Jim Backus
Encyclopedia
James Gilmore "Jim" Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was a radio, television, film, and voice actor
. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr. Magoo
, the rich Hubert Updike, III on the Alan Young
radio show, Joan Davis
's character's husband (a domestic court judge) on TV's I Married Joan
, James Dean
's character's father in Rebel Without a Cause
and Thurston Howell, III on the 1960s sitcom Gilligan's Island
. He also starred in his own show of one season, The Jim Backus Show
, also known as Hot off the Wire.
An avid golfer, Backus actually made the 36-hole cut at the 1964 Bing Crosby
Pro-Am tournament.
, a wealthy village surrounded by greater Cleveland. He was the son of Russell Gould Backus, a mechanical engineer, and Daisy Gilmore (née Taylor) Backus. He was of Lebanese background. Backus was expelled from the Kentucky Military Institute
for riding a horse through the mess hall.
Backus had an extensive career and worked steadily in Hollywood over five decades, often portraying characters with an "upper-crust", New England-like air, such as Thurston Howell, III in Gilligan's Island
. He appeared in A Dangerous Profession
(1949) (as well as narrating), Deadline - U.S.A.
(1951), with Humphrey Bogart
, Pat and Mike
(1952), with Spencer Tracy
and Katharine Hepburn
, Rebel Without a Cause
(1955), The Pied Piper of Hamelin
(1957), and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
(1963). He also made appearances on The Beverly Hillbillies
(1962).
Backus was the voice of the near-sighted cartoon character Mr. Magoo
. In 1952, he had a brief scene in Don't Bother to Knock
with Marilyn Monroe
. Years later, when Backus was a frequent talk show guest, he would recount the time Monroe urgently beckoned him into her dressing room. Once there, she exclaimed in her breathy voice, "Do Mr. Magoo!"
He frequently could be heard on prime-time radio programs in the postwar era, including The Jack Benny Program
, and portrayed an exceedingly vain character named Hartley Benson on The Mel Blanc Show on the CBS Radio Network
.
In stark contrast to his usual affluent characters, he appeared on The Brady Bunch
as an old gold prospector, a role he also played on a Gilligan's Island episode. He also appeared in the final season episode "The Hustler" in which he plays Mike's boss, Mr. Matthews.
Backus stayed with Gilligan's Island
between 1964 and 1967 and did revivals of the TV series in TV films made between 1978 and 1982. He also did revivals of Mr. Magoo from 1964 to 1977, which included The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo
and What's New, Mr. Magoo.
, co-wrote several humorous books, including Only When I Laugh. He also co-wrote the 1971 family film Mooch Goes to Hollywood
, about a dog who tries to become a movie star. In 1984, he wrote his autobiography
, Backus Strikes Back.
In the late 1950s, he made two novelty 45 rpm records
, "Delicious" and "Cave Man". In 1974, a collection of Backus' old radio material was compiled into a full-length comedy LP album
released on the DORE label under the title The Dirty Old Man. Backus also played the voice of God
in the recording of Truth of Truths, a 1971 rock opera
based on the Bible
.
line of products over the years. He was also spokesperson for La-Z-Boy
furniture during the 1970s. In the late 1980s, he was reunited with former co-star Natalie Schafer
in an advertisement for Orville Redenbacher
's Popcorn. They reprised their roles from Gilligan's Island, but instead of still being shipwrecked, the setting was a luxurious study or den. Both performers were rather frail and this would be the last television appearance for both.
, California
from complications of pneumonia
, after suffering from Parkinson's disease
for many years. Backus was buried at the southwest corner of Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
in Westwood, Los Angeles.
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr. Magoo
Mr. Magoo
Quincy Magoo is a cartoon character created at the UPA animation studio in 1949. Voiced by Jim Backus, Quincy Magoo is a wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of sticky situations as a result of his nearsightedness, compounded by his stubborn refusal to admit the problem...
