Born: July 13, 1921 – Died: September 14, 1969
James Anderson, best known for his rugged and somewhat sinister good looks, was a familiar face to movie audiences in the 1950s. Born on July 13, 1921, Anderson possessed a natural talent for western roles and frequently portrayed gunmen or hired killers, although he occasionally took on the roles of a storekeeper or grizzled frontier scout. With notable performances in films like "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Five," Anderson's contributions to the entertainment industry were marked by his versatility and memorable presence. Unfortunately, his life was cut short, and he passed away on September 14, 1969, at the age of 48.
Early Life and Career
James Anderson began his acting career in the 1950s and quickly made a name for himself in the film industry. Anderson's first major successful role came in the film "Five" in 1951, in which he portrayed one of the survivors of a nuclear attack. This performance showcased his talent and versatility as an actor.
While Anderson had a prolific career, his most iconic role came later in the film "To Kill a Mockingbird" in 1962. He played the character Bob Ewell, an abusive father, and his portrayal earned him critical acclaim. This role further solidified his status in the industry and contributed to the success of the film. James Anderson's performances in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Five" were notable achievements in his career.
Anderson's impact on Hollywood and the entertainment industry is evident through his memorable performances and the lasting impressions he left on audiences. Although he passed away at a relatively young age, his contributions to the western genre and his formidable presence on screen have solidified his status as a notable actor of his time. While James Anderson may not be considered a Hollywood icon or legend, his talent and versatility continue to be recognized and appreciated by film enthusiasts.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Little Big Man | Sergeant |
| 1970 | The Ballad of Cable Hogue | Preacher |
| 1969 | Take the Money and Run | Chain Gang Warden |
| 1955–1968 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) | Jesse Hill | Hiller | Harmon ... |
| 1967 | Run for Your Life (TV Series) | Roy Potter |
| 1967 | The Guns of Will Sonnett (TV Series) | Sheriff |
| 1967 | Daniel Boone (TV Series) | Watkins |
| 1967 | Judd for the Defense (TV Series) | Wayne York |
| 1967 | The Time Tunnel (TV Series) | Mr. Hampton |
| 1966 | Iron Horse (TV Series) | Jim Nations |
| 1966 | I Spy (TV Series) | Louis |
| 1964–1966 | Dr. Kildare (TV Series) | Spencer | First Drunk |
| 1966 | The Chase | Simmons (uncredited) |
| 1965–1966 | Branded (TV Series) | Frank Allison | Lt. Garrett |
| 1965 | The Legend of Jesse James (TV Series) | Wallace |
| 1965 | Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (TV Series) | Wilson |
| 1959–1964 | Rawhide (TV Series) | Sheriff | Morse | Troxel |
| 1964 | Peyton Place (TV Series) | Sam |
| 1964 | Destry (TV Series) | Waco |
| 1963 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (TV Series) | Bert |
| 1963 | Temple Houston (TV Series) | Vint Harrod |
| 1960–1963 | Bonanza (TV Series) | Al | Sam | Fred |
| 1963 | The Dakotas (TV Series) | Start Barton |
| 1963 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV Series) | Vince Cates |
| 1963 | Sam Benedict (TV Series) | Sheriff Conway |
| 1959–1963 | Laramie (TV Series) | Clay Benson | Tip | Pike ... |
| 1962 | Ripcord (TV Series) | Skinner |
| 1962 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Bob Ewell |
