first of its kind, set during the Roaring 20s, having antedated ABC's far more successful ''The Untouchables ...

'', a 1920s-era crime drama which aired 45 episodes 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 ...

. In the series, which ran from 1959 to 1961, he played

NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

Detective Barney Ruditsky. After his appearance as the McCarthyistic Senator Iselin in '' The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962), Gregory starred in the film '' PT 109'' (1963) with

Cliff Robertson Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film '' PT 109'', and won the 19 ...

. He played Dean Martin's spy boss MacDonald, in the ''

Matt Helm Matt Helm is a fictional character created by American author Donald Hamilton (1916-2006). Helm is a U.S. government counter-agent, a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of t ...

'' film series; in the original '' Star Trek'' series in the episode " Dagger of the Mind" (1966), as Dr. Tristan Adams; and in the

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

film '' Clambake'' (1967). In the pilot movie for the 1968 ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'' series, Gregory became the first actor to portray State Department official Jonathan Kaye, a recurring character on the series. Gregory portrayed Nick Hannigan on '' Detective School''. He was a semiregular on the TV series '' Barney Miller'' as Deputy Inspector Frank Luger. His final acting credit was in a 1986 episode of '' Mr. Belvedere''.

Death

Gregory died of natural causes in Sedona, Arizona, in 2002, aged 90. His wife, Anne Miltner, and he are interred together at the Sedona Community Cemetery.see headstone photo and text at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6797096/james-gregory accessed 4/12/2023

Selected TV and filmography

* ''

The Naked City ''The Naked City'' (aka ''Naked City'') is a 1948 American film noir directed by Jules Dassin, starring Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart and Don Taylor. The film, shot almost entirely on location in New York City, depicts the poli ...

'' (1948) as Patrolman Albert Hicks (uncredited) * '' The Frogmen'' (1951) as Chief Petty Officer Lane (uncredited) * ''At This Moment'' (1954, short) as Bill Ritter * '' Studio One in Hollywood'' (1954–1958, TV series) as Mr. Bales / James Metcalf / Mr. Black / Private Alan Pomeroy / Corey / George Monzo / Gasman * '' Justice'' (1955, TV series) * '' The Scarlet Hour'' (1956) as Ralph Nevins * '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1957–1959, TV series) as Mr. Wescott / John Gregory / Wayne Campbell * '' Nightfall'' (1956) as Ben Fraser * '' The Young Stranger'' (1957) as Police Sgt. Shipley * '' The Big Caper'' (1957) as Flood * '' Gun Glory'' (1957) as Grimsell * '' Underwater Warrior'' (1958) as Lt. William Arnold, MD * ''

Onionhead ''Onionhead'' is a 1958 comedy-drama film set on a U.S. Coast Guard ship during World War II, starring Andy Griffith and featuring Felicia Farr, Walter Matthau, Erin O'Brien, James Gregory, Joey Bishop, and Claude Akins. It was directed by ...

'' (1958) as Lt. Cmdr. Fox (or the Skipper) * '' The Twilight Zone'' (1959–1961, TV series) as Confederate Sergeant / Air Force General * '' Lux Playhouse'' (1959, TV series) as Johnny Warcheck * '' Al Capone'' (1959) as Sgt. Schaefler * '' Hey Boy! Hey Girl!'' (1959) as Father Burton * '' Laramie'' (1959–1963, TV series) as Richards / Father Elliott * '' Wagon Train'' (1960, TV series) as Ricky Bell * '' The DuPont Show with June Allyson'' (1960, TV series) as John Kramer * ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' as Swandy Green in "Sarah's Laughter" (1960, TV episode) as Sandy Green * '' Frontier Circus'' (1961, TV series) as Jacob Carno * '' The New Breed'' (1961, TV series) as Father Al * ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'' (1961, TV series) as Walter Trager * ''

X-15 The North American X-15 is a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft. It was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft. The X-15 set spee ...

