Jim Backus (

1913

)

Actor / Director Profile

James Gilmore Backus

ID for Jim Backus

Birth Name:
James Gilmore Backus

Date of Birth:
February 25, 1913,

Height:
5' 10" (1.78 m)

add to favorites

photography

10 Jim Backus Photos

Jim Backus videos

advertisment

Your Ad Here

related links

Jim Backus

Why is Jim Backus Famous?

source: people.famouswhy.com

Jim Backus

"Jim Backus Photos, News & Bio @TV Guide"

source: www.tvguide.com

Jim Backus Biography

Jim Backus was one of the few actors to do it all: radio, Broadway, movies, television and cartoons. After attending prep school in his native Cleveland, Backus enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Art, to ply his trade. While waiting for parts, he did radio and became friends with such future notables as Garson Kanin and Keenan Wynn. Backus stuck it out and soon was doing motion pictures in addition to radio. He was typecast in roles as "rich types" but broke the mold when he portrayed James Dean's father in the classic Rebel Without a Cause (1955). With his career in full swing, Backus also tackled two roles that he would be best known for, Mr. Magoo in cartoons and Thurston Howell III, in "Gilligan's Island" (1964). After the show's run ended, he continued doing guest spots on television and movies, before passing away on July 3, 1989.

Jim Backus Photo Gallery

Jim Backus filmography

browse filmography as: actor, writer

1. "Merrie Melodies: Starring Bugs Bunny and Friends" (1990)
(voice) Smoky the Genie

actor

2. "The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show" (1986)
(voice) Smoky the Genie

actor

3. "Gilligan's Planet" (1982)
(voice) Thurston Howell III

actor

4. The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981)
TV Thurston Howell III

actor

5. The Castaways on Gilligan's Island (1979)
TV Thurston Howell III

actor

6. C.H.O.M.P.S. (1979)
Mr. Gibbs

actor

7. Angels' Brigade (1979)
Cmdr. Lindsey March

actor

8. Good Guys Wear Black (1978)
Doorman

actor

9. Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978)
TV Thurston Howell III

actor

10. The Magic Pony (1977)

actor

11. Never Con a Killer (1977)
TV Stanley Bunch

actor

12. Pete's Dragon (1977)
The Mayor

actor

13. "What's New, Mr. Magoo?" (1977)
Mr. Magoo (1 episode, 1977)

actor

14. Cop on the Beat (1975)
TV Jake Mandel

actor

15. Crazy Mama (1975)
Mr. Albertson

actor

16. "The New Adventures of Gilligan" (1974)
(voice) Thurston Howell III

actor

17. Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1974)
TV (voice) Narrator / Santa Claus

actor

18. "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" (1974)
Herb Bresson (1 episode, 1975)

actor

19. The Girl Most Likely to... (1973)
TV Prof. David Tilson

actor

20. Of Thee I Sing (1972)
TV Senator Robert F. Lyons

actor

21. Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972)
Timothy Forsythe

actor

22. Uncle Sam Magoo (1970)
TV (voice) Mr. Magoo

actor

23. Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County (1970)
Staunch

actor

24. Myra Breckinridge (1970)
Doctor

actor

25. Wake Me When the War Is Over (1969)
TV Colonel

actor

26. The Fabulous Shorts (1968)
TV Host

actor

27. "The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour" (1968)
(voice) Smoky the Genie

actor

28. Damn Yankees! (1967)
TV Benny Van Buren

actor

29. Hurry Sundown (1967)
Carter Sillens

actor

30. "Continental Showcase" (1966)
Host

actor

31. Billie (1965)
Howard G. Carol

actor

32. Fluffy (1965)
Sergeant

actor

33. "I Spy" (1965)
Tom Mathews (1 episode, 1968)

actor

34. Gilligan's Island: Marooned (1964)
TV Thurston Howell III

actor

35. "Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo" (1964)
Mr. Magoo / (8 episodes, 1964-1965)

actor

36. Operation Bikini (1963)
Bosun's Mate Ed Fennelly

actor

37. Critic's Choice (1963)
Dr. William Von Hagedorn

actor

38. The Wheeler Dealers (1963)
Bullard Bear

actor

39. It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
Tyler Fitzgerald

actor

40. Zotz! (1962)
Prof. Horatio Kellgore

actor

41. The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962)
Jeremiah Hammerslag

actor

42. The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962)
The King ('The Dancing Princess')

actor

43. Boys' Night Out (1962)
Peter Bowers

actor

44. The Errand Boy (1961)
uncredited (voice) Mr. Arbutt

actor

45. Inside Magoo (1960)
Mr. Magoo / Himself

actor

46. Ice Palace (1960)
Dave Husack

actor

47. "The Bugs Bunny Show" (1960)
Smoky the Genie (unknown episodes)

