James Ellison

James Ellison

Biography: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. James Ellison (May 4, 1910 - December 23, 1993) was an American actor, born James Ellison Smith in Guthrie Center, Iowa, son of Edward James Smith and Ona Mary Ellis. Ellison appeared in nearly seventy films between 1932 and 1962. Ellison worked for a time in a film laboratory and while there was offered a screen test. He developed it himself and when he saw it, decided it was not satisfactory so he would not show it to the director. But he saw it anyway and Ellison got a contract. Despite his rugged good looks and height of 6 feet 3 inches, Ellison's limited range and somewhat wooden screen presence kept him from the first (or even second) ranks of stardom. He spent much of his career in Westerns, including a stint in the mid-thirties as the sidekick of Hopalong Cassidy in Paramount's successful series. In 1938, he played a charming, romantic character opposite 26 year old Lucille Ball in the comedy, "Next Time I Marry", a film where Ball had her first top billing on screen credits. Before that, in 1936, he played his highest-profile role, as Buffalo Bill in Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman, which also starred Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. Despite that film's success, Ellison spent most of the remainder of his career shuttling between cowboy pictures and more varied roles, primarily in B movies with titles like Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case and The Undying Monster. He had a supporting role in 1941's Charley's Aunt (which starred Jack Benny) and played the romantic lead in 1943's The Gang's All Here, a Twentieth Century Fox musical in which he seemed somewhat lost among the vivid antics of Carmen Miranda, Charlotte Greenwood, and Edward Everett Horton (and was the only principal not to sing a note). He also co-starred with Tom Conway and Frances Dee in Val Lewton's production of I Walked with a Zombie, directed by Jacques Tourneur. Ellison landed another romantic lead role as 'Jerry Gibson' in the musical film Lady, Let's Dance (1944) which starred ice skating sensation 'Belita'. In the early 1950s, Ellison moved from acting to real estate. Joining fellow veteran Jackie Coogan, Ellison returned to the screen only once to play Axel 'Longhorn' Gates in a picture called When the Girls Take Over (1962). James Ellison died at age 83 in Monterey, California after suffering a broken neck as the result of a fall. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Ellison (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: May 04, 1910

Deathday: December 23, 1993

Popularity:

3.178

Known For

Vivacious Lady
Vivacious Lady

1938-05-13

I Walked with a Zombie
I Walked with a Zombie

1943-04-21

The Undying Monster
The Undying Monster

1942-11-27

Charley's Aunt
Charley's Aunt

1941-08-01

The Plainsman
The Plainsman

1936-11-16

Fifth Avenue Girl
Fifth Avenue Girl

1939-09-22

Crooked River
Crooked River

1950-06-09

The Gang's All Here
The Gang's All Here

1943-12-24

The Eagle's Brood
The Eagle's Brood

1935-10-25

Three on the Trail
Three on the Trail

1936-04-14

Hop-a-long Cassidy
Hop-a-long Cassidy

1935-08-23

Bar 20 Rides Again
Bar 20 Rides Again

1935-12-06

Borderland
Borderland

1937-02-26

Heart of the West
Heart of the West

1936-02-24

Call of the Prairie
Call of the Prairie

1936-03-06

Trail Dust
Trail Dust

1936-12-11

The Ghost Goes Wild
The Ghost Goes Wild

1947-08-08

Hollywood and Vine
Hollywood and Vine

1945-04-25

The Winning Ticket
The Winning Ticket

1935-02-08

Zenobia
Zenobia

1939-04-21

Play Girl
Play Girl

1941-01-29

Buried Loot
Buried Loot

1935-01-19

Anne of Windy Poplars
Anne of Windy Poplars

1940-06-28

Calendar Girl
Calendar Girl

1947-01-31

Hitch Hike Lady
Hitch Hike Lady

1935-12-28

Texas Lawmen
Texas Lawmen

1951-12-02

Last of the Wild Horses
Last of the Wild Horses

1948-12-27

Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore

1944-07-07

Hotel for Women
Hotel for Women

1939-08-03

Sorority House
Sorority House

1939-05-05

Almost a Gentleman
Almost a Gentleman

1939-03-31

Careful, Soft Shoulders
Careful, Soft Shoulders

1942-09-18

The Texan Meets Calamity Jane
The Texan Meets Calamity Jane

1950-11-15

Lady, Let's Dance
Lady, Let's Dance

1944-04-11

Annapolis Salute
Annapolis Salute

1937-09-10

When the Girls Take Over
When the Girls Take Over

1962-04-30

Mother Carey's Chickens
Mother Carey's Chickens

1938-07-29

23 1/2 Hours Leave
23 1/2 Hours Leave

1937-03-21

You Can't Fool Your Wife
You Can't Fool Your Wife

1940-05-21

Next Time I Marry
Next Time I Marry

1938-12-09

Play Girl
Play Girl

1932-03-12

Ice-Capades
Ice-Capades

1941-08-19

Reckless
Reckless

1935-04-19

That Other Woman
That Other Woman

1942-11-13

Kentucky Jubilee
Kentucky Jubilee

1951-05-18

They Met in Argentina
They Met in Argentina

1941-04-25

The Barrier
The Barrier

1937-12-10

Army Surgeon
Army Surgeon

1942-12-04

Everybody's Dancin'
Everybody's Dancin'

1950-03-31

Dixie Dugan
Dixie Dugan

1943-03-12

Fast on the Draw
Fast on the Draw

1950-06-30

Colorado Ranger
Colorado Ranger

1950-05-12

Marshal of Heldorado
Marshal of Heldorado

1950-04-21

Hostile Country
Hostile Country

1950-03-24

West of the Brazos
West of the Brazos

1950-06-02

The Famous Ferguson Case
The Famous Ferguson Case

1932-04-19

Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case
Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case

1941-12-18

Oklahoma Justice
Oklahoma Justice

1951-08-18

Whistling Hills
Whistling Hills

1951-10-06

Dead Man's Trail
Dead Man's Trail

1952-07-19

G.I. War Brides
G.I. War Brides

1946-08-12

The Leathernecks Have Landed
The Leathernecks Have Landed

1936-02-17

I Killed Geronimo
I Killed Geronimo

1950-08-08

Man from the Black Hills
Man from the Black Hills

1952-03-29

Texas City
Texas City

1952-01-27

Best Foot Forward
Best Foot Forward

1943-10-08