Jim Davis (actor)

Jim Davis
Jim Davis in 1980
Born	Marlin Jim Davis August 26, 1909(1909-08-26) Edgerton, Missouri, U.S.
Died	April 26, 1981(1981-04-26) (aged 71) Northridge, California, U.S.
Years active	1942-1981
Spouse	Blanche Hammerer (1945-1981; his death) - 1 child, Tara Diane Davis (1953-1970; predeceased her father)

Jim 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 Dallas, a role which continued almost until his death.

Biography

Born as Marlin Davis in Edgerton, Missouri, his first major screen role was opposite Bette Davis in the 1948 melodrama Winter Meeting, 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. In the episode "Little Washington" of the syndicated television series Death Valley Days, Davis portrayed a Congressman from Nevada. He married his wife, Blanche Davis (1918-2009). in 1945; their only child, daughter Tara Diane Davis, was killed in a car crash in 1970.^{[citation needed]}

From 1954-55, Davis starred and narrated the syndicated western television series Stories of the Century. He portrayed Matt Clark, a detective for the Southwestern Railroad who works to bring notorious gunfighters to justice. His costars were Mary Castle and Kristine Miller. Stories of the Century was the first western series to win an Emmy Award. Among the historical figures featured were John Wesley Hardin, Sam Bass, Doc Holliday, the Dalton Brothers, the Younger Brothers, Belle Starr, L.H. Musgrove, and Clay Allison.

From 1958-1960, Davis starred as Wes Cameron opposite Lang Jeffries in the role of Skip Johnson in the syndicated adventure series Rescue 8.

Dallas and last years

After years of relatively low profile roles, he was cast as family patriarch Jock Ewing in the Dallas TV series, which ran from 1978.

During season three, 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. He wore a wig to cover the hair he lost from chemotherapy. A season three storyline regarding the Takapa development and his separation from Miss Ellie was ended abruptly at the end of season three. The writers had the couple leave to go on an extended second honeymoon (their departure in a limousine in the episode "New Beginnings" was Davis's only scene in that episode and his final appearance on the show) when it became obvious that Davis could no longer continue to work. He died of complications from his illness while season three was on the air.

The show's writers made the decision not to write his death into the storyline right away. Initially, plans were made to replace him with another actor, but were dropped because of audience awareness, and that no suitable actor could be found for the role to be successfully recast.

His character was kept alive for 13 episodes after his death with the storyline that he was in South America drilling for oil after taking care of Ewing Oil-related legislative business in Washington. The episode "The Search" confirmed the character's death in a helicopter crash was broadcast on January 8, 1982. A portrait of Davis in his role as Jock Ewing often appeared as a memorial on Dallas after his death.

From the late 1970s until his death, Davis was also a voice actor, in the commercials for the American Beef Council, voicing the slogan "Beef: It's what's for dinner". He was replaced by actor Robert Mitchum.^{[citation needed]}

Davis was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery. For his contribution to the television industry, Jim Davis has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6290 Hollywood Blvd.

External links

• Jim Davis Memorial Page
• Jim Davis at the Internet Movie Database
• Burial site of Jim Davis at Find A Grave