George Clifton James (May 29, 1920 – April 15, 2017) was an American actor known for roles as a prison floorwalker in ''

Cool Hand Luke ''Cool Hand Luke'' is a 1967 American prison drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, starring Paul Newman and featuring George Kennedy in an Oscar-winning performance. Newman stars in the title role as Luke, a prisoner in a Florida prison cam ...

'' (1967),

Sheriff J.W. Pepper This is a list of allies of ''James Bond'' who appear throughout the film series and novels. MI6 M M is a Rear Admiral of the Royal Navy, and the head of the Secret Intelligence Service. Fleming based the character on a number of people ...

alongside

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...

in the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

films '' Live and Let Die'' (1973) and '' The Man with the Golden Gun'' (1974), the sheriff in '' Silver Streak'' (1976), a Texas tycoon in ''

The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training ''The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training'' is a 1977 American sports comedy-drama film and a sequel to the 1976 feature film '' The Bad News Bears''. Plot This film picks up the Bears' career a year after their infamous second-place finish i ...

'' (1977), and the owner of the scandalous 1919 Chicago White Sox baseball team in ''

Eight Men Out ''Eight Men Out'' is a 1988 American sports drama film based on Eliot Asinof's 1963 book ''Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series''. It was written and directed by John Sayles. The film is a dramatization of Major League Baseball's ...

'' (1988).

Early life

James was born in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Canada ...

, the son of Grace (née Dean), a teacher, and Harry James, a journalist. He grew up in Oregon in the

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

area of

Clackamas County Clackamas County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 421,401, making it Oregon's third-most populous county. Its county seat is Oregon City. The county was named after the Native ...

. James was a decorated

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 opposin ...

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, cla ...

veteran. He served as an infantry platoon sergeant with Co. "A" 163rd Infantry, 41st Division. He served forty-two months in the South Pacific from January 1942 until August 1945. His decorations include the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

, and two

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...

Career

James became well known for playing the comic-relief role of Louisiana Sheriff J.W. Pepper in the James Bond films '' Live and Let Die'' (1973) and '' The Man With The Golden Gun'' (1974). He played very similar characters in both '' Silver Streak'' (1976) and ''

Superman II ''Superman II'' is a 1980 superhero film directed by Richard Lester and written by Mario Puzo and David and Leslie Newman from a story by Puzo based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the second installment in the ''Superman'' film se ...

'' (1980). Years earlier he portrayed a serious character in '' The Reivers'' (1969), opposite

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...

, playing a mean, corrupt country sheriff. Two years earlier he had portrayed a hard-nosed Southern prison floor-walker in ''

'' (1967). In ''

Juggernaut A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable. This English usage originated in the mid-nineteenth century and was adapted from the Sanskrit word Jagannath. ...

'' (1974) he portrayed one of the first passengers aboard a luxury liner to realize there was a serious problem with the ship. James portrayed the district attorney who prosecuted

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...

in the film ''

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 ...

'' (1987). He played a Navy

master-at-arms A Master-at-Arms (US: MA; UK & some Commonwealth: MAA) may be a naval rating, responsible for law enforcement, regulating duties, security, anti-terrorism/force protection (AT/FP) for/of a country's navy; an army officer responsible for physical ...

in ''

The Last Detail ''The Last Detail'' is a 1973 American comedy-drama film directed by Hal Ashby, from a screenplay by Robert Towne, based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Darryl Ponicsan. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, Randy Quaid, Clifton James ...

'' (1973), starring

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

, and

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

baseball team owner

Charles Comiskey Charles Albert Comiskey (August 15, 1859 – October 26, 1931), nicknamed "Commy" or "The Old Roman", was an American Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League, and was also ...

in the true story ''

'' (1988), a drama about the corrupt

1919 Chicago White Sox The 1919 Chicago White Sox season was their 19th season in the American League. They won 88 games to advance to the World Series but lost to the Cincinnati Reds. More significantly, some of the players were found to have taken money from gambler ...

. Despite being born in the Northwest and spending much of his life in New York (where he was an

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

member of long standing), James was cast as a Southerner in many of his screen roles, such as his appearances in the James Bond films, and as powerful Houston lawyer Striker Bellman in the daytime soap opera ''

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

'' from 1981 to 1982. In 1966, he guest-starred as Tenner Jackson, a successful poker player later killed for his winnings in the episode “The Wrong Man” (alongside Carroll O’Connor) on the TV Western ''

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 character ...

'' (S12E7). James again portrayed a Southern character when he played Sheriff Lester Crabb, a temporary one-off replacement for regular

Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane Rosco Purvis Coltrane is a fictional sheriff character who appeared in the 1975 film '' Moonrunners'', which inspired the creation of the American TV series '' The Dukes of Hazzard'' (and related spin-off films). In ''Moonrunners'', he was played b ...

(

James Best Jewel Franklin Guy (July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015), known professionally as James Best, was an American television, film, stage, and voice actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician. Duri ...

