RIP: Jack Elam (1 Viewer)

[Greg_S_H]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...mo/obit_elam_3

Sadly, it's not getting any media attention, but Jack Elam passed on yesterday. He was in tons of westerns, but I mainly remember him from Once Upon a Time in the West.

Here's a publicity photo, which should spark your memory if you can't place him. With a face like this, he had to be the villain, but it's good to see he had fun with his image:



If they ever make a movie on his life, I pick Neil Young to play him.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Elam was always one of my favorite character actors and I can't tell you how many of his performance I've enjoyed over the years.





Crawdaddy

 

[Henry Gale]

Back in '74 Jack Elam, Gary Busey and Mark Hamill starred in Texas Wheelers a TV series about 4 motherless children raising themselves because their father (Jack) was a useless drunk. It was a comedy, a long way from Father Knows Best etc. Each show seemed to include a scene where Busey had to beat up his dad. I still miss it.
Elam had dozens of great parts over half a century, and with those eyes of his you'd never mistake him for someone else.

 

[Eric Peterson]

A truly underappreciated actor and yet another terrible loss to the film world this year.

R.I.P.

 

[Brian Kidd]

That's a shame. He was always entertaining to watch.

 

[Steve Christou]

Aaaah one of my favorite character actors, so sad, you might not know the name but his face was instantly recognisable, appeared in many westerns.
Watched him recently on DVD in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West.

He was especially good fun in the two James Garner comedy westerns Support your Local Sheriff and Support your Local Gunfighter, he didn't play the villain for once, his classic monologue at the end of SYLG is worth checking out, really funny.

RIP Jack :frowning:

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Elam was always fun to watch, one of those guys like Elisha Cook Jr that made a movie worth watching no matter how bad it was otherwise. One of my favorite character actors. :frowning:

 

[Larry Talbot]

"Aaaah one of my favorite character actors, so sad, you might not know the name but his face was instantly recognisable, appeared in many westerns."

My reaction exactly. Saw this thread, thought: Who? Looked at the photo and went: Oh, that guy! I feel like I grew up with him watching TV westerns...It's too bad.
Sounds like he had a pretty good life. The article is actually an interesting read - he has some funny things to say about playing villains.

 

[David Rogers]

He was really funny in Support your Local Sheriff.
:frowning:

 

[Bill Williams]

In the first Cannonball Run he played it to the hilt as the spaced-out doctor Burt Reynolds recruits to ride in the ambulance to look after Farrah Fawcett. I don't think he was in II, but then again I never saw II to begin with.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Like Bill, my fondest memories of Jack Elam come from the first Cannonball Run movie. (Elam was in Part 2 as well, but wasn't all that funny.)

Also from some Disney flicks my sister and I saw wayyyy back when: Hot Lead and Cold Feet and The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.

R.I.P.

 

[ChuckSolo]

Yes, Jack Elam was indeed one of the best character actors ever. He will be missed. One of his greatest scenes is his gunfight scene with Kris Kristofferson in Pekinpah's "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid." Classic how he played the scene so non-chalant knowing he would probably die. Rest easy Jack and God's speed.

 

[Andy Sheets]

Damn. I just watched Rawhide this past weekend. It was a good western and he was a great villain in it.

 

[Ric Bagoly]

Yes the Doctor in Cannonball was AMAZINGLY funny, but his role as Alamosa Bill in Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid was great as well, as his final line in that sums it up perfectly...

"At least I'll be remembered..."

RIP :frowning: :frowning: