James Gregory (actor)
Born December 23, 1911 Bronx, New York City, U.S.
Died September 16, 2002 (aged 90) Sedona, Arizona, U.S.
Resting place Sedona Community Cemetery
Years active 1939–1986
Spouse(s) Ann Miltner (m. 1944–2002)
James Gregory (December 23, 1911 – September 16, 2002) was an American character actor known for his deep, gravelly voice and playing brash roles such as Schaffer in Al Capone (1959), the McCarthy-like Sen. John Iselin in
The Manchurian Candidate (1962), the audacious General Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), and crusty Inspector Frank Luger in the television sitcom Barney Miller (1975–1982).
Gregory was born in the Bronx in New York City, and raised in New Rochelle, just north of New York City. In high school, he was president of the drama club. He briefly worked on Wall Street as a runner in 1929, and thought of being a stockbroker, but by 1935, had become a professional actor, instead.
Career
In 1939, he made his Broadway debut in a production of Key Largo and worked in about 25 more Broadway productions over the next 16 years.
He served three years in the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps during World War II.
His early acting work included army training films; one such appearance is excerpted in The Atomic Café (1982).
He also worked in radio, including a year (1955–1956) on 21st Precinct.
Gregory was the lead in The Lawless Years, a 1920s-era crime drama which aired 45 episodes on NBC. In the series, which ran from 1959 to 1961, he played NYPD Detective Barney Ruditsky.
After his appearance as the McCarthyistic Senator Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Gregory starred in the film PT 109 (1963) with Cliff Robertson. He played Dean Martin's spy boss MacDonald, in the Matt Helm film series; in the original Star Trek series in the episode "Dagger of the Mind" (1966), as Dr. Tristan Adams; and in the Elvis Presley film Clambake (1967). In the pilot movie for the 1968 Hawaii Five-O series, Gregory became the first actor to portray State Department official Jonathan Kaye, a recurring character on the series.
Gregory portrayed Nick Hannigan on Detective School. He was a semi-regular on the TV series Barney Miller as Deputy Inspector Frank Luger. His final acting credit was in a 1986 episode of Mr. Belvedere.
Death
Gregory died of natural causes in Sedona, Arizona, in 2002, aged 90. His wife, Anne Miltner, and he are interred at the Sedona Community Cemetery.
Selected TV and filmography
The Naked City (1948) as Patrolman Albert Hicks (uncredited)
The Frogmen (1951) as Chief Petty Officer Lane (uncredited)
At This Moment (1954, short) as Bill Ritter
Studio One in Hollywood (1954–1958, TV series) as Mr. Bales / James Metcalf / Mr. Black / Private Alan Pomeroy / Corey / George Monzo / Gasman
Justice (1955, TV series)
The Scarlet Hour (1956) as Ralph Nevins
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1957–1959, TV series) as Mr. Wescott / John Gregory / Wayne Campbell
Nightfall (1956) as Ben Fraser
The Young Stranger (1957) as Police Sgt. Shipley
The Big Caper (1957) as Flood
Gun Glory (1957) as Grimsell
Underwater Warrior (1958) as Lt. William Arnold, MD
Onionhead (1958) as Lt. Cmdr. Fox (or the Skipper)
The Twilight Zone (1959–1961, TV series) as Confederate Sergeant / Air Force General
Lux Playhouse (1959, TV series) as Johnny Warcheck
Al Capone (1959) as Sgt. Schaefler
Hey Boy! Hey Girl! (1959) as Father Burton
Laramie (1959–1963, TV series) as Richards / Father Elliott
Wagon Train (1960, TV series) as Ricky Bell
The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1960, TV series) as John Kramer
General Electric Theater as Swandy Green in "Sarah's Laughter" (1960, TV episode) as Sandy Green
