JAMES ELLISON BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

James Ellison was born on May 4th, 1910 in Guthrie Center, Iowa with the birth name James Ellison Smith.  He was raised on a ranch in Montana and learned how to be a cowboy. 

As a young child, his family relocated to Los Angeles, California and  he began to develop an interest in acting.  He studied at the Pasadena Playhouse and began working as a stage actor in Los Angeles as well as a little film experience on New York City.
 
It did not take long for Warner Brothers to see he had talent and soon he was appearing in small film roles for Warner Brothers as well as MGM.  His big break came when he was cast as the part of 'Johnny Nelson' in eight Hopalong Cassidy films such as "Trail Dust" (1936) and "Borderland" (1937).

As his career progressed some of his more well known film roles included, starring as Buffalo Bill Cody in "The Plainsman" (1936) with Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, Charles Bickford, Frank Albertson, Fred Kohler, Porter Hall, Paul Harvey and John Miljan, "Vivacious Lady" (1938) starring Ginger Rogers, James Stewart, Beulah Bondi, Charles Coburn, Franklin Pangborn, Hattie McDaniel, Jack Carson and Willie Best, "They Met in Argentina" (1941) with Maureen O'Hara, Buddy Ebsen, Alberto Vila, "The Gang's All Here" (1943) starring alongside Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Benny Goodman, Phil Baker, Edward Everett Horton, Charlotte Greenwood and Eugene Pallette, "I Walked with a Zombie" (1943) co-starring Frances Dee and Tom Conway and "Lady, Let's Dance" (1944) co-starring with ice skater Belita as herself and Walter Catlett.
 
Jimmy Ellison also became well known for portraying the role of Jimmy 'Shamrock' Ellison in such films as, "Hostile Country" (1950) with Russell Hayden and Raymond Hatton, "Crooked River" (1950), "Colorado Ranger" (1950) co-starring Raymond Hatton and Russell Hayden, "West of the Brazos" (1950) also starring Russell Hayden, Raymond Hatton, John Forrest 'Fuzzy' Knight and Julie Adams and "Fast on the Draw" (1950) and again with Russell Hayden and Raymond Hatton and also Tom Tyler, Julie Adams, George Chesebro, Bud Osborne and Dennis Moore. 

Along with his career as an actor, he later retired from the industry and began to work in real estate where he became quite successful.  James was married twice throughout his lifetime, first to Gertrude Durkin in 1937 and they had two children before she passed away in 1970.  He then wed Lois Bretherton in 1972 and they remained married until he passed away on December 23rd, 1993 in Montecito, California after suffering a broken neck from a fall at the age of eighty three.  

Filmography

1962         When the Girls Take Over
1952         Dead Man's Trail
1952         Man from the Black Hills
1952         Texas City
1951         Texas Lawmen
1951         Whistling Hills
1951         Oklahoma Justice
1951         Kentucky Jubilee
1950         The Texan Meets Calamity Jane
1950         I Killed Geronimo
1950         Fast on the Draw
1950         West of the Brazos
1950         Colorado Ranger
1950         Crooked River
1950         Marshal of Heldorado
1950         Hostile Country
1948         Last of the Wild Horses
1947         The Ghost Goes Wild
1947         Calendar Girl
1946         G.I. War Brides
1945         Hollywood and Vine
1944         Johnny Doesn't Live Here Any More
1944         Lady, Let's Dance
1943         The Gang's All Here
1943         Best Foot Forward
1943         I Walked with a Zombie
1943         Dixie Dugan
1942         The Undying Monster
1942         That Other Woman
1942         Army Surgeon
1942         Careful, Soft Shoulder
1941         Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case
1941         Ice-Capades
1941         Charley's Aunt
1941         They Met in Argentina
1941         Play Girl
1940         Anne of Windy Poplars
1940         You Can't Fool Your Wife
1939         5th Ave Girl
1939         Hotel for Women
1939         Sorority House
1939         Zenobia
1939         Almost a Gentleman
1938         Next Time I Marry
1938         Mother Carey's Chickens
1938         Vivacious Lady
1937         The Barrier
1937         Annapolis Salute
1937         23 1/2 Hours Leave
1937         Borderland
1936         Trail Dust
1936         The Plainsman
1936         Three on the Trail
1936         Call of the Prairie
1936         Heart of the West
1936         The Leathernecks Have Landed
1935         Hitch Hike Lady
1935         Bar 20 Rides Again
1935         The Eagle's Brood
1935         Hop-a-long Cassidy
1935         Reckless
1935         After Office Hours
1935         The Winning Ticket
1935         Crime Does Not Pay Series No. 1 Entitled 'Buried Loot' 
1934         Death on the Diamond
1934         Carolina
1934         Eight Girls in a Boat
1933         Central Airport
1932         The Famous Ferguson Case
1932         Play-Girl