James Gregory
Known for Acting · 133 credits
- Born
- 1911-12-23
- Died
- 2002-09-16
- Place of birth
- Bronx, New York, USA
- Also known as
- Robert Dixon · Jim Gregory
Biography
James Gregory (December 23, 1911 – September 16, 2002) was an American actor. His best-known roles include Schaffer in Al Capone (1959), the McCarthy-like Sen. John Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), General Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), and Inspector Frank Luger in the television sitcom Barney Miller (1975–1982). Gregory grew up in New Rochelle, NY. In high school, he was elected president of the Drama Club. He went to work on Wall Street as a runner shortly after the 1929 crash. Gregory performed in drama groups and achieved pro status as a summer stock player in 1935. He performed in plays throughout New York, New Jersey and Maryland. His troupe of performers toured small towns in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, towing a trailer full of theatre props; they performed in school gyms, churches and YMCAs, earning $25 for a week of one-night stands. In 1939, Gregory made his Broadway debut in a production of "Key Largo". Over the next 16 years, he performed in approximately 25 Broadway productions. His career was interrupted by WWII; he served for 3 years in the Navy and Marine Corps. His tour of duty took him to the Pacific where he spent 83 days on Okinawa. He married Anne Miltner in 1944; they were married for 58 years (until his death). During his Broadway career, Gregory earned consistently favorable reviews by drama critics from the New York Press, Boston Globe, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Hollywood Reporter and Variety. Gregory did a few TV spots as early as 1951, and in 1955 he made the transition from the Broadway stage to live television. The following year, after a couple of earlier uncredited movie appearances, he would also begin his movie career in earnest. He worked steadily throughout the early years of TV, working for major live television productions from New York to Hollywood. In 1959, Gregory made television history by costarring in the pilot episode of the The Twilight Zone (1959); the episode "Where Is Everybody?" concerning the relevant topic of the USA winning the space race by sending a manned spaceship to the moon sold the series. Gregory would play Dean Martin's exasperated boss MacDonald in the first 3 of the Matt Helm movies: The Silencers (1966), Murderers' Row (1966) and The Ambushers (1967). One of his final roles, perhaps his most acclaimed, was as Inspector Frank Luger for the entire run of Barney Miller (1975 - 1982). As the Inspector, he would be lovable, irritating, ingratiating, exasperating, and humorous, sometimes all at the same time. Gregory retired from acting in 1983, with over 100 TV and movie credits.
Known For
TV Shows (81)
The Fugitive
1963
as Pete Crandall
Columbo
1971
as David Buckner
The Love Boat
1977
as Milton Benson
Star Trek
1966
as Dr. Tristan Adams
Bonanza
1959
as Mulvaney / Sgt. Mike Russell / Whitney Parker
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Emergency!
1972
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Jonathan Kaye / Mike Finney
Ironside
1967
as Herb Jarman / TV Presenter / Tony Hudson
M*A*S*H
1972
as General Kelly
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
as Fred Kruger
The Wild Wild West
1965
My Three Sons
1960
The Virginian
1962
as Slim Jessup / Cal Young
Mission: Impossible
1966
Quincy, M.E.
1976
as Tony Gordon
Hogan's Heroes
1965
as General Biedenbender
The Twilight Zone
1959
as Confederate Sergeant / Air Force General
Climax!
1954
as Joe McCarthy / Dr. Froelich
Rawhide
1959
as Owen Spencer / Mister Brothers / Lash Whitcomb
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
as Lester Thompson / Angus
The F.B.I.
