James Anderson (American actor) explained

Birth Date:13 July 1921
Death Place:Billings, Montana, U.S
Years Active:1941–1969
Occupation:Actor
Family:Mary Anderson (sister)

James O. Anderson Jr. (July 13, 1921 – September 14, 1969), sometimes billed as Kyle James and known as Buddy Anderson, was an American television and film actor of the 1950s and 1960s. He is probably best known for his role as Bob E. Lee Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

Early life

Anderson was born to J. O. Anderson and his wife. His sister was Mary Anderson, who also became an actor.[1]

In 1938, while attending Shades-Cahaba High School, he played halfback on the football team.[2] He later studied acting for a year at the University of Alabama.[3]

Career

After leaving Alabama for Los Angeles, Anderson trained under Max Reinhardt for six months. While there, he starred in the play Zero Hour,[3] written by George Sklar and Albert Maltz.[4] Weeks after starring in the play, in November 1940, Anderson signed a contract with Warner Bros.[3]

He made more than 120 appearances, mostly in television and several films between 1941 and 1969. He made three guest appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of murder victim Frank Anderson in the 1958 episode, "The Case of the Pint-Sized Client," and murder victim Stanley Piper in the 1960 episode, "The Case of the Ill-Fated Faker." He appeared in a number of westerns throughout his career, often playing a gun-for-hire or outlaw...including "Sanctuary at Crystal Springs", the controversial 1963 episode of the ABC/Warner Brothers western series The Dakotas, that led to the series' cancellation, where he played the main antagonist.. He also appeared on Gunsmoke in 1963, playing outlaw named “Harmon” in S12E7’s “The Wrong Man”. That same year he guest starred on Alfred Hitchcock Presents in the 1963 episode “Last Seen Wearing Blue Jeans” (S1E28).

Death

On September 14, 1969 in Billings, Montana, Anderson died suddenly while on location for Little Big Man. He was survived by his mother and sister.[5] [6]

Legacy

In 2010, Mary Badham, who starred alongside Anderson in To Kill a Mockingbird, praised his method acting style: "[W]hen he walked on the set, he was that character. He gave everybody the willies and we were all intimidated by him".[7]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1941Sergeant YorkEbUncredited
Dive BomberPilotUncredited
1942Reap the Wild WindCallboy in CaféUncredited
1945Mildred PierceDiner CustomerUncredited
1949Bride of VengeanceGuardUncredited
The Great SinnerNervous Young GamblerUncredited
1950Johnny One-EyeApartment House Switchboard OperatorUncredited
The FireballStrong Arm ManUncredited
Hunt the Man DownRichard Kincaid / William H. Jackson
1951FiveEric
Along the Great DivideDan Roden[8]
The Blue VeilJim TappanUncredited
1952The Last MusketeerRuss Tasker
Has Anybody Seen My Gal?ChauffeurUncredited
The Duel at Silver CreekRat Face BlakeAs Kyle James
HellgateVern BrecheneAs Kyle James
The StarBailey – Actor playing Jed Garfield in The Fatal WinterUncredited
Ruby GentryJewel Corey
1953The Great Jesse James RaidJohnny Dorette
ArrowheadJerry August
China VentureCpl. WaltersUncredited
Donovan's BrainChief Tuttle
Flight to TangierDullah
1954Riot in Cell Block 11Guard Acton
Drums Across the RiverJed Walker
PushoverBeery—MechanicUncredited
DragnetFred KempUncredited
Private Hell 36Patrolman in Locker RoomUncredited
The Bamboo PrisonProgressiveUncredited
They Rode WestWounded TrooperUncredited
The Violent MenHank PurdueUncredited
1955Highway PatrolGus MontanaEpisode: "Phony Insurance"
Seven Angry MenHenry Thompson
An Annapolis StoryInstructorUncredited
The MaraudersLouis Ferber
At GunpointBarlowUncredited
1956Inside DetroitRellerUncredited
Fury at Gunsight PassO'Neil
The Rawhide YearsDeputy Wade
Tension at Table RockLernerUncredited
Friendly PersuasionPoor Loser Dunked by JessUncredited
Running TargetStrothers
The RackSkinnyUncredited
1957The Big LandBob Cole
Perry Mason (1957 TV series) (Season 1 Episode 9, “The Case of the Vagabond Vixen”)Peter Handsell
1958The Thing That Couldn't DieBoyd Abercrombie
As Young as We AreBarneyUncredited
I Married a Monster from Outer SpaceWeldon
1962Pressure PointFatherUncredited
To Kill a MockingbirdRobert E. Lee "Bob" Ewell[9]
1966The ChaseSimmonsUncredited
1969Take the Money and RunChain Gang Warden
The Ballad of Cable HoguePreacher
1970Little Big ManSergeant(final film role)

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1959Rawhide Troxel S1:E8, "Incident West of Lano"
1961Rawhide Morse S3:E25, "Incident of the Running Man"
1961Rawhide Sheriff S4:E7, "The Black Sheep"
1963The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Vince Cates Season 1 Episode 28: "Last Seen Wearing Blue Jeans”
1964Gunsmoke Hewitt S10:E4, "The Violators”
1964Rawhide Sheriff S7:E2, "The Enormous Fist"

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Croft . Lulu . Birmingham star, hubby stop here between dates . February 5, 2024 . The Birmingham News . April 10, 1957 . 5.
  2. News: Hollywood Star Buys Own Ducat to Game . February 5, 2024 . The Birmingham News . October 19, 1941 . 19.
  3. News: Bebe Anderson's Brother Buddy Goes Into Movies; Warner Bros. Sign Him . February 5, 2024 . The Birmingham Post . November 25, 1940 . 5.
  4. News: 'Zero Hour' Due Tonight . February 5, 2024 . Los Angeles Times . November 8, 1940 . 17.
  5. News: Obituaries: James Anderson. October 1, 1969. Variety. 79. James Anderson, age unreported, screen actor, died suddenly Sept. 14 in Billings, Montana while on location for Cinema Center Films' 'Little Big Man.' Among credits were 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Take the Money and Run.' Mother survives.. .
  6. News: OBITUARIES; MARY ANDERSON, 1918 - 2014; Actress had role in 'Gone With the Wind'. Noland, Claire. April 8, 2014. Los Angeles Times. AA5. Her brother, James, became an actor who specialized in westerns. He died in 1969.. .
  7. News: Rotstein . Gary . Scout recalls bonding with actors on the set . February 5, 2024 . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . July 4, 2010 . E4.
  8. News: Caldwell . Lily May . Buddy Anderson steals show from vet actor . February 5, 2024 . The Birmingham News . August 3, 1951 . 36.
  9. Nickel . John . Disabling African American Men: Liberalism and Race Message Films . Cinema Journal . 2004 . 44 . 1 . 40 . February 5, 2024 . 0009-7101.