James A. Westerfield (March 22, 1913 – September 20, 1971) was an American character actor of stage, film, and television.

Early years

Westerfield was born in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, to candy-maker Brasher Omier Westerfield and his wife Dora Elizabeth Bailey. He was raised in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

. (A news story in the June 12, 1949, issue of the ''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' calls the information in the preceding sentence into question. It describes Westerfield as "the son of a famous producer-director" and says he was "a youngster in Denver, Col.")

Stage career

Westerfield became interested in theatre as a young man and in the 1930s joined

Gilmor Brown Gilmor may refer to: * Harry Gilmor (1838-1883), Baltimore City Police Commissioner * Gilmor's Raid, a raid that was part of an overall campaign against Union railroads during the American Civil War See also *Gillmor *Gilmore (disambiguation) *Gilm ...

's famed

Pasadena Community Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...

, appearing in dozens of plays. He played in numerous films following his screen debut in 1940, then went to

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 ...

and performed 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 ...

, winning two

New York Drama Critics' Circle The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 22 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization is best known for its annual awards for excellence in theater.Jone ...

Awards for his supporting roles in ''

The Madwoman of Chaillot ''The Madwoman of Chaillot'' (french: La Folle de Chaillot) is a play, a poetic satire, by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux, written in 1943 and first performed in 1945, after his death. The play is in two acts. The story concerns an eccentric woma ...

'' and ''

Detective Story Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as specu ...

''. He then returned to Hollywood and was cast in more than 40 additional

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

s. Despite his growing involvement acting in motion pictures and later in television productions, Westerfield maintained an active interest in the theatre for the remainder of his career. He directed more than 50 musicals in a summer-musical tent he owned in

Danbury, Connecticut Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat Cit ...

, and was the original stage director and producer for the

Greek Theatre Ancient Greek theatre was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, was its centre, where the theatre w ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. He directed three seasons of "Theatre Under the Stars" in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

, and appeared in musical roles with the Detroit Civic Light Opera, the

Los Angeles Civic Light Opera The Los Angeles Civic Light Opera (LACLO) was an American theatre/ opera company in Los Angeles, California. Founded under the motto "Light Opera in the Grand Opera manner" in 1938 by impresario Edwin Lester, the organization presented fifty sea ...

, and the San Francisco Civic Light Opera. He also was active in the

Gaetano Merola Gaetano Merola (4 January 1881 – 30 August 1953) was an Italian conductor, pianist and founder of the San Francisco Opera. Biography Merola was born in Naples, the son of a Neapolitan court violinist and studied piano and conductor at the ...

Opera Company in San Francisco in the early 1940s.

Films

On film, Westerfield had roles in ''

The Magnificent Ambersons ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' is a 1918 novel by Booth Tarkington, the second in his ''Growth'' trilogy after ''The Turmoil'' (1915) and before ''The Midlander'' (1923, retitled ''National Avenue'' in 1927). It won the Pulitzer Prize for ficti ...

'' (1942), ''On the Waterfront'' (1954), ''

Lucy Gallant ''Lucy Gallant'' is a 1955 American drama film directed by Robert Parrish and written by John Lee Mahin and Winston Miller. The film stars Jane Wyman, Charlton Heston, Claire Trevor, Thelma Ritter, William Demarest and Wallace Ford. The film wa ...

'' (1955), the 1957 Budd Boetticher-directed Western '' Decision at Sundown'' starring

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

, '' ''Cowboy'''' (1958), a repeating role in '' The Shaggy Dog'', '' The Absent-Minded Professor'' (1961) and its sequel ''

Son of Flubber ''Son of Flubber'' is a 1963 American science fiction comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney Productions. The sequel to ''The Absent-Minded Professor'' (1961), Fred MacMurray reprises his role from the first film as N ...

'' (1963), ''

Birdman of Alcatraz Robert Franklin Stroud (January 28, 1890 – November 21, 1963), known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz", was a convicted murderer, American federal prisoner and author who has been cited as one of the most notorious criminals in the United S ...

