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James Whitmore

Highest Rated: 100% Crime in the Streets (1956)

Lowest Rated: 20% The Serpent's Egg (1978)

Birthday: Oct 1, 1921

Birthplace: White Plains, New York, USA

A sturdy and earnest performer on stage, television and in numerous films, James Whitmore was a much-honored character actor and occasional lead whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the early 21st century. Versatile in almost every genre of film, Whitmore was frequently called upon to play can-do, salt of the earth characters like his combat-weary platoon leader in "Battleground" (1949) or the heroic state patrolman fighting giant ants in the sci-fi classic "Them!" (1954). Whitmore was a frequent guest star in television series and TV movies, as well as worked extensively on stage throughout his career, including solo performances as Will Rogers, Harry S. Truman and Theodore Roosevelt, which earned him the moniker "King of the One Man Show." In his seventh decade, he enjoyed a career boost with a moving performance as an elderly prisoner in "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994) and a 1999 Emmy Award for "The Practice" (ABC, 1997-2004). A generation of television viewers also knew him as the on-camera spokesman for Miracle-Gro garden products. The man simply would not slow down, an actor in his soul, performing well into late eighties.

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Highest rated movies

100% 39% Crime in the Streets
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100% 83% Give 'Em Hell, Harry!
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98% 87% The Asphalt Jungle
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93% 77% Them!
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93% 73% Kiss Me Kate
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89% 98% The Shawshank Redemption
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87% 75% Oklahoma!
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86% 88% Planet of the Apes Watchlist
80% 81% The Adventures of Mark Twain
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78% 83% Battleground
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet 56% A Ring of Endless Light Grandfather (Character) - 2002
42% 60% The Majestic Stan Keller (Character) $27.8M 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Here's to Life! Gus Corley (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet Swing Vote Daniel Morissey (Character) - 1999
37% 34% The Relic Dr. Albert Frock (Character) $34.0M 1997
89% 98% The Shawshank Redemption Brooks Hatlen (Character) $27.3M 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet The West of the Imagination Unknown (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sky High Gus Johnson (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Old Explorers Leinen Roth (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Glory! Glory! Lester Babbitt (Character) - 1989
42% 71% Nuts Judge Stanley Murdoch (Character) $29.5M 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet All My Sons Joe Keller (Character) - 1986
80% 81% The Adventures of Mark Twain Mark Twain (Voice) - 1985
No Score Yet 50% Hail Columbia! Narrator - 1982
63% 30% The First Deadly Sin Dr. Sanford Ferguson (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rage Borski (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mark, I Love You Dwight Hamilton (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bully Unknown (Character) - 1978
20% 56% The Serpent's Egg The Priest (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Word George Wheeler (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet 76% I Will Fight No More Forever General Oliver O. Howard (Character) - 1975
100% 83% Give 'Em Hell, Harry! Harry S. Truman (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Last Circus Show Antonio (Character) - 1974
No Score Yet 75% Where the Red Fern Grows Grandpa (Character) - 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet High Crime Commissioner Aldo Scavino (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet 12% The Harrad Experiment Philip Tenhausen (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet 57% Chato's Land Joshua Everette (Character) - 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet If Tomorrow Comes Frank Phillips (Character) - 1971
57% 81% Tora! Tora! Tora! Vice Adm. William F. 'Bull' Halsey Jr. (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Challenge Overman (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet 40% Guns of the Magnificent Seven Levi (Character) - 1969
77% 49% Madigan Chief Inspector Charles Kane (Character) - 1968
No Score Yet 30% The Split Herb Sutro (Character) - 1968
86% 88% Planet of the Apes President of the Assembly (Character) - 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Nobody's Perfect Capt. Mike Riley (Character) - 1968
No Score Yet 56% Waterhole No. 3 Capt. Shipley (Character) - 1967
No Score Yet 20% Chuka Lou Trent (Character) - 1967
No Score Yet No Score Yet Long, Lost Life of Edward Small J. Marvin Bean (Character) - 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tenderfoot Captain Ewell (Character) - 1966
No Score Yet 81% Black Like Me John Finley Horton (Character) - 1964
No Score Yet 38% Who Was That Lady? Harry Powell (Character) - 1960
No Score Yet 44% Face of Fire Monk Johnson (Character) - 1959
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Restless Years Ed Henderson (Character) - 1959
No Score Yet 14% The Deep Six Commander Warren Meredith (Character) - 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Young Don't Cry Rudy Krist (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet 55% The Eddy Duchin Story Lou Sherwood (Character) - 1956
100% 39% Crime in the Streets Ben Wagner (Character) - 1956
87% 75% Oklahoma! Carnes (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet 46% Battle Cry MSgt. Mac/Narrator (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet 34% Savage Wilderness Gus (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet 42% The McConnell Story SSgt./Maj./Col. Ty `'Dad'` Whitman (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet No Score Yet Heroes of the Deep Jake Flannigan (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet 17% The Command Sgt. Elliot (Character) - 1954
93% 77% Them! Police Sgt. Ben Peterson (Character) - 1954
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Great Diamond Robbery Mr. Remlick (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet 25% All the Brothers Were Valiant Fetcher (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet 65% Above and Beyond Maj. William "Bill" M. Uanna (Character) - 1953
93% 73% Kiss Me Kate Slug (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet 29% Because You're Mine Sgt. "Bat" Batterson (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet 57% Shadow in the Sky Lou Hopke (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet 25% It's a Big Country Unknown (Character) - 1951
98% 87% The Asphalt Jungle Gus Minissi (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet 65% The Next Voice You Hear Joe Smith (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet 22% The Outriders Unknown (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet No Score Yet Please Believe Me Vincent Maran (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone John J. Malone (Character) - 1950
60% 79% The Undercover Man George Pappas (Character) - 1949
78% 83% Battleground Kinnie (Character) - 1949

