JACK ELAM: A TRUE SIDEKICK AND FUNNY GUY

[movieman1957]

If you know Elam from his early western roles and how nasty he was, i.e. "Rawhide", "The Man From Laramie", his turn in "Sheriff" is all the more and amazing for how funny he was in that role.

Even had his own TV show late in life.

[MikeBSG]

Elam had a very good role in "The Dragoon Wells Massacre," a B western from the Fifties. It was a movie in which a bunch of white people of different backgrounds pulled together thanks to an Indian attack.

Elam was a prisoner, and he had a great death scene probably modeled on the monster and girl scene in "Frankenstein" 1931. He was moving slowing to the little girl and the viewer was to think he would attack her, but then he fell dead and you realized that he had protected her from an Indian. Perhaps this was when he began shifting away from pure "bad guy" roles.

[moira finnie]

I've always been amused to think of someone hiring Jack Elam to keep the books as an accountant. It might take the sting out of any audit to have him at your side in any meeting with the IRS, don't ya think?

He was a great villain and even better comic actor, imho. Mike's mention of the intriguing The Dragoon Wells Massacre made me wonder about Elam's essentials movies. Off the top of my head, I'd definitely place Henry Hathaway's Rawhide (1950) at the top of any list of his best.

[moira finnie]

According to IMDb, Mr. Elam was married twice, first to Jean Elam from 1937-January, 1961 when she passed away and secondly to Margaret Jennison from August, 1961 - 2003, when Jack died. He had 2 children during his first marriage and 1 child during his second marriage. His 3 children are Jeri Elam , Jacqueline Elam and Scott Elam. The following link is to a brief interview with the late, great character actor:
http://www.tv-now.com/intervus/jackelam/jei.htm