| 1962 | The Virginian (TV Series) | Otie |
| 1962 | Cheyenne (TV Series) | Sam Hall |
| 1962 | Pressure Point | Father (uncredited) |
| 1962 | Empire (TV Series) | Dusty Rhodes |
| 1962 | Bronco (TV Series) | Steve Jarrett |
| 1962 | Frontier Circus (TV Series) | Hobie |
| 1961 | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (TV Series) | Luther King (uncredited) |
| 1960–1961 | Lawman (TV Series) | Ed Hill | Ed Randolph | Harry Carmody |
| 1961 | Bat Masterson (TV Series) | Adam Roundtree |
| 1960–1961 | Have Gun - Will Travel (TV Series) | Juror Homer | Cordilene |
| 1957–1961 | Maverick (TV Series) | Wooster | Deputy #1 | Whitey Blandon |
| 1960 | The Westerner (TV Series) | Frank Ritchie |
| 1957–1960 | Perry Mason (TV Series) | Stanley J. Piper | Frank Anderson | Peter Handsell |
| 1960 | Coronado 9 (TV Series) | Will Piper |
| 1959–1960 | The Texan (TV Series) | Mike Blake | Crockett Blackston |
| 1960 | Riverboat (TV Series) | Harry Pauley |
| 1960 | The Untouchables (TV Series) | Nicky Flanagan |
| 1960 | Overland Trail (TV Series) | Wade (uncredited) |
| 1960 | The Rifleman (TV Series) | Johnny Denver |
| 1960 | Goodyear Theatre (TV Series) | Blaine (uncredited) |
| 1957–1960 | Zane Grey Theatre (TV Series) | Waco | Lem Hooker | Frank Lomax ... |
| 1959–1960 | Dennis the Menace (TV Series) | Detective | Cement Worker (uncredited) |
| 1958–1960 | The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) | Amos Briggs | Rustler Turning Himself In |
| 1959 | Tombstone Territory (TV Series) | Ike Cobb |
| 1959 | Men Into Space (TV Series) | Reporter |
| 1959 | The Deputy (TV Series) | Marco (uncredited) |
| 1959 | Tightrope (TV Series) | Blaster |
| 1959 | Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) | Bartender |
| 1957–1959 | Colt .45 (TV Series) | Shift Wilson | Harper | Jeff Lanier |
| 1959 | Rescue 8 (TV Series) | Trig |
| 1959 | Lassie (TV Series) | Case Woods |
| 1959 | The Californians (TV Series) | Piute |
| 1959 | Yancy Derringer (TV Series) | Fitch |
| 1959 | Alcoa Theatre (TV Series) | Confederate Captain |
| 1959 | Northwest Passage (TV Series) | Evans (uncredited) |
| 1959 | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1959 | Sea Hunt (TV Series) | Inspector |
| 1958 | The Gray Ghost (TV Series) | Blake |
| 1958 | Target (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1958 | Cimarron City (TV Series) | Stump |
| 1958 | Mackenzie's Raiders (TV Series) | Ben Pierce |
| 1958 | I Married a Monster from Outer Space | Weldon |
| 1958 | As Young as We Are | Barney (uncredited) |
| 1958 | Jefferson Drum (TV Series) | Ritter |
| 1955–1958 | Highway Patrol (TV Series) | John Alvin | Gus Montana |
| 1958 | The Thing That Couldn't Die | Boyd Abercrombie |
| 1957–1958 | The Restless Gun (TV Series) | Bill Coughan | Express Robber |
| 1957 | Official Detective (TV Series) | Smith |
| 1957 | Casey Jones (TV Series) | Hackley |
| 1957 | Code 3 (TV Series) | Deputy George Harper | Deputy Harper |
| 1957 | Trackdown (TV Series) | Lance Connors (uncredited) |
| 1957 | Climax! (TV Series) | Sheriff |
| 1957 | You Are There (TV Series) | Bill Powers |
| 1957 | The Big Land | Bob Cole (uncredited) |
| 1957 | Whirlybirds (TV Series) | Joe Lynn |
| 1957 | Navy Log (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1956 | Crusader (TV Series) | Dr. George Stern |
| 1956 | The Sheriff of Cochise (TV Series) | Joe (uncredited) |
| 1956 | Circus Boy (TV Series) | Taylor |
| 1956 | Running Target | Strothers |
| 1956 | Friendly Persuasion | Poor Loser Dunked by Jess (uncredited) |
| 1956 | Tension at Table Rock | Lerner (uncredited) |
