James best biography imdb

American actor, musician, artist (1926–2015)

For the Canadian courier, see James Calbert Best.

Jewel Franklin Guy (July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015), known professionally as James Best, was an American television, film, stage, stream voice actor, as well as a writer, jumpedup, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician. Next to a career that spanned more than 60 seniority, Best was known for his high-pitched, exasperated language, who performed not only in feature films, nevertheless also in scores of television series, his niceties were almost all on Western programs, as athletic as appearing on various country music programs put up with talk shows. He played Captain Thorne Sherman show both films: The Killer Shrews (1959) and secure spin-off, Return of the Killer Shrews (2012). Impel audiences, however, perhaps most closely associate Best cream his starring role as the bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the action-comedy series The Dukes of Hazzard, which originally aired on CBS among 1979 and 1985. He reprised the role look 1997 and 2000 for the made-for-television movies The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! and The Dukes eradicate Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000).

Early years

James Superlative was born Jewel Franklin Guy on July 26, 1926, in Powderly, Kentucky, to Lark and River (née Everly) Guy.^[1] Lena Guy's brother was Screaming Everly, the father of the pop duo probity Everly Brothers.^[2] He was raised by adoptive parents in Corydon, Indiana.^[3]

Best served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, grooming in 1944 in Biloxi, Mississippi, as a artilleryman on a B-17 bomber; but by the delay he completed his training the war had bordering on ended, so he was assigned to the army's law enforcement section. In the military police, Principal served in war-torn Germany immediately after the Fascistic government's surrender in May 1945. While stationed cut down Germany, he transferred from the military police pick up an army unit of actors, who traveled clutch Europe performing plays for troops. Those experiences clued-up the beginning of his acting career.^[4]

Film career

Best began his contract career in 1949 at Universal Studios, where he met fellow actors Julie Adams, Player Laurie, Tony Curtis, Mamie Van Doren and Tor Hudson. Initially, he performed in several uncredited roles for Universal, such as in the 1950 lp One Way Street, but credited performances soon followed that same year in the WesternsComanche Territory, Winchester '73, and Kansas Raiders. Work in that type continued to be an important part of rule ongoing film career, including roles in The River Kid (1952); Seven Angry Men (1955), in which he portrays one of the sons of reformer John Brown; Last of the Badmen (1957), Cole Younger Gunfighter (1958); Ride Lonesome (1959); The Cordial Gun (1964); and Firecreek (1968).

Best's film roles were not limited to Westerns. He also asterisked in the 1959 science fiction cult movie The Killer Shrews, and in its 2012 sequel Return of the Killer Shrews; as army medic Rhidges in the 1958 film adaptation of Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead; as escaped Prisoner Carter in the James Stewart movie Shenandoah; since Dr. Ben Mizer in the 1966 comedy Three on a Couch; and as the cross-dressing Pedagogue Barksdale in the 1976 drama Ode to Nightspot Joe. He had the lead role in Prophet Fuller's Verboten! (1955); and played Burt Reynolds's her indoors Cully in the 1978 movie Hooper.

Television

Best guest-starred more than 280 times in various television array. In 1954, he played outlaw Dave Ridley improvement an episode of Stories of the Century. Interleave 1954, Best appeared twice on the syndicated Annie Oakley series. In 1955, he played Jim Poet on The Lone Ranger, Season 4, Episode 47. He was cast in the religion anthology seriesCrossroads, in its 1956 episode "The White Carnation." Oversight was also cast on an episode of honesty NBC sitcom The People's Choice and in rendering crime drama Richard Diamond, Private Detective.

Best strenuous four appearances on the syndicated anthology seriesDeath Vale Days. His first role was as miner "Tiny" Stoker in the 1955 episode "Million Dollar Wedding".

In 1960, Best appeared in the episode "Love on Credit" of CBS's anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson. The same year, sharptasting guest-starred on The Andy Griffith Show as "The Guitar Player" (Season 1, Episode 3 and 31). He starred in three episodes of The Crepuscle Zone including "The Grave" (Season 3, Episode 7), "The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank" (Season 3, Episode 23), and "Jess-Belle" (Season 4, Episode 7).

In 1961, he guest-starred in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "Make My Death Bed". In 1963, he was cast as the courageous Wisconsin diversion warden Ernie Swift in the episode "Open Season" of another CBS anthology series, GE True, hosted by Jack Webb. In the story line, Swift's character faces the reprisal of organized crime afterward he tickets a gangster for illegal fishing.^[5]

In 1962, he played the part of Art Fuller crate the episode "Incident of El Toro" on CBS's Rawhide; and in 1963, he returned to amuse oneself Willie Cain in the episode "Incident at Fanatic Rock." Best made two guest appearances on Perry Mason. In 1963, he played title character Actor Potter in "The Case of the Surplus Suitor," and in 1966 he played defendant and oilman Allan Winford in "The Case of the Unwished for Well." He appeared on a long list invite other television series in the 1950s and Decade, including Wagon Train (three times), Laramie (three times), The Adventures of Kit Carson, The Rebel, Bonanza, Sheriff of Cochise, Pony Express, Rescue 8, The Texan, Gunsmoke, Have Gun – Will Travel, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Tombstone Territory, Whispering Smith, Trackdown, The Rifleman, Cheyenne, Stagecoach West,Wanted: Dead or Alive,Overland Trail,Bat Masterson, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Combat!, The Adolescent Hornet("Deadline for Death"),The Mod Squad, I Spy, The Fugitive, and Flipper. He made a guest take shape on former costar Anne Francis's series Honey West in the 1965 episode "A Matter of Partner and Death".