TV

Credit
93% 90% The Good Wife Director 2013
No Score Yet 63% NCIS: Los Angeles Director 2011
No Score Yet 80% CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Unknown (Guest Star) 2007
54% 85% Jericho Director 2006-2007
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mister Sterling Unknown (Character) 2003
No Score Yet 77% Dawson's Creek Director 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Practice Unknown (Guest Star) 1997 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Brooklyn South Director 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Ray Bradbury Theater Craig Bennett Stiles (Character) 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet The White Shadow Unknown (Guest Star) 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gunsmoke Jim Forbes (Guest Star) 1965 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet Temperatures Rising Dr. Vincent Campanelli (Character) 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Virginian Marshal Krug (Guest Star) 1966 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Name of the Game Unknown (Guest Star) 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bonanza Unknown (Guest Star) 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Big Valley Unknown (Guest Star) 1966-1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tarzan Cliff Stockwell (Guest Star) 1967
No Score Yet No Score Yet 12 O'Clock High Unknown (Guest Star) 1965-1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shane Harry Himber (Guest Star) 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Loner Unknown (Guest Star) 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet Combat! Unknown (Guest Star) 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dr. Kildare Unknown (Guest Star) 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rawhide Unknown (Guest Star) 1962-1963
92% 96% The Twilight Zone Captain Benteen (Character) 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ben Casey Dr. Donald Forrest (Guest Star) 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet Route 66 Ralph Vincent (Guest Star) 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Law and Mr. Jones Abraham Lincoln Jones (Character) 1960-1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bus Stop Unknown (Guest Star) 1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Zane Grey Theatre Unknown (Character),
Narrator
1956 1958-1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wagon Train Gabe Carswell (Guest Star) 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet The 20th Century-Fox Hour Unknown (Character) 1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Alcoa Hour Warden Lightfoot (Character) 1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet Climax! Unknown (Character) 1956-1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet Showcase 39 Unknown (Character) 1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet Studio One Sam (Character) 1956