Jack Elam
Acting
213
Acting Credits
Biography
Colorful American character actor equally adept at vicious killers or grizzled sidekicks. As a child he worked in the cotton fields. He attended Santa Monica Junior College in California and subsequently became an accountant and, at one time, manager of the Bel Air Hotel. Elam got his first movie job by trading his accounting services for a role. In short time he became one of the most memorable supporting players in Hollywood, thanks not only to his near-demented screen persona but also to an o...
Known For
Filmography
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
1997
as Self
Bonanza: Under Attack
1995
as Buckshot
Uninvited
1993
as Grady
Bonanza: The Return
1993
as Buckshot
Shadow Force
1992
as Tommy
Lucky Luke
1992
as Axel Ericson
Suburban Commando
1991
as Col. Dustin 'Dusty' McHowell
Home Improvement
1991
as Hick Peterson
The Giant of Thunder Mountain
1990
as Hezekiah Crow
Big Bad John
1990
as Jake Calhoun
Where the Hell's That Gold?!!?
1988
as Boone
Once Upon a Texas Train
1988
as Jason Fitch
Paradise
1988
as Skragg
Hawken's Breed
1987
as Tackett
I Am Not a Freak
1987
as Self
J.J. Starbuck
1987
Louis L'Amour's Down the Long Hills
1986
as Squires
The Aurora Encounter
1986
as Charlie
Easy Street
1986
Detective in the House
1985
Cannonball Run II
1984
as Doc
Scrooge's Rock 'N' Roll Christmas
1984
as Scrooge
Sacred Ground
1983
as Lum Witcher
Lost
1983
as Mr. Newsom
Jinxed!
1982
as Otto
The Cannonball Run
1981
as Doctor
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.
1981
as Troscliar Boudreaux
Skyward Christmas
1981
as Clay Haller
The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite
1981
as Seth Beaumont
Simon & Simon
1981
Father Murphy
1981
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
1979
as Big Mac
The Villain
1979
as Avery Simpson
The Sacketts
1979
as Ira Bigelow
Struck by Lightning
1979
as Frank
$weepstake$
1979
Hot Lead & Cold Feet
1978
as Rattlesnake
The Norseman
1978
as Death Dreamer
Lacy and the Mississippi Queen
1978
as Willie Red Fire
Huckleberry Finn
1978
as King
Black Beauty
1978
as Jonas McBride
Grayeagle
1977
as Trapper Willis
Eight Is Enough
1977
Grizzly Adams
1977
as Gus
How the West Was Won
1977
as Cully Madigan
Hawmps!
1976
as Bad Jack Cutter
Creature from Black Lake
1976
as Joe Canton
The Winds of Autumn
1976
as J. Pete Hankins
Pony Express Rider
1976
as Crazy Charlie
The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe
1976
as Bitterroot
Sidekicks
1974
as Boss
A Knife for the Ladies
1974
as Jarrod (Sheriff)
Shootout in a One-Dog Town
1974
as Handy
The Red Pony
1973
as Granddad
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
1973
as Alamosa Bill Kermit
The Daughters of Joshua Cabe
1972
as Bitterroot
The Last Escape of Billy the Kid
1972
as Pat Garrett
The Brian Keith Show
1972
Kung Fu
1972
as Marcus Taylor
Hannie Caulder
1971
as Frank Clemens
Support Your Local Gunfighter
1971
as Jug May
The Last Rebel
1971
as Matt
Cat Ballou
1971
as Kid Sheleen
Alias Smith and Jones
1971
Nichols
1971
as Marcus A.F. Baxter
Rio Lobo
1970
as Phillips
Dirty Dingus Magee
1970
as John Wesley Hardin
The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County
1970
as Kittrick
The Wild Country
1970
as Thompson
Plimpton! Shoot-Out at Rio Lobo
1970
as Self
Support Your Local Sheriff!
1969
as Jake
The Over the Hill Gang
1969
as Sheriff Clyde Barnes
Ride a Northbound Horse
1969
as Sheriff
Firecreek
1968
as Norman
Never a Dull Moment
1968
as Ace Williams
Sartana Does Not Forgive
1968
as Slim Kovacs
Once Upon a Time in the West
1968
as Frank's Gunman
The Outcasts
1968
Lancer
1968
The Way West
1967
as Preacher Weatherby
The Last Challenge
1967
as Ernest Scarnes
Cimarron Strip
1967
The High Chaparral
1967
as Macklin
Hondo
1967
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
as Sam - Sheriff
The Night of the Grizzly
1966
as Hank
The Rare Breed
1966
as Deke Simons
Tarzan
1966
F Troop
1965
The Legend of Jesse James
1965
as Deacon Smith
The Wild Wild West
1965
as Zack Slade
Daniel Boone
1964
as Petch
4 for Texas
1963
as Dobie
The Dakotas
1963
as Deputy J.D. Smith
Temple Houston
1963
as George Taggart
The Virginian
1962
as Harve Yost
Pocketful of Miracles
1961
as Cheesecake
The Comancheros
1961
as Horseface (Comanchero)
The Last Sunset
1961
as Ed Hobbs
Target: The Corruptors!