, the rich Hubert Updike, III on the Alan Young
Alan Young
Alan Young is an English-Canadian actor and voice actor, best known for his role as Wilbur Post in the television series Mister Ed and as the voice of Scrooge McDuck in Disney films, TV series and video games...
radio show, Joan Davis
Joan Davis
Joan Davis was an American comedic actress whose career spanned vaudeville, film, radio and television. Remembered best for the 1950s television comedy, I Married Joan, Davis had a successful earlier career as a B-movie actress and a leading star of 1940s radio comedy.Born as Madonna Josephine...
's character's husband (a domestic court judge) on TV's I Married Joan
I Married Joan
I Married Joan is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1952 to 1955. It starred veteran vaudeville, film, and radio comedienne Joan Davis as the manic wife of a mild-mannered community judge, Bradley Stevens .-Synopsis:...
, James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
's character's father in Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
and Thurston Howell, III on the 1960s sitcom Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
. He also starred in his own show of one season, The Jim Backus Show
The Jim Backus Show
The Jim Backus Show was a short-lived American sitcom that aired in broadcast syndication in 1960. The series was also known as Hot Off the Wire.-Premise:...
, also known as Hot off the Wire.
An avid golfer, Backus actually made the 36-hole cut at the 1964 Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
Pro-Am tournament.
Early life
James Gilmore Backus was born February 25, 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Bratenahl, OhioBratenahl, Ohio
Bratenahl is a wealthy village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is bordered by the city of Cleveland on three sides and by the shoreline of Lake Erie to the north. The population was 1,197 at the 2010 census...
, a wealthy village surrounded by greater Cleveland. He was the son of Russell Gould Backus, a mechanical engineer, and Daisy Gilmore (née Taylor) Backus. He was of Lebanese background. Backus was expelled from the Kentucky Military Institute
Kentucky Military Institute
The Kentucky Military Institute was a military preparatory school in Lyndon, Kentucky and Venice, Florida, in operation from 1845 to 1971....
for riding a horse through the mess hall.
Acting
Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
. He appeared in A Dangerous Profession
A Dangerous Profession
A Dangerous Profession is a 1949 American film noir directed by Ted Tetzlaff and written by Warren Duff and Martin Rackin. The drama features George Raft, Ella Raines, Pat O'Brien, among others.-Plot:...
(1949) (as well as narrating), Deadline - U.S.A.
Deadline - U.S.A.
Deadline – U.S.A. is a 1952 crime film starring Humphrey Bogart, Ethel Barrymore and Kim Hunter. A crusading newspaper editor fights a gangster. The newspaper used as background on the film, called The Day is loosely based upon the old New York City newspaper The Sun, which closed in 1950. The...
(1951), with Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
, Pat and Mike
Pat and Mike
Pat and Mike is a 1952 comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The movie was directed by George Cukor, who also directed The Philadelphia Story and Adam's Rib.- Plot :...
(1952), with Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
and Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
, Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
(1955), The Pied Piper of Hamelin
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957 film)
The Pied Piper of Hamelin is an American ninety-minute musical color television special originally shown by NBC on November 26, 1957, as their Thanksgiving Day offering for that year...
(1957), and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 in stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers...
(1963). He also made appearances on The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
(1962).
Backus was the voice of the near-sighted cartoon character Mr. Magoo
Mr. Magoo
Quincy Magoo is a cartoon character created at the UPA animation studio in 1949. Voiced by Jim Backus, Quincy Magoo is a wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of sticky situations as a result of his nearsightedness, compounded by his stubborn refusal to admit the problem...
. In 1952, he had a brief scene in Don't Bother to Knock
Don't Bother to Knock
Don't Bother to Knock is a 1952 American thriller film starring Marilyn Monroe and Richard Widmark, directed by Roy Ward Baker and written by Daniel Taradash. Monroe is featured as a disturbed babysitter watching a child at the same New York hotel where a pilot, played by Widmark, is staying...
with Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
. Years later, when Backus was a frequent talk show guest, he would recount the time Monroe urgently beckoned him into her dressing room. Once there, she exclaimed in her breathy voice, "Do Mr. Magoo!"
