Colorful American character actor equally adept at vicious killers or grizzled sidekicks. As a child he worked in the cotton fields. He attended Santa Monica Junior College in California and subsequently became an accountant and, at one time, manager of the Bel Air Hotel. Elam got his first movie job by trading his accounting services for a role. In short time he became one of the most memorable supporting players in Hollywood, thanks not only to his near-demented screen persona but also to an out-of-kilter left eye, sightless from a childhood fight. He appeared with great aplomb in Westerns and gangster films alike, and in later years played to wonderful effect in comedic roles.
Parents are Millard Elam and Alice Amelia Kriby.
Had two daughters, Jeri Elam and Jacqueline Elam, and one son, Scott Elam.
Made a career with his eerie, immobile eye, which was caused by a fight with another kid at age 12. It happened during a Boy Scout meeting when another boy took a pencil, threw it, and it jabbed his eyeball.
Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1994.
After World War II, Elam worked as a bookkeeper for Samuel Goldwyn Studios and then as controller for William Boyd s Hopalong Cassidy production company. Staring at small figures on ledger sheets for hours on end strained his good eye and doctors told him he risked losing his sight if he continued his lucrative accounting business. When a movie director friend was having trouble getting financing for three western scripts, Elam told him he would arrange the financing in exchange for roles as a "heavy" in all three pictures. The first was The Sundowners , starring Robert Preston , which helped launch his long career.
Died two months after Charles Bronson.
Was known to be great at all forms of gambling. Also great at winning games played with people on sets.
He once described the career of a character actor. It went like this: "Whos Jack Elam? Get me Jack Elam. Get me a Jack Elam type. Get me a young Jack Elam. Whos Jack Elam?"
Interviewed in "Bad at the Bijou" by William R. Horner (McFarland, 1982).
While working on "Rawhide" star Tyrone Power took a liking to novice actor Elam and convinced studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck to sign him to a contract and had him cast in "An American Guerilla in the Phillipines.".
Elam started out in films as controller for Hopalong Cassidy Prdutions, but eye problems caused him to resign on doctors advice.
[on Night Passage (1957) ] It was a payday, but I could have done,without it.
