Jim Davis
Trailer for Winter Meeting (1948)
Born
Marlin Davis

(1909-08-26)August 26, 1909
Edgerton, Missouri, U.S.
DiedApril 26, 1981(1981-04-26) (aged 71)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California
OccupationActor
Years active1942–1981
Spouse
Blanche Hammerer
​
(m. 1949)​
Children1
Davis and Mary Castle in TV's Stories of the Century (1954)

Jim Davis (born Marlin Davis; August 26, 1909 – April 26, 1981) was an American actor, best known for his roles in television Westerns. In his later career, he became famous as Jock Ewing in the CBS primetime soap opera Dallas, a role he continued until he was too ill from multiple myeloma to perform.

Life and career

Born in Edgerton in Platte County in northwestern Missouri, Davis attended high school in Dearborn, and the Baptist-affiliated William Jewell College in Liberty. At WJC, he played tight end on the football team and graduated with a degree in political science.[1] He served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II.[2]

He was known as Jim Davis by the time of his first major screen role, which was opposite Bette Davis in the 1948 melodrama Winter Meeting,[3]. His subsequent film career consisted of mostly B movies, many of them Westerns, although he made an impression as a U.S. Senator in the Warren Beatty conspiracy thriller The Parallax View.

Davis appeared 13 times on Death Valley Days. In 1954–1955, Davis starred and narrated Stories of the Century. He portrayed Matt Clark, a detective for the Southwest Railroad. In 1957 he played an outlaw with scruples in the 16th episode of Tales of Wells Fargo, entitled "Two Cartridges", with Dale Robertson.

From 1958-1960, Davis starred as Wes Cameron opposite Lang Jeffries in the role of Skip Johnson in the syndicated adventure series Rescue 8. About this time, he guest-starred on the syndicated crime drama, U.S. Marshal, starring John Bromfield.

Davis made two guest appearances on Perry Mason, as George Tabor in the season-six episode of "The Case of the Fickle Filly", and as murder victim Joe Farrell in the 1964, season-eight episode of "The Case of a Place Called Midnight". He also appeared on the Jack Lord adventure series, Stoney Burke. In 1964, Davis played Wyatt Earp in the episode "After the OK Corral" on Death Valley Days; William Tannen played the part of rancher and gunfighter Ike Clanton in the same episode.

Davis appeared 11 times on Gunsmoke and four times each on Daniel Boone, Wagon Train, and Laramie. In the next-to-the-last Laramie episode, entitled "Trapped" (May 14, 1963), he guest-starred with Tommy Sands, Claude Akins, and Mona Freeman. In the story line, Slim Sherman (John Smith) finds an injured female kidnap victim in the woods (Freeman). Dennis Holmes, as series-regular Mike Williams, rides away to seek help, but the kidnappers reclaim the hostage. Slim pursues the kidnappers, but is mistaken as a third kidnapper by the girl's father (Barton MacLane). Sands plays the girl's boyfriend, who had been ordered by her father to stop seeing her. Davis also appeared in an episode of The High Chaparral and in small roles in the 1971 John Wayne vehicles Rio Lobo (1970) and Big Jake (1971).

In 1974, he starred as Marshal Bill Winter in a short-lived ABC Western series The Cowboys, based on a 1972 film of the same name starring John Wayne.

Dallas and last years

After years of relatively low-profile roles, Davis was cast as family patriarch Jock Ewing on Dallas, which debuted in 1978.

During the recording of season four, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, but continued to film the show as long as he could. In many scenes as the season progressed, he was shown seated, and his voice became softer and more obviously affected by his illness. He also wore a wig during the season's latter episodes to conceal his hair loss from chemotherapy.

A season-four storyline regarding the Takapa development and Jock's separation from Miss Ellie was ended abruptly near the end of the season. The writers depicted the couple suddenly leaving to go on an extended second honeymoon in Europe when Davis obviously could no longer continue to work. Their departure in a limousine in the episode "New Beginnings" was Davis' only scene in that episode, and his condition was so poor that close watching reveals (based on his unsynchronized lip movement) that he overdubbed his one last line of dialogue. It was his final appearance on the show; he was absent from the final two episodes of season four.