He frequently could be heard on prime-time radio programs in the postwar era, including The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program, starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th-century American comedy.-Cast:*Jack Benny - Himself...
, and portrayed an exceedingly vain character named Hartley Benson on The Mel Blanc Show on the CBS Radio Network
CBS Radio Network
The CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio ....
.
In stark contrast to his usual affluent characters, he appeared on The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
as an old gold prospector, a role he also played on a Gilligan's Island episode. He also appeared in the final season episode "The Hustler" in which he plays Mike's boss, Mr. Matthews.
Backus stayed with Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
between 1964 and 1967 and did revivals of the TV series in TV films made between 1978 and 1982. He also did revivals of Mr. Magoo from 1964 to 1977, which included The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo
The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo
The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo is an animated television series, produced by United Productions of America, which aired for one season...
and What's New, Mr. Magoo.
Writing and recording
Backus and his wife, Henny BackusHenny Backus
Henny Backus was a Broadway showgirl in the 1930s, where she performed with Earl Carroll's Vanities. Born Henrietta Kaye in Philadelphia, she was the wife of actor and comedian Jim Backus.-Career:...
, co-wrote several humorous books, including Only When I Laugh. He also co-wrote the 1971 family film Mooch Goes to Hollywood
Mooch Goes to Hollywood
Mooch Goes to Hollywood is a 1971 television movie about an ambitious dog and her attempts to become a canine star after befriending Zsa Zsa Gabor, who provides the pooch with the skinny on the INs and OUTs of achieving Hollywood fame...
, about a dog who tries to become a movie star. In 1984, he wrote his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Backus Strikes Back.
In the late 1950s, he made two novelty 45 rpm records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, "Delicious" and "Cave Man". In 1974, a collection of Backus' old radio material was compiled into a full-length comedy LP album
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
released on the DORE label under the title The Dirty Old Man. Backus also played the voice of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
in the recording of Truth of Truths, a 1971 rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
based on the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
.
Television commercials
Backus acted in several television commercials. As Mr. Magoo, he also helped advertise the General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
line of products over the years. He was also spokesperson for La-Z-Boy
La-Z-Boy
La-Z-Boy Incorporated is a furniture manufacturer based in Monroe, Michigan, USA which makes home furniture, including upholstered recliners, sofas, stationary chairs, and sleeper sofas...
furniture during the 1970s. In the late 1980s, he was reunited with former co-star Natalie Schafer
Natalie Schafer
Natalie Schafer was an American actress, best known as Eunice "Lovey" Wentworth Howell on CBS's sitcom Gilligan's Island .-Early life and career:...
in an advertisement for Orville Redenbacher
Orville Redenbacher
Orville Clarence Redenbacher was an American businessman most often associated with the brand of popcorn that bears his name.-Early life:...
's Popcorn. They reprised their roles from Gilligan's Island, but instead of still being shipwrecked, the setting was a luxurious study or den. Both performers were rather frail and this would be the last television appearance for both.
Death
On July 3, 1989, Jim Backus died in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
from complications of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, after suffering from Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
for many years. Backus was buried at the southwest corner of Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
The Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery is a cemetery in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, California. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood....
in Westwood, Los Angeles.
Partial filmography
- A-Lad-In His LampA-Lad-In His LampA-Lad-In His Lamp is a 1948 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon starring Bugs Bunny and featuring the Genie and Caliph Hassan Pfeiffer who is after Bugs and the Genie in his lamp. The voice of Bugs Bunny and Caliph Hassan Pfeiffer is voiced by Mel Blanc and the voice of the Smokey the Genie is...
(1948) (uncredited voice) - Father was a FullbackFather was a FullbackFather was a Fullback is a 1949 black-and-white Twentieth Century Fox film based on a comedy by Clifford Goldsmith. The film is about a college American football coach and his woes...
