James Gregory

James Gregory

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.
Known For: Acting
Birthday: 1911-12-23
Place of Birth: Bronx, New York, USA
Also Known As: Robert Dixon, Jim Gregory

Movies List of James Gregory

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The Frogmen

1951 Movie
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The Silencers

1966 Movie
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The Bastard

1978 Movie
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Captain Newman, M.D.

1963 Movie
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The Flight of Dragons

1982 Movie
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PT 109

1963 Movie
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Nightfall

1956 Movie
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The Main Event

1979 Movie
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Murderers' Row

1966 Movie
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The Ambushers

1967 Movie
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Al Capone

1959 Movie
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A Distant Trumpet

1964 Movie
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The Big Caper

1957 Movie
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The Scarlet Hour

1956 Movie
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Shoot Out

1971 Movie
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A Rage to Live

1965 Movie
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The Young Stranger

1957 Movie
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Knife in the Dark

1954 Movie
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Gun Glory

1957 Movie
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Twilight of Honor

1963 Movie
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The Weekend Nun

1972 Movie
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Hey Boy! Hey Girl!

1959 Movie
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Underwater Warrior

1958 Movie
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The Hunted

1967 Movie
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X-15

1961 Movie
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The Hawaiians

1970 Movie
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The Comeback Kid

1980 Movie
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Gridlock

1980 Movie
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Clambake

1967 Movie
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Onionhead

1958 Movie
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Five in Judgement

1955 Movie
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The Late Liz

1971 Movie
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At This Moment

1954 Movie
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The Love God?

1969 Movie
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A Very Missing Person

1972 Movie
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The Naked City

1948 Movie
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Cocoon

1968 Movie
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The Marshal of Madrid

1972 Movie