James Gregory (December 23, 1911 – September 16, 2002)[1][2] was an American character actor who played 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 (1970), and crusty Inspector Frank Luger in the television sitcom Barney Miller (1975–1982).
James Gregory | |
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![]() Gregory in 1948 | |
Born | New York City, U.S. | December 23, 1911
Died | September 16, 2002 Sedona, Arizona, U.S. | (aged 90)
Years active | 1939–1998 |
Spouse | Ann Miltner |
Career
editIn 1939, he made his Broadway debut in a production of Key Largo.[3] He served from 1941 to 1946 in the United States Navy[4] and the United States Marine Corps during World War II.[2] 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.[citation needed]
Gregory was the lead in The Lawless Years, a 1920s-era crime drama which aired 45 episodes on NBC. In the series, which ran from 1959 to 1961, he played NYPD Detective Barney Ruditsky.[5]: 588
After his appearance as the McCarthyistic Senator Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Gregory starred in the film PT 109 (1963) with Cliff Robertson. He played Dean Martin's spy boss MacDonald, in the Matt Helm 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 film Clambake (1967). In the pilot movie for the 1968 Hawaii Five-O 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.[5] 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.
Personal life and death
editGregory was married to Ann Miltner for 58 years.[2] He died of natural causes on September 16, 2002, in Sedona, Arizona, aged 90.[6]
Selected TV and filmography
edit- The Naked City (1948) as Patrolman Albert Hicks (uncredited)
- The Frogmen (1951) as Chief Petty Officer Lane (uncredited)
- Studio One in Hollywood (1954–1958, TV series) as Mr. Bales / James Metcalf / Mr. Black / Private Alan Pomeroy / Corey / George Monzo / Gasman
- The Scarlet Hour (1956) as Ralph Nevins
- Nightfall (1956) as Ben Fraser
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1957) (Season 2 Episode 24: "The Cream of the Jest") as Wayne Campbell
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1957) (Season 3 Episode 3: "The Perfect Crime") as John Gregory
- The Young Stranger (1957) as Police Sergeant Shipley
- The Big Caper (1957) as Flood
- Gun Glory (1957) as Grimsell
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958) (Season 3 Episode 33: "Post Mortem") as Mr. Wescott
- Underwater Warrior (1958) as Lieutenant William Arnold, MD
- Onionhead (1958) as Lieutenant Commander Fox (or the Skipper)
- The Twilight Zone (1959–1961, TV series) as Air Force General / Confederate Sergeant
- Lux Playhouse (1959, TV series) as Johnny Warcheck
- Al Capone (1959) as Sergeant 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 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 (1961, TV series) as Walter Trager
- X-15 (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 (1962) as Brad Byrd
- The Manchurian Candidate (1962) as Senator John Yerkes Iselin
- Empire (1962, TV series) as Theron Haskell
- Sam Benedict (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) (Season 2 Episode 9: "The Dividing Wall") as Fred Kruger
- Rawhide (1963–1965, TV series) as Lash Whitcomb / Mister Brothers / Owen Spencer
- The Lieutenant (1963–1964, TV series) as Sergeant Horace 'Biff' Capp / Sergeant Horace Capp
- Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) as Colonel Edgar Pyser
- Breaking Point (1964, TV series) as Malcolm
- The Defenders (1964, TV series) as Paul Tasso
- A Distant Trumpet (1964) as Major General Alexander Upton Quaint
- Quick Before It Melts (1964) as Vice Admiral
- Bonanza (1964–1969, TV series) as Sergeant Mike Russell / Mulvaney / Whitney Parker
- The Sons of Katie Elder (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 (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 (1966–1967, TV series) as Major Duncan / Big Jim Parker
- The Silencers (1966) as MacDonald
- Hogan's Heroes (1966, TV series) as German General Biedenbender
- The Fugitive (1966, TV series) as Pete Crandall
- Star Trek: The Original Series (1966) – Dr. Tristan Adams in S1:E9, "Dagger of the Mind"
- Murderers' Row (1966) as MacDonald
- My Three Sons (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 General Homer Prentiss
- The Mod Squad (1968, TV series) as Gus Williams
- The Love God? (1969) as Darrell Evans Hughes
- Hawaii-Five-O (1969) as Mike Finney
- Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) as General Ursus
- The Hawaiians (1970) as Dr. Whipple Sr. (uncredited)
- Million Dollar Duck (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 David Buckner
- Columbo (1972, TV Series) as Coach Rizzo / David L. Buckner
- Mission: Impossible "The Bride" (1972, TV series) as Joe Corvin
- All in the Family (1972, TV Series) as William R. Kirkwood
- Search "Operation Iceman" (1972, TV series) as Ambassador Gordon Essex
- Miracle On 34th Street (1973, TV movie) as Deputy District Attorney Thomas Mara
- M*A*S*H (1974, TV series) as Lieutenant General Robert 'Iron Guts' Kelly
- The Partridge Family (1974, TV series) "Danny Drops Out" as Claude Tubbles
- The F.B.I. (1974, TV Series) as Frank Bonner
- Emergency! (1975, TV Series) as Brackett's Father
- Barney Miller (1975–1982, TV series) as Deputy Inspector Frank Luger (66 episodes)
- The Strongest Man in the World (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
- The Flight of Dragons (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
edit- ^ "James Gregory". tcm.com. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c Oliver, Myrna (September 19, 2002). "James Gregory, 90; Veteran Player of Cops and Generals in Movies and Television". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ "James Gregory". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
- ^ Navy profile, navy.togetherweserved.com. Accessed August 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 255. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ "James Gregory -- Actor, 90". The New York Times. Associated Press. September 19, 2002. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2023.