Cast & creator
Jim Davis
Best known for The Mike Douglas Show, Perry Mason, Perry Mason
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jim Davis (born Marlin Davis, August 26, 1909 – April 26, 1981) was an American actor, best known for his role as Jock Ewing in the CBS prime-time soap opera, Dallas, a role which continued until he was too ill from a terminal illness to perform. 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] a lavish failure for which he was lambasted in the press as being too inexperienced to play the part properly. 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 performed in numerous television series episodes in the 1950s-1970s. After years of relatively low-profile roles, Davis was cast as family patriarch Jock Ewing on Dallas, which debuted in 1978. During 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 wore a hairpiece to cover the hair he'd lost from chemotherapy. A season four storyline regarding the Takapa development and Jock's separation from Miss Ellie was ended abruptly at the end of season four. The writers depicted the couple suddenly leaving to go on an extended second honeymoon when it became obvious that Davis 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 died of complications from his illness while season four was being aired.
Also known as: James Davis, Marlin Davis
98
film credits
65
television credits
163
1942–1981 · acting roles
6.4
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (163)
Showing 163 of 163 credits
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
1961
Perry Mason
George Tabor
1957Perry Mason
Capt. Joe Farrell
1957
Bonanza
Sam Wolfe
1959Bonanza
Sam Butler
1959Bonanza
Johnny
1959
Dallas
Jock Ewing
1978
Wagon Train
Gabe Henry
1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
Lassie
1954
The Donna Reed Show
1958
The F.B.I.
Ellis Bengston
1965
Daniel Boone
Carpenter
1964Daniel Boone
Sam Ralston
1964Daniel Boone
Rafe Carson
1964
Rawhide
Sheriff
1959
The Lucy Show
Cardenas
1962
Gunsmoke
Clell Williams
1955Gunsmoke
Gainer
1955Gunsmoke
Jim Basset
1955Gunsmoke
Jubal Gray
1955Gunsmoke
Ben Rawlins
1955Gunsmoke
Wes Cameron
1955Gunsmoke
Sheriff Shackwood
1955Gunsmoke
Amos Carver
1955Gunsmoke
Dave Carpenter
1955Gunsmoke
Luke Rumbaugh
1955
The Streets of San Francisco
Roy Johnson
1972
Night Gallery
1970
The High Chaparral
Robbins
1967
The Guns of Will Sonnett
Sheriff Hawks
1967
Laramie
1959Laramie
Hake Ballard
1959
The Millionaire
Jim Driskill
1955
The Time Tunnel
Col. Jim Bowie
1966
Miss USA
Self - Judge
1963
Laredo
1965
Branded
1965Branded
James Swaney
1965
December Bride
1954
Outlaws
1960
The Tall Man
1960
Yancy Derringer
Bullet Pike
1958
Cavalcade of America
J.L. Armstrong
1952
Stoney Burke
1962
Banacek
Ed McKay
1972
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
1969
The Magnificent Seven
Gunman at Boot Hill
1960
The Sixth Sense
1972
Dangerous Assignment
1952Dangerous Assignment
Holcomb
1952
Coronado 9
1960
The Aquanauts
Sam Hogarth
1960
26 Men
1957
The Quest
1976
Stories of the Century
Matt Clark
1954
The Silent Service
Comm. W. J. 'Bill' Ruhe
1957
Hunter
1977
Gunslinger
Jeb Crane
1961Gang Busters
1952
General Electric Theater
Cole Treuitt
1953
Death Valley Days
Ezra Meeker
1952
Rio Lobo
Riley
1970
El Dorado
Jim Purvis
1966
The Parallax View
George Hammond
1974The Cowboys
Marshal Bill Winter
1974
Alias Jesse James
Frank James
1959O. Henry Playhouse
Robert Arnold
1957
Big Jake
Head of Lynching Party
1971
Bad Company
Marshal
1972
Comes a Horseman
