The best Western Character actor?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Jack Elam
jockeyslut — 22 years ago(October 23, 2003 08:15 AM)
Watching too many westerns in the sixties, sooner or later you began to recognise Jack Elam. In his early days he put the frighteners up you..he looked like stranger danger in a dirty stetson. Whilst he continued his career long after the wstern had gone to Boot Hill, was Jack not the best of the long line of character actors who made westerns live?
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WHORNER — 22 years ago(January 01, 2004 05:26 PM)
Just learned about the decease of Jack Elam from an end-of-the-year wrap up of Hollywood losses on Turner Classic Movies. Very dismayed I did not know at the time, I really loved the man and his work. He very kindly granted me an interview once.
A story he tells typifies the career of an actor, patterned after his movement from unknown to established to iconic status to has-been status (although the last thankfully never really happened to him). All are quotes of a casting director.
As a struggling actor: "Who's Jack Elam?"
Once established: "Get me Jack Elam."
As an established arch-type: "Get me a 'Jack Elam.'"
Over the hill and crowded out by imitators and heirs of his crown: "Who's Jack Elam?"
Sympathy to his family, and to all his fans, hang tough.
"Yer a weird kid, an' I don't get ya." -
james-ayling — 20 years ago(March 18, 2006 09:20 PM)
Well. I think Jack was just the best. Could be cos we're related, I don't know.My grandmother's maiden name was Elam, we have lots of relatives in New mexico, Arizona and Texas; plus, he looked alot like the men in the pictures from my grandma's side of the family.
He was one of the great ones. -
toxfly — 19 years ago(August 29, 2006 10:31 AM)
Would an actor like Jack even get a start nowadays? In the 40s noone thought anything about phyical typecasting and Jack with his eye was guaranteed to put the shivers up people. But thankfully we've moved on a bit from that lazy view of mankind. Yet in films nowadays there is nobody less than 'normal' in appearance.
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snepts — 9 years ago(December 24, 2016 01:21 PM)
In a way it's funny and in a way it's sad, but RGA so many times had to play some complete jerk of a person. I'm sure he was a kind man, or at least I would hope so, but he constantly played some hard-bitten, nasty dude. A little hard to like him.
I'm not a woman much less Deanna Durbin, but the old-time glam-shot appeals to me. -
drschnk — 16 years ago(July 21, 2009 09:03 PM)
Jack was the best who can forget his line in THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up" but don't forget Strother Martin.
It seems that in every great western of the late 50's/ early 60's, any band of outlaws worth its salt would always consists of (one or more) Jack Elam, Lee van Cleef, Robert J. Wilke, or Strother Martin (and usually lead by the great Lee Marvin). -
andybriers1969 — 10 years ago(January 30, 2016 02:23 PM)
loving this thread. great to see people on here who love westerns as much as i do and also love the character actors who more often than not are critical to wether a film is watchable or not .for jack elam and ben johnson were both brilliant in their roles as a supporting actor.in his early westerns elam, along with lee marvin, was seriously scary.his character would think nothing of shooting an unarmed man in the back.elam also had depth beyond the baddie,hilarious in later films(support your local sheriff/gunfighter and rio lobo to name 3)and if you get a chance look out for dragoons wells massacre where he got a rare chance to play a sympathetic character.the one thing i fear is that in a few years time the like of elam,johnson,brennan,buchanan,pickens and all the other great western character actors that have given me so much pleasure over the years,will be forgotten just as have many silent film stars have been forgotten today.
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Boliwill — 16 years ago(April 01, 2010 01:45 PM)
This old geezer tried to start a fight with me back in the mid 1990s,I told him back 30 or 40 years ago he might have been "Hell" but now he was just an ol fart who had been drinking a bit too much,he cussed me as I walked away,I really do like him in the old westerns though.
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OldTymer72 — 13 years ago(June 25, 2012 03:01 AM)
just saw him in a tool time episode and it strikes what a cool guy he was. The opening scene with him and a fly in Once upon is cinema magic. I need to see more of him other than cannonball run - what's worth my time with this guy?