'' (1962), ''

Man's Favorite Sport ''Man's Favorite Sport?'' is a 1964 American comedy film starring Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss and directed and produced by Howard Hawks. Hawks intended the film to be an homage to his own 1938 screwball classic ''Bringing Up Baby'' with Kath ...

'' (1964), ''

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), ''

Hang 'Em High ''Hang 'Em High'' is a 1968 American DeLuxe Color revisionist Western film directed by Ted Post and written by Leonard Freeman and Mel Goldberg. It stars Clint Eastwood as Jed Cooper, an innocent man who survives a lynching; Inger Stevens as ...

'' (1968) and ''

True Grit True Grit may refer to: Fiction * True Grit (novel), ''True Grit'' (novel), a 1968 novel by Charles Portis ** True Grit (1969 film), ''True Grit'' (1969 film), a film adaptation by Henry Hathaway, starring John Wayne ** True Grit (2010 film), ''Tr ...

'' (1969).

Television

Westerfield had many roles on television, including seven episodes as John Murrel from 1963 to 1964 on ABC's ''

The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel written by Robert Lewis Taylor, which was later made into a short-running television series on ABC from September 1963 through March 1964, featuring Kurt Russell as Jaimie, D ...

'', starring

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated t ...

Kurt Russell Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the western series ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (1963–1964). In the late 1960s, he signed a ten-year contract with The ...

in the title role. He made two guest appearances on ''

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 ...

'', including the role of Sheriff Bert Elmore in the 1957 episode "The Case of the Angry Mourner", as well as in the role of murder victim Roger Quigley in the 1961 episode "The Case of the Resolute Reformer". He also appears in the 1954 episode "Texas Draw" on the

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

''. Some other examples of Westerfield's work on television include performances on series such as ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The sho ...

'', '' The Californians'', ''

Richard Diamond, Private Detective ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960. Radio Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective' ...

'', '' The Alaskans'', '' The Rebel'', '' Straightaway'', '' Going My Way'', ''

The Asphalt Jungle ''The Asphalt Jungle'' is a 1950 American film noir heist film directed by John Huston. Based on the 1949 novel of the same name by W. R. Burnett, it tells the story of a jewel robbery in a Midwestern city. The film stars Sterling Hayden and L ...

'', ''

Hazel The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...

'', The Twilight Zone, ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom, situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in colo ...

'', ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'', ''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family f ...

'', ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bure ...

'' and ''

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 ...

''. He played the circus leader, Dr. Marvello, in an episode of ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

'' "Space Circus" (1966), My Three Sons "A horse for Uncle Charlie" (1968).

Personal life

Westerfield as a young man was a roommate of fellow Pasadena Playhouse actor

George Reeves George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series '' Adventures of Superman'' (1952–1958). His death at age 45 from a g ...

. The two remained close friends until Reeves's death in 1959. In the 1950s, Westerfield's wife was the former Frances Lansing, who had been an actress. Later, Westerfield was married to Alice G. Fay (an actress under the name Fay Tracey). Westerfield died from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

in Woodlands Hills, California, at the age of 58.

Selected filmography

* ''

The Howards of Virginia ''The Howards of Virginia'' is a 1940 American drama war film directed by Frank Lloyd, released by Columbia Pictures, and based on the book ''The Tree of Liberty'' written by Elizabeth Page. The Howards of Virginia live through the American Revo ...

'' (1940) - Backwoodsman (film debut, uncredited) * ''

Highway West ''Highway West'' is a 1941 American crime film directed by William C. McGann and starring Brenda Marshall, Arthur Kennedy and William Lundigan. It is a remake of the 1934 film ''Heat Lightning''.Goble p.1 The film's sets were designed by the ar ...