1961
Ben Casey
1961
Gunslinger
1961
as Clint Gannet
The Girl in Lovers Lane
1960
as Jesse
The Slowest Gun in the West
1960
as Ike Dalton
Outlaws
1960
National Velvet
1960
as Black Barr
Stagecoach West
1960
as Clell
Edge of Eternity
1959
as Bill Ward
The Twilight Zone
1959
as Avery
Bonanza
1959
as Dodie Hoad
Rawhide
1959
as Turkey Creek Jack Johnson
The Rebel
1959
as Uncle Luce
Tightrope
1959
Bonanza
1959
as Honest John
Bonanza
1959
as Buford Buckalew
The Untouchables
1959
as Jug Alverson
The Untouchables
1959
as Nick Bravo
Mr. Lucky
1959
as Phil Bricker
Laramie
1959
as Parson Hawks
The Gun Runners
1958
as Arnold
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
Bronco
1958
The Rifleman
1958
as Sim Groder
Lawman
1958
The Texan
1958
The Texan
1958
as Luke Watson
Lawman
1958
as Herm Forrest
Lawman
1958
as Paul Henry
The Rifleman
1958
as Russell
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
1957
as Tom McLowery
Night Passage
1957
as Shotgun
Baby Face Nelson
1957
as Fatso Nagel
Dragoon Wells Massacre
1957
as Tioga
Lure of the Swamp
1957
as Henry Bliss
Tales of Wells Fargo
1957
as Chris
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957
as Danny Boy
M Squad
1957
as Luke Morgan
Sugarfoot
1957
as Toothy Thompson
The Restless Gun
1957
as Tony Molinor
Zorro
1957
as Gomez (uncredited)
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957
as Perk Butler
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
as Arnold Shaffner
The Restless Gun
1957
as Link Jerrod
Pardners
1956
as Pete
Thunder Over Arizona
1956
as Slats Callahan
Jubal
1956
as McCoy
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Hock Ellis
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Little Jimmy Lehigh
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Stage Driver Cass
Moonfleet
1955
as Damen
Artists and Models
1955
as Ivan
Kiss Me Deadly
1955
as Charlie Max
The Man from Laramie
1955
as Chris Boldt
Tarzan's Hidden Jungle
1955
as Burger
Wichita
1955
as Al
Man Without a Star
1955
as Knife Murderer (uncredited)
Kismet
1955
as Hasan-Ben
Cheyenne
1955
Gunsmoke
1955
as Dolph Quince
Frontier
1955
as Ness Fowler
Gunsmoke
1955
as Steed
Gunsmoke
1955
as Clint Dodie
Gunsmoke
1955
as Ben
Gunsmoke
1955
as Hector
Gunsmoke
1955
as Specter
Gunsmoke
1955
as Del Ordman
Gunsmoke
1955
as Sam Band
Gunsmoke
1955
as Jim Barrett
Gunsmoke
1955
as William Prange
Gunsmoke
1955
as Lucas Murdoch
Gunsmoke
1955
as Titus Spangler
Gunsmoke
1955
as Pierre Audubon
Screen Director's Playhouse
1955
as Shanks
Cheyenne
1955
as Calhoun Durango
Cheyenne
1955
as Count Nicholas Potosi
The Far Country
1954
as Frank Newberry
Princess of the Nile
1954
as Basra
Jubilee Trail
1954
as Whitey
Vera Cruz
1954
as Tex
Cattle Queen of Montana
1954
as Yost
Ride Clear of Diablo
1954
as Tim Lowerie
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Sheriff
Studio 57
1954
Count the Hours!
1953
as Max Verne
Ride, Vaquero!
1953
as Barton
Gun Belt
1953
as Rusty Kolloway
Appointment in Honduras
1953
as Castro
The Moonlighter
1953
as Slim
High Noon
1952
as Charlie - Drunk in Jail (uncredited)
Finders Keepers
1952
as Eddie
Kansas City Confidential
1952
as Pete Harris
Rancho Notorious
1952
as Mort Geary
The Ring
1952
as Harry Jackson
Lure of the Wilderness
1952
as Dave Longden
My Man and I
1952
as Celestino Garcia
The Battle at Apache Pass
1952
as Mescal Jack
Montana Territory
1952
as Gimp
Mr. & Mrs. North
1952
Four Star Playhouse
1952
as Vic
Rawhide
1951
as Tevis
Bird of Paradise
1951
as The Trader
The Bushwhackers
1951
as Cree
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Lee Dineen
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Halleck
The Sundowners
1950
as Earl Boyce
American Guerrilla in the Philippines
1950
as The Speaker
High Lonesome
1950
as Smiling Man
One Way Street
1950
as Arnie (uncredited)
Key to the City
1950
as Councilman (uncredited)
A Ticket to Tomahawk
1950
as Fargo
Wild Weed
1949
as Raymond - Henchman
The Lone Ranger
1949
as Reno Lawrence