) in the second-season ''

Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television series ...

'' episode "Treasure of Hazzard" (1980). He appeared on 13 episodes of the sitcom '' Lewis & Clark'' in 1981–1982. Other television credits include the 1976 private-eye drama '' City of Angels'' and the miniseries '' Captains and the Kings'' (1976). He appeared in two episodes 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 marti ...

'': as murderous prison warden Beale in the first-season episode "Pros and Cons" (1983) and as corrupt Sheriff Jake Dawson in the second season's "The White Ballot" (1983). In 1996, he played the role of Red Kilgreen on ''

All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 20 ...

''. James appeared in the 1979 pilot episode of ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset lifes ...

'' playing the part of a highway cop. James also played the train passenger Wilkes on the ''

'' episode "Snow Train" (1970). His other film roles include those of a wealthy Montana land baron whose cattle are being rustled in ''

Rancho Deluxe ''Rancho Deluxe'' is a 1975 Neo-Western comedy film directed by Frank Perry. Jeff Bridges and Sam Waterston star as two cattle rustlers in modern-day Livingston, Montana, who plague a wealthy ranch owner, played by Clifton James. The film als ...

'' (1975) and as the source who tips off a newspaperman to a potentially explosive story in ''

The Bonfire of the Vanities ''The Bonfire of the Vanities'' is a 1987 novel by Tom Wolfe. The story is a drama about ambition, racism, social class, politics, and greed in 1980s New York City, and centers on three main characters: WASP bond trader Sherman McCoy, Jewish as ...

'' (1990). James was featured a number of times by writer-director

John Sayles John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, for ''Passion Fish'' (1992) and ''L ...

, including ''

'' (1988), '' Lone Star'' (1996) and '' Sunshine State'' (2002). James' last known film appearance was in ''

Raising Flagg ''Raising Flagg'' is a 2006 film directed by Neal Miller and co-written by Miller, Nancy Miller and Dorothy Velasco. It was shot entirely on location in Portland and St. Helens, Oregon. Plot Flagg Purdy is a handyman who has been fighting a l ...

'' (2006), although he had been cast in a starring role to appear in the feature film ''Old Soldiers'', playing a true-to-life elderly veteran of World War II. Production on that film was halted in 2016.

Personal life

James married twice: to Donna Lea Beach from 1948 to 1950, with whom he had one child, and to Laurie Harper, from 1951 until her death in 2015, with whom he had five children. He resided in

Gladstone, Oregon Gladstone is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 11,491 at the 2010 census. Gladstone is an approximately suburban community, south of Portland, the largest city in Oregon, and located at the conflue ...

, and died from complications of diabetes on April 15, 2017, aged 96.Clifton James, Sheriff in James Bond Films, Dies at 96
''Variety'', April 15, 2017

Selected filmography

*''

The Strange One ''The Strange One'' is a 1957 American film noir about students faced with an ethical dilemma in a Military academy, military college in the Southern United States. It was directed by Jack Garfein, produced by Sam Spiegel, and was adapted from a ...

'' (1957) as Colonel Ramsey *''

The Last Mile The Last Mile may refer to: * The Last Mile (prison rehabilitation program), a program for inmates in the California corrections system * ''The Last Mile'' (play), a 1930 play by John Wexley * ''The Last Mile'' (1932 film), an American adaptatio ...

'' (1959) as Harris *'' Something Wild'' (1961) as Detective Bogart *''

Experiment in Terror ''Experiment in Terror'' is a 1962 American neo-noir thriller film released by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Blake Edwards and written by Mildred Gordon and Gordon Gordon based on their 1961 novel ''Operation Terror''. The film stars Gle ...

'' (1962) as Capt. Moreno *''

David and Lisa ''David and Lisa'' is a 1962 American drama film directed by Frank Perry. It is based on the second story in the two-in-one novellas ''Jordi/Lisa and David'' by Theodore Isaac Rubin; the screenplay, written by Frank Perry's wife Eleanor Perry ( ...

'' (1962) as John *''

Black Like Me ''Black Like Me'', first published in 1961, is a nonfiction book by journalist John Howard Griffin recounting his journey in the Deep South of the United States, at a time when African-Americans lived under racial segregation. Griffin was a nat ...

'' (1964) as Eli Carr *''

Invitation to a Gunfighter ''Invitation to a Gunfighter'' is a 1964 DeLuxe Color Western film directed by Richard Wilson, starring Yul Brynner and George Segal. It was based on a 1957 teleplay by Larry Klein that appeared on ''Playhouse 90''. A lone Creole gunfighter, J ...

'' (1964) as Tuttle *'' The Chase'' (1966) as Lem Brewster *'' The Happening'' (1967) as O'Reilly *''

The Caper of the Golden Bulls ''The Caper of the Golden Bulls'', also known as ''Carnival of Thieves'', is a 1967 American action comedy film directed by Russell Rouse and starring Stephen Boyd, Yvette Mimieux and Giovanna Ralli. Plot During a bombing mission to Germany, war ...