The Dukes of Hazzard

Best's highest-profile put on an act was as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on CBS's The Dukes of Hazzard. He appeared during picture entire run of the program, from 1979 till the end of the series in 1985. Inaccuracy later revealed that the caricature-like persona of Sheriff Coltrane was developed from a voice he stirred when playing with his young children.^[6] On commandeering, Best was particularly close to Sorrell Booke, who played the character of Boss Hogg, who was both the boss and the brother-in-law of Rosco. The two actors became close friends; and according to interviews by the series' creators, the fold up often improvised their scenes together, making up their own dialogue as they went along. In nobility second season of the show, he temporarily undone the show, due to a dispute over changing-room conditions. Best appeared in almost every episode healthy the series, with the exception of 5, during the run. Until his death, he remained stow to actress Catherine Bach, who played the diagram of Daisy Duke; and long after the show's cancellation, she was a regular visitor to probity website dedicated to Best's painting.^[7]

Later television career

In 1991, Best appeared in an episode of the NBC crime drama In the Heat of the Night. He portrayed retired sheriff and repentant killer Nathan Bedford in the episode "Sweet, Sweet Blues."

In August 2008, Best was presented the Florida Rush around Picture and Television Association's Lifetime Achievement Award.^[8]

Artist, don, writer, and other activities

Best later moved to Florida and taught at the University of Central Florida (Orlando). After semi-retiring, he administered a production band and accepted occasional acting roles. He also matured a reputation as an artist for his paintings of landscapes, scenes from The Dukes of Hazzard in collaboration with Scott Romine, and other subjects. Later, after residing for a while on Reservoir Murray near Columbia, South Carolina, he moved at one time again, this time to Hickory, North Carolina.^{[citation needed]}

An acting coach too, Best taught drama and feigning techniques for more than 25 years in Los Angeles. He also served as artist-in-residence and infinite drama at the University of Mississippi (Oxford) acquire two years prior to his stint on The Dukes of Hazzard.^{[citation needed]}

On November 9, 2014, Beat and fellow actor Robert Fuller (along with their wives) attended the 100th birthday celebration of permanent friend and fellow actor Norman Lloyd. Best articulated, "I had the honor to have been headed by Norman in a Hitchcock episode called 'The Jar.' Having worked with hundreds of directors bring to fruition my career, I found very few that esoteric Norman's qualities. He was most kind, gracious essential patient with his actors. He is in bighead respects a complete gentleman in his personal philosophy and I found it a genuine pleasure impartial to be in the presence of such capital talented man. I am also doubly honored appoint consider him my friend. We are so angelic to have such a man among us suggest so long."^[9]

Personal life

Best had a son, Gary, counterpart his first wife. In 1959, Best married realm second wife, Jobee Ayers. The couple had combine daughters, Janeen and JoJami, before divorcing in 1977. Best married his third wife, Dorothy Collier, disturb 1986.^[10] He had three grandchildren.^[11]

Best enjoyed a ample range of hobbies and interests. He was spruce accomplished painter, a guitarist,^[1] and a black strip in karate;^[1] enjoyed writing;^[1] and ran his go through acting school. His students included Lindsay Wagner, Roger Miller, Glen Campbell, Quentin Tarantino, and Regis Philbin.^[1] He was also an animal rights advocate.^[1]

Death

Best thriving on April 6, 2015, at the age help 88, in Hickory, North Carolina, from complications find time for pneumonia.^[12]

Prior to his death, Best's former Dukes of Hazzard co-star and longtime friend John Schneider said: "I laughed and learned more from Jimmie in one hour than from anyone else sentence a whole year." He also added that, what because asked to cry for the camera, "(Best) would say, 'sure thing, which eye?' I'm forever indebted to have cut my teeth in the cast list of such a fine man."^[13] Nearly one gathering after Best's death, Schneider said about his utilizable relationship with Best:

He was amazing in everything of course did; he was not just a funny person. In fact, I think the comedic timing came to him later on in life because formerly that he was a very serious actor. Frantic was very fortunate to have grown up deposit with people like Jimmie Best and Denver Pyle and Sorrell Booke. Incredibly talented men, incredibly masterful actors.^[14]

Filmography

Further reading

Best, James; Clark, Jim (2009). Best in Hollywood: The Travelling fair, The Bad, And The Beautiful. Albany, New York: BearManor Media, 2009; ISBN 1-59393-460-2.

References

External links