Known For
Acting
Known Credits
121
Gender
Male
Birthday
March 22, 1913 (113 years old)
Place of Birth
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James A. Westerfield (22 March 1913 – 20 September 1971) was an American actor of stage, film, and television.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, to candy-maker Brasher Omier Westerfield and his wife Dora Elizabeth Bailey, he was raised in Detroit, Michigan. (A news story in the June 12, 1949, issue of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle calls the information in the preceding sentence into question. It describes Westerfield as "the son of a famous producer-director" and says that he was "a youngster in Denver, Col.")
He became interested in theatre as a young man and in the 1930s joined Gilmor Brown's famed Pasadena Community Playhouse, appearing in dozens of plays. He played in numerous films following his debut in 1940, then went to New York City and appeared on Broadway, winning two New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards for his supporting roles in The Madwoman of Chaillot and Detective Story. He then returned to Hollywood and made more than 40 more films. Westerfield maintained an interest in the theatre. He directed more than 50 musicals in a summer-musical tent he owned in Danbury, Connecticut, and was the original stage director and producer for the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. He directed three seasons of "Theatre Under the Stars" in Vancouver, British Columbia, and appeared in musical roles with the Detroit Civic Light Opera, the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, and the San Francisco Civic Light Opera.
On film, Westerfield had roles in The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), On The Waterfront (1954), Lucy Gallant (1955), the 1957 Budd Boetticher-directed Western Decision at Sundown starring Randolph Scott, Cowboy (1958), a repeating role in The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) and its sequel Son of Flubber (1963), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), Man's Favorite Sport (1964), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), Hang 'Em High (1968) and True Grit (1969).
Westerfield had many roles on television, including seven episodes as John Murrel from 1963 to 1964 on ABC's The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, starring child actor Kurt Russell in the title role. He made two guest appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of Sheriff Bert Elmore in the 1957 episode, "The Case of the Angry Mourner." He also appeared in an episode of The Lone Ranger in 1954 entitled "Texas Draw."
Westerfield's other appearances were on such series as The Rifleman, The Californians, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Alaskans, The Rebel, Straightaway, Going My Way, The Asphalt Jungle, Hazel, The Andy Griffith Show, Daniel Boone, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Gunsmoke. He played the circus leader, Dr. Marvello, in an episode of Lost in Space "Space Circus" (1966).
Westerfield as a young man was a roommate of fellow Pasadena Playhouse actor George Reeves. The two remained close friends until Reeves's death in 1959.
Westerfield was married to Alice G. Fay (an actress under the name Fay Tracey), who, along with his mother, survived him. Westerfield died from a heart attack in Woodlands Hills, California, at the age of fifty-eight.
| 1973 | Set This Town on Fireas Cark Rickter | |
| 1971 | Dead Aimas John Applebee | |
| 1970 | The Boy Who Stole the Elephantas Sheriff Berry | |
| 1969 | Bartlebyas The Lawyer | |
| 1969 | The Love God?as Rev. Wilkerson | |
| 1969 | True Gritas Judge Parker | |
| 1969 | Smith!as Sheriff | |
| 1968 | Now You See It, Now You Don'tas Capt. Boyle | |
| 1968 | The Outcastsas | |
| 1968 | Mayberry R.F.D.as Sheriff Matson | |
| 1968 | Blueas Abe Parker | |
| 1968 | Hang 'em Highas Prisoner | |
| 1968 | A Man Called Gannonas Amos | |
| 1967 | Mannixas | |
| 1967 | Judd, for the Defenseas | |
| 1966 | Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Roundas Jack Balter | |
| 1966 | The Time Tunnelas Sheriff | |
| 1966 | Scalplockas Nehemiah | |
| 1965 | The Further Adventures of Gallegheras Charley Mardis | |
| 1965 | The Wild Wild Westas McAvity | |
| 1965 | The Big Valleyas Jeb Lassiter | |
