James Best
Born
July 26, 1926
Died
April 6, 2015 (88 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Powderly, Kentucky, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Best (born Jewel Franklin Guy; July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015) was an American television, film, character, voice, and stage actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician, whose career spanned seven decades of television. He appeared as a guest on various country music and talk shows.
One of the busiest actors in Hollywood, who began his contract career with Universal Studios in 1949, where he met unfamiliar actors Julie Adams, Piper Laurie, Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson. Best's long career began in films in 1950. He appeared primarily in Westerns, playing opposite Audie Murphy in Kansas Raiders (1950), The Cimarron Kid (1952) and The Quick Gun (1964), Raymond Massey in Seven Angry Men (1955), George Montgomery in Last of the Badman (1957), Frank Lovejoy in Cole Younger Gunfighter (1958), and Randolph Scott in Ride Lonesome (1959). He also starred in the science fiction cult movie, The Killer Shrews (1959) and its sequel, Return of the Killer Shrews (2012). He is most known for playing bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the action/comedy Dukes of Hazzard, a role that he revised in The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! (1997) as his character was now "boss" of Hazzard County as well as sheriff, and again in The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000).
Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists!
Self
2021
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
Self (archive footage)
2013
The Sweeter Side of Life
Paddy Kerrigan
2013
Return of the Killer Shrews
Thorne Sherman
2012
Moondance Alexander
McClancy
2007
Hot Tamale
Hank Larson
2006
CMT: Inside Fame
(1 episode)
2005
The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made
Thorne Sherman (archive footage)
2004
The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
Sgt. David Brent (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002
The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood
Rosco P. Coltrane
2000
Death Mask
Wilbur Johnson
1998
The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!
Boss / Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
1997
E! True Hollywood Story
(1 episode)
1996
B.L. Stryker
(1 episode)
1989
In the Heat of the Night
(1 episode)
1988
The Dukes
Rosco Coltrane (voice) · (20 episodes)
1983
Enos
(1 episode)
1980
The Dukes of Hazzard
Rosco P. Coltrane · (147 episodes)
1979
Centennial
(1 episode)
1978
Hooper
Cully
1978
The End
Pacemaker Patient
1978
Rolling Thunder
Texan
1977
Nickelodeon
Jim
1976
The Savage Bees
Pellegrino
1976
Ode to Billy Joe
Dewey Barksdale
1976
The Runaway Barge
Bingo Washington
1975
Savages
Sheriff Bert Hamilton
1974
The Manhunter
(1 episode)
1974
Hawkins
Sheriff John Early · (1 episode)
1973
Sounder
Sheriff Charlie Young
1972
The Brain Machine
Rev. Emory Neill
1972
Run, Simon, Run
Henry Burroughs
1970
The Mod Squad
(1 episode)
1968
Lancer
(1 episode)
1968
Firecreek
Drew
1968
The Guns of Will Sonnett
(2 episodes)
1967
First to Fight
Sergeant Carnavan
1967
Felony Squad
(2 episodes)
1966
The Green Hornet
Yale Barton · (1 episode)
1966
Hawk
(1 episode)
1966
Three on a Couch
Dr. Ben Mizer
1966
Honey West
Vince Zale · (1 episode)
1965
Shenandoah
Carter, Rebel Soldier
1965
Black Spurs
Ralph Elkins
1965
Daniel Boone
Jethro Wyatt · (1 episode)
1964
Flipper
(1 episode)
1964
The Quick Gun
Scotty Wade
1964
Shock Corridor
Stuart
1963
Redigo
(1 episode)
1963
Burke's Law
Tucson, 'The Cowboy' · (1 episode)
1963
The Fugitive
Dan Murray · (1 episode)
1963
The Gallant Men
(1 episode)
1962
Combat!
Trenton · (1 episode)
1962
General Electric True
(1 episode)
1962
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Tom Carmody · (1 episode)
1962
The Virginian
Curt Westley · (1 episode)
1962
Black Gold
Jericho Larkin
1962
Ben Casey
(2 episodes)
1961
Whispering Smith
(1 episode)
1961
Surfside 6
(1 episode)
1960
Stagecoach West
(3 episodes)
1960
The Andy Griffith Show
Jim Lindsey · (2 episodes)
1960
Michael Shayne
(1 episode)
1960
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
Joe · (1 episode)
1960
The Mountain Road
Niergaard
1960
Aftermath
Hardy Coulter
1960
Pony Express
Bart Gentry · (1 episode)
1960
Overland Trail
(1 episode)
1960
Hawaiian Eye
(1 episode)
1959
Startime
(1 episode)
1959
The Rebel
Ted Evans · (1 episode)
1959
The Rebel
Abel Waares · (1 episode)
1959
The Twilight Zone
Jeff Myrtlebank · (1 episode)
1959
The Twilight Zone
Billy-Ben Turner · (2 episodes)
1959
Men Into Space
(1 episode)
1959
Lock-Up
(1 episode)
1959
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Jovan Wilanskov · (1 episode)
1959
Laramie
(3 episodes)
1959
The Man and the Challenge
(1 episode)
1959
Bonanza
Sheriff Vern Schaler · (1 episode)
1959
Cast a Long Shadow
Sam Mullen
1959
The Killer Shrews
Thorne Sherman
1959
The David Niven Show
Boland · (1 episode)
1959
Verboten!
