Person Details

Birthday:

Aliases: James Davis , Marlin Davis

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Edgerton, Platte County, Missouri, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 85

TV Involvements: 32


Most Famous Work

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jim Davis (born Marlin Davis, August 26, 1909 – April 26, 1981) was an American actor, best known for his role as Jock Ewing in the CBS prime-time soap opera, Dallas, a role which continued until he was too ill from a terminal illness to perform. He was known as Jim Davis by the time of his first major screen role, which was opposite Bette Davis in the 1948 melodrama Winter Meeting,[3] a lavish failure for which he was lambasted in the press as being too inexperienced to play the part properly. His subsequent film career consisted of mostly B movies, many of them westerns, although he made an impression as a U.S. senator in the Warren Beatty conspiracy thriller The Parallax View. Davis performed in numerous television series episodes in the 1950s-1970s. After years of relatively low-profile roles, Davis was cast as family patriarch Jock Ewing on Dallas, which debuted in 1978. During season four, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma but continued to film the show as long as he could. In many scenes as the season progressed he was shown seated, and his voice became softer and more obviously affected by his illness. He wore a hairpiece to cover the hair he'd lost from chemotherapy. A season four storyline regarding the Takapa development and Jock's separation from Miss Ellie was ended abruptly at the end of season four. The writers depicted the couple suddenly leaving to go on an extended second honeymoon when it became obvious that Davis could no longer continue to work. Their departure in a limousine in the episode "New Beginnings" was Davis' only scene in that episode, and his condition was so poor that close watching reveals (based on his unsynchronized lip movement) that he overdubbed his one last line of dialogue. It was his final appearance on the show. He died of complications from his illness while season four was being aired.

Most Famous Work

Perry Mason
Average
8

Perry Mason

(1957) Capt. Joe Farrell
Bonanza
Average
8

Bonanza

(1959) Sam Butler
The Millionaire
Average
5

The Millionaire

(1955) Jim Driskill
Daniel Boone
Average
7

Daniel Boone

(1964) Rafe Carson
Dallas
Average
7

Dallas

(1978) Jock Ewing
Rawhide
Average
7

Rawhide

(1959) Sheriff
Gunsmoke
Average
7

Gunsmoke

(1955) Luke Rumbaugh
The High Chaparral
Average
6

The High Chaparral

(1967) Robbins

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
1981 Mr. Wilkenson
1980 Grant Williams
1979 Hal
1978 Julie Blocker
Sen. Barry Tyler
Jock Ewing
Pop Appling
1977 Drobeck
Dave Erickson
N/A
1976 N/A
Sheriff Pat Lambrose
1975 Capt. Buckshot Bates
1974 George Hammond
Marshal Bill Winter
Rocky Stratton
1973 Dixie
1972 N/A
Marshal
Roy Johnson
Ed McKay
Sheriff Potter
N/A
1971 Sheriff Naylor
Sgt. Martin
Head of Lynching Party
1970 N/A
Cal Brennan
Rio Lobo Deputy
1969 Clay Bates
N/A
Jake
1968 Noah Reedy
Vince Ballard
1967 Robbins
N/A
Krantz
Scarecrow
1966 Jim Purvis
Col. Jim Bowie
Marshal MacPhee
1965 Ellis Bengston
N/A
Adam Carlyle
N/A
1964 Carpenter
Sam Ralston
Rafe Carson
Sgt. Walsh
1962 Cardenas
N/A
N/A
1961 Case Silverthorne
Jim Stockton
1960 Gunman at Boot Hill
N/A
Sam Hogarth
N/A
N/A
Case Britton
1959 N/A
Johnny
Sam Wolfe
Sam Butler
Frank James
Sheriff
1958 Bullet Pike
Marshal Matt Gordon
N/A
N/A
Col. Hugh Carver
Jim Hughes
Johnny Ringo
1957 N/A
Angus Clyde McKane
George Tabor
Capt. Joe Farrell
N/A
Ralph Carpenter
Bill Cameron
Ben Ziegler
Dr. Quent Brady
Ed Newton
Jeff Harlan
Dean Cannary
Robert Arnold
Police Captain Stewart / Narrator
1956 Tony Burton
The Stranger
Nick Randall
Aaron Baring
George Cady
1955 Glendon
Chief Deputy John Poe
Clell Williams
Gainer
Jim Basset
Jubal Gray
Ben Rawlins
Wes Cameron
Sheriff Shackwood
Amos Carver
Dave Carpenter
Luke Rumbaugh
Ben Evans
Poole
Jim Driskill
1954 Sam Horne
Marshal Dan Porter
N/A
N/A
Major Linton Cosgrave
Brad Bellows
Silky
Matt Clark
1953 Cole Younger
Cole Treuitt
1952 Red Courteen
J.L. Armstrong
Streak
Steve Powell
N/A
Willie Whitewater
N/A
1951 Tony Sullivan
Wade McQuarrie
Cpl. Doan Moylan
Lt. Spaulding
Ira Jordan
Fred Denton
1950 Lincoln 'Linc' Corey
Cochran
Miller
Joe Harper
Lt. Mike Baker
1949 Joe Tascarelli
Nick Courteen
Gyp Stoner
Dave Ryder
Slave Overseer (uncredited)
1948 Slick Novak
1947 Sam Bass
Von Strutt's Assistant (uncredited)
1946 Harry
Matthews (Uncredited)
1943 Investigator / Airport Announcer (Uncredited)
Military Policeman
1942 Talker (uncredited)
Seaplane Pilot (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Joseph Cummins
Mountie with Warrant
Year Character Movie/Tv

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