James Gilmore Backus
| Sign | Pisces |
| Born | Feb 25, 1913 Cleveland, OH |
| Died | Jul 3, 1989 Los Angeles, CA |
| Age | Died at 76 |
Jim Backus | |
| Job | Actor |
| Years active | 1937-1989 |
| Known for | Grouchy growlers, over-hearty businessmen; Mr. Magoo, Thurston Howell III on TV's Gilligan's Island |
| Top Roles | Mr. Magoo, Frank Stark, Harvey Landrum, Peter Jones, Carter Sillens |
| Top Genres | Comedy, Drama, Romance, Musical, Crime, Thriller/Suspense |
| Top Topics | World War II, True Story (based on), Romance (Comic) |
| Top Collaborators | Otto Preminger (Director), Joe Pasternak (Producer), Jeff Richards, Larry Keating |
| Shares birthday with | Zeppo Marx, George Harrison, Jane Nigh see more.. |
Jim Backus Overview:
Legendary character actor, Jim Backus, was born James Gilmore Backus on Feb 25, 1913 in Cleveland, OH. Backus appeared in over 240 film and TV roles -- including LOTs of Mr. Magoo shorts (as Mr. Magoo of course!), and playing multi-millionaire Thurston Howell III on Gilligan's Island (1964-1967), and Judge Bradley Stevens (Joan's husband) on TV's I Married Joan opposite Joan Davis (1952-1955). He also starred as Mike O'Toole in his own show aptly called The Jim Backus Show (1960-1961). His best known films include Rebel Without a Cause (as Frank Stark, James Dean's dad), It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (as Tyler Fitzgerald) and Man of a Thousand Faces (as Clarence Locan). Backus died at the age of 76 on Jul 3, 1989 in Los Angeles, CA .
MINO BIO:
Comedy actor Jim Backus was usually seen either beaming or scowling as there were few half-measures with his characters. After military service in World War II, he became a familiar part of the cinema for 20 years playing grouchy growlers and over-hearty businessmen. He was also popular as the long-suffering husband of Joan Davis in TV's I Married Joan, and as the rasping tones of cartoonland's short-sighted Mr. Magoo.
(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Illustrated Dictionary of Film Character Actors).HONORS and AWARDS:
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He was honored with one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Television. Backus was never nominated for an Academy Award.
BlogHub Articles:
Jim Backus Quotes:
Clarence Locan: What'd you say?
Creighton Chaney at 13: Huh?
Clarence Locan: A thousand faces! Thalberg's been after me to start a new advertising campaign. "The Man of a Thousand Faces"! How's that?
Mergo: [About Melvin] The last I saw him, he was going to throw himself off a tall building.
Judy: Oh no!
Mergo: Oh, he didn't do it. I'd 've heard from his first.
Judy: How do you know?
Mergo: He promised me the shot!
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