Sgt. David Brent
1959
Ride Lonesome
Billy John
1959
Black Saddle
Ben Travers · (1 episode)
1959
Rawhide
Willie Cain · (1 episode)
1959
Rawhide
Brock Quade · (1 episode)
1959
77 Sunset Strip
(1 episode)
1958
Bat Masterson
Joe Best · (1 episode)
1958
Bat Masterson
Danny Dakota · (1 episode)
1958
Behind Closed Doors
Webb · (1 episode)
1958
The Rifleman
(1 episode)
1958
The Texan
(1 episode)
1958
Bronco
(1 episode)
1958
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Stoner · (1 episode)
1958
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Luke Perry · (1 episode)
1958
The Naked and the Dead
Rhidges
1958
The Left Handed Gun
Tom Folliard
1958
Cole Younger, Gunfighter
Kit Caswell
1958
Man on the Prowl
Doug Gerhardt
1957
Tombstone Territory
(1 episode)
1957
Trackdown
(3 episodes)
1957
Perry Mason
Allan Winford · (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Martin Potter · (1 episode)
1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
(3 episodes)
1957
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Jack Milhoan · (1 episode)
1957
Last of the Badmen
Ted Hamilton
1957
Hot Summer Night
Kermit
1957
The Rack
Millard Chilson Cassidy
1956
West Point
(1 episode)
1956
Calling Homicide
Det. Arnie Arnhoff
1956
Gaby
Jim
1956
Forbidden Planet
Crewman (uncredited)
1956
Come Next Spring
Bill Jackson
1956
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Norman Frayne · (1 episode)
1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Hennessy · (1 episode)
1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Bish Darby · (1 episode)
1955
Frontier
(2 episodes)
1955
Cheyenne
(2 episodes)
1955
Gunsmoke
Beal · (1 episode)
1955
Gunsmoke
Charlie Noon · (1 episode)
1955
Top of the World
Col. French's Orderly (uncredited)
1955
Seven Angry Men
Jason Brown
1955
Buffalo Bill Jr.
(1 episode)
1955
The Millionaire
Fred Morgan · (1 episode)
1955
They Rode West
Lt. Finlay (uncredited)
1954
Climax!
Shag · (1 episode)
1954
The Lineup
(1 episode)
1954
The Raid
Lt. Robinson
1954
Return from the Sea
Barr
1954
The Caine Mutiny
Lt. JG Jorgensen
1954
The Yellow Tomahawk
Private Bliss
1954
Stories of the Century
(1 episode)
1954
Riders to the Stars
Dr. Sidney K. Fuller
1954
Skip Taylor
1953
City of Bad Men
Deputy Gig (uncredited)
1953
Column South
Primrose
1953
Seminole
Corp. Gerad
1953
General Electric Theater
Hardy Coulter · (1 episode)
1953
Cavalcade of America
(1 episode)
1952
Cavalcade of America
Harry · (1 episode)
1952
Cavalcade of America
Slate Morley · (1 episode)
1952
Hopalong Cassidy
(1 episode)
1952
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
Marvin Johnson
1952
Francis Goes to West Point
Cpl. Ransom
1952
The Battle at Apache Pass
Cpl. Hassett
1952
Steel Town
Joe Rakich
1952
The Cimarron Kid
Bitter Creek Dalton
1952
Hallmark Hall of Fame
(1 episode)
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
(1 episode)
1951
The Adventures of Kit Carson
(2 episodes)
1951
Apache Drums
Bert Keon
1951
Air Cadet
Jerry Connell
1951
Target Unknown
Sgt. Ralph Phelps
1951
Kansas Raiders
Cole Younger
1950
Lux Video Theatre
Clem Wallace · (1 episode)
1950
The Gene Autry Show
(2 episodes)
1950
Winchester '73
Crater
1950
Peggy
Frank Addison
1950
I Was a Shoplifter
1950
Comanche Territory
Sam
1950
One Way