(1949) - Easy LivingEasy Living (1949 film)Easy Living is a 1949 American drama film directed by renowned horror and film noir director Jacques Tourneur, starring Victor Mature, Lizabeth Scott and Lucille Ball...
(1949) - The Great LoverThe Great Lover (1949 film)The Great Lover is a 1949 comedy film starring Bob Hope, Rhonda Fleming, and Roland Young. A scout leader takes his troop on an ocean cruise, pursues a beautiful duchess and is stalked by a murderer.-Cast:*Bob Hope as Freddie Hunter...
(1949) - A Dangerous ProfessionA Dangerous ProfessionA Dangerous Profession is a 1949 American film noir directed by Ted Tetzlaff and written by Warren Duff and Martin Rackin. The drama features George Raft, Ella Raines, Pat O'Brien, among others.-Plot:...
(1949) - Ma and Pa Kettle Go to TownMa and Pa Kettle Go to TownMa and Pa Kettle Go to Town is a 1950 comedy film directed by Charles Lamont, it is the third of the ten films and revolves around Ma and Pa Kettle's trip to New York City.-Plot:After winning the house-of-the-future Ma and Pa are content...
(1950) - MM (1951 film)M is a 1951 American remake of Fritz Lang's film of the same name, shifting the action from Berlin to Los Angeles and changing the killer's name from Hans Beckert to Martin W. Harrow. The remake, directed by Joseph Losey with David Wayne playing Peter Lorre's role, was not well received by critics...
(1951) - Bright VictoryBright VictoryBright Victory is a 1951 film, adapted by Robert Buckner from Baynard Kendrick's novel Lights Out. It was directed by Mark Robson, and it stars Arthur Kennedy, Peggy Dow, Julia Adams, James Edwards, Will Geer, Nana Bryant, Jim Backus, and Rock Hudson....
(1951) - His Kind of WomanHis Kind of WomanHis Kind of Woman is a black-and-white 1951 film noir starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. The film features supporting roles by Vincent Price, Raymond Burr, and Charles McGraw...
(1951) - The Man with a CloakThe Man with a CloakThe Man with a Cloak is a 1951 drama film directed by Fletcher Markle and starring Joseph Cotten, Barbara Stanwyck, Louis Calhern, and Leslie Caron. It was based on a short story by John Dickson Carr, "The Gentleman from Paris".-Plot:...
(1951) - I'll See You in My Dreams (1951)
- I Want YouI Want You (1951 film)I Want You is a 1951 film directed by Mark Robson taking place in America during the Korean War. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound .-Plot:...
(1951) - Here Come the Nelsons (1952)
- Deadline – U.S.A. (1952)
- Pat and MikePat and MikePat and Mike is a 1952 comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The movie was directed by George Cukor, who also directed The Philadelphia Story and Adam's Rib.- Plot :...
(1952) - Don't Bother to KnockDon't Bother to KnockDon't Bother to Knock is a 1952 American thriller film starring Marilyn Monroe and Richard Widmark, directed by Roy Ward Baker and written by Daniel Taradash. Monroe is featured as a disturbed babysitter watching a child at the same New York hotel where a pilot, played by Widmark, is staying...
(1952) - Angel Face (1952)
- Androcles and the Lion (1952)
- Above and BeyondAbove and Beyond (film)Above and Beyond is a 1952 film about Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb. It starred Robert Taylor as Tibbets and Eleanor Parker as his wife. James Whitmore played security officer Major Bill Uanna.-Cast:...
(1952) - I Love MelvinI Love MelvinI Love Melvin is a 1953 comedy film directed by Don Weis and starring Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds.-Plot:Small-time actress Judy Schneider dreams of becoming a Hollywood star even as she struggles along playing a human football in a kitschy Broadway musical. One day in Central Park she bumps...
(1953) - Francis in the NavyFrancis in the NavyFrancis in the Navy is a 1955 American black-and-white comedy film, the sixth and last in the Francis the Talking Mule series directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Donald O'Connor and Chill Wills . There was one more film without them, which was poorly received. This marked the first credited role...
