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Jim Backus Biography (1913-)

Full name, James Gilmore Backus; born February 25, 1913, in Cleveland, OH; son of Russell Gould and Daisy (Gilmore-Taylor) Backus; married Henriette (Henny) Kaye, January 14, 1943. Addresses: HOME--Bel Air, CA. OFFICE--8810Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90069. AGENT--c/o Agency for the PerformingArts, 9000 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1200, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Birth Details

February 25, 1913

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Famous Works

• Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE APPEARANCES
• Hitch Your Wagon, 48th Street Theatre, New York City, 1937.
• Too Many Heroes, Hudson Theatre, New York City, 1937.
• Also appeared in summer theatre productions.
• FILM DEBUT--Easy Living, RKO, 1949.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM APPEARANCES
• Higgins, The Great Lover, Paramount, 1949.
• Howard Prichard, One Last Fling, Warner Brothers, 1949.
• Thomas Jacoby, Customs Agent, Columbia, 1950.
• Ed Hamley, Emergency Wedding, Columbia, 1950.
• Willie Dennis, The Killer That Stalked New York, Columbia, 1950.
• Little Joe, Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (also known as Going to Town), Universal, 1950.
• Bill Grayson, Bright Victory (also known as Lights Out), Universal, 1951.
• Mitch Davis, Hollywood Story, Universal, 1951.
• Max Watkins, Iron Man, Universal, 1951.
• Michael Hogan, Half Angel, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1951.
• Myron Winton, His Kind of Woman, RKO, 1951.
• Harvey Landrum, I Want You, Samuel Goldwyn/RKO, 1951.
• Flaherty, Man with a Cloak, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1951.
• Sam Harris, I'll See You in My Dreams, Warner Brothers, 1951.
• mayor, M, Columbia, 1951.
• Joe Randolph, Here Come the Nelsons (also known as Meet the Nelsons), Universal, 1952.
• Charles Barry, Pat and Mike, MGM, 1952.
• Mike Burke, The Rose Bowl Story, Monogram, 1952.
• centurion, Androcles and the Lion, RKO, 1952.
• Cleary, Deadline, U.S.A. (also known as Deadline), Twentieth Century- Fox, 1952.
• Mergo, I Love Melvin, MGM, 1953.
• General Curtis E. Le May, Above and Beyond, MGM, 1953.
• District Attorney Judson, Angel Face, RKO, 1953.
• Jason Ambrose, Geraldine, Republic, 1953.
• Ben Judson, Deep in My Heart, MGM, 1954.
• Commander Hutch, Francis in the Navy, Universal, 1955.
• Pat Quaid, The Square Jungle, Universal, 1955.
• Mr. Stark, Rebel without a Cause, Warner Brothers, 1955.
• Danker, You Can't Run Away from It, Columbia, 1956.
• Sergeant Hanna, The Girl He Left Behind, Warner Brothers, 1956.
• Tom Culdare, Meet Me in Las Vegas (also known as Viva Las Vegas), MGM, 1956.
• psychiatrist, The Opposite Sex, MGM, 1956.
• Willis Haver, The Naked Hills, Allied Artists, 1956.
• Harvey Graham, Eighteen and Anxious (also known as No Greater Sin), Republic, 1957.
• Nick Cellantano, The Great Man, Universal, 1957.
• Clarence Logan, The Man of a Thousand Faces, Universal, 1957.
• Colonel Gooch, Top Secret Affair (also known as Their Secret Affair), Warner Brothers, 1957.
• Paul Mason, The High Cost of Loving, MGM, 1958.
• Jim Tyloe, Macabre, Allied Artists, 1958.
• Mr. Maxwell, Ask Any Girl, MGM, 1959.
• Cliff Heldon, The Big Operator (also known as Anatomy of a Syndicate), MGM, 1959.
• Jim Gordon, A Private's Affair, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1959.
• Cecil Forbes, The Wild and the Innocent, Universal, 1959.
• voice of Uncle Abdul Azziz Magoo, 1001 Arabian Nights (animated), Columbia, 1959.
• Dave Husack, Ice Palace, Warner Brothers, 1960.
• king, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, MGM, 1962.