actor

48. Bwana Magoo (1959)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

49. Magoo's Homecoming (1959)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

50. Magoo's Lodge Brother (1959)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

51. Merry Minstrel Magoo (1959)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

52. Terror Faces Magoo (1959)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

53. Ask Any Girl (1959)
Maxwell

actor

54. The Big Operator (1959)
Cliff Heldon

actor

55. The Wild and the Innocent (1959)
Cecil Forbes

actor

56. Magoo's Young Manhood (1958)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

57. Scoutmaster Magoo (1958)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

58. The Explosive Mr. Magoo (1958)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

59. Love Comes to Magoo (1958)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

60. Gumshoe Magoo (1958)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

61. Magoo's Three-Point Landing (1958)
voice Mr. Magoo / Air Traffic Controller

actor

62. Macabre (1958)
Jim Tyloe

actor

63. The High Cost of Loving (1958)
Paul Mason

actor

64. Matador Magoo (1957)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

65. Magoo Breaks Par (1957)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

66. Magoo's Glorious Fourth (1957)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

67. Magoo's Masquerade (1957)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

68. Magoo's Cruise (1957)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

69. Rock-Hound Magoo (1957)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

70. Magoo's Moose Hunt (1957)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

71. Magoo Goes Overboard (1957)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

72. Magoo Saves the Bank (1957)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

73. Magoo's Private War (1957)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

74. The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957)
TV King's Emissary

actor

75. Top Secret Affair (1957)
Col. Homer W. Gooch

actor

76. Eighteen and Anxious (1957)
Harvey Graham

actor

77. Meet Mother Magoo (1956)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

78. Magoo's Canine Mutiny (1956)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

79. Magoo Goes West (1956)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

80. Calling Doctor Magoo (1956)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

81. Magoo Beats the Heat (1956)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

82. Magoo's Problem Child (1956)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

83. Magoo's Puddle Jumper (1956)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

84. Trailblazer Magoo (1956)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

85. The Great Man (1956)
Nick Cellantano

actor

86. You Can't Run Away from It (1956)
Danker

actor

87. Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
Tom Culdane

actor

88. The Naked Hills (1956)
Willis Haver

actor

89. Magoo's Check Up (1955)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

90. Magoo Express (1955)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

91. Madcap Magoo (1955)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

92. Stage Door Magoo (1955)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

93. Magoo Makes News (1955)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

94. The Square Jungle (1955)
Pat Quaid

actor

95. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Frank Stark

actor

96. Francis in the Navy (1955)
Cmdr. E.T. Hutch

actor

97. When Magoo Flew (1954)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

98. Magoo Goes Skiing (1954)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

99. Four Wheels, No Brakes (1954)
voice (uncredited) Television Quizmaster/New Car Salesman

actor

100. Kangaroo Courting (1954)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

101. Deep in My Heart (1954)
Ben Judson

actor

102. Safety Spin (1953)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

103. Magoo's Masterpiece (1953)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

104. Magoo Slept Here (1953)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

105. I Love Melvin (1953)
Mergo

actor

106. Geraldine (1953)
Jason Ambrose

actor

107. The Dog Snatcher (1952)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

108. Sloppy Jalopy (1952)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

109. Pink and Blue Blues (1952)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

110. Pete Hothead (1952)
voice (uncredited) Additional Voices

actor

111. Hotsy Footsy (1952)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

112. Captains Outrageous (1952)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

113. Here Come the Nelsons (1952)
Joe Randolph

actor

114. Androcles and the Lion (1952)
Centurion

actor

115. The Rose Bowl Story (1952)
Michael 'Iron Mike' Burke

actor

116. Deadline - U.S.A. (1952)
Jim Cleary

actor

117. Above and Beyond (1952)
Gen. Curtis E. LeMay

actor

118. Barefaced Flatfoot (1951)
voice (uncredited) Mr. Magoo

actor

119. Fuddy Duddy Buddy (1951)
voice (uncredited) Mr. Magoo

actor

120. Grizzly Golfer (1951)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

121. Hollywood Story (1951)
Mitch Davis

actor

122. Bright Victory (1951)
Bill Grayson

actor

123. I'll See You in My Dreams (1951)
Sam Harris

actor

124. The Man with a Cloak (1951)
Flaherty

actor

125. Plutopia (1951)
voice Milton the Cat

actor

126. Half Angel (1951)
Michael 'Mike' Hogan

actor

127. I Want You (1951)
Harvey Landrum

actor

128. Iron Man (1951)
Max Watkins

actor

129. Bungled Bungalow (1950)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

130. Spellbound Hound (1950)
voice (uncredited) Mr. Magoo

actor

131. Trouble Indemnity (1950)
voice Mr. Magoo

actor

132. Emergency Wedding (1950)
Ed Hamley

actor

133. Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950)
Joseph 'Little Joe' Rogers