(1955) - Rebel Without a CauseRebel Without a CauseRebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
(1955) - Meet Me in Las VegasMeet Me in Las VegasMeet Me in Las Vegas is an MGM musical comedy produced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Roy Rowland filmed in Eastman Color and CinemaScope. The film has a running time of 112 minutes.-Cast and crew:...
(1956) - The Opposite SexThe Opposite SexThe Opposite Sex is a 1956 musical film.It is a remake of the 1939 classic comedy The Women. Both films are based on Claire Boothe Luce's original play...
(1956) - The Girl He Left BehindThe Girl He Left BehindThe Girl He Left Behind is a 1956 romantic comedy film starring Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood. The supporting cast includes Jim Backus, Alan King, James Garner, and David Janssen. Written by Guy Trosper and directed by David Butler. It was filmed at Fort Ord, California. For Garner and King it was...
(1956) - You Can't Run Away from ItYou Can't Run Away from ItYou Can't Run Away from It is a 1956 Technicolor and CinemaScope musical comedy starring June Allyson and Jack Lemmon. Directed and produced by Dick Powell, the film is a remake of the 1934 Academy Award-winning film It Happened One Night.-Plot:...
(1956) - The Great ManThe Great ManThe Great Man is a 1956 drama film directed by José Ferrer and based on a novel by Al Morgan. It was loosely based on the controversial career of Arthur Godfrey, the beloved TV and radio host whose image had been tarnished by a number of cast firings and Godfrey's contentious battles with the...
(1956) - Top Secret AffairTop Secret AffairTop Secret Affair is a 1957 romantic comedy film made by Carrollton Inc. and distributed by Warner Bros. that starred Susan Hayward and Kirk Douglas. It was directed by H.C. Potter and produced by Martin Rackin and Milton Sperling from a screenplay by Roland Kibbee and Allan Scott.The plot is very...
(1957) - Man of a Thousand FacesMan of a Thousand FacesMan of a Thousand Faces is a film detailing the life of silent movie actor Lon Chaney, in which the title role is played by James Cagney.Directed by Joseph Pevney, the film's cast included Dorothy Malone, Jane Greer and Jim Backus...
(1957) - The Pied Piper of HamelinThe Pied Piper of HamelinThe Pied Piper of Hamelin is the subject of a legend concerning the departure or death of a great many children from the town of Hamelin , Lower Saxony, Germany, in the Middle Ages. The earliest references describe a piper, dressed in pied clothing, leading the children away from the town never...
(1957) - MacabreMacabre (1958 film)Macabre is a 1958 thriller film directed by William Castle, written by Robb White, and starring William Prince, Jim Backus, Christine White, Jacqueline Scott, and Susan Morrow. It is considered Castle's first foray into using the promotional gimmicks that later made him famous...
(1958) - Ask Any GirlAsk Any Girl (film)Ask Any Girl is a 1959 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer romantic comedy film starring David Niven, Shirley MacLaine and Gig Young.-Plot:A wide-eyed Meg Wheeler comes to New York City and takes a job in market research for a large firm...
(1959) - The Wild and the InnocentThe Wild and the InnocentThe Wild and the Innocent is a 1959 Western film starring Audie Murphy and Sandra Dee as two inexperienced young people who get into trouble when they visit a town for the very first time.-Cast:*Audie Murphy as Yancy Hawks*Joanne Dru as Marcy Howard...
(1959) - Ice PalaceIce Palace (film)Ice Palace is a 1960 motion picture adapted from Edna Ferber's 1958 novel of the same name. The film, directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Richard Burton, dramatized the debate over Alaska statehood...
(1960) - The Horizontal LieutenantThe Horizontal LieutenantThe Horizontal Lieutenant is a 1962 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe. It is a military comedy about an unfortunate army intelligence lieutenant who finds himself isolated on a remote Japanese island army outpost during World War II....