| 1965 | Lost in Spaceas Dr. Marvello | |
| 1965 | Green Acresas | |
| 1965 | That Funny Feelingas Officer Brokaw | |
| 1965 | The Sons of Katie Elderas Mr. Vennar | |
| 1964 | Profiles in Courageas Sen. Samuel Pomeroy | |
| 1964 | Daniel Booneas Hand | |
| 1964 | Daniel Booneas Simon Girty | |
| 1964 | Bewitchedas | |
| 1964 | Bikini Beachas Cop #2 | |
| 1964 | Man's Favorite Sport?as Policeman | |
| 1963 | The Travels of Jaimie McPheetersas John Murrel | |
| 1963 | The Great Adventureas Attorney Thomas Green | |
| 1963 | Son of Flubberas Officer Hanson | |
| 1963 | The Dakotasas | |
| 1962 | Going My Wayas | |
| 1962 | The Lucy Showas Weitzman | |
| 1962 | The Beverly Hillbilliesas | |
| 1962 | Birdman of Alcatrazas Jess Younger | |
| 1961 | Straightawayas | |
| 1961 | Homicidalas Alfred S. Adrims | |
| 1961 | The Asphalt Jungleas | |
| 1961 | The Absent-Minded Professoras Officer Hanson | |
| 1961 | Alcatraz Expressas | |
| 1960 | The Plunderersas Mike Baron | |
| 1960 | The Andy Griffith Showas Uncle Ollie | |
| 1960 | My Three Sonsas | |
| 1960 | Thrilleras Al Matthews | |
| 1960 | The Tall Manas | |
| 1960 | Wild Riveras Cal Garth | |
| 1959 | The Alaskansas | |
| 1959 | The Rebelas Suee | |
| 1959 | Johnny Ringoas Aben Burke | |
| 1959 | The Twilight Zoneas Anthony O'Toole | |
| 1959 | Law of the Plainsmanas Joshua Jones | |
| 1959 | Bonanzaas Arthur Blackwell | |
| 1959 | Tightropeas | |
| 1959 | The Hangmanas Herb Loftus | |
| 1959 | The Gunfight at Dodge Cityas Reverend Howard | |
| 1959 | The Shaggy Dogas Officer Hanson | |
| 1959 | Rawhideas Matt Lucas | |
| 1959 | Rawhideas Mort Henry | |
| 1958 | Old Manas Warden | |
| 1958 | Bat Mastersonas Shapley Howell | |
| 1958 | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouseas | |
| 1958 | The Riflemanas | |
| 1958 | The Texanas | |
| 1958 | Wanted: Dead or Aliveas Dr. Langland | |
| 1958 | The Proud Rebelas Birm Bates | |
| 1958 | Cowboyas Mike Adams | |
| 1957 | Decision at Sundownas Otis, the Bartender | |
| 1957 | Trackdownas | |
| 1957 | The Walter Winchell Fileas | |
| 1957 | Maverickas | |
| 1957 | Perry Masonas Roger Quigley | |
| 1957 | Perry Masonas Sheriff Elmore | |
| 1957 | Jungle Heatas Harvey Mathews | |
| 1957 | Richard Diamond, Private Detectiveas McAllister | |
| 1957 | The Helen Morgan Storyas Frank Piggin | |
| 1956 | Three Brave Menas Chief O'Reilly | |
| 1956 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatreas Bert Farrow | |
| 1956 | State Trooperas | |
| 1956 | The Adventures of Jim Bowieas | |
| 1956 | Away All Boatsas | |
| 1955 | Man with the Gunas Mr. Zender | |
| 1955 | Lucy Gallantas Harry Wilson | |
| 1955 | The 20th Century Fox Houras Mapes | |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presentsas Commissioner Cummings | |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presentsas Pops Lafferty | |
| 1955 | Gunsmokeas Cleed | |
| 1955 | Gunsmokeas Franks | |
| 1955 | Gunsmokeas Harry Duggan | |
| 1955 | Gunsmokeas Rance Bradley | |
| 1955 | The Scarlet Coatas Col. Jameson | |
| 1955 | The Cobwebas James Petlee | |
| 1955 | Chief Crazy Horseas Caleb Mantz | |
| 1955 | The Violent Menas Sheriff Magruder | |
| 1954 | Three Hours to Killas Sam Minor | |
| 1954 | The Human Jungleas Marty Harrison | |
| 1954 | Lassieas | |
| 1954 | On the Waterfrontas Big Mac | |
| 1954 | Inner Sanctumas | |
| 1953 | The Bachelor Partyas Bookkeeper | |
| 1953 | General Electric Theateras Bartender | |
| 1953 | General Electric Theateras The General | |
| 1951 | The Whistle at Eaton Fallsas Joe London | |
| 1951 | Casey, Crime Photographeras | |
| 1950 | Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Townas Harvey (Zoo Attendant) (uncredited) | |
| 1950 | Side Streetas Charlie (policeman) | |
| 1948 | Studio Oneas Bilgeboy / Jimmy Scaggs | |
| 1948 | Studio Oneas Captain James Reagan | |
| 1948 | The Philco Television Playhouseas | |
| 1948 | The Philco Television Playhouseas H.T. Carmichael | |
| 1946 | The Chaseas Job the Butler | |
| 1946 | Undercurrentas Henry Gilson | |
| 1943 | Around the Worldas Bashful Marine | |
| 1942 | The Pride of the Yankeesas Spectator (uncredited) | |
| 1942 | The Magnificent Ambersonsas Policeman at Accident (uncredited) | |
| 1942 | About Faceas Soldier with Daisy (uncredited) | |
| 1941 | Highway Westas Swede, Trucker at Cafe | |
| 1940 | The Howards of Virginiaas Backwoodsman |