He died of complications from his illness while season four was being aired.

The decision had already been made prior to Davis' death not to recast the character with another actor.[4] Furthermore, after he died the producers strongly considered leaving his name and photos in the opening credits for the duration of the series.[5]

The Jock Ewing character remained alive off-screen after Davis' death for the last two episodes of season four and the first 12 episodes of season five.

The season-five storyline was that Jock and Ellie stopped briefly in Washington, D.C., on their way home to Dallas from their second honeymoon so that Jock could take care of some Ewing Oil-related legislative business. While they were there, the State Department asked Jock to go to South America to drill for oil, and Jock relished the opportunity to relive his wildcatting days, when he first made his fortune in Texas during the Depression. Ellie returned to Dallas, and she and other characters were occasionally shown speaking to him on the telephone when he would call from South America to check on the family.

The fifth-season episode "The Search", which confirmed the character's death in a helicopter crash on his way home to Dallas from South America, was broadcast on January 8, 1982, and contained flashback scenes of the character.[6][7]

A portrait of Davis in his role as Jock Ewing often appeared as a memorial on Dallas after his death.

Personal life

In 1949, after two short failed marriages, he met Blanche Hammerer at the club "Mocambo" on the Sunset Strip. They later married and remained together for more than 30 years, until Davis's death in 1981.[8]

Their only child, daughter Tara Diane Davis, was killed in an automobile accident at the age of 17. Davis later became close to his Dallas co-star Victoria Principal, who had a physical resemblance to his late daughter.[9]

Death

Davis died at his home in Northridge, California, on April 26, 1981, aged 71.[1] He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.[10]