'' (1967) as Philippe *''

'' (1967) as Carr *''

Will Penny ''Will Penny'' is a 1968 American Western film written and directed by Tom Gries and starring Charlton Heston, Joan Hackett and Donald Pleasence. The picture was based upon an episode of the 1960 Sam Peckinpah television series '' The Western ...

'' (1967) as Catron *'' The Reivers'' (1969) as Butch Lovemaiden *'' ...tick...tick...tick...'' (1970) as D.J. Rankin *'' WUSA'' (1970) as Speed - Sailor in Bar *'' The Biscuit Eater'' (1972) as Mr. Eben *''

The New Centurions ''The New Centurions'' is a 1972 American Panavision neo-noir action crime film based on the 1971 novel of the same name by policeman turned author Joseph Wambaugh. It stars George C. Scott, Stacy Keach, Scott Wilson, Jane Alexander, Rosal ...

'' (1972) as Whitey *'' Kid Blue'' (1973) as Mr. Hendricks *'' Live and Let Die'' (1973) as Sheriff J.W. Pepper *''

The Werewolf of Washington ''The Werewolf of Washington'' is a 1973 horror comedy film written and directed by Milton Moses Ginsberg and starring Dean Stockwell. Produced by Nina Schulman, it satirizes several individuals in the Richard Nixon administration. Plot summary ...

'' (1973) as Attorney General *''

The Iceman Cometh ''The Iceman Cometh'' is a play written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1939. First published in 1946, the play premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 9, 1946, directed by Eddie Dowling, where it ran for 136 perfo ...

'' (1973) as Pat McGloin *''

'' (1973) as M.A.A. *'' The Laughing Policeman'' (1973) as Officer Jim Maloney SFPD Bomb Squad *''

Bank Shot ''Bank Shot'' is a 1974 heist film directed by Gower Champion and written by Wendell Mayes. It was loosely based upon Donald E. Westlake's 1972 novel of the same name, which was the second book of his " Dortmunder" series. The film stars Geor ...

'' (1974) as Streiger *'' Buster and Billie'' (1974) as Jake *''

'' (1974) as Corrigan *'' The Man With The Golden Gun'' (1974) as Sheriff J.W. Pepper *''

'' (1975) as John Brown *'' Friendly Persuasion'' (1975) as Sam Jordan *''

The Deadly Tower ''The Deadly Tower'' (also known as ''Sniper'') is a 1975 American made-for-television action drama thriller film directed by Jerry Jameson. It stars Kurt Russell and Richard Yniguez and is based on the University of Texas tower shooting. Plot Th ...

'' (1975) as Captain Fred Ambrose *'' From Hong Kong with Love'' (1975) as Bill *'' Silver Streak'' (1976) as Sheriff Chauncey *''

'' (1977) as Sy Orlansky *''

Caboblanco ''Caboblanco'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson, starring Charles Bronson, Dominique Sanda and Jason Robards. The film has often been described as a remake of ''Casablanca''. The movie marks the third collaboration bet ...

'' (1980) as Lorrimer *''

'' (1980) as Sheriff *''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television series ...

'' (1980) as Sheriff Lester Crabb *'' Talk to Me'' (1984) as State Trooper *''

Kidco ''Kidco'' is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Ronald F. Maxwell and starring Scott Schwartz, Clifton James, Charles Hallahan, Maggie Blye, and Vincent Schiavelli. Although the premise sounds far-fetched, the film was based on the 197 ...

'' (1984) as Orville Peterjohn *''Stiffs'' (1985) as Uncle Leo *'' Where Are the Children?'' (1986) as Chief Coffin *''

'' (1987) as District Attorney (uncredited) *''

Whoops Apocalypse ''Whoops Apocalypse'' is a six-part 1982 television sitcom by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, made by London Weekend Television for ITV. Marshall and Renwick later reworked the concept as a 1986 film of the same name from ITC Entertainment ...

'' (1988) as Maxton S. Pluck *''

'' (1988) as Charles 'Commie' Comiskey *''Walter & Carlo i Amerika'' (1989) as Tex *'' She-Devil'' (1989) as Bob's Father (uncredited) *''

'' (1990) as Albert Fox *'' Lone Star'' (1996) as Hollis Pogue *''Interstate 84'' (2000) as Buddy *'' Sunshine State'' (2002) as Buster Bidwell *''

'' (2006) as Ed McIvor

References

External links

* * * *
Clifton James
at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

'
Actors Studio audio collection

Clips from ''Texas'' episodes

Clifton James
(Aveleyman) * {{DEFAULTSORT:James, Clifton 1920 births 2017 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from New York City United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army non-commissioned officers Recipients of the Silver Star Male actors from Spokane, Washington Deaths from diabetes People from Clackamas County, Oregon