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