1965
as Bert Anslem
Barney Miller
1975
as Inspector Frank Luger
Daniel Boone
1964
as Captain Asa Webb
Studio One
1948
as Gas Man / Mr. Black / James Metcalf / Mr. Bales / George Monzo / Corey / Private Alan Pomeroy
Thriller
1960
as Howard Yates
Cannon
1971
The Big Valley
1965
as Simon Carter / Senator Jim Bannard / Harry Bodine
Gunsmoke
1955
as Scanlon, Sr. / Judge Calvin Strom / Wes Martin
Night Gallery
1970
The High Chaparral
1967
as Jake Stoner
Ben Casey
1961
All in the Family
1971
as William R. Kirkwood
The Defenders
1961
as Paul Tasso
Medical Center
1969
as Col. Whittendale
Sanford and Son
1972
McCloud
1970
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Mr. Wescott / Wayne Campbell / John Gregory
Kraft Television Theatre
1947
as Steve
The Partridge Family
1970
as Claude Tubbles
Laramie
1959
That Girl
1966
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963
as Lieutenant Wade
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Mac / Mr. Randolph
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
as Martin Burke
Police Story
1973
The Mod Squad
1968
Lancer
1968
Tarzan
1966
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1974
as Captain Quill
F Troop
1965
Judd, for the Defense
1967
Danger
1950
as Willie
The Lieutenant
1963
Sam Benedict
1962
Cimarron Strip
1967
The Lawless Years
1959
as Barney Ruditsky
Supertrain
1979
as Griswald
The Loner
1965
Movies (52)
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
1970
as Ursus
The Manchurian Candidate
1962
as Sen. John Yerkes Iselin
The Sons of Katie Elder
1965
as Morgan Hastings
Gun Glory
1957
as Grimsell
Shoot Out
1971
as Sam Foley
The Naked City
1948
as Patrolman Albert Hicks (uncredited)
The Million Dollar Duck
1971
as Rutledge
The Silencers
1966
as MacDonald
Onionhead
1958
as Lt. Cmdr. Fox aka The Skipper
The Flight of Dragons
1982
as Bryagh / Smrgol (voice)
Al Capone
1959
as Schaefler (narrator)
A Distant Trumpet
1964
as Maj. Gen. Alexander Upton Quaint
The Hawaiians
1970
as Dr. Whipple Sr. (uncredited)
The Big Caper
1957
as Flood
The Strongest Man in the World
1975
as Chief Blair
Underwater Warrior
1958
as Lt. William Arnold
Two Weeks in Another Town
1962
as Brad Byrd
Captain Newman, M.D.
1963
as Col. Edgar Pyser
Clambake
1967
as Duster Heyward
The Marshal of Madrid
1972
as Oil Tycoon
Murderers' Row
1966
as MacDonald
The Ambushers
1967
as MacDonald
The Secret War of Harry Frigg
1968
as Gen. Homer Prentiss
A Rage to Live
1965
as Dr. O'Brien
Nightfall
1956
as Ben Fraser
Miracle on 34th Street
1973
as District Attorney
PT 109
1963
as Commander C.R. Ritchie
The Main Event
1979
as Gough
The Young Stranger
1957
as Sergeant Shipley
The Frogmen
1951
as Chief Petty Officer Lane
The Scarlet Hour
1956
as Ralph Nevins
The Things People Want
1948
as Pete
Hey Boy! Hey Girl!
1959
as Father Burton
A Very Missing Person
1972
as Oscar Piper
X-15
1961
as Tom Deparma
The Comeback Kid
1980
as Scotty
Twilight of Honor
1963
as Norris Bixby
The Abduction of Saint Anne
1975
as Pete Haggerty
Journey to the Day
1960
as Endicott
The Love God?
1969
as Darrell Evans Hughes
The Late Liz
1971
as Sam Burns
Quick, Before It Melts
1965
as Vice Admiral
Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood
1981
as Leo Hackett
Wait Till Your Mother Gets Home
1983
as Dan Peters
Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident
1976
as James Donovan
The Hunted
1967
as Buckman
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
1960
as Editor
The Weekend Nun
1972
as Sid Richardson
A Town Has Turned to Dust
1958
as Hennify
Cocoon
1968
as Jonathan Kaye
Gridlock
1980
as Gen. Caribou Caruthers
At This Moment
1954
as Bill Ritter
About James Gregory
James Gregory (December 23, 1911 – September 16, 2002) was an American actor. His best-known roles include Schaffer in Al Capone (1959), the McCarthy-like Sen. John Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), General Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), and Inspector Frank Luger in the television sitcom Barney Miller (1975–1982). Gregory grew up in New Rochelle, NY. In high school, he was elected president of the Drama Club. He went to work on Wall Street as a runner shortly after the 1929 crash. Gregory performed in drama groups and… With 133 credits spanning from 1947 to 1983, James Gregory has appeared in 52 films and 81 TV shows.
Fans searching for James Gregory movies, James Gregory filmography, or the latest projects starring James Gregory can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular James Gregory Movies
- Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) — as Ursus
- The Manchurian Candidate (1962) — as Sen. John Yerkes Iselin
- The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) — as Morgan Hastings
- Gun Glory (1957) — as Grimsell
- Shoot Out (1971) — as Sam Foley
Where to Watch James Gregory Films
Most James Gregory movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring James Gregory, check our movies catalogue and browse page.