James Ellison (actor)
| James Ellison | |
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James Ellison in 1938
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| Born |
James Ellison Smith May 4, 1910 Guthrie Center, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | December 23, 1993 (aged 83) Montecito, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1932-1962 |
| Spouse(s) | Gertrude Durkin (1937-1970) (her death) (2 children) Lois Bretherton (1972-1993) (his death) |
| Children | Durk and Trudy |
James Ellison, also known as Jimmy Ellison, (May 4, 1910 – December 23, 1993) was an American film actor, born James Ellison Smith in Guthrie Center, Iowa, son of Edward James Smith and Ona Mary Ellis.
Ellison appeared in nearly 70 films between 1932 and 1962.
Ellison worked for a time in a film laboratory and while there was offered a screen test. He developed the film footage himself, and after he saw it, decided it was not satisfactory so he would not show it to the director. But the director 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 Johnny Nelson, the sidekick of Hopalong Cassidy in Paramount's highly successful series. Although he was a "supporting player" in the series, his name is oddly billed the same size and format as veteran actor and matinee idol William Boyd's. Though it is not confirmed, this is believed to be because the character Johnny Nelson is very prominent in the original Hopalong Cassidy book series.
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. Although that film was a success, DeMille reportedly hated Ellison's performance and wanted to be certain the young actor never appeared in a film of equal quality again.
In 1938, he played the role of Keith Morgan in the Oscar-nominated romantic comedy Vivacious Lady, receiving third billing to Ginger Rogers and Jimmy Stewart.
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