James Whitmore Overview:

Character actor, James Whitmore, was born on Oct 1, 1921 in White Plains, NY. Whitmore died at the age of 87 on Feb 6, 2009 in Malibu, CA .

MINI BIO:

Solidly-built with a homely, philosophical face, James Whitmore was utterly reliable in his performances -- sort of a supporting player's Spencer Tracy. A solid bulwark to M-G-M films of the early 1950s, Whitmore was usually to be found in sincere dramatic roles, but could also be delightfully comic, as demonstrated by his singing/clowning partnership with Keenan Wynn in Kiss Me Kate.  When films failed to make the most of him, he toured America with one-man shows. He was twice nominated for  an Oscar, Battleground and Give 'Em Hell Harry.

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Illustrated Dictionary of Film Character Actors).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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Although Whitmore was nominated for one Oscar, he never won a competitive Academy Award.

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1949Best Supporting ActorBattleground (1949)KinnieNominated
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He was honored with one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Television.

BlogHub Articles:

Warner Archive: in Face of Fire (1959)

By KC on Jun 4, 2015 From Classic Movies

The devastating, but beautifully filmed Face of Fire stars as a handyman whose face is burned beyond recognition when he rescues a young boy from a house fire. I had this DVD release from Warner Archive for quite a while before I had the nerve to watch it; it looked unbearably bleak t... Read full article


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James Whitmore Quotes:

Sgt. Elliott: Never say an injun is dumb. He just waits for the chance to use his one good cavalry tactic: ring around and close in.


Police Sgt. Ben Peterson: [appraising the ruination of a trailer] This wasn't caved in, it was caved out.


Dr. Patricia 'Pat' Medford: [observing the tunnel walls] Look! Held together with saliva!
Police Sgt. Ben Peterson: Yeah! Spit's all that's holding me together right now, too.


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Best Supporting Actor Oscar 1949






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James Whitmore on the
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James Whitmore Facts
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 and Pulitzer-Prize winning historian David McCullough. Deceased members include President William Howard Taft, political commentator William F. Buckley 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.

Served in the US Marine Corps during World War Two.

Met and married first wife Nancy Mygatt while studying at the American Theatre Wing. She was their press agent at the time.

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