(1962) - Boys' Night Out (1962)
- Zotz!Zotz!Zotz! is a 1962 fantasy/comedy film produced and directed by William Castle, about a man obtaining magical powers from a god of an ancient civilization. The film is based on the 1947 novel of the same name by Walter Karig.-Plot:...
(1962) - The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
(1962) - The Wonderful World of the Brothers GrimmThe Wonderful World of the Brothers GrimmThe Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm is a 1962 American film directed by Henry Levin and George Pal. The latter was the producer and also in charge of the stop motion animation. The film was one of the highest grossing films of 1962. It won one Oscar and was nominated for three additional...
(1962) - Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962) (TV) (voice)
- Operation BikiniOperation BikiniOperation Bikini is a film released in 1963 by American International Pictures. It was directed by Anthony Carras and starred Tab Hunter, Frankie Avalon, and Scott Brady.The casting was aimed to capture a varied audience...
(1963) - My Six LovesMy Six LovesMy Six Loves is a 1963 comedy film starring Debbie Reynolds as a Broadway star who takes a vacation and finds herself responsible for six abandoned children, in Gower Champion's directorial debut...
(1963) - Critic's Choice (1963)
- Johnny CoolJohnny CoolJohnny Cool is an offbeat 1963 crime film directed by William Asher. It stars Henry Silva and Elizabeth Montgomery.Johnny Colini, an exiled American gangster living in Sicily, rescues Salvatore Giordano, a young Sicilian outlaw, from the police...
(1963) - It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 in stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers...
(1963) - Sunday in New YorkSunday in New YorkSunday in New York, filmed in Metrocolor, is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Peter Tewksbury and starring Jane Fonda, Cliff Robertson, and Rod Taylor. It was one of Fonda's earliest films, and she was called "the loveliest and most gifted of all our new young actresses" by Newsday...
(1963) - The Wheeler DealersThe Wheeler DealersThe Wheeler Dealers is a 1963 comedy film starring James Garner and Lee Remick and featuring Chill Wills and Jim Backus...
(1963) - Advance to the RearAdvance to the RearAdvance to the Rear is a light-hearted 1964 western comedy film set in the American Civil War. It stars Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens and Melvyn Douglas and is directed by George Marshall. The film is based on the 1957 novel Company of Cowards by Jack Schaefer, with the film having that title in...
(1964) - Gilligan's IslandGilligan's IslandGilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
(1964) - BillieBillie (film)Billie is a 1965 musical film directed by Don Weis. Based on the 1952 play Time Out For Ginger by Ronald Alexander, the film stars Patty Duke in the title role.-Plot:...
(1965) - John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!John Goldfarb, Please Come HomeJohn Goldfarb, Please Come Home is a 1963 novel by William Peter Blatty that was adapted as a film by the same title, released in 1965.-Synopsis:...
(1965) - Hurry SundownHurry Sundown (film)Hurry Sundown is a 1967 American drama film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. It stars Jane Fonda and Michael Caine. The screenplay by Horton Foote and Thomas C. Ryan is based on the 1965 novel of the same title by K.B...
(1967) - Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? is a 1968 American comedy film with Doris Day, directed by Hy Averback. Although it is set in New York City during the major blackout of November 9, 1965, in which 25 million people scattered throughout seven northeastern states and Ontario, Canada lost...
(1968) - Hello Down ThereHello Down ThereHello Down There is a 1969 musical comedy film made by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Jack Arnold and Ricou Browning and produced by George Sherman and Ivan Tors from a screenplay by John McGreevey and Frank Telford. It starred Tony Randall and Janet Leigh...
(1969) - Wake Me When the War Is OverWake Me When The War Is OverWake Me When the War Is Over is a 1969 American comedy made-for-TV film starring Ken Berry and Eva Gabor, and directed by Gene Nelson. It first aired on ABC.-Plot:...