Recognition

In February 1960, having already appeared as a guest star on 50 episodes across 20 different television series and having been the series lead of both Stories of the Century and Rescue 8, Davis received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6290 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, California.[11]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1942 Cairo Sergeant Uncredited
1942 Northwest Rangers Mountie Uncredited
1942 Keep 'Em Sailing Joseph Cummins Short film
1942 White Cargo Seaplane Pilot Uncredited
1942 Tennessee Johnson Reporter Uncredited
1942 Stand By for Action Talker Uncredited
1943 Three Hearts for Julia Daily Globe Staff Member Uncredited
1943 Pilot #5 Military Policeman Uncredited
1943 Salute to the Marines Private Saunders Uncredited
1943 Swing Shift Maisie Investigator Uncredited
1945 What Next, Corporal Hargrove? Sgt. Hill
1946 Up Goes Maisie Matthews Uncredited
1946 Gallant Bess Harry
1947 The Beginning or the End Pilot at Tinian
1947 The Romance of Rosy Ridge Badge Dessark
1947 Merton of the Movies Von Strutt's Assistant Uncredited
1947 The Fabulous Texan Sam Bass
1948 Winter Meeting Slick Novak
1949 Red Stallion in the Rockies Dave Ryder
1949 Hellfire Gyp Stoner
1949 Yes Sir, That's My Baby Joe Tascarelli
1949 Brimstone Nick Courteen
1950 The Savage Horde Lt. Mike Baker
1950 Hi-Jacked Joe Harper
1950 The Cariboo Trail Bill Miller
1950 The Showdown Cochran
1950 California Passage Lincoln Corey
1951 Three Desperate Men Fred Denton
1951 Oh! Susanna Ira Jordan
1951 Cavalry Scout Lt. Spaulding
1951 Little Big Horn Cpl. Doan Moylan
1951 Silver Canyon Wade McQuarrie
1951 The Sea Hornet Tony Sullivan
1952 Rose of Cimarron Willie Whitewater
1952 Woman of the North Country Steve Powell
1952 The Big Sky Streak
1952 Ride the Man Down Red Courteen
1953 Bandit Island Brad Bellows Short film
1953 Woman They Almost Lynched Cole Younger
1953 The President's Lady Jason Robards Uncredited
1954 Jubilee Trail Silky
1954 The Big Chase Brad Bellows
1954 The Outcast Major Linton Cosgrave
1954 The Outlaw's Daughter Marshal Dan Porter
1954 Hell's Outpost Sam Horne
1955 Timberjack Poole
1955 The Last Command Ben Evans
1955 The Vanishing American Glendon
1955 Last of the Desperados Chief Deputy John Poe
1956 The Bottom of the Bottle George Cady
1956 The Wild Dakotas Aaron Baring
1956 The Maverick Queen The Stranger / Jeff Younger
1956 Blonde Bait Nick Randall Uncredited (USA version)
1956 Frontier Gambler Tony Burton
1957 Duel at Apache Wells Dean Cannary
1957 The Quiet Gun Ralph Carpenter
1957 The Badge of Marshal Brennan Jeff Harlan / The Stranger
1957 Monster from Green Hell Dr. Quent Brady
1957 The Restless Breed Newton
1957 The Last Stagecoach West Bill Cameron
1957 Apache Warrior Ben Ziegler
1957 Raiders of Old California Captain Angus Clyde McKane
1958 The Toughest Gun in Tombstone Johnny Ringo
1958 Wolf Dog Jim Hughes
1958 Flaming Frontier Col. Hugh Carver
1958 A Lust to Kill Marshal Matt Gordon
1959 Alias Jesse James Frank James
1960 Noose for a Gunman Case Britton
1960 The Magnificent Seven Gunman Uncredited
1961 Frontier Uprising Jim Stockton
1961 The Gambler Wore a Gun Case Silverthorne
1964 Iron Angel Sgt. Walsh
1965 Zebra in the Kitchen Adam Carlyle
