Long ago we missed the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jack Elam. Much respected and admired in the movie and TV world he was honoured in 1983 as one of the first winners of a Golden Boot Award for those successful in the Western genre and in 1994 he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. With a massive 207 screen credits, he had a memorable face because he had an out-of-kilter left eye as a result of a childhood fight at 12, which gave strength to the character roles he played, whether vicious killer or grizzly partner, eventually moving to comedy. His career was so strong that within the business directors and producers started casting with get me Jack Elam, later get me a Jack Elam type, then when he was older still get me a young Jack Elam. Memorable film and TV roles – The Sundowners 1950, Rawhide 1951, High Noon 1952, Ride Vaquero ! 1953. Vera Cruz 1954, Gunfight at the OK Corral 1957, The Last Sunset & The Comancheros 1961, 4 for Texas 1963, The Way West 1967, Firecreek 1968, Once Upon a Time in the West 1968, Support Your Local Sheriff 1969, Dirty Dingus Magee & Rio Lobo 1970, Hannie Caulder 1971, Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid 1973, The Cannonball Run 1981 and sequel 1984 as well as regularly in TV series such as The Lone Ranger, Wagon Train, The Texan, The Rifleman, Bronco, Rawhide, Have Gun – Will Travel, Lawman, The Untouchables, Cheyenne, Laramie, The Dakotas, Hondo, The High Chapparal, The Virginian, Alias Smith and Jones, Gunsmoke, The Texas Wheelers, How the West was Won, The Sacketts, Bonanza and lastly Lonesome Dove 1994-5. Born in Miami, Gila County, Arizona – educated Miami High School & then Phoenix Union High School in Phoenix, Maricopa County, also Santa Monica Junior College California, he subsequently became an accountant and was at one time manager of the famous Bel Air Hotel. After WW2 in which he served 2 yrs in the US Navy, he worked as book-keeper for Bank of America in LA, then for Samuel Goldwyn Studios then as a controller for William Boyd’s Hopalong Cassidy production company. Encouraged to give up accountancy as his one good eye would deteriorate, he struck a deal on financial arrangements in return for a three movie bit part deal, and the rest is history. He died in 2003 at his home in Ashland, Oregon, where he had lived since 1990. We hope you accept the challenge, but if the number or ratings do not suit, then please make contact.
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