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.
Acted in
Wait Till Your Mother Gets Home
1983
as Dan Peters
The Flight of Dragons
1982
as Bryagh / Smrgol (voice)
Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood
1981
as Leo Hackett
Gridlock
1980
as Gen. Caribou Caruthers
The Comeback Kid
1980
as Scotty
Detective School
1979
The Main Event
1979
as Gough
Flying High
1978
The Bastard
1978
as Will Campbell
The Love Boat
1977
as Milton Benson
Quincy, M.E.
1976
Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident
1976
as James Donovan
All's Fair
1976
The Strongest Man in the World
1975
as Chief Blair
Barney Miller
1975
as Inspector Frank Luger
Barney Miller
1975
as Frank Luger
The Abduction of Saint Anne
1975
as Pete Haggerty
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1974
as Captain Quill
Miracle on 34th Street
1973
as District Attorney
Police Story
1973
The Weekend Nun
1972
as Sid Richardson
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
M*A*S*H
1972
as General Kelly
Search
1972
The Paul Lynde Show
1972
Temperatures Rising
1972
as James Jerome
A Very Missing Person
1972
as Oscar Piper
Emergency!
1972
Sanford and Son
1972
The Marshal of Madrid
1972
as Oil Tycoon
Columbo
1971
as David Buckner
Cannon
1971
The Late Liz
1971
as Sam Burns
Shoot Out
1971
as Sam Foley
The Million Dollar Duck
1971
as Rutledge
All in the Family
1971
as William R. Kirkwood
Night Gallery
1970
The Headmaster
1970
The Hawaiians
1970
as Dr. Whipple Sr. (uncredited)
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
1970
as Ursus
McCloud
1970
My World and Welcome to It
1969
The Love God?
1969
as Darrell Evans Hughes
The Mod Squad
1968
Lancer
1968
The Outcasts
1968
Cocoon
1968
as Jonathan Kaye
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Jonathan Kaye
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Mike Finney
The Outsider
1968
Premiere
1968
The Secret War of Harry Frigg
1968
as Gen. Homer Prentiss
The Ambushers
1967
as MacDonald
Clambake
1967
as Duster Heyward
The Hunted
1967
as Buckman
The High Chaparral
1967
as Jake Stoner
Judd for the Defense
1967
Cimarron Strip
1967
Ironside
1967
as Herb Jarman
Ironside
1967
as TV Presenter
Ironside
1967
as Tony Hudson
Murderers' Row
1966
as MacDonald
Mission: Impossible
1966
Star Trek
1966
as Dr. Tristan Adams
That Girl
1966
Tarzan
1966
The Silencers
1966
as MacDonald
A Rage to Live
1965
as Dr. O'Brien
The F.B.I.
1965
as Bert Anslem
The Loner
1965
The Wild Wild West
1965
Hogan's Heroes
1965
as General Biedenbender
The Big Valley
1965
as Simon Carter
The Big Valley
1965
as Harry Bodine
The Big Valley
1965
as Senator Jim Bannard
F Troop
1965
The Sons of Katie Elder
1965
as Morgan Hastings
Quick, Before It Melts
1965
as Vice Admiral
Daniel Boone
1964
as Captain Asa Webb
A Distant Trumpet
1964
as Maj. Gen. Alexander Upton Quaint
Captain Newman, M.D.
1963
as Col. Edgar Pyser
Twilight of Honor
1963
as Norris Bixby
Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963
as Lieutenant Wade
The Fugitive
1963
as Pete Crandall
The Lieutenant
1963
PT 109
1963
as Commander C.R. Ritchie
The Manchurian Candidate
1962
as Sen. John Yerkes Iselin
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
as Fred Kruger
The Virginian
1962
as Slim Jessup
The Virginian
1962
as Cal Young
Sam Benedict
1962
Two Weeks in Another Town
1962
as Brad Byrd
X-15
1961
as Tom Deparma
The New Breed
1961
as Father Al
Ben Casey
1961
Target: The Corruptors!
1961
The Defenders
1961
as Paul Tasso
My Three Sons
1960
Thriller
1960
as Howard Yates
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
1960
as Editor
The Twilight Zone
1959
as Confederate Sergeant
The Twilight Zone
1959
as Air Force General
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
as John Kramer
Laramie
1959
Bonanza
1959
as Mulvaney
Bonanza
1959
as Sgt. Mike Russell
Hey Boy! Hey Girl!
1959
as Father Burton
The Lawless Years
1959
as Barney Ruditsky
Al Capone
1959
as Schaefler (narrator)
Rawhide
1959
as Owen Spencer
Rawhide
1959
as Lash Whitcomb
Rawhide
1959
as Mister Brothers
Onionhead
1958
as Lt. Cmdr. Fox aka The Skipper
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
A Town Has Turned to Dust
1958
as Hennify
Underwater Warrior
1958
as Lt. William Arnold
Gun Glory
1957
as Grimsell
The Big Caper
1957
as Flood
The Young Stranger
1957
as Sergeant Shipley
Nightfall
1956
as Ben Fraser
The Scarlet Hour
1956
as Ralph Nevins
Playwrights '56
1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Mr. Wescott
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Wayne Campbell
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as John Gregory
Gunsmoke
1955
as Scanlon, Sr.
Gunsmoke
1955
as Judge Calvin Strom
Gunsmoke
1955
as Wes Martin
Five in Judgement
1955
as Roy
Knife in the Dark
1954
as Willie
Climax!
1954
as Joe McCarthy
Climax!
1954
as Dr. Froelich
Inner Sanctum
1954
At This Moment
1954
as Bill Ritter
Letter to Loretta
1953
as Jim Patton
General Electric Theater
1953
as Sandy Green
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Morgan
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Lieutenant Billy Kyle
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
The Frogmen
1951
as Chief Petty Officer Lane
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Mac
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Mr. Randolph
Danger
1950
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Suspense
1949
Suspense
1949
as Jerry
Studio One
1948
as Gas Man
Studio One
1948
as Mr. Black
Studio One
1948
as James Metcalf
Studio One
1948
as Mr. Bales
Studio One
1948
as George Monzo
Studio One
1948
as Corey
Studio One
1948
as Private Alan Pomeroy
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
as Lester Thompson
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
as Angus
The Naked City
1948
as Patrolman Albert Hicks (uncredited)
The Things People Want
1948
as Pete