James Gregory

Personal Info

Known For Actor

Gender Male

Birthday 1911-12-23

Deathday 2002-09-16 (90 years old)

Place of Birth Bronx, New York, USA

Also Known As Robert Dixon, Jim Gregory

James Gregory

Biography

One of the most beloved actors of all, James Gregory was born December 23, 1911, in the Bronx and grew up in New Rochelle, NY. In high school, he was elected president of the Drama Club. He went to work on Wall Street as a runner shortly after the 1929 crash. James Gregory performed in drama groups and achieved pro status as a summer stock player in 1935. He performed in plays throughout New York, New Jersey and Maryland. His troupe of performers toured small towns in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, towing a trailer full of theatre props; they performed in school gyms, churches and YMCAs, earning $25 for a week of one-night stands. In 1939, James Gregory made his Broadway debut in a production of "Key Largo". Over the next 16 years, he performed in approximately 25 Broadway productions. (His career was interrupted by WWII; he served for 3 years in the Navy and Marine Corps. His tour of duty took him to the Pacific where he spent 83 days on Okinawa). One good thing that came out of the war years is that he married Anne in 1944, and they would stay together always. During his Broadway career, James Gregory earned consistently favorable reviews by drama critics from the New York Press, Boston Globe, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Hollywood Reporter and Variety. James Gregory did a few TV spots as early as 1951, and in 1955 he made the transition from the Broadway stage to live television. The following year, after a couple of earlier uncredited movie appearances, he would also begin his movie career in earnest. He worked steadily throughout the early years of TV, working for major live television productions from New York to Hollywood. In 1959, James Gregory made television history by costarring in the pilot episode of the The Twilight Zone (1959); the episode "Where Is Everybody?" concerning the relevant topic of the USA winning the space race by sending a manned spaceship to the moon sold the series. James Gregory would play Dean Martin's exasperated boss MacDonald in the first 3 of the Matt Helm movies: The Silencers (1966), Murderers' Row (1966) and The Ambushers (1967). But he won his biggest acclaim as Inspector Frank Luger for the entire run of the TV series Barney Miller (1974) (1975-1982). This was his signature role; as the Inspector, he would be lovable, irritating, ingratiating, exasperating and humorous, sometimes all at the same time. He was Barney's buddy for 7 years, and the series ended with the Inspector getting himself a mail-order bride. James Gregory retired from acting in 1983, with over 100 TV and movie credits. He has entertained, uplifted and captivated us with his performances. He has endeared himself to a legion of fans. When asked to define his life's work, he simply said, "I am an actor". Fans would disagree with him. James Gregory is so much more -- role model and inspiration.

Known For

Actor

1982
The Flight of Dragons

as Bryagh / Smrgol (voice)

1980
Gridlock

as Gen. Caribou Caruthers

1980
1979
1978
The Bastard

as Will Campbell

1977
The Love Boat

as Milton Benson

1975
1975
Barney Miller

as Inspector Frank Luger

1975
Barney Miller

as Frank Luger

1974
1973
Miracle on 34th Street

as District Attorney

1972
The Weekend Nun

as Sid Richardson

1972
A Very Missing Person

as Oscar Piper

1972
The Marshal of Madrid

as Oil Tycoon

1972
M*A*S*H

as General Kelly

1972
1972
Temperatures Rising

as James Jerome

1971
The Late Liz

as Sam Burns

1971
Shoot Out

as Sam Foley

1971
1971
Columbo

as David Buckner

1971
1971
All in the Family

as William R. Kirkwood

1970
The Hawaiians

as Dr. Whipple Sr. (uncredited)

1969
The Love God?

as Darrell Evans Hughes

1968
Cocoon

as Jonathan Kaye

1968
The Secret War of Harry Frigg

as Gen. Homer Prentiss

1968
1968
Hawaii Five-O

as Jonathan Kaye

1968
Hawaii Five-O

as Mike Finney

1967
The Ambushers

as MacDonald

1967
Clambake

as Duster Heyward

1967
The Hunted

as Buckman

1967
The High Chaparral

as Jake Stoner

1967
Ironside

as Herb Jarman

1966
Murderers' Row

as MacDonald

1966
The Silencers

as MacDonald

1966
Star Trek

as Dr. Tristan Adams

1966
1965
A Rage to Live

as Dr. O'Brien

1965
The Sons of Katie Elder

as Morgan Hastings

1965
Quick, Before It Melts

as Vice Admiral

1965
The F.B.I.

as Bert Anslem

1965
Hogan's Heroes

as General Biedenbender

1965
The Big Valley

as Simon Carter

1965
The Big Valley

as Senator Jim Bannard

1965
The Big Valley

as Harry Bodine

1964
A Distant Trumpet

as Maj. Gen. Alexander Upton Quaint

1964
Daniel Boone

as Captain Asa Webb

1963
Captain Newman, M.D.

as Col. Edgar Pyser

1963
Twilight of Honor

as Norris Bixby

1963
PT 109

as Commander C.R. Ritchie

1963
Kraft Suspense Theatre

as Lieutenant Wade

1963
The Fugitive

as Pete Crandall

1962
The Manchurian Candidate

as Sen. John Yerkes Iselin

1962
1962
1962
The Virginian

as Slim Jessup

1962
The Virginian

as Cal Young

1961
X-15

as Tom Deparma

1961
The New Breed

as Father Al

1961
The Defenders

as Paul Tasso

1960
Thriller

as Howard Yates

1959
Hey Boy! Hey Girl!

as Father Burton

1959
Al Capone

as Schaefler (narrator)

1959
The Twilight Zone

as Confederate Sergeant

1959
The Twilight Zone

as Air Force General

1959
Bonanza

as Mulvaney

1959
Bonanza

as Sgt. Mike Russell

1959
The Lawless Years

as Barney Ruditsky

1959
Rawhide

as Owen Spencer

1959
Rawhide

as Mister Brothers

1959
Rawhide

as Lash Whitcomb

1958
Onionhead

as Lt. Cmdr. Fox aka The Skipper

1958
Underwater Warrior

as Lt. William Arnold

1957
Gun Glory

as Grimsell

1957
The Big Caper

as Flood

1957
The Young Stranger

as Sergeant Shipley

1956
Nightfall

as Ben Fraser

1956
The Scarlet Hour

as Ralph Nevins

1955
1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Wayne Campbell

1955
1955
Gunsmoke

as Scanlon, Sr.

1955
Gunsmoke

as Judge Calvin Strom

1955
Gunsmoke

as Wes Martin

1954
1954
At This Moment

as Bill Ritter

1954
Climax!

as Joe McCarthy

1954
Climax!

as Dr. Froelich

1953
Letter to Loretta

as Jim Patton

1953
1951
The Frogmen

as Chief Petty Officer Lane

1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

as Lieutenant Billy Kyle

1950
Lux Video Theatre

as Mr. Randolph

1950
1949
Suspense

as Jerry

1948
The Naked City

as Patrolman Albert Hicks (uncredited)

1948
Studio One

as Gas Man

1948
Studio One

as Mr. Black

1948
Studio One

as James Metcalf

1948
Studio One

as Mr. Bales

1948
Studio One

as George Monzo

1948
Studio One

as Corey

1948
Studio One

as Private Alan Pomeroy

1948

Producer

1977
Off the Wall

as Producer