James Whitmore |
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James Whitmore Biography |
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Born on October 1, 1921, just outside NYC in White Plains, New York, character veteran James Whitmore, the stalwart actor particularly well known for his crime yarns and war action pics, was the son of James Allen Whitmore and wife Florence Crane. Educated at Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut, he received his BA from Yale University in 1944 before serving with the Marines in World War II. Following his discharge he prepared for the stage under the G.I. bill at the American Theatre Wing, where he met first wife Nancy Mygatt. They went on to have three children together, including actor James Whitmore Jr..
Applause and subsequent kudos came short and quite swiftly for Whitmore under both the Broadway and film banners. After appearing with the Peterborough, New Hampshire Players in the summer of 1947 participating in the play `The Milky Way,` Whitmore made an auspicious Broadway debut as Tech Sergeant Evans in `Command Decision` later that year. His gritty performance reaped the Tony, Donaldson and Theatre World awards in one fell swoop. While the attention he merited on Broadway had Hollywood`s ears perking up, the film version of Command Decision (1948) starring Clark Gable was filmed the following year, but without Whitmore repeating his stage triumph. Song-and-dance star Van Johnson, who was looking for straight, serious roles after a vastly successful musical career, was given the coveted part. The disappointment didn`t last long. Whitmore made his film bow with a prime role in the documentary-styled crime thriller The Undercover Man (1949) alongside Glenn Ford and Nina Foch, and made his second appearance in the war picture Battleground (1949). Following its release, Whitmore was the talk of the town once again at awards time--this time in Hollywood. Grabbing the Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for `support actor` for his efforts, he found solid footing in the cinematic firmament. Hardly the handsome, matinée lead type, he nevertheless primed himself for leading man success. Whitmore`s talent, charisma and fortitude earned him a number of starring roles as well as top supports in quality pictures. Gruff on the edges with a softer inner core, he appeared opposite Nancy Davis [Reagan] in the inspirational drama The Next Voice You Hear... (1950) as a religious, morally-minded family man; showed off his saltier side alongside Marjorie Main in Mrs. O`Malley and Mr. Malone (1950); ably portrayed a pathetic crook in The Asphalt Jungle (1950) and a level-minded security chief in the stoic military drama Above and Beyond (1952) with Robert Taylor; played it strictly for laughs as a Runyonesque gangster in the classic MGM musical Kiss Me Kate (1953) partnered with Keenan Wynn; and portrayed a valiant cop fighting off gigantic mutant ants in Them! (1954), one of the more intelligent sci-fiers of the 50s. He alternately demonstrated his gentle and crustier sides in a queue of roles that ranged from a social worker in Crime in the Streets (1956) to Tyrone Power`s manager in The Eddy Duchin Story (1956). As Whitmore`s film career began to wane in the late 1950s, he turned more and more to TV with memorable roles in `The Twilight Zone,` `The Detectives` (again with Robert Taylor), `Ben Casey` and a host of live theater dramas. He also starred in his own series as attorney Abraham Lincoln Jones in `The Law and Mr. Jones` (1960) which lasted two seasons. Every so often a marvelous character turn would rear its head s Biography Credit: www.imdb.com/name/nm0926235/bio |
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Trivia and QuotesQuotes I certainly wasn`t the idol of millions. I just happened to get good parts. And so I wasn`t worried... because I could see these character parts stretching on into the, you know, dim days of the future. I could maintain this level for at least a couple of months, My steamer trunk was packed to go, ... when my sister told me about a friend of hers in New York, a former center at Michigan who was coaching the centers at Yale. His name was Jerry Ford, the future president of the United States. I have no regrets, real regrets about any darn thing... I think second-guessing one`s self and your life is the most futile thing in the world. "I certainly wasn`t the idol of millions. I just happened to get good parts. And so I wasn`t worried...because I could see these character parts stretching on into the, you know, dim days of the future." "I have no regrets, real regrets about any darn thing...I think second-guessing one`s self and your life is the most futile thing in the world."Trivia Grandfather of James Whitmore III. Won a Tony Award and a Theatre World Award in 1948 for his performance as Harold Evans in the stage production of "Command Decision". His role was played by Van Johnson in the film version. Is a member of Yale University's exclusive Skull & Bones club, an undergraduate secret society famous for the post-graduation accomplishments of its members. Other living members include President George W. Bush and his father, former President George Bush, Sen. John Kerry, political commentator William F. Buckley and Pulitzer-Prize winning historian David McCullough. Deceased members include President William Howard Taft and President Bush's own grandfather, Prescott Bush, a U.S. Senator and partner in the Wall St. white shoe brokerage firm of Brown Bros., Harriman. Won Broadway's 1948 Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer for "Command Decision." Well known for his role as Capt. Benteen in the "On Thursday We Leave for Home" episode of "The Twilight Zone" (1959), considered by many fans to be the best hour-long episode in the show`s history. Whitmore appeared at the Peterborough Players Theater in Peterborough, New Hampshire in the play "Tuesdays With Morrie" with his son, James Whitmore Jr. in June and July, 2006. Whitmore has been appearing in summer theatrical productions in Peterborough, which is known for its arts community, for half-a-century. In the early 1950s Whitmore conducted an acting workshop in Hollywood; one of his pupils was a struggling young actor, then unknown, James Dean. Whitmore helped Dean get some jobs in LA but encouraged Dean to go to New York to audition for the Actors Studio. Dean was one of the few accepted the year he auditioned. Is married to Noreen Nash, the grandmother of film actor Sebastian Siegel. Met and married first wife Nancy Mygatt while studying at the American Theatre Wing. She was their press agent at the time. First job in the entertainment field was as a radio director for the Yale University station. Earned a football scholarship at Yale University but extensive knee injuries led him to give the sport up. Youngest of four children, his father was an Executive Secretary for a local Park Commission in White Plains, NY. Father of James Whitmore Jr.. Sometimes people confuse Whitmore and Spencer Tracy. The two sometimes look as if they could have been brothers. Is a United States Marine. Served in the United States Marine Corps during World War Two. | ||
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