| 1956 | The Loretta Young Show (TV Series) | Will Mullen | Burton |
| 1956 | The Rawhide Years | Deputy Wade |
| 1956 | The Rack | Skinny (uncredited) |
| 1956 | Telephone Time (TV Series) | Tom Lincoln |
| 1956 | The Millionaire (TV Series) | Eric Vincent |
| 1956 | Fury at Gunsight Pass | O'Neil |
| 1956 | My Friend Flicka (TV Series) | Chris Wallace |
| 1956 | Inside Detroit | Reller (uncredited) |
| 1956 | TV Reader's Digest (TV Series) | Seaman |
| 1955 | At Gunpoint | Barlow (uncredited) |
| 1953–1955 | The Cisco Kid (TV Series) | Iceberg Ike | Curly | Jack Hanley ... |
| 1955 | The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (TV Series) | Saunders |
| 1954–1955 | The Ford Television Theatre (TV Series) | Charles Crown |
| 1955 | Celebrity Playhouse (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1955 | The Marauders | Louis Ferber |
| 1955 | An Annapolis Story | Instructor (uncredited) |
| 1955 | Seven Angry Men | Henry Thompson |
| 1955 | Medic (TV Series) | Dr. Barth |
| 1954–1955 | Dragnet (TV Series) | Daniel Miller | Harold Young |
| 1955 | The Violent Men | Hank Purdue (uncredited) |
| 1954 | The Lone Wolf (TV Series) | Harry Banning | Wells Jackman | Martie Reagan |
| 1954 | Waterfront (TV Series) | Thief |
| 1954 | The Bamboo Prison | Progressive (uncredited) |
| 1954 | Schlitz Playhouse (TV Series) | Buck Snyder |
| 1954 | They Rode West | Wounded Trooper (uncredited) |
| 1954 | Private Hell 36 | Patrolman in Locker Room (uncredited) |
| 1954 | Dragnet | Fred Kemp (uncredited) |
| 1954 | Pushover | Beery--Mechanic (uncredited) |
| 1953–1954 | Your Favorite Story (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1954 | Drums Across the River | Jed Walker |
| 1954 | Stories of the Century (TV Series) | Henchman Pete (credit only) |
| 1954 | Hopalong Cassidy (TV Series) | Sheriff Ray Barnett |
| 1954 | Riot in Cell Block 11 | Guard Acton |
| 1953 | Flight to Tangier | Dullah |
| 1953 | Donovan's Brain | Chief Tuttle (as Kyle James) |
| 1953 | China Venture | Cpl. Walters (uncredited) |
| 1953 | Arrowhead | Jerry August (as Kyle James) |
| 1953 | The Great Jesse James Raid | Johnny Dorette |
| 1953 | Boston Blackie (TV Series) | Gilian (as Kyle James) |
| 1952 | Ruby Gentry | Jewel Corey |
| 1952 | The Star | Bailey - Actor playing Jed Garfield in The Fatal Winter (uncredited) |
| 1952 | The Unexpected (TV Series) | (as Kyle James) |
| 1952 | Hellgate | Vern Brechene (as Kyle James) |
| 1952 | The Duel at Silver Creek | Rat Face Blake (as Kyle James) |
| 1952 | Has Anybody Seen My Gal | Chauffeur (uncredited) |
| 1952 | The Last Musketeer | Russ Tasker |
| 1952 | The Gene Autry Show (TV Series) | Paul Winslow | Deputy Bert Halsey |
| 1951 | The Blue Veil | Jim Tappan (uncredited) |
| 1951 | Racket Squad (TV Series) | Don Stephens |
| 1951 | Along the Great Divide | Dan Roden |
| 1951 | Five | Eric |
| 1950–1951 | Fireside Theatre (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1950 | Speak No Evil (Short) | Don |
| 1950 | Hunt the Man Down | Richard Kincaid |
| 1950 | The Fireball | Strong Arm Man (uncredited) |
| 1950 | Johnny One-Eye | Apartment House Switchboard Operator (uncredited) |
| 1949 | The Great Sinner | Nervous Young Gambler (uncredited) |
| 1949 | Bride of Vengeance | Guard (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Mildred Pierce | Diner Customer (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Reap the Wild Wind | Callboy in Café (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Dive Bomber | Pilot (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Sergeant York | Eb (uncredited) |