Jim Backus
Known for
If longevity counts for anything, Jim Backus is an American actor recognizable to viewers well beyond any single title. He has worked in drama more often than in any other register. Careers that pass the 78-year mark are a small club. 'Rebel Without a Cause' is the title most people reach for first, with Frank Stark at the center of it. 'Pete's Dragon' counts among the more visible credits.
Jim Backus
138 Movies
41 Series
If longevity counts for anything, Jim Backus is an American actor recognizable to viewers well beyond any single title. He has worked in drama more often than in any other register. Careers that pass the 78-year mark are a small club. 'Rebel Without a Cause' is the title most people reach for first, with Frank Stark at the center of it. 'Pete's Dragon' counts among the more visible credits.
Movies
Plays Frank Stark
Rebel Without a Cause
1955
Plays Tyler Fitzgerald
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963
Plays The Mayor
Pete's Dragon
1977
Plays Louis Murphy
Johnny Cool
1963
Plays Peter Jones
Don't Bother to Knock
1952
Plays Jim Cleary
Deadline - U.S.A.
1952
Plays Doctor
Myra Breckinridge
1970
Plays Carter Sillens
Hurry Sundown
1967
Plays T.R. Hollister
Hello Down There
1969
Plays Albert, the Doorman
Good Guys Wear Black
1978
Plays District Attorney Judson
Angel Face
1953
Plays Centurion
Androcles and the Lion
1952
Plays The Mayor
M
1951
Plays Myron Winton
His Kind of Woman
1951
Plays Chief Pilot Drysdale
Sunday in New York
1963
Plays Timothy Forsythe
Now You See Him, Now You Don't
1972
Plays The King (segment "The Dancing Princess")
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm
1962
Plays Mr. Magoo (voice)
Trouble Indemnity
1950
Plays Clarence Locan
Man of a Thousand Faces
1957
Plays Flaherty
The Man with a Cloak
1951
Plays Mr. Forbes
The Wild and the Innocent
1959
Plays Sheriff Jim Tyloe
Macabre
1958
Plays Peter Bowers
Boys' Night Out
1962
Plays Jason Ambrose
Geraldine
1953
Plays Mitch Davis
Hollywood Story
1951
Plays Michael Hogan
Half Angel
1951
Plays Tom Culdane
Meet Me in Las Vegas
1956
Plays Gen. Curtis E. LeMay
Above and Beyond
1953
Plays Mr. Magoo
Bungled Bungalow
1951
Plays Gen. Willoughby
Advance to the Rear
1964
Plays Howard G. Carol
Billie
1965
Plays Mr. Gibbs
C.H.O.M.P.S.
1979
Plays Harvey Landrum
I Want You
1951
Plays Bullard Bear
The Wheeler Dealers
1963
Plays Danker
You Can't Run Away from It
1956
Plays Whitepaper
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
1965
Plays Ben Judson
Deep in My Heart
1954
Plays Tru-Blue Lou
Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?
1968
Plays Mr. Maxwell
Ask Any Girl
1959
Plays Jim Gordon
A Private's Affair
1959
Plays Sam Harris
I'll See You in My Dreams
1951
Plays Paul Mason
The High Cost of Loving
1958
Plays Col. Homer W. Gooch
Top Secret Affair
1957
Plays Cliff Heldon
The Big Operator
1959
Plays Milton the Cat
Plutopia
1951
Plays Mr. Albertson
Crazy Mama
1975
Plays Charles Barry
Pat and Mike
1952
Plays Psychiatrist
The Opposite Sex
1956
Plays Staunch
The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County
1970
Plays Colonel
Wake Me When the War Is Over
1969
TV Shows
Plays Mr Magoo (voice)
The Mr. Magoo Show
1960
Plays Judge Bradley Stevens
I Married Joan
1952
Plays Thurston Howell
Gilligan's Island
1964
Plays Mr. Magoo (voice)
What's New, Mr. Magoo?
1977
Plays Thurston Howell III (voice)
The New Adventures of Gilligan
1974
Plays Mr. Magoo (voice)
The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo
1964
Plays Thurston Howell, III (voice)
Gilligan's Planet
1982
Plays Self
What's My Line?
1950
Plays Zaccariah
The Brady Bunch
1969
Plays Jake Mandel
Police Story
1973
Plays Harold Mason
Burke's Law
1963
Plays Marvin Waterman
The Love Boat
1977
Plays John Hancock
The Rebels
1979
Plays Iggy
Charlie's Angels
1976
Plays Tim McTaggart
Studio One
1948
Plays Jerry Franks
Love, American Style
1969
Plays Macklin
Mobile One
1975
Plays Karl Bigger
Cain's Hundred
1961
Plays Arthur Hutchins
The Gale Storm Show
1956
Plays Dr. Charles Walters
Nanny and the Professor
1970
Plays Sam Thayer
Arrest and Trial
1963
Plays Howard Biggers
Ellery Queen
1975
Plays Weitzman
CHiPs
1977
Plays Maury Samuels
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Plays Marty Van Ransohoff
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962
Plays Emile Wade
The Mod Squad
1968
Plays Reverend Sims
Gunsmoke
1955
Plays Kevin Grady
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
Plays Fabian Swanson
The Wild Wild West
1965
Plays Will Scataway
Daniel Boone
1964
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
C.H.O.M.P.S.
Full Filmography
Prince Jack
Dealy
1985
Film
The Unpredictable Pudgy!
Himself
1983
Film
Slapstick of Another Kind
President of the U.S.
1982
Film
Gilligan's Planet
Thurston Howell, III (voice) · 13 episodes
1982–
TV
There Goes The Bride
Mr. Perkins
1980
Film
The Gossip Columnist
Jim Backus
1980
Film
C.H.O.M.P.S.
Mr. Gibbs
1979
Film
The Rebels
John Hancock · 2 episodes
1979–
TV
Angels' Brigade
Cmdr. Lindsey March
1979
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jim Backus still alive?
Jim Backus passed away on July 3, 1989 at age 76.
What are the most famous roles of Jim Backus?
Jim Backus is best known for roles in Rebel Without a Cause, Pete's Dragon, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
How many movies has Jim Backus been in?
Over a 41-year career (since 1948), Jim Backus has appeared in 136 movies and 39 TV shows.
What was Jim Backus's first movie?
The career of Jim Backus began with Where Will You Hide? (1948).
What is Jim Backus's most recent movie or series?
Jim Backus's most recent release is Hollywood's Hidden Secrets, which premiered on January 1, 1987.
What TV shows has Jim Backus appeared in?
On television, Jim Backus has appeared in I Dream of Jeannie, Gilligan's Island, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat.
Jim Backus
1913-02-25 · Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Jim Backus (1913–1989) was a radio, television, film, and voice actor.
Among his most famous credits are The Alan Young Radio Show, I Married Joan, Gilligan's Island, and Rebel Without a Cause. He also starred on his own show The Jim Backus Show.