James Gregory

James Gregory

James Gregory (December 23, 1911 – September 16, 2002) was an American actor. His best-known roles include Schaffer in Al Capone (1959), the McCarthy-like Sen. John Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), General Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), and Inspector Frank Luger in the television sitcom Barney Miller (1975–1982). Gregory grew up in New Rochelle, NY. In high school, he was elected president of the Drama Club. He went to work on Wall Street as a runner shortly after the 1929 crash. Gregory performed in drama groups and achieved pro status as a summer stock player in 1935. He performed in plays throughout New York, New Jersey and Maryland. His troupe of performers toured small towns in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, towing a trailer full of theatre props; they performed in school gyms, churches and YMCAs, earning $25 for a week of one-night stands. In 1939, Gregory made his Broadway debut in a production of "Key Largo". Over the next 16 years, he performed in approximately 25 Broadway productions. His career was interrupted by WWII; he served for 3 years in the Navy and Marine Corps. His tour of duty took him to the Pacific where he spent 83 days on Okinawa. He married Anne Miltner in 1944; they were married for 58 years (until his death). During his Broadway career, Gregory earned consistently favorable reviews by drama critics from the New York Press, Boston Globe, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Hollywood Reporter and Variety. Gregory did a few TV spots as early as 1951, and in 1955 he made the transition from the Broadway stage to live television. The following year, after a couple of earlier uncredited movie appearances, he would also begin his movie career in earnest. He worked steadily throughout the early years of TV, working for major live television productions from New York to Hollywood. In 1959, Gregory made television history by costarring in the pilot episode of the The Twilight Zone (1959); the episode "Where Is Everybody?" concerning the relevant topic of the USA winning the space race by sending a manned spaceship to the moon sold the series. Gregory would play Dean Martin's exasperated boss MacDonald in the first 3 of the Matt Helm movies: The Silencers (1966), Murderers' Row (1966) and The Ambushers (1967). One of his final roles, perhaps his most acclaimed, was as Inspector Frank Luger for the entire run of Barney Miller (1975 - 1982). As the Inspector, he would be lovable, irritating, ingratiating, exasperating, and humorous, sometimes all at the same time. Gregory retired from acting in 1983, with over 100 TV and movie credits.
    Known for
    Acting
    Place of birth
    Bronx, New York, USA
    Birthday
    12/23/1911
The Manchurian Candidate
The Manchurian Candidate
79%
A Town Has Turned to Dust
A Town Has Turned to Dust
The Frogmen
The Frogmen
The Silencers
The Silencers
The Secret War of Harry Frigg
The Secret War of Harry Frigg
40%
Captain Newman, M.D.
Captain Newman, M.D.
60%
The Flight of Dragons
The Flight of Dragons
PT 109
PT 109
64%
Nightfall
Nightfall
100%
The Main Event
The Main Event
29%
Murderers' Row
Murderers' Row
The Ambushers
The Ambushers
Al Capone
Al Capone
Two Weeks in Another Town
Two Weeks in Another Town
89%
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
78%
The Sons of Katie Elder
The Sons of Katie Elder
100%
A Distant Trumpet
A Distant Trumpet
50%
The Big Caper
The Big Caper
The Scarlet Hour
The Scarlet Hour
Shoot Out
Shoot Out
20%
A Rage to Live
A Rage to Live
The Young Stranger
The Young Stranger
Gun Glory
Gun Glory
Quick, Before It Melts
Quick, Before It Melts
Twilight of Honor
Twilight of Honor
The Weekend Nun
The Weekend Nun
Hey Boy! Hey Girl!
Hey Boy! Hey Girl!
UNAVAILABLE
Underwater Warrior
The Hunted
The Hunted
Wait Till Your Mother Gets Home
Wait Till Your Mother Gets Home
Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood
Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood
X-15
X-15
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
37%
Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street
The Hawaiians
The Hawaiians
The Comeback Kid
The Comeback Kid
Gridlock
Gridlock
Clambake
Clambake
20%
Onionhead
Onionhead
Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident
Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident
The Late Liz
The Late Liz
At This Moment
At This Moment
The Strongest Man in the World
The Strongest Man in the World
The Love God?
The Love God?
A Very Missing Person
A Very Missing Person
The Million Dollar Duck
The Million Dollar Duck
The Abduction of Saint Anne
The Abduction of Saint Anne
The Naked City
The Naked City
The Things People Want
The Things People Want
Cocoon
Cocoon
82%
The Marshal of Madrid
The Marshal of Madrid
Journey to the Day
Journey to the Day
84%
Panopte logo
PANOPTE
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