James Griffith

Born in Los Angeles, Griffith aspired to be a musician rather than an actor. Instead, he managed to find work in little theatres around Los Angeles, where the budding musician eased into a dual career of acting. He found success in the production They Can’t Get You Down in 1939, but put his career on hold during World War II to serve with the United States Marine Corps. Following the war, Griffith switched from the stage to films when he appeared in the 1948 film noir picture Blonde Ice. From then on, he enjoyed a lengthy career of supporting and bit roles (sometimes uncredited) in westerns and detective films.  Though Griffith was generally cast as the outlaw in Western pictures, he managed to garner a few memorable “good guy” roles over his many years in Hollywood – Abraham Lincoln in both 1950’s Stage to Tucson and 1955’s Apache Ambush, sheriff Pat Garrett in 1954’s The Law vs. Billy the Kid, John Wesley Hardin in a 1959 television episode of Maverick entitled “Duel at Sundown” featuring Clint Eastwood, and Davy Crockett in 1956’s The First Texan.

In the role of Aaron Adams, the town barber, Griffith appeared in 1958 in twelve episodes of the CBS western series, Trackdown, starring Robert Culp as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman. Secondary roles on the series were also filled by Peter Leeds as gambler/saloon owner Tenner Smith, Ellen Corby as newspaper publisher Henrietta Porter, Addison Richards as the town doctor, Jay Calhoun, and Gail Kobe as Penny Adams, the sister of Aaron Adams, who in several episodes shows a romantic interest in the Gilman character.  Griffith also had recurring roles in the syndicated series, Sheriff of Cochise, starring John Bromfield, and U.S. Marshal.  Griffith made more than seventy guest appearances on television shows, including eight episodes of Wagon Train, seven episodes of The Range Rider, seven episodes of The Lone Ranger, two episodes of Annie Oakley, four episodes of Cheyenne, three episodes of Buffalo Bill, Jr., six episodes of Gunsmoke, four episodes of Perry Mason, four episodes of Dragnet, three episodes (42, 43 and 108) of Batman, and two segments of Little House on the Prairie.  Throughout his acting career, Griffith continued to practice his original love of music, having performed in the Spike Jones band. he composed music for the 1958 film Bullwhip and the 1964 picture, Lorna, in which he also had a role and served as screenwriter. Griffith played the Reverend in Black in the opening, closing, and a few in the middle scenes of Lorna, starring Lorna Maitland in one of director Russ Meyer’s black-and-white ‘skin’ movies before the height of Meyer’s career in 1968 with Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.  Griffith made his last onscreen appearance in a 1982 episode of CBS’ Dallas.  Griffith died of cancer in Avila Beach, California, on September 17, 1993.