'' (1961) as Tom Deparma * '' Target: The Corruptors'' (1962, TV series) as Terran * '' The Virginian'' (1962, TV series) as Slim Jessup * ''

Two Weeks in Another Town ''Two Weeks in Another Town'' is a 1962 American drama film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Kirk Douglas and Edward G. Robinson. The supporting players include Cyd Charisse, Claire Trevor, Daliah Lavi, George Hamilton, and Rosanna S ...

'' (1962) as Brad Byrd * '' The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962) as Senator John Yerkes Iselin * '' Empire'' (1962, TV series) as Theron Haskell * ''

Sam Benedict ''Sam Benedict'' is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from September 1962 to March 1963. The series was created and executive produced by E. Jack Neuman. The character Sam Benedict is based on real-life lawyer Jake Ehrlich, who served as t ...

'' (1963, TV Series) as John Paul Elcott * '' The Eleventh Hour'' (1963, TV series) as Eddie Forman * '' PT 109'' (1963) as Commander C.R. Ritchie * '' Twilight of Honor'' (1963) as Norris Bixby * '' The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' (1963, TV series) as Fred Kruger * '' Rawhide'' (1963–1965, TV series) as Lash Whitcomb / Mister Brothers / Owen Spencer * ''

The Lieutenant ''The Lieutenant'' is an American television series, the first created by Gene Roddenberry. It aired on NBC on Saturday evenings in the 1963–1964 television schedule. It was produced by Arena Productions, one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's most ...

'' (1963–1964, TV series) as Sgt. Horace 'Biff' Capp / Sgt. Horace Capp * '' Captain Newman, M.D.'' (1963) as Col. Edgar Pyser * '' Breaking Point'' (1964, TV series) as Malcolm * '' The Defenders'' (1964, TV series) as Paul Tasso * '' A Distant Trumpet'' (1964) as Maj. Gen. Alexander Upton Quaint * '' Quick Before It Melts'' (1964) as Vice Admiral * '' Bonanza'' (1964–1969, TV series) as Sgt. Mike Russell / Mulvaney / Whitney Parker * ''

The Sons of Katie Elder ''The Sons of Katie Elder'' is a 1965 American Western (genre), Western film in Panavision, directed by Henry Hathaway and starring John Wayne and Dean Martin. It was filmed principally in Mexico. Plot The four adult sons of Katie Elder – Jo ...

'' (1965) as Morgan Hastings * '' Gunsmoke'' (1965–1968, TV series) as John Scanlon / Judge Calvin Strom / Wes Martin * '' The Wild, Wild West'' (1965, TV series) as Ulysses S. Grant * '' A Rage to Live'' (1965) as Dr. O'Brien * ''

A Man Called Shenandoah ''A Man Called Shenandoah'' is an American western series that aired Monday evenings on ABC-TV from September 13, 1965 to May 16, 1966. It was produced by MGM Television. Some of the location work for the 34 half-hour black and white episodes we ...

'' (1966, TV series) as Jake Roberts * '' The Big Valley'' four episodes: "Pursuit" and "Ambush" as Simon Carter, "The Challenge" as Senator Jim Bannard, and "The Other Face of Justice" as Harry Bodine * ''

F Troop ''F Troop'' is a satirical American television sitcom Western about U.S. soldiers and Native Americans in the Wild West during the 1860s that originally aired for two seasons on ABC. It debuted in the United States on September 14, 1965, and ...

'' (1966–1967, TV series) as Major Duncan / Big Jim Parker * ''

The Silencers ''The Silencers'' is the title of a 1962 spy novel by Donald Hamilton, the fourth in a series of books featuring assassin Matt Helm. Plot summary When a female agent in Mexico is killed before Helm can complete his mission to extract her, he f ...

'' (1966) as MacDonald * '' Hogan's Heroes'' (1966, TV series) as German General Biedenbender * '' The Fugitive'' (1966, TV series) as Pete Crandall * '' Star Trek'' (1966, TV series) as Dr. Tristan Adams * '' Murderers' Row'' (1966) as MacDonald * ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...

