Full name, James Grover Franciscus; born January 31, 1934, in Clayton, MO; died of emphysema, July 8, 1991, in Los Angeles, CA. Actor and producer. Franciscus first garnered critical recognition for playing the title role in the mid-1960s series Mr. Novak, about a secondary English instructor. Priorto Mr. Novak, Franciscus played Detective Jim Halloran in the ABC television series Naked City for fifteen years, beginning in 1948. Other television roles included the title characters in Longstreet, Doc Elliot, and the mid-1970s series Hunter, as well as appearances in WagonTrain, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The June Allyson Show, Ben Casey, andThe Twilight Zone. He also appeared in television movies, including Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, in which he portrayed John F. Kennedy. A cofounder of Omnibus Productions, Franciscus produced the films Heidi, DavidCopperfield, Jane Eyre, starring George C. Scott, Kidnapped, and The Red Pony, starring Henry Fonda. His film appearances included Youngblood Hawke in 1964, Hell Boats in 1968, Cat O' Nine Tails in 1971, Puzzle in 1977, City on Fire in 1979, and The Courageous in 1982. Toward the mid-1980s he became dissatisfied with the roles offered him and turned his energies to screenwriting. During the 1970s hefounded the James Franciscus Celebrity Tennis Tournament as a fund-raiser tofight multiple sclerosis.
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