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James Whitmore

Known for acting · Born 1 October 1921 · Died 6 February 2009 · aged 87 · White Plains, New York, USA

157 credits

James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American film, theatre, and television actor. During his career, Whitmore won three of the four EGOT honors; - a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy. Whitmore also won a Golden Globe and was nominated for two Academy Awards. Following World War II, Whitmore appeared on Broadway in the role of the sergeant in Command Decision. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave Whitmore a contract, but his role in the film adaptation was played by Van Johnson. His first major picture for MGM was Battleground, in a role that was turned down by Spencer Tracy, to whom Whitmore bore a noted physical resemblance. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role, and won the Golden Globe Award as Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role. Other major films included Angels in the Outfield, The Asphalt Jungle, The Next Voice You Hear, Above and Beyond, Kiss Me, Kate, Them!, Oklahoma!, Black Like Me, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and Give 'em Hell, Harry!, a one-man show for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of former U.S. President Harry S Truman. In the film Tora! Tora! Tora!, he played Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey. Whitmore appeared during the 1950s on many television anthology series. He was cast as Father Emil Kapaun in the 1955 episode "The Good Thief" in the ABC religion anthology series Crossroads. Other roles followed on Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theater, Lux Video Theatre, Kraft Theatre, Studio One in Hollywood, Schlitz Playhouse, Matinee Theatre, and the Ford Television Theatre. In 1958, he carried the lead in "The Gabe Carswell Story" of NBC's Wagon Train, with Ward Bond. Whitmore has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6611 Hollywood Boulevard. The ceremony was held on February 8, 1960.

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Known for

Planet of the Apes

1968

Them!

1954

The Shawshank Redemption

1994

The Relic

1997

Chato's Land

1972

The Asphalt Jungle

1950

Guns of the Magnificent Seven

1969

The Law and Mr. Jones

1960

The Adventures of Mark Twain

1985

Where the Red Fern Grows

1974

High Crime

1973

The Undercover Man

1949

Acting (157)