'' (1941) - Swede - Trucker at Cafe * ''

The Bashful Bachelor ''The Bashful Bachelor'' is a 1942 American film directed by Malcolm St. Clair. It is the second of seven films based on the Lum and Abner radio series created by and starring Chester Lauck and Norris Goff. Plot Small town store owner Lum Ed ...

'' (1942) - Carnival Pitchman (uncredited) * '' About Face'' (1942) - Soldier with Daisy (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) - Policeman at Accident (uncredited) * ''

The Pride of the Yankees ''The Pride of the Yankees'' is a 1942 American film produced by Samuel Goldwyn, directed by Sam Wood, and starring Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, and Walter Brennan. It is a tribute to the legendary New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, w ...

'' (1942) - Spectator (uncredited) * ''

Timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

'' (1942) - Lumberjack (uncredited) * '' Around the World'' (1943) - Bashful Marine (uncredited) * ''

Since You Went Away ''Since You Went Away'' is a 1944 American epic drama film directed by John Cromwell for Selznick International Pictures and distributed by United Artists. It is an epic about the American home front during World War II that was adapted and p ...

'' (1944) - Convalescent on Rehab Steps (uncredited) * '' O.S.S.'' (1946) - Det. Roberts (uncredited) * '' Undercurrent'' (1946) - Henry Gilson * '' The Chase'' (1946) - Job the Butler * ''

Side Street A side road is a minor highway typically leading off a main road.Main road — definition

'' (1950) - Patrolman Charlie (uncredited) * ''

Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town ''Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont. It is the second installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride. Plot At the conclusion of ...

'' (1950) - Harvey - Zoo Attendant (uncredited) * ''

The Whistle at Eaton Falls ''The Whistle at Eaton Falls'' (also known by the alternative title ''Richer Than the Earth'') is a 1951 American social drama film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Lloyd Bridges and Dorothy Gish. Plot A newly promoted plant supervisor f ...

'' (1951) - Joe London * ''

On The Waterfront ''On the Waterfront'' is a 1954 American crime drama film, directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando and features Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning, and Eva Marie Saint in her film debut. ...

'' (1954) - Big Mac * ''

Three Hours to Kill ''Three Hours to Kill'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring Dana Andrews, Donna Reed and Dianne Foster.

'' (1954) - Sam Minor * '' The Human Jungle'' (1954) - Police Capt. Marty Harrison * '' The Violent Men'' (1954) - Sheriff Magruder * '' Chief Crazy Horse'' (1955) - Caleb Mantz * ''

Cell 2455, Death Row ''Cell 2455, Death Row: A Condemned Man's Own Story'' is a 1954 memoir that is the first of four books written on death row by convicted robber, rapist and kidnapper Caryl Chessman (27 May 1921 – 2 May 1960). Sentenced to death in 1948 under C ...

'' (1955) - Red (uncredited) * '' The Cobweb'' (1955) - James Petlee * ''

The Scarlet Coat ''The Scarlet Coat '' is a 1955 American historical drama and swashbuckler in Eastmancolor and CinemaScope released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, directed by John Sturges. It stars Cornel Wilde, Michael Wilding, George Sa ...

'' (1955) - Col. Jameson * ''

'' (1955) - Harry Wilson * ''

Man with the Gun ''Man with the Gun'' is a 1955 American black and white Western film starring Robert Mitchum. The film was released in the United Kingdom as ''The Trouble Shooter'' and is also sometimes entitled ''Deadly Peacemaker''. The supporting cast inclu ...

'' (1955) - Mr. Zender * ''

Away All Boats ''Away All Boats'' is a 1956 American war film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Jeff Chandler, George Nader, Lex Barker, and Julie Adams. It was produced by Howard Christie from a screenplay by Ted Sherdeman based on the 1953 novel by Kenn ...

'' (1956) - 'Boats' Torgeson * ''

Three Brave Men ''Three Brave Men'' is a 1956 drama film directed by Philip Dunne and starring Ray Milland and Ernest Borgnine. The film was based on real-life events arising in Greenbelt, Maryland,Knepper, Cathy D. ''Greenbelt, Maryland: A Living Legacy of the ...

