James Millhollin Explained

James Millhollin
Birth Name:Arthur James Millhollin
Birth Date:23 August 1915
Birth Place:Peoria, Illinois, U.S.
Death Place:Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.
Occupation:Character actor
Years Active:1955–1979

Arthur James Millhollin[1] (August 23, 1915 – May 23, 1993) was an American character actor.

Early years

Millhollin was born in Peoria, Illinois.[2]

He grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, performing in many school plays, graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1933 and then became active with the Omaha Community Playhouse.[3]

Stage

On Broadway, Millhollin appeared in Saratoga (1959), The Girls in 509 (1958), and No Time for Sergeants (1955).[4]

Television

In 1961, Millhollin also appeared in two sitcoms: as Osborne in "Pity the Poor Working Girl" on ABC's sitcom Margie and as Harold in two episodes, "Mr. Big Shot" and "The Wedding", of CBS's The Ann Sothern Show. Millhollin was cast as Dr. Heydon in the 1961 episode "Dennis Is a Genius" and as a burglar in "The Uninvited Guest" (1963) on the CBS sitcom Dennis the Menace, starring Jay North in the title role. Near the end of 1961, he guest-starred as Mr. Pinkham in "The Dead End Man," in the series finale of The Investigators. He portrayed a despicable bookkeeper, Ben Otis, in "The Case of the Angry Dead Man" on Perry Mason.

From 1961 to 1962, he guest-starred in different roles on four episodes of CBS's The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, starring Dwayne Hickman. That year, he played a librarian in the film Bon Voyage!. In 1962, he was cast as Lt. Bronner in the episode "The Handmade Private" of the CBS anthology series GE True, hosted by Jack Webb. In 1963, he co-starred as temp-agency boss Anson Foster, opposite Imigene Coca, in the series Grindl. In 1963, he was also cast in the episode I Dream of Genie of the anthology television series The Twilight Zone. In 1964 he portrayed a sourpuss in the campy movie Get Yourself a College Girl. In 1965, he appeared on the George Burns sitcom Wendy and Me in the episode "A Bouquet for Mr. Bundy"; he also appeared in Green Acres, season 1, episode 14 (entitled 'What happened in Scranton") playing a hair stylist. In 1966, Millhollin appeared as an airline ticket seller in the Get Smart episode "The Amazing Harry Hoo". Also in 1966, he portrayed a bank official in the film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and a department store manager in the Christmas episode of The Beverly Hillbillies. In 1966 and 1967, he played a hotel clerk and a store official in three episodes of the Marlo Thomas sitcom That Girl. In 1968, Millhollin performed as Willoughby the Llama in the Lost In Space episode "The Great Vegetable Rebellion"; and the next year he played Horace Burkhart in "The Con Man", an episode of the CBS series The Doris Day Show.

He also appeared in the TV series Batman as Alfred Slye, a criminal lawyer for Harry, the evil twin brother to Chandell, portrayed by Liberace.

He also appeared in the pilot of The Brady Bunch as Mr. Pringle.

He also appeared as Humus the funeral director for Felix's bird Albert in a 1970 episode of The Odd Couple.

Death

Millhollin retired to Mississippi, where he died of cancer on May 23, 1993,[5] at the age of 77 in Biloxi.[6]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1958No Time for Sergeants Major Royal B. Demming
1960Alfred Hitchcock Presents Doctor Tebaldi Season 5 Episode 30: "Insomnia"
1960The Twilight Zone Mr. Armbruster, Gifts Manager Season 1 Episode 34: "The After Hours"
1961Everything's Ducky George Imhoff, Lab Assistant
1962Bon Voyage! Ship's Librarian
1962Zotz! Dr. Kroner
1962Gypsy Mr. Beckman Uncredited
1963Under the Yum Yum Tree Thin Man Uncredited
1964Get Yourself a College Girl Gordon
1966The Ghost and Mr. Chicken Mr. Milo Maxwell
1966Frankie and Johnny Proprietor of Costume Shop Uncredited
1966A Fine Madness Rollie Butter
1967The Cool Ones Manager
1967The Perils of Pauline Stafford Uncredited
1968Never a Dull Moment Museum Director
1971How to Frame a Figg Funeral Director
1972Night Call Nurses Dr. Rolland
1973The Student Teachers Principal Peters
1974Truck Turner Judge Advocate

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rubin. Steven. Twilight Zone Encyclopedia. 2017. Chicago Review Press. 9781613738917. 18 February 2018. en.
  2. Book: Leszczak, Bob . The Odd Couple on Stage and Screen . . 2014 . 89 . 978-0786477906.
  3. 1932-33 Monticello (Thomas Jefferson High School yearbook)p 13
  4. Web site: James Millhollin. Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. 18 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180218025238/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/james-millhollin-98523. 18 February 2018.
  5. Book: Willis. John. Theatre World 1992-1993. 1995. Hal Leonard Corporation. 9781557832030. 225. 18 February 2018. en.
  6. News: James Millhollin Obituary . . 25 May 1993 . A-2.