1966 Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter Marshal MacPhee
1966 El Dorado Jim Purvis (Bart Jason's foreman)
1967 Fort Utah Scarecrow
1967 Border Lust
1968 The Road Hustlers Noah Reedy
1968 They Ran for Their Lives Vince Ballard
1969 The Ice House Jake
1970 Five Bloody Graves Clay Bates
1970 Monte Walsh Cal Brennan
1970 Rio Lobo Riley
1971 Vanished Capt. Cooledge TV movie
1971 Big Jake Head of the Lynching Party
1971 Dracula vs. Frankenstein Sgt. Martin
1971 The Trackers Sheriff Naylor TV movie
1972 The Honkers Sheriff Potter
1972 Bad Company Marshal
1973 One Little Indian Trail Boss
1973 Deliver Us from Evil Dixie TV movie
1974 The Parallax View George Hammond
1974 Inferno in Paradise Rocky Stratton
1975 Satan's Triangle Hal Bancroft TV movie
1975 The Runaway Barge Capt. Buckshot Bates TV movie
1976 Law of the Land Sheriff Pat Lambrose TV movie
1977 The Legend of Frank Woods Deputy
1977 Enigma Colonel Valentine TV movie
1977 Just a Little Inconvenience Dave Erickson TV movie
1977 The Choirboys Capt. Drobeck
1978 Killing Stone Sen. Barry Tyler TV movie
1978 Comes a Horseman Julie Blocker
1980 The Day Time Ended Grant Williams
1981 Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige Mr. Wilkenson TV movie (final film role)
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1951–1954 Fireside Theatre Col. Streeter
Luther
Wesley Dean		 9 episodes
1952 Dangerous Assignment Bill Norton
Walter Norton
Lt. Makam
Holcomb
Guard		 5 episodes
1952 Gang Busters Capt. Bob Stewart Episode: "The Barrow Gang"
1952 The Unexpected Detective Episode: "Leopards in Lighting"
1952–1953 Cowboy G-Men Tom Owens
Sheriff Jack Wardlow
Wilson
Dance / Shafer Henchman		 Episode: "Running Iron"
Episode: "Silver Shotgun"
Episode: "Stolen Dynamite"
Episode: "Double Crossed"
1953 Death Valley Days Congressman Mark Tabor Season 2, Episode 2, "Little Washington"
1953–1969 Death Valley Days Pony Cragin
Luke Campbell
Manly
The Sheriff
Col. William Butler		 9 other episodes
1954–1955 Stories of the Century Matt Clark 39 episodes
1955 Cavalcade of America J. L. Armstrong Episode: "The Texas Rangers"
1957 The Millionaire Jim Driskill Episode: "The Jim Driskill Story"
1957 Playhouse 90 Sheriff Episode: "Four Women in Black"
1957–1958 The Silent Service Walter Ruhe Episode: "Boomerang"
Episode: "Cargo for Crevalle"
Episode: "The Sea Devil Attacks Puget Sound"
1957
1961
1962		 Tales of Wells Fargo Al Porter
Sam Horne
Jonus Sawyer		 Episode: "Two Cartridges"
Episode: "The Lobo"
Episode: "Don't Wake a Tiger"
1958 26 Men Father Diego Episode: "The Bells of St. Thomas"
1958 M Squad Harry Evans / Mickey Seville Episode: "The Case of the Double Face"
1958–1960 Rescue 8 Wes Cameron 78 episodes
1958
1960		 General Electric Theater Fitz
Cole Treuitt		 Episode: "The Castaway"
Episode: "Journey to a Wedding"
1959 U.S. Marshal Harvey Granger Episode: "Federal Agent"
1959 Yancy Derringer Bullet Pike Episode: "Two Tickets to Promontory"
1960 Markham Neal Holland Episode: "The Snowman"
1960 The Tall Man Bob Orringer Episode: "Forty-Dollar Boots"
Episode: "The Lonely Star"
1960
1962–1963		 Laramie Hake Ballard
Ben McKittrick
Joe
Jim Genoway		 Episode: "Trail Drive"
Episode: "Shadow of the Past"
Episode: "The Dispossessed"
Episode: "Trapped"
1960