'' (1956) - Chief of Police Timothy Aloysius O'Reilly * ''

Jungle Heat ''Jungle Heat'' is a 1957 American adventure film directed by Howard W. Koch and written by Jameson Brewer. The film stars Lex Barker, Mari Blanchard, James Westerfield, Glenn Langan and Miyoko Sasaki. The film was released on July 22, 1957, by ...

'' (1957) - Harvey Mathews * '' Decision at Sundown'' (1957) - Otis * ''

Cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaqu ...

'' (1958) - Mike Adams * '' The Proud Rebel'' (1958) - Birm Bates * '' The Walter Winchell File'' "The Window" (1958) - Joe Vivianno * '' The Hangman'' (1959) - Herb Loftus * '' The Shaggy Dog'' (1959) - Officer Hanson * ''

The Gunfight at Dodge City ''The Gunfight at Dodge City'' is a 1959 DeLuxe Color Western (genre), Western CinemaScope film. It was produced by the Mirisch Company, directed by Joseph M. Newman, co-written by Martin Goldsmith (screenwriter), Martin Goldsmith and Daniel B. ...

'' (1959) - Rev. Howard * ''

Wild River A wild river (United States, Australia, & New Zealand) or heritage river (Canada) is a :river or a river system designated by a government to be protected and kept "relatively untouched by development and are therefore in near natural conditi ...

'' (1960) - Cal Garth * '' The Plunderers'' (1960) - Mike Baron - Saloon Owner * ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'' (1960-1970, two episodes) - Sheriff John Logan / Arthur Blackwell * '' The Absent-Minded Professor'' (1961) - Police Officer Hanson * '' Homicidal'' (1961) - Alfred S. Adrims * ''

'' (1962) - Jess Younger * ''

'' (1963) - Police Officer Hanson * ''

'' (1964) - Policeman * ''

Bikini Beach ''Bikini Beach'' is a 1964 American teen film directed by William Asher and starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. The film belongs to the beach party genre of movies, popular in the 1960s. This is the third in the series of seven film ...

'' (1964) - Cop #2 * ''

'' (1965) - Mr. Vennar * ''

That Funny Feeling ''That Funny Feeling'' is a 1965 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin, and Donald O'Connor. This was the third film pairing of Dee and then-husband Darin, following 1961's ''Come Septembe ...

'' (1965) - Officer Brokaw * ''

'' (1966) - Dr. Marvello * ''

Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round ''Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round'' is a 1966 crime film written and directed by Bernard Girard, and starring James Coburn, Camilla Sparv, Aldo Ray, Nina Wayne, Todd Armstrong, Robert Webber, Rose Marie and Harrison Ford in his film debut. Plot ...

'' (1966) - Jack Balter * ''

A Man Called Gannon ''A Man Called Gannon'' is a 1968 American Technicolor Western film directed by James Goldstone starring Tony Franciosa, Michael Sarrazin and Judi West. The film is a remake of '' Man Without a Star'' (1955). Plot Cowboy Gannon (Tony Franci ...

'' (1968) - Amos * ''

Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...

'' (1968) - Abe Parker * ''

'' (1968) - Prisoner * ''

Smith! ''Smith!'' is a 1969 American Western film made by Walt Disney Productions, directed by Michael O'Herlihy, and starring Glenn Ford. Plot Native American Jimmyboy flees to a ranch owned by Smith, a white man raised by a Native American. Jimmy ...

'' (1969) - Sheriff * ''

'' (1969) - Judge Parker * ''

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) - Rev. Wilkerson * ''Dead Aim'' (1971) - John Applebee (final film)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Westerfield, James A. American male stage actors American male film actors American male television actors People from Nashville, Tennessee Male actors from Nashville, Tennessee 1913 births 1971 deaths 20th-century American male actors Burials at San Fernando Mission Cemetery Male actors from New York City Male actors from Los Angeles Western (genre) television actors