Frontier Circus (1961, TV series) as Jacob Carno
The New Breed (1961, TV series) as Father Al
The Untouchables (1961, TV series) as Walter Trager
X-15 (1961) as Tom Deparma
Target: The Corruptors (1962, TV series) as Terran
The Virginian (1962, TV series) as Slim Jessup
Two Weeks in Another Town (1962) as Brad Byrd
The Manchurian Candidate (1962) as Senator John Yerkes Iselin
Empire (1962, TV series) as Theron Haskell
Sam Benedict (1963, TV Series) as John Paul Elcott
The Eleventh Hour (1963, TV series) as Eddie Forman
PT 109 (1963) as Commander C.R. Ritchie
Twilight of Honor (1963) as Norris Bixby
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1963, TV series) as Fred Kruger
Rawhide (1963–1965, TV series) as Lash Whitcomb / Mister Brothers / Owen Spencer
The Lieutenant (1963–1964, TV series) as Sgt. Horace 'Biff' Capp / Sgt. Horace Capp
Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) as Col. Edgar Pyser
Breaking Point (1964, TV series) as Malcolm
The Defenders (1964, TV series) as Paul Tasso
A Distant Trumpet (1964) as Maj. Gen. Alexander Upton Quaint
Quick Before It Melts (1964) as Vice Admiral
Bonanza (1964–1969, TV series) as Sgt. Mike Russell / Mulvaney / Whitney Parker
The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) as Morgan Hastings
Gunsmoke (1965–1968, TV series) as John Scanlon / Judge Calvin Strom / Wes Martin
The Wild, Wild West (1965, TV series) as Ulysses S. Grant
A Rage to Live (1965) as Dr. O'Brien
A Man Called Shenandoah (1966, TV series) as Jake Roberts
The Big Valley four episodes: "Pursuit" and "Ambush" as Simon Carter, "The Challenge" as Senator Jim Bannard, and "The Other Face of Justice" as Harry Bodine
F Troop (1966–1967, TV series) as Major Duncan / Big Jim Parker
The Silencers (1966) as MacDonald
Hogan's Heroes (1966, TV series) as German General Biedenbender
The Fugitive (1966, TV series) as Pete Crandall
Star Trek (1966, TV series) as Dr. Tristan Adams
Murderers' Row (1966) as MacDonald
The Virginian (1967, TV series) as Cal Young
The Ambushers (1967) as MacDonald
The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968) as Gen. Homer Prentiss
The Mod Squad (1968, TV series) as Gus Williams
The Love God? (1969) as Darrell Evans Hughes
Hawaii-Five-O (1969) as Mike Finney
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) as General Ursus
The Hawaiians (1970) as Dr. Whipple Sr. (uncredited)
Million Dollar Duck (1971) as Rutledge
Shoot Out (1971) as Sam Foley
The Late Liz (1971) as Sam Burns
Ironside (1972, TV series) as TV show host
Columbo (1972, TV Series) as Coach Rizzo / David L. Buckner
Mission: Impossible "The Bride" (1972, TV series) as Joe Corvin
All in the Family (1972, TV Series) as William R. Kirkwood
Search "Operation Iceman" (1972, TV series) as Ambassador Gordon Essex
Miracle On 34th Street (1973, TV movie) as Deputy District Attorney Thomas Mara
M*A*S*H (1974, TV series) as Lt. Gen. Robert 'Iron Guts' Kelly
The Partridge Family (1974, TV series) "Danny Drops Out" as Claude Tubbles
The F.B.I. (1974, TV Series) as Frank Bonner
Emergency! (1975, TV Series) as Brackett's Father
Barney Miller (1975–1982, TV series) as Dep. Inspector Frank Luger
The Strongest Man in the World (1975) as Chief Blair
Sanford and Son (1976) as Commander
The B****** (1978, TV movie) as Will Campbell
The Main Event (1979) as Gough
The Comeback Kid (1980, TV movie) as Scotty
The Great American Traffic Jam (1980, TV movie) as General Caruthers
Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood (1981, TV movie) as Leo Hackett
The Flight of Dragons (1982) as Bryagh / Smrgol (voice)
Wait Till Your Mother Gets Home! (1983, TV movie) as Dan Peters
Mr. Belvedere (1986, TV series) as Mr. Sparks (final appearance)
Amanda S. Stevenson 