2017Arthur Miller: WriterSelf (archive footage)Film
2005Meet Mr. Miracle-Gro: The Horace Hagedorn StoryFilm
2003A Minute with Stan HooperDr. GoldmanSeries
2003Mister SterlingWilliam Sterling Sr. · 4 episodesSeries
2003Cole Porter in Hollywood: Too Darn HotSelfFilm
2002A Ring of Endless LightGrandfatherFilm
2001The MajesticStan KellerFilm
2000CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationMiltonSeries
2000Here's to Life!Gus CorleyFilm
1999Swing VoteDaniel MorisseyFilm
1997The RelicDr. Albert FrockFilm
1997The PracticeRaymond Oz · 3 episodesSeries
1995Wild Bill: Hollywood MaverickSelfFilm
1994The Shawshank RedemptionBrooks HatlenFilm
1993Roots of RoePope Pius XI (voice)Film
1990Sky HighGus JohnsonFilm
1990Old ExplorersLeinen RothFilm
1989Glory! Glory!Lester BabbittFilm
1988Favorite SonThe President · 3 episodesSeries
1987NutsJudge Stanley MurdochFilm
1987All My SonsJoe KellerFilm
1985The Adventures of Mark TwainMark Twain (voice)Film
1985The Ray Bradbury TheaterCraig Bennett StilesSeries
1985George Burns Comedy WeekEbenezer ScroogeSeries
1984CelebrityClifford Casey · 3 episodesSeries
1984Love Those TrainsNarratorFilm
1982American PlayhouseJoe KellerSeries
1982Hail Columbia!NarratorFilm
1982The Klan: A Legacy of Hate in AmericaNarratorFilm
1981Code RedSeries
1980The First Deadly SinDr. Sanford FergusonFilm
1980Rage!BorskiFilm
1980The Golden HoneymoonCharley TateFilm
1980Mark, I Love YouDwight HamiltonFilm
1979The Horror Show(archive footage)Film
1978The White ShadowJake Reeves · 2 episodesSeries
1978The WordGeorge Wheeler · 4 episodesSeries
1978Bully: An Adventure with Teddy RooseveltTeddy RooseveltFilm
1977The Serpent's EggPriesterFilm
1976The Flying MisfitsCapt. James 'Jim' GuttermanFilm
1975I Will Fight No More ForeverGeneral Oliver O. HowardFilm
1975Give 'em Hell, Harry!Harry S. TrumanFilm
1974Where the Red Fern GrowsGrandpaFilm
1974The Canterville GhostHyram B. OtisFilm
1974Dinah!Self · 2 episodesSeries
1974The Balloon VendorAntonioFilm
1974Man Belongs to the EarthNarratorFilm
1973High CrimeCommissioner Aldo ScavinoFilm
1973The Harrad ExperimentPhilip TenhausenFilm
1972Chato's LandJoshua EveretteFilm
1972Temperatures RisingVincent Campanelli · 27 episodesSeries
1971If Tomorrow ComesFrank PhillipsFilm
1970Tora! Tora! Tora!Admiral William F. HalseyFilm
1970The ChallengeOvermanFilm
1969Guns of the Magnificent SevenLeviFilm
1969Then Came BronsonWilson FordSeries
1969My Friend TonyProf. John Woodruff · 16 episodesSeries
1968Planet of the ApesPresident of the AssemblyFilm
1968MadiganChief Inspector Charles KaneFilm
1968The SplitHerb SutroFilm
1968The Name of the GameHarry RoarkeSeries
1968Nobody's PerfectCapt. Mike RileyFilm
1967The InvadersHarry SwainSeries
1967ChukaLou TrentFilm
1967Waterhole #3Capt. ShipleyFilm
1967CusterSeries
1967Cowboy in AfricaSeries
1967Judd, for the DefenseSeries
1967The Danny Thomas HourProfessor John WoodruffSeries
1966TarzanSeries
1966T.H.E. CatSeries
1966ShaneHarry HimberSeries
1966The MonroesSeries
1966The TenderfootCaptain EwellFilm
1965The Big ValleyHandy, Joshua Hawks, Marshal Seth Campbell, Tom WillsSeries
1965National Geographic SpecialsNarrator (voice)Series
1965Run for Your LifeChief Jim HollandSeries
1965The Loner, Doc FritchmanSeries
1965For the PeopleSeries
196412 O'Clock High · 2 episodesSeries
1964Black Like MeJohn Finley HortonFilm
1964Slattery's PeopleSeries
1964The TenderfootCaptain Ewell · 3 episodesSeries
1963Burke's LawJoe PianteSeries
1963Kraft Suspense TheatreJ. Marvin Bean, Major Will StantonSeries
1963The Travels of Jaimie McPheetersFoxy SmithSeries
1963Arrest and TrialMartin BurnhamSeries
1963The Greatest Show on EarthSeries
1963The Long Lost Life of Edward SmalleyJ. Marvin BeanFilm
1962Combat!HertzbrunSeries
1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonSelf · 2 episodesSeries
1962The VirginianCapt. Piper Pritican, Marshal Krug, Ezra Hollis, Carl KabeSeries
1962Icarus Montgolfier WrightFilm
1962Going My WaySeries
1961Dr. KildareHenry Clay KincaidSeries
1961Ben CaseySeries
1961The Mike Douglas ShowSelf · 2 episodesSeries
1961Alcoa Premiere · 2 episodesSeries
1961The Wonderful World of Disney · 3 episodesSeries
1961Bus StopSeries
1960Who Was That Lady?Harry PowellFilm
1960Route 66Series
1960CheckmateDetective Lt. Dave HarkerSeries
1960The Law and Mr. JonesAbraham Lincoln Jones · 45 episodesSeries
1960The Chevy Mystery ShowPhilip SelbySeries
1959The Twilight ZoneSeries
1959BonanzaJohn PostleySeries
1959RawhideSgt. Joe Duclos, Colonel John MacklinSeries
1959The DetectivesSeries
1959Face of FireMonk JohnsonFilm
1958The Deep SixCmdr. Warren MeredithFilm
1958Westinghouse Desilu PlayhouseSeries
1958The Restless YearsEd HendersonFilm
1958DecisionSeries
1957The Young Don't CryRudy KristFilm
1957Panic!Series
1956The Eddy Duchin StoryLou SherwoodFilm
1956Crime in the StreetsBen WagnerFilm
1956Dick Powell's Zane Grey TheatreJeb, Ben Kincaid, Joel Begley, Jonas, Narrator (voice)Series
1955Oklahoma!Mr. CarnesFilm
1955GunsmokeAmos Campbell, Jim Forbes, Timothy Fitzpatrick · 2 episodesSeries
1955The Last FrontierGusFilm
1955Battle CryMSgt. MacFilm
1955The 20th Century Fox HourSeries
1955The McConnell StorySSgt. / Maj . / Col. Ty 'Dad' WhitmanFilm
1955Playwrights '56Series
1955CrossroadsFather Emil Joseph KapaunSeries
1954Them!Sgt. Ben PetersonFilm
1954The CommandSgt. ElliottFilm
1954Climax!Stash Prohaska, Tom MillerSeries
1954Studio 57Series
1954The Great Diamond RobberyMr. Remlick, LawyerFilm
1953Kiss Me KateSlugFilm
1953Above and BeyondMaj. William M. UannaFilm
1953All the Brothers Were ValiantFetcherFilm
1953The Girl Who Had EverythingCharles "Chico" MenlowFilm
1953The United States Steel HourSeries
1952Shadow in the SkyLou HopkeFilm
1952The HoaxtersNarrator (voice)Film
1952Because You're MineSergeant 'Bat' BattersonFilm
1951The Red Badge of CourageNarrator (voice) (uncredited)Film
1951Across the Wide MissouriOld Bill (uncredited)Film
1951Angels in the OutfieldAngel (voice) (uncredited)Film
1951It's a Big CountryMr. StaceyFilm
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Tommy McDermott, Joe BensonSeries
1950The Asphalt JungleGus MinissiFilm
1950The OutridersClint PriestFilm
1950Please Believe MeVincent MaranFilm
1950The Next Voice You Hear...Joe SmithFilm
1950Lux Video TheatreTracy, SelfSeries
1950Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. MaloneJohn MaloneFilm
1949BattlegroundKinnieFilm
1949The Undercover ManGeorge PappasFilm
1948Studio OneSamSeries
1947Kraft Television Theatre · 2 episodesSeries
1944Golden Globe AwardsSelf - NominatedSeries
—Tony e il Professoreil professore · 6 episodesSeries