1911-12-23 ( 113 years old ) in Bronx, New York, USA
One of the most beloved actors of all, James Gregory was born December 23, 1911, in the Bronx and grew up in New Rochelle, NY. In high school, he was elected president of the Drama Club. He went to work on Wall Street as a runner shortly after the 1929 crash. James Gregory performed in drama groups and achieved pro status as a summer stock player in 1935. He performed in plays throughout New York, New Jersey and Maryland. His troupe of performers toured small towns in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, towing a trailer full of theatre props; they performed in school gyms, churches and YMCAs, earning $25 for a week of one-night stands. In 1939, James Gregory made his Broadway debut in a production of "Key Largo". Over the next 16 years, he performed in approximately 25 Broadway productions. (His career was interrupted by WWII; he served for 3 years in the Navy and Marine Corps. His tour of duty took him to the Pacific where he spent 83 days on Okinawa). One good thing that came out of the war years is that he married Anne in 1944, and they would stay together always. During his Broadway career, James Gregory earned consistently favorable reviews by drama critics from the New York Press, Boston Globe, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Hollywood Reporter and Variety. James Gregory did a few TV spots as early as 1951, and in 1955 he made the transition from the Broadway stage to live television. The following year, after a couple of earlier uncredited movie appearances, he would also begin his movie career in earnest. He worked steadily throughout the early years of TV, working for major live television productions from New York to Hollywood. In 1959, James Gregory made television history by costarring in the pilot episode of the The Twilight Zone (1959); the episode "Where Is Everybody?" concerning the relevant topic of the USA winning the space race by sending a manned spaceship to the moon sold the series. James Gregory would play Dean Martin's exasperated boss MacDonald in the first 3 of the Matt Helm movies: The Silencers (1966), Murderers' Row (1966) and The Ambushers (1967). But he won his biggest acclaim as Inspector Frank Luger for the entire run of the TV series Barney Miller (1974) (1975-1982). This was his signature role; as the Inspector, he would be lovable, irritating, ingratiating, exasperating and humorous, sometimes all at the same time. He was Barney's buddy for 7 years, and the series ended with the Inspector getting himself a mail-order bride. James Gregory retired from acting in 1983, with over 100 TV and movie credits. He has entertained, uplifted and captivated us with his performances. He has endeared himself to a legion of fans. When asked to define his life's work, he simply said, "I am an actor". Fans would disagree with him. James Gregory is so much more -- role model and inspiration.
Movies
Wait Till Your Mother Gets Home
1983-01-17
The Flight of Dragons
1982-08-17
Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood
1981-02-19
Gridlock
1980-10-02
The Comeback Kid
1980-04-11
The Main Event
1979-06-22
The Bastard
1978-05-22
The Strongest Man in the World
1975-02-06
The Abduction of Saint Anne
1975-01-21
Miracle on 34th Street
1973-12-14
The Weekend Nun
1972-12-21
A Very Missing Person
1972-03-04
The Marshal of Madrid
1972-01-01
The Late Liz
1971-09-01
Shoot Out
1971-07-02
The Million Dollar Duck
1971-06-30
The Hawaiians
1970-06-17
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
1970-04-23
The Love God?
1969-08-01
Cocoon
1968-09-20
The Secret War of Harry Frigg
1968-02-29
The Ambushers
1967-12-22
Clambake
1967-12-04
The Hunted
1967-10-05
Murderers' Row
1966-12-20
The Silencers
1966-02-18
A Rage to Live
1965-10-20
The Sons of Katie Elder
1965-06-23
Quick, Before It Melts
1965-01-20
A Distant Trumpet
1964-05-20
Captain Newman, M.D.
1963-12-25
Twilight of Honor
1963-11-13
PT 109
1963-06-26
The Manchurian Candidate
1962-10-24
Two Weeks in Another Town
1962-08-17
X-15
1961-12-22
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
1960-03-25
Hey Boy! Hey Girl!
1959-08-05
Al Capone
1959-03-25
Onionhead
1958-10-25
A Town Has Turned to Dust
1958-06-19
Underwater Warrior
1958-02-14
Gun Glory
1957-07-19
The Big Caper
1957-03-28
The Young Stranger
1957-02-01
Nightfall
1956-11-09
The Scarlet Hour
1956-04-01
At This Moment
1954-01-01
The Frogmen
1951-01-25
The Naked City
1948-03-04
The Things People Want
1948-01-01
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