James Whitmore
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- October 1, 1921
- Died
- February 6, 2009
- Birthplace
- White Plains, New York, USA
James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American film, theatre, and television actor. During his career, Whitmore won three of the four EGOT honors; - a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy. Whitmore also won a Golden Globe and was nominated for two Academy Awards. Following World War II, Whitmore appeared on Broadway in the role of the sergeant in Command Decision. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave Whitmore a contract, but his role in the film adaptation was played by Van Johnson. His first major picture for MGM was Battleground, in a role that was turned down by Spencer Tracy, to whom Whitmore bore a noted physical resemblance. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role, and won the Golden Globe Award as Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role. Other major films included Angels in the Outfield, The Asphalt Jungle, The Next Voice You Hear, Above and Beyond, Kiss Me, Kate, Them!, Oklahoma!, Black Like Me, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and Give 'em Hell, Harry!, a one-man show for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of former U.S. President Harry S Truman. In the film Tora! Tora! Tora!, he played Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey. Whitmore appeared during the 1950s on many television anthology series. He was cast as Father Emil Kapaun in the 1955 episode "The Good Thief" in the ABC religion anthology series Crossroads. Other roles followed on Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theater, Lux Video Theatre, Kraft Theatre, Studio One in Hollywood, Schlitz Playhouse, Matinee Theatre, and the Ford Television Theatre. In 1958, he carried the lead in "The Gabe Carswell Story" of NBC's Wagon Train, with Ward Bond. Whitmore has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6611 Hollywood Boulevard. The ceremony was held on February 8, 1960.
Filmography
Arthur Miller: Writer 2017
as Self (archive footage)
- Meet Mr. Miracle-Gro: The Horace Hagedorn Story
Meet Mr. Miracle-Gro: The Horace Hagedorn Story 2005
Actor
Hope Springs Eternal: A Look Back at The Shawshank Redemption 2004
as Self
- Cole Porter in Hollywood: Too Darn Hot
Cole Porter in Hollywood: Too Darn Hot 2003
as Self
A Ring of Endless Light 2002
as Grandfather
The Majestic 2001
as Stan Keller
Here's to Life! 2000
as Gus Corley
Swing Vote 1999
as Daniel Morissey
The Relic 1997
as Dr. Albert Frock
Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick 1995
as Self
The Shawshank Redemption 1994
as Brooks Hatlen
- Roots of Roe
Roots of Roe 1993
as Pope Pius XI (voice)
Old Explorers 1990
as Leinen Roth
Sky High 1990
as Gus Johnson
Glory! Glory! 1989
as Lester Babbitt
Nuts 1987
as Judge Stanley Murdoch
All My Sons 1987
as Joe Keller
The Adventures of Mark Twain 1985
as Mark Twain (voice)
Love Those Trains 1984
as Narrator
The Klan: A Legacy of Hate in America 1982
as Narrator
Hail Columbia! 1982
as Narrator
Mark, I Love You 1980
as Dwight Hamilton
The First Deadly Sin 1980
as Dr. Sanford Ferguson
Rage! 1980
as Borski
The Golden Honeymoon 1980
as Charley Tate
The Horror Show 1979
as (archive footage)
Bully: An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt 1978
as Teddy Roosevelt
The Serpent's Egg 1977
as Priester
The Flying Misfits 1976
as Capt. James 'Jim' Gutterman
Give 'em Hell, Harry! 1975
as Harry S. Truman
I Will Fight No More Forever 1975
as General Oliver O. Howard
The Canterville Ghost 1974
as Hyram B. Otis
The Balloon Vendor 1974
as Antonio
Where the Red Fern Grows 1974
as Grandpa
Man Belongs to the Earth 1974
as Narrator
High Crime 1973
as Commissioner Aldo Scavino
The Harrad Experiment 1973
as Philip Tenhausen
Chato's Land 1972
as Joshua Everette
If Tomorrow Comes 1971
as Frank Phillips
The Challenge 1970
as Overman
Tora! Tora! Tora! 1970
as Admiral William F. Halsey
Guns of the Magnificent Seven 1969
as Levi
The Split 1968
as Herb Sutro
Madigan 1968
as Chief Inspector Charles Kane
Planet of the Apes 1968
as President of the Assembly
Nobody's Perfect 1968
as Capt. Mike Riley
Waterhole #3 1967
as Capt. Shipley
Chuka 1967
as Lou Trent
The Tenderfoot 1966
as Captain Ewell
Black Like Me 1964
as John Finley Horton
The Long Lost Life of Edward Smalley 1963
as J. Marvin Bean
Icarus Montgolfier Wright 1962
Actor
Who Was That Lady? 1960
as Harry Powell
Face of Fire 1959
as Monk Johnson
The Restless Years 1958
as Ed Henderson
The Deep Six 1958
as Cmdr. Warren Meredith
The Young Don't Cry 1957
as Rudy Krist
Crime in the Streets 1956
as Ben Wagner
The Eddy Duchin Story 1956
as Lou Sherwood
The Last Frontier 1955
as Gus
Oklahoma! 1955
as Mr. Carnes
The McConnell Story 1955
as SSgt. / Maj . / Col. Ty 'Dad' Whitman
Battle Cry 1955
as MSgt. Mac
Them! 1954
as Sgt. Ben Peterson
The Command 1954
as Sgt. Elliott
The Great Diamond Robbery 1954
as Mr. Remlick, Lawyer
Kiss Me Kate 1953
as Slug
All the Brothers Were Valiant 1953
as Fetcher
The Girl Who Had Everything 1953
as Charles "Chico" Menlow
Above and Beyond 1953
as Maj. William M. Uanna
- The Hoaxters
The Hoaxters 1952
as Narrator (voice)
Because You're Mine 1952
as Sergeant 'Bat' Batterson
Shadow in the Sky 1952
as Lou Hopke
It's a Big Country 1951
as Mr. Stacey
Angels in the Outfield 1951
as Angel (voice) (uncredited)
Across the Wide Missouri 1951
as Old Bill (uncredited)
The Red Badge of Courage 1951
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone 1950
as John Malone
The Next Voice You Hear... 1950
as Joe Smith
Please Believe Me 1950
as Vincent Maran
The Asphalt Jungle 1950
as Gus Minissi
The Outriders 1950
as Clint Priest
Battleground 1949
as Kinnie
The Undercover Man 1949
as George Pappas
Credits from TMDB.