13 Facts About James Griffith

James Jeffrey Griffith was an American character actor, musician and screenwriter.

James Griffith found success in the production They Can't Get You Down in 1939, but put his career on hold during World War II to serve with the United States Marine Corps.

In 1951's Apache Drums, James Griffith portrayed a cavalry officer sensitive to Native-American concerns, and in 1957, he co-starred on Gunsmoke, playing a simple farmer involved in a feud in S3E16's "Twelfth Night".

James Griffith was featured in the season one episode, "Pike's Reward," and several others.

In 1959, Griffith appeared as John Wesley Hardin on the TV western Maverick in the episode titled "Duel at Sundown" featuring James Garner and Clint Eastwood.

James Griffith portrayed deputy Tom Ferguson in the syndicated series, Sheriff of Cochise, starring John Bromfield, and US Marshal.

James Griffith made more than seventy guest appearances on television shows, including eight episodes of Wagon Train, seven episodes of The Range Rider, seven episodes of The Lone Ranger, two episodes of Annie Oakley, four episodes of Cheyenne, three episodes of Buffalo Bill, Jr.

James Griffith composed music for the 1958 film Bullwhip and the 1964 picture, Lorna, in which he had a role and served as screenwriter.

James Griffith played the Reverend in Black in the opening, closing, and a few in the middle scenes of Lorna, starring Lorna Maitland in one of director Russ Meyer's black-and-white 'skin' movies before the height of Meyer's career in 1968 with Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

James Griffith made his last onscreen appearance in a 1984 episode of CBS's Trapper John, MD.

James Griffith was married twice: to Margaret Ellen Fluke from 1943 until her death in 1975, and, from 1984 until his own death, to Elizabeth Thorpe.

James Griffith had one child, a daughter, by his first marriage.

On September 17,1993, James Griffith died of cancer in Avila Beach, California, survived by his wife, daughter and two granddaughters.