'' (1967, TV series) as Cappy Engstrom * '' The Virginian'' (1967, TV series) as Cal Young * '' Clambake'' (1967) as Duster Hayward * '' The Ambushers'' (1967) as MacDonald * '' The Secret War of Harry Frigg'' (1968) as Gen. Homer Prentiss * '' The Mod Squad'' (1968, TV series) as Gus Williams * ''

The Love God? ''The Love God?'' is a 1969 American comedy film starring Don Knotts and Edmond O'Brien. It was written and directed by Nat Hiken, who died between the completion of shooting and the film's release. ''The Love God?'' marked a change of pace for Kn ...

'' (1969) as Darrell Evans Hughes * '' Hawaii-Five-O'' (1969) as Mike Finney * ''

'' (1970) as General Ursus * '' The Hawaiians'' (1970) as Dr. Whipple Sr. (uncredited) * ''

Million Dollar Duck ''The Million Dollar Duck'' (also titled as ''$1,000,000 Duck'') is a 1971 American comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions based on the goose that lays golden eggs scenario. It was directed by Vincent McEveety, and stars Dean Jones, S ...

'' (1971) as Rutledge * '' Shoot Out'' (1971) as Sam Foley * '' The Late Liz'' (1971) as Sam Burns * '' Ironside'' (1972, TV series) as TV show host * '' Columbo'' (1972, TV Series) as Coach Rizzo / David L. Buckner * '' Mission: Impossible'' "The Bride" (1972, TV series) as Joe Corvin * ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

'' (1972, TV Series) as William R. Kirkwood * '' Search'' "Operation Iceman" (1972, TV series) as Ambassador Gordon Essex * ''

Miracle On 34th Street ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (initially released as ''The Big Heart'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1947 American Christmas comedy-drama film released by 20th Century Fox, written and directed by George Seaton and based on a story by Valentine Davi ...

'' (1973, TV movie) as Deputy District Attorney Thomas Mara * '' M*A*S*H'' (1974, TV series) as Lt. Gen. Robert 'Iron Guts' Kelly * ''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from S ...

'' (1974, TV series) "Danny Drops Out" as Claude Tubbles * '' The F.B.I.'' (1974, TV Series) as Frank Bonner * ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situa ...

'' (1975, TV Series) as Brackett's Father * '' Barney Miller'' (1975–1982, TV series) as Dep. Inspector Frank Luger * ''

The Strongest Man in the World ''The Strongest Man in the World'' is a 1975 American science fiction comedy film directed by Vincent McEveety, produced by Walt Disney Productions and starring Kurt Russell, Joe Flynn, and Eve Arden. It is the second sequel to the 1969 film '' ...

'' (1975) as Chief Blair * '' Sanford and Son'' (1976) as Commander * '' The Bastard'' (1978, TV movie) as Will Campbell * '' The Main Event'' (1979) as Gough * '' The Comeback Kid'' (1980, TV movie) as Scotty * '' The Great American Traffic Jam'' (1980, TV movie) as General Caruthers * '' Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood'' (1981, TV movie) as Leo Hackett * ''

The Flight of Dragons ''The Flight of Dragons'' is a 1982 animated fantasy film produced and directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. loosely combining the speculative natural history book of the same name (1979) by Peter Dickinson with the novel '' The Dragon a ...

'' (1982) as Bryagh / Smrgol (voice) * '' Wait Till Your Mother Gets Home!'' (1983, TV movie) as Dan Peters * '' Mr. Belvedere'' (1986, TV series) as Mr. Sparks (final appearance)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory, James 1911 births 2002 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American male stage actors American male radio actors People from Sedona, Arizona Male actors from New Rochelle, New York United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Marines United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II People from the Bronx 20th-century American male actors New Rochelle High School alumni