Julie Blocker
1978
The Last Command
Ben Evans
1955
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Slave Overseer (uncredited)
1949
The Day Time Ended
Grant Williams
1980
Stand by for Action
Talker (uncredited)
1942
Woman They Almost Lynched
Cole Younger
1953Rescue 8
1958
Hondo and the Apaches
Krantz
1967
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter
Marshal MacPhee
1966
Monte Walsh
Cal Brennan
1970
Satan's Triangle
Hal
1975
The Maverick Queen
The Stranger
1956
A Lust to Kill
Marshal Matt Gordon
1958
The Badge of Marshal Brennan
Jeff Harlan
1957
Kung Fu
Sheriff Grogan
1972
Merton of the Movies
Von Strutt's Assistant (uncredited)
1947
Hi-Jacked
Joe Harper
1950
The Big Sky
Streak
1952
Guns Don't Argue
Police Captain Stewart / Narrator
1957
Monster from Green Hell
Dr. Quent Brady
1957
Yes Sir, That's My Baby
Joe Tascarelli
1949
The Honkers
Sheriff Potter
1972
The Trackers
Sheriff Naylor
1971
California Passage
Lincoln 'Linc' Corey
1950
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige
Mr. Wilkenson
1981
Last Stagecoach West
Bill Cameron
1957
Fort Utah
Scarecrow
1967
Ride the Man Down
Red Courteen
1952
Dracula vs. Frankenstein
Sgt. Martin
1971
Woman of the North Country
Steve Powell
1952
The Outcast
Major Linton Cosgrave
1954
Duel at Apache Wells
Dean Cannary
1957
Noose for a Gunman
Case Britton
1960
The Bottom of the Bottle
George Cady
1956
The Choirboys
Drobeck
1977
Tennessee Johnson
Reporter (uncredited)
1942
The Restless Breed
Ed Newton
1957
Last of the Desperados
Chief Deputy John Poe
1955
Just a Little Inconvenience
Dave Erickson
1977
Zebra in the Kitchen
Adam Carlyle
1965
The Outlaw's Daughter
Marshal Dan Porter
1954
Deliver Us from Evil
Dixie
1973
Rose of Cimarron
Willie Whitewater
1952
The Cariboo Trail
Miller
1950
Oh! Susanna
Ira Jordan
1951
Law of the Land
Sheriff Pat Lambrose
1976
They Ran for Their Lives
Vince Ballard
1968
Iron Angel
Sgt. Walsh
1964
Brimstone
Nick Courteen
1949
Hell's Outpost
Sam Horne
1954
Raiders of Old California
Angus Clyde McKane
1957
The Toughest Gun in Tombstone
Johnny Ringo
1958
Four Women in Black
Sheriff
1957
The Gambler Wore a Gun
Case Silverthorne
1961
Cavalry Scout
Lt. Spaulding
1951
Jubilee Trail
Silky
1954
Red Stallion In The Rockies
Dave Ryder
1949
White Cargo
Seaplane Pilot (uncredited)
1942
The Savage Horde
Lt. Mike Baker
1950
The Showdown
Cochran
1950
The Sea Hornet
Tony Sullivan
1951
Five Bloody Graves
Clay Bates
1969
The Vanishing American
Glendon
1955
The Road Hustlers
Noah Reedy
1968
Northwest Rangers
Mountie with Warrant
1942
Apache Warrior
Ben Ziegler
1957
Timberjack
Poole
1955
Keep 'Em Sailing
Joseph Cummins
1942
Frontier Uprising
Jim Stockton
1961
Hellfire
Gyp Stoner
1949Buttons and Her Beaus
1962
The Runaway Barge
Capt. Buckshot Bates
1975
The Big Chase
Brad Bellows
1954
The Wild Dakotas
Aaron Baring
1956
Little Big Horn
Cpl. Doan Moylan
1951
Frontier Gambler
Tony Burton
1956
Enigma
Colonel Valentine
1977
The Quiet Gun
Ralph Carpenter
1957
Pilot #5
Military Policeman
1943
Trail of Danger
Pop Apling
1978
Winter Meeting
Slick Novak
1948
Inferno in Paradise
Rocky Stratton
1974
Blonde Bait
Nick Randall
1956
Wolf Dog
Jim Hughes
1958
Swing Shift Maisie
Investigator / Airport Announcer (Uncredited)
1943
Silver Canyon
Wade McQuarrie
1951
The Fabulous Texan
Sam Bass
1947
Gallant Bess
Harry
1946
Up Goes Maisie
Matthews (Uncredited)
1946
Three Desperate Men
Fred Denton
1951
Killing Stone
Sen. Barry Tyler
1978
Flaming Frontier
Col. Hugh Carver
1958
The Ice House
Jake
1969