(1969) (TV) - Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico CountyCockeyed Cowboys of Calico CountyThe Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County is a Western comedy film released in April 1970 for Universal Pictures and directed by Anton Leader. The film stars Dan Blocker, Nanette Fabray, Jim Backus, Mickey Rooney, and Jack Elam....
(1970) - Myra BreckinridgeMyra Breckinridge (film)Myra Breckinridge is a 1970 American campy comedy film, based on Gore Vidal's 1968 novel of the same name, the film was directed by Michael Sarne, with Raquel Welch in the title role. It also starred John Huston as Buck Loner, Mae West as Leticia Van Allen, Farrah Fawcett, Rex Reed, Roger Herren,...
(1970) - The Brady BunchThe Brady BunchThe Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
(1971) - Now You See Him, Now You Don'tNow You See Him, Now You Don'tNow You See Him, Now You Don't is a 1972 Walt Disney film starring Kurt Russell, a student at the fictional Medfield College. It is the sequel to the 1969 film The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes....
(1972) - The Girl Most Likely to...The Girl Most Likely to...The Girl Most Likely to... is a black comedy with slight psychological thriller elements written by Joan Rivers and starring Stockard Channing and Edward Asner. The film was released on November 6, 1973 as a made-for-television movie broadcast on the ABC Movie of the Week...
(1973) (TV) - Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1974) (TV) (voice)
- Crazy MamaCrazy Mama (film)Crazy Mama is a 1975 film directed by Jonathan Demme and produced by Julie Corman.Cloris Leachman stars, with Dennis Quaid and Bill Paxton seen briefly in two of their earliest roles....
(1975) - Friday FosterFriday Foster (film)Friday Foster is a 1975 blaxploitation film, written and directed by Arthur Marks, and starring Pam Grier in the title role. Yaphet Kotto, Eartha Kitt, Scatman Crothers and Carl Weathers co-starred. It was an adaptation of the 1970-74 eponymous syndicated newspaper comic strip, scripted by Jim...
(1975) - The Magic Pony (1975) (voice)
- Pete's DragonPete's DragonPete's Dragon is a 1977 live-action/animated musical film from Walt Disney Productions and the first Disney film to be recorded in the Dolby Stereo sound system...
(1977) - Rescue from Gilligan's IslandRescue From Gilligan's IslandRescue from Gilligan's Island is a two-part television movie that continues the adventures of the shipwrecked castaways from the 1964–1967 TV series Gilligan's Island starring Bob Denver and Alan Hale, Jr. The film first aired on NBC October 14 and October 21, 1978...
(1978) (TV) - Angels' BrigadeAngels RevengeAngels Revenge is a 1979 American film directed by Greydon Clark and distributed by Arista Films. It is also known as Angels' Brigade and Seven from Heaven....
(1979) - The Castaways on Gilligan's IslandThe Castaways on Gilligan's IslandThe Castaways on Gilligan's Island is a television movie that continues the adventures of the shipwrecked castaways from the 1964-1967 TV series Gilligan's Island and the first reunion movie, Rescue From Gilligan's Island, featuring the original cast from the television series with the exception of...
(1979) (TV) - C.H.O.M.P.S.C.H.O.M.P.S.-Plot:A young inventor - Brian Foster creates a robotic dog for use as part of a home protection system. C.H.O.M.P.S. is an acronym for "canine home protection system." Ralph Norton is his boss who he constantly argues with. Norton's daughter Casey and Foster develop a relationship...
(1979) - The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's IslandThe Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's IslandThe Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island is a made for T.V. movie released in 1981.-Synopsis:The film is a sequel to the TV movie The Castaways on Gilligan's Island. Gilligan and his friends still own and operate the vacation resort The Castaways...
(1981) (TV) - Slapstick of Another Kind (1982)
- Prince JackPrince JackPrince Jack is 1985 film from Castle Hill Productions which dramatises some of the inner workings of the Kennedy Administration, including efforts by Attorney-General Robert F. Kennedy to address the issue of Civil Rights...
(1985)