1962
1963
1964		 Wagon Train Gabe Henry
Dan Ryan
Clyde Hubble
Rudd Basham		 Episode: "The Candy O'Hara Story"
Episode: "The Eve Newhope Story"
Episode: "The Jim Whitlow Story"
Episode: "The Melanie Craig Story"
1961 Manhunt Catlin
Otto		 Episode: "Kidnapped"
Episode: "The Guest of Honor
1961 The Deputy Trace Phelan Episode: "The Lonely Road"
1961 Coronado 9 Barton Kincaid Episode: "Gone Goose"
1961 Outlaws Steed Episode: "The Brothers"
1961 Gunslinger Jeb Crane Episode: "New Savannah"
1961 The Aquanauts Sam Hogarth Episode: "The Diana Adventure"
1961 Whispering Smith Sam Chandler Episode: "The Homeless Wind"
1961
1965
1968		 Bonanza Sam Wolfe
Johnny
Sam Butler		 Episode: "The Gift"
Episode: "Lothario Larkin"
Episode: "The Arrival of Eddie"
1962 Thriller The Marshal Episode: "'Til Death Do Us Part"
1962 Lassie Ed Bates Episode: "Quick Brown Fox"
1962 Stoney Burke Shep Winters Episode: "Cousin Eunice"
1962 Have Gun – Will Travel Al Long Episode: "The Treasure"
1962
1964		 Perry Mason George Tabor
Joe Farrell		 Episode: "The Case of the Fickle Filly"
Episode: "The Case of a Place Called Midnight"
1962
1965		 Rawhide Sheriff Sam Jason Episode: "The Greedy Town"
Episode: "The Pursuit"
1963 The Donna Reed Show Red Episode: "Pioneer Woman"
1963 Alcoa Premiere Tim Episode: "Jenny Ray"
1964 The Littlest Hobo Danny Kilgarren Episode: "Double-Cross"
1965 The Lucy Show Cardenas Episode: "Lucy Goes to Vegas"
1965 Laredo Sheriff Wes Cottrell Episode: "The Golden Trail"
1965
1966		 Branded Malachi Murdock
Wheeler
James Swaney		 Episode: "One Way Out"
Episode: "Salute the Soldier Briefly"
Episodes: "The Assassins: Part 1 & 2"
1966 The Time Tunnel Col. Jim Bowie Episode: "The Alamo"
1966
1967
1969		 Daniel Boone Carpenter
Sam Ralston
Scud Tumbrill
Rafe Carson		 Episode: "River Passage"
Episode: "The Ordeal of Israel Boone"
Episode: "A Pinch of Salt"
Episode: "The Road to Freedom"
1967 Hondo Krantz Episode: "Hondo and the Eagle Claw"
Episode: "Hondo and the War Cry"
Episode: "Hondo and the War Hawks"
1966–1974 Gunsmoke Wes Cameron
Sheriff Shackwood
Amos Carver
Dave Carpenter
Luke Rumbaugh Ciell Williams		 11 episodes
1967 Cimarron Strip Clo Vardeman Episode: "The Search"
1968 The Guns of Will Sonnett Sheriff Hawks Episode: "The Warriors"
1968 The Virginian McKinley Episode: "The Heritage"
1970 The High Chaparral Robbins Episode: "New Hostess in Town"
1971 The Men from Shiloh Roper Episode: "The Politician"
1972 Night Gallery Abe Bennett Episode: "The Waiting Room"
1972 The Bold Ones: The New Doctors Peter Merlino Episode: "Discovery at Fourteen"
1972 The Sixth Sense Anson Beige Episode: "Echo of a Distant Scream"
1972 The F.B.I. Ellis Bengston Episode: "The Runner"
1972 The Wonderful World of Disney Col. Porter Episode: "The High Flying Spy" Part 1
1973 Cannon Henry Rawdon Episode: "The Seventh Grave"
1973 Kung Fu Joe Walker
Sheriff Grogan		 Episode: "The Soul is the Warrior"
Episode: "The Well"
1973 Banacek Ed McKay Episode: "If Max is So Smart, Why Doesn't He Tell Us Where He Is?"
1973
1974		 The Streets of San Francisco Reid Bradshaw
Roy Johnson		 Episode: "Shattered Image"
Episode: "The Hard Breed"
1974 The Cowboys Marshal Bill Winter 12 episodes
1975 Caribe David Mayfield Episode: "Lady Killer"
1976 The Blue Knight Daniels Episode: "Death Echo"
1976 The Quest Marshal Pulman Episode: "Prairie Woman"
1977 The Oregon Trail J. D. Price Episode: "Evan's Vendetta"
1977 Hunter Raymond Spencer Episode: "The Hit"
1978 Project U.F.O. Earl Clay Episode: "Sighting 4002: The Joshua Flats Incident"
1979 The Wonderful World of Disney Pop Apling Episode: "Trail of Danger" Parts 1 & 2
1978–1981 Dallas Jock Ewing 77 episodes (final TV role)

References

  1. 1 2 "Actor Jim Davis dies at age 72 (sic); played patriarch on TV's 'Dallas'". Chicago Tribune. April 27, 1981. Retrieved July 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "LED EWINGS IN DALLAS'". The New York Times. April 27, 1981.
  3. ↑ Rowan, Terry (2015). Who's Who In Hollywood!. Lulu.com. p. 90. ISBN 9781329074491. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  4. ↑ Ap (1981-04-28). "'DALLAS' WON'T REPLACE JIM DAVIS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  5. ↑ Video interview with Steve Kanaly from 1981: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CqrgO4v48Y Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Dallas Episode Guide Season Four with Larry Hagman and Linda Gray". Ultimatedallas.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  7. ↑ "Dallas: The Search for Jock". Youtube.com. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  8. ↑ "Blanche meet Jim Davis 1949'". www.JimDavis.de. 1982.
  9. ↑ "Video Interview with Jim Davis". 11 August 2017.
  10. ↑ Getty Images
  11. ↑ "Jim Davis". Hollywood Walk of Fame. 1960-02-08. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
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