actor

134. The Killer That Stalked New York (1950)
uncredited Willie Dennis

actor

135. Customs Agent (1950)
Shanghai Chief Agent Thomas Jacoby

actor

136. "Hollywood House" (1949)
Regular

actor

137. Ragtime Bear (1949)
voice (uncredited) Mr. Magoo

actor

138. One Last Fling (1949)
Howard Pritchard

actor

139. A Dangerous Profession (1949)
as James Backus Police Lt. Nick Ferrone/Narrator

actor

140. The Great Lover (1949)
Higgins

actor

141. Easy Living (1949)
as James Backus Dr. Franklin

actor

142. Father Was a Fullback (1949)
(as James G. Backus) Professor 'Sully' Sullivan

actor

143. A-Lad-in His Lamp (1948)
voice (uncredited) Genie

actor

144. Where Will You Hide? (1948)
Narrator

actor

145. "The Ghost Busters"
Eric, the Red (1 episode, 1975)

actor

146. "McKeever & the Colonel"
J.C. Medbury (1 episode, 1963)

actor

147. "I Married Joan"
Judge Bradley Stevens / (52 episodes, 1952-1955)

actor

148. "Mister Magoo"
Mr. Magoo (130 episodes, 1960)

actor

149. "Front Row Center"
Harry Cooper (1 episode, 1956)

actor

150. "Four Star Revue"
VP of PR Victor Talking Machine Co. (1 episode, 1952)

actor

151. "Hot Off the Wire"
John Michael 'Mike' O'Toole (2 episodes, 1960)

actor

152. "New Zoo Revue"
Traveling Salesman (1 episode, 1975)

actor

153. "The Gale Storm Show"
Arthur Hutchins (1 episode, 1957)

actor

154. "Conflict"
(1 episode, 1956)

actor

155. Destination Magoo (1954)
story

writer

156. Before the Three-Hour Tour (2004)
archive footage

157. Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three Hour Tour in History (2001)
archive footage

158. Prince Jack (1985)

159. The Enchanted Journey (1984)
voice

160. Slapstick (1982)

161. The Gossip Columnist (1980)

162. There Goes the Bride (1980)

163. The Rebels (1979)

164. The Gift of the Magi (1978)

165. "Fantasy Island" (1978)
2 episodes, 1978-1980

166. Friday Foster (1975)

167. "Joe Forrester" (1975)
2 episodes, 1975

168. Miracle on 34th Street (1973)

169. "Police Story" (1973)
3 episodes, 1975-1976

170. Getting Away from It All (1972)

171. Magic Carpet (1972)

172. Mooch Goes to Hollywood (1971)

173. Hello Down There (1969)

174. "The Brady Bunch" (1969)
3 episodes, 1971-1974

175. Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968)

176. "The Good Guys" (1968)
3 episodes, 1969

177. "Blondie" (1968)
unknown episodes, 1968-1969

178. "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" (1968)
2 episodes, 1970

179. John Goldfarb, Please Come Home (1965)
chief of Middle East division

180. "The Hollywood Squares" (1965)
39 episodes, 1965-1972

181. Advance to the Rear (1964)

182. "Gilligan's Island" (1964)
88 episodes, 1962-1967

183. My Six Loves (1963)

184. Sunday in New York (1963)

185. Johnny Cool (1963)

186. "Burke's Law" (1963)
3 episodes, 1963-1964

187. "The Match Game" (1962)
2 episodes, 1962

188. "Password" (1961)
12 episodes, 1965-1973

189. 1001 Arabian Nights (1959)
voice

190. A Private's Affair (1959)

191. Magoo's Moose Hunt (1957)
voice

192. Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)

193. The Girl He Left Behind (1956)

194. Autumn Leaves (1956)
voice

195. "To Tell the Truth" (1956)
5 episodes, 1958

196. Don't Bother to Knock (1952)

197. Angel Face (1952)

198. Pat and Mike (1952)

199. "I've Got a Secret" (1952)
2 episodes, 1957-1967

200. M (1951)

201. His Kind of Woman (1951)

202. "Studio One" (1948)
2 episodes, 1957-1958

203. The Max Bygraves Hour (1970)
TV

self

204. "The Storybook Squares" (1969)
Mr. Magoo (1 episode, 1969)

self

205. Don't Make Waves (1967)
uncredited Himself

self

206. "Talent Scouts"
Himself / (unknown episodes)

self

207. "The Bob Newhart Show"
Himself (1 episode, 1962)

self

208. "The George Gobel Show"
Himself (1 episode, 1958)

self

209. "The Barbara McNair Show"
Himself (1 episode, 1969)

self

210. "The Mouse Factory"
Himself (3 episodes, 1972-1973)

self

211. "Match Game 73"
Himself (1 episode, 1973)

self

212. Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)
TV (performer: "Ringle, Ringle", "It's Great to Be Back on Broadway", "Alone in the World")

soundtrack

213. The Opposite Sex (1956)
("The Opposite Sex")

soundtrack

user comments

jim has 0 user comments - add a comment