James Best
Acting
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Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia James Best (born Jewel Franklin Guy; July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015) was an American television, film, character, voice, and stage actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician, whose career spanned seven decades of television. He appeared as a guest on various country music and talk shows. One of the busiest actors in Hollywood, who began his contract career with Universal Studios in 1949, where he met unfamili...
Known For
Filmography
Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists!
2021
as Self
The Sweeter Side of Life
2013
as Paddy Kerrigan
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
2013
as Self (archive footage)
Return of the Killer Shrews
2012
as Thorne Sherman
Moondance Alexander
2007
as McClancy
Hot Tamale
2006
as Hank Larson
CMT: Inside Fame
2005
The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
2002
as Sgt. David Brent (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood
2000
as Rosco P. Coltrane
The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!
1997
as Boss / Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Death Mask
1995
as Wilbur Johnson
B.L. Stryker
1989
In the Heat of the Night
1988
The Dukes
1983
as Rosco Coltrane (voice)
Enos
1980
The Dukes of Hazzard
1979
as Rosco P. Coltrane
Hooper
1978
as Cully
The End
1978
as Pacemaker Patient
Centennial
1978
Rolling Thunder
1977
as Texan
The Savage Bees
1977
as Pellegrino
Nickelodeon
1976
as Jim
Ode to Billy Joe
1976
as Dewey Barksdale
The Runaway Barge
1975
as Bingo Washington
Savages
1974
as Sheriff Bert Hamilton
The Manhunter
1974
Hawkins
1973
as Sheriff John Early
The Brain Machine
1972
as Rev. Emory Neill
Sounder
1972
as Sheriff Charlie Young
Run, Simon, Run
1970
as Henry Burroughs
Firecreek
1968
as Drew
Lancer
1968
The Mod Squad
1968
as Clay Lynch
First to Fight
1967
as Sergeant Carnavan
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
Three on a Couch
1966
as Dr. Ben Mizer
Felony Squad
1966
Hawk
1966
The Green Hornet
1966
as Yale Barton
Shenandoah
1965
as Carter, Rebel Soldier
Black Spurs
1965
as Ralph Elkins
Honey West
1965
as Vince Zale
The Quick Gun
1964
as Scotty Wade
Flipper
1964
Daniel Boone
1964
as Jethro Wyatt
Shock Corridor
1963
as Stuart
Burke's Law
1963
as Tucson, 'The Cowboy'
Redigo
1963
The Fugitive
1963
as Dan Murray
Temple Houston
1963
as Gotch
Black Gold
1962
as Jericho Larkin
The Gallant Men
1962
Combat!
1962
as Trenton
The Virginian
1962
as Curt Westley
General Electric True
1962
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
as Tom Carmody
Ben Casey
1961
Whispering Smith
1961
The Mountain Road
1960
as Niergaard
Aftermath
1960
as Hardy Coulter
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
as Jim Lindsey
Surfside 6
1960
Stagecoach West
1960
Overland Trail
1960
Pony Express
1960
as Bart Gentry
Michael Shayne
1960
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960
as Joe
Ride Lonesome
1959
as Billy John
The Killer Shrews
1959
as Thorne Sherman
Verboten!
1959
as Sgt. David Brent
Cast a Long Shadow
1959
as Sam Mullen
The Twilight Zone
1959
as Jeff Myrtlebank
Hawaiian Eye
1959
The Twilight Zone
1959
as Billy-Ben Turner
The Man and the Challenge
1959
Rawhide
1959
as Willie Cain
Men Into Space
1959
Black Saddle
1959
as Ben Travers
Lock-Up
1959
The Rebel
1959
as Ted Evans
Laramie
1959
The David Niven Show
1959
as Boland
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
as Jovan Wilanskov
Rawhide
1959
as Brock Quade
The Rebel
1959
as Abel Waares
Bonanza
1959
as Sheriff Vern Schaler
Startime
1959
as Duke
The Left Handed Gun
1958
as Tom Folliard
The Naked and the Dead
1958
as Rhidges
Cole Younger, Gunfighter
1958
as Kit Caswell
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Bronco
1958
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Stoner
The Rifleman
1958
Bat Masterson
1958
as Joe Best
The Texan
1958
Behind Closed Doors
1958
as Webb
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Luke Perry
Bat Masterson
1958
as Danny Dakota
Hot Summer Night
1957
as Kermit
Man on the Prowl
1957
as Doug Gerhardt
Last of the Badmen
1957
as Ted Hamilton
Trackdown
1957
Perry Mason
1957
as Allan Winford
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957
as Jack Milhoan
Tombstone Territory
1957
Perry Mason
1957
as Martin Potter
Calling Homicide
1956
as Det. Arnie Arnhoff
The Rack
1956
as Millard Chilson Cassidy
Gaby
1956
as Jim
Come Next Spring
1956
as Bill Jackson
Forbidden Planet
1956
as Crewman (uncredited)
West Point
1956
Top of the World
1955
as Col. French's Orderly (uncredited)
Seven Angry Men
1955
as Jason Brown
Cheyenne
1955
Gunsmoke
1955
as Beal
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Norman Frayne
The Millionaire
1955
as Fred Morgan
Buffalo Bill Jr.
1955
Frontier
1955
Gunsmoke
1955
as Charlie Noon
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Hennessy
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Bish Darby
The Raid
1954
as Lt. Robinson
The Yellow Tomahawk
1954
as Private Bliss
The Caine Mutiny
1954
as Lt. JG Jorgensen
Return from the Sea
1954
as Barr
Riders to the Stars
1954
as Dr. Sidney K. Fuller
They Rode West
1954
as Lt. Finlay (uncredited)
Climax!
1954
as Shag
The Lineup
1954
Stories of the Century
1954
Seminole
1953
as Corp. Gerad
City of Bad Men
1953
as Deputy Gig (uncredited)
Column South
1953
as Primrose
Skip Taylor
1953
General Electric Theater
1953
as Hardy Coulter
The Cimarron Kid
1952
as Bitter Creek Dalton
The Battle at Apache Pass
1952
as Cpl. Hassett
Francis Goes to West Point
1952
as Corporal Ransom
Steel Town
1952
as Joe Rakich
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
1952
as Marvin Johnson
Flat Top
1952
as Radio Operator
Cavalcade of America
1952
Hopalong Cassidy
1952
Cavalcade of America
1952
as Harry
Cavalcade of America
1952
as Slate Morley
Apache Drums
1951
as Bert Keon
Target Unknown
1951
as Sgt. Ralph Phelps
Air Cadet
1951
as Jerry Connell
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
The Adventures of Kit Carson
1951
Winchester '73
1950
as Crater
Comanche Territory
1950
as Sam
Kansas Raiders
1950
as Cole Younger
I Was a Shoplifter
1950
One Way Street
1950
as Driver (uncredited)
Peggy
1950
as Frank Addison
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Clem Wallace
The Gene Autry Show
1950