James Jeter

Born September 15, 1921, the character actor James Jeter first appeared on screens big and small in films such as "The Sand Pebbles" and on TV series such as "The Wild Wild West." His recurring appearances as various guards, blacksmiths, and storekeepers on the long-running Western series "Bonanza" set the mold for a long career portraying rural lawmen and blue-collar workers from America's heartland. In addition to turning up on the outskirts of projects such as the medical drama "Emergency!," the truck-driving saga "B.J. and the Bear," and the filmed-in-Colorado relationship dramedy "A Change of Seasons," Jeter became a particularly familiar face in sheriff and deputy roles, appearing as the uncredited Precinct Captain in the harrowing, Western-influenced action-thriller "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976). After his seemingly expert portrayals led to a recurring role as the town blacksmith on the family series "Little House on the Prairie," the actor memorably cut loose as Smitty, a speed-shop owner and unconventional father figure in the prankster comedy "The Hollywood Knights." Before retiring in 1994, Jeter appeared as a rustic old-timer in Clint Eastwood's tender crime-saga-road-movie "A Perfect World." He died in 2007.