• Peter Bowers, Boys' Night Out, MGM, 1962.
• Commander Jerry Hammerslag, The Horizontal Lieutenant, MGM, 1962.
• Horatio Kellgore, Zotz!, Columbia, 1962.
• Dr. Von Hagedorn, Critic's Choice, Warner Brothers, 1963.
• Tyler Fitzgerald, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, United Artists, 1963.
• Louis Murphy, Johnny Cool, United Artists, 1963.
• sheriff, My Six Loves, Paramount, 1963.
• Bosun's Mate Ed Fennelly, Operation Bikini, American International, 1963.
• Bullard Bear, The Wheeler Dealers, MGM, 1963.
• flight dispatcher, Sunday in New York, MGM/Seven Arts, 1963.
• General Willoughby, Advance to the Rear (also known as Company of Cowards?), MGM, 1964.
• Miles Whitepaper, John Goldfarb, Please Come Home, Twentieth Century- Fox, 1964.
• Howard Carol, Billie, United Artists, 1965.
• sergeant, Fluffy, Universal, 1965.
• cameo, Don't Make Waves, MGM, 1967.
• Carter Sillins, Hurry Sundown, Paramount, 1967.
• Tru-Blue Lou, Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?, MGM, 1968.
• T.R. Hollister, Hello, Down There (also known as Sub-A-Dub-Dub), Paramount, 1969.
• Staunch, Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County, Universal, 1970.
• voices of Mr. Magoo, Ebenezer Scrooge, and the seven dwarfs, Mr.
• Magoo's Holiday Festival (animated), United Screen Artists, 1970.
• Timothy Forsythe, Now You See Him, Now You Don't, Buena Vista, 1972.
• Albertson, Crazy Mama, New World, 1975.
• Enos Griffith, Friday Foster, American International, 1975.
• mayor, Pete's Dragon, Buena Vista, 1977.
• doorman, Good Guys Wear Black, Mar Vista, 1978.
• Mr. Gibbs, C.H.O.M.P.S., American International, 1979.
• Mr. Perkins, There Goes the Bride, Vanguard, 1980.
• president, Slapstick of Another Kind, International Film Marketing, 1984.
• Also appeared in Don't Bother to Knock (also known as Why Bother to Knock?), Seven Arts, 1952, and Prince Jack, 1984.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM WORK
• Producer, Mooch, 1971.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES; SERIES
• Regular, Hollywood House, ABC, 1949-50.
• Judge Bradley Stevens, I Married Joan, NBC, 1952-55.
• host, Talent Scouts, CBS, 1962.
• voice of Mr. Quincy Magoo, The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo (animated),NBC, 1964-65.
• Thurston Howell III, Gilligan's Island, CBS, 1964-67.
• host, Continental Showcase, CBS, 1966.
• J.C. Dithers, Blondie, CBS, 1968-69.
• Also host, The Jim Backus Show, 1960.
• Credits; EPISODIC
• Joe Wheelwright, Maverick, ABC.
• Also appeared in "The Magic Brew," Conflict, ABC; Espionage, NBC.
• Credits; MOVIES
• Colonel, Wake Me When the War Is Over, ABC, 1969.
• George Benson, Magic Carpet, ABC, 1972.
• Mike Lorimar, Getting Away from It All, ABC, 1972.
• Professor David Tilson, The Girl Most Likely To ..., ABC, 1973.
• Horace Shellhammer, Miracle on 34th Street, CBS, 1973.
• Stanley, Never Con a Killer, ABC, 1977.
• Thurston Howell III, Rescue from Gilligan's Island, NBC, 1978.
• Thurston Howell III, The Castaways on Gilligan's Island, NBC, 1979.
• John Hancock, The Rebels, syndicated, 1979.
• cameo, The Gossip Columnist, syndicated, 1980.
• Thurston Howell III, The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island, NBC,1981.
• Credits; SPECIALS
• Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (animated), NBC, 1962.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL RADIO WORK
• Announcer and actor, 1936-44.
• Credits; ALBUMS
• Dirty Old Man, Dore.
• Credits; SINGLES
• "Delicious" and "Cave Man."
• Writings;FILM
• Mooch, 1971.
• Writings;OTHER; WITH HENNY BACKUS
• Rocks on the Roof, 1962.
• What Are You Doing after the Orgy?, 1962.
• Only When I Laugh, 1965.
• Backus Strikes Back, 1984.
• Back to Backus.