The Picture Of A Classic Villain
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Jack Elam
captaindallas28 — 22 years ago(November 08, 2003 10:51 AM)
I first "met" Jack Elam in 1963, that is, when I first learned his name, while watching a TV show called "The Dakotas". In the premiere episode, "Return To Dryrock", Elam's character, J.D. Smith, returns to his hometown on the hunt for a killer. When J.D. accidentally kills a young, 'unarmed' boy in the dark, he's arrested and appears to be on his way to a 'speedy' trial and equally 'speedy' hanging. During the story, J.D. Smith has an unforeseen reunion with his father, who's also the local preacher, and they get an opportunity to repair their broken relationship. For an actor who was used to playing the bad guy and getting 'blown out of the saddle' in the middle of most movies for the past decade, this was a refreshing and well deserved change of pace for a very talented actor to demonstrate just how compelling of a performer he really was.
I've been a fan of his ever since and have really enjoyed all of his performances through the years. In his own words5b4, in a 1963 interview by Cleveland Amory in TV Guide magazine, "The Picture of a Classic Villain", Elam states that he lives by and believes in just one thing: Honesty! He said that if he believes in his character, then the audience will believe in him. From everything I've ever read about him, Jack Elam lived his life honestly, and had fun doing it! Jack Elam will always be my most memorable hero! It WAS "a great ride", wasn't it? Thank you, Jack!