James Ellison

James Ellison

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. James Ellison (May 4, 1910 - December 23, 1993) was an American actor, born James Ellison Smith in Guthrie Center, Iowa, son of Edward James Smith and Ona Mary Ellis. Ellison appeared in nearly seventy films between 1932 and 1962. Ellison worked for a time in a film laboratory and while there was offered a screen test. He developed it himself and when he saw it, decided it was not satisfactory so he would not show it to the director. But he saw it anyway and Ellison got a contract. Despite his rugged good looks and height of 6 feet 3 inches, Ellison's limited range and somewhat wooden screen presence kept him from the first (or even second) ranks of stardom. He spent much of his career in Westerns, including a stint in the mid-thirties as the sidekick of Hopalong Cassidy in Paramount's successful series. In 1938, he played a charming, romantic character opposite 26 year old Lucille Ball in the comedy, "Next Time I Marry", a film where Ball had her first top billing on screen credits. Before that, in 1936, he played his highest-profile role, as Buffalo Bill in Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman, which also starred Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. Despite that film's success, Ellison spent most of the remainder of his career shuttling between cowboy pictures and more varied roles, primarily in B movies with titles like Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case and The Undying Monster. He had a supporting role in 1941's Charley's Aunt (which starred Jack Benny) and played the romantic lead in 1943's The Gang's All Here, a Twentieth Century Fox musical in which he seemed somewhat lost among the vivid antics of Carmen Miranda, Charlotte Greenwood, and Edward Everett Horton (and was the only principal not to sing a note). He also co-starred with Tom Conway and Frances Dee in Val Lewton's production of I Walked with a Zombie, directed by Jacques Tourneur. Ellison landed another romantic lead role as 'Jerry Gibson' in the musical film Lady, Let's Dance (1944) which starred ice skating sensation 'Belita'. In the early 1950s, Ellison moved from acting to real estate. Joining fellow veteran Jackie Coogan, Ellison returned to the screen only once to play Axel 'Longhorn' Gates in a picture called When the Girls Take Over (1962). James Ellison died at age 83 in Monterey, California after suffering a broken neck as the result of a fall. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Ellison (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For: Acting
Birthday: 1910-05-04
Place of Birth: Guthrie Center, Iowa, USA
Also Known As: Jimmie 'Shamrock' Ellison, Jimmie Ellison, Jimmy 'Shamrock' Ellison, Jimmy Ellison, James Ellison Smith

Movies List of James Ellison

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Vivacious Lady

1938 Movie
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The Undying Monster

1942 Movie
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Charley's Aunt

1941 Movie
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The Plainsman

1936 Movie
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5th Ave Girl

1939 Movie
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Crooked River

1950 Movie
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The Gang's All Here

1943 Movie
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The Eagle's Brood

1935 Movie
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Three on the Trail

1936 Movie
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Hop-a-long Cassidy

1935 Movie
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Bar 20 Rides Again

1935 Movie
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Borderland

1937 Movie
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Heart of the West

1936 Movie
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Call of the Prairie

1936 Movie
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Trail Dust

1936 Movie
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The Ghost Goes Wild

1947 Movie
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Hollywood and Vine

1945 Movie
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The Winning Ticket

1935 Movie
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Zenobia

1939 Movie
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Play Girl

1941 Movie
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Buried Loot

1935 Movie
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Anne of Windy Poplars

1940 Movie
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Calendar Girl

1947 Movie
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Hitch Hike Lady

1935 Movie
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Texas Lawmen

1951 Movie
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Hotel for Women

1939 Movie
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Sorority House

1939 Movie
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Almost a Gentleman

1939 Movie
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Lady, Let's Dance

1944 Movie
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Annapolis Salute

1937 Movie
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23 1/2 Hours Leave

1937 Movie
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Next Time I Marry

1938 Movie
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Play Girl

1932 Movie
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Ice-Capades

1941 Movie
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Reckless

1935 Movie
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That Other Woman

1942 Movie
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Kentucky Jubilee

1951 Movie
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They Met in Argentina

1941 Movie
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The Barrier

1937 Movie
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Army Surgeon

1942 Movie
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Everybody's Dancin'

1950 Movie
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Dixie Dugan

1943 Movie
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Fast on the Draw

1950 Movie
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Colorado Ranger

1950 Movie
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Marshal of Heldorado

1950 Movie
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Hostile Country

1950 Movie
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West of the Brazos

1950 Movie
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Oklahoma Justice

1951 Movie
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Whistling Hills

1951 Movie
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Dead Man's Trail

1952 Movie
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G.I. War Brides

1946 Movie
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I Killed Geronimo

1950 Movie
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Texas City

1952 Movie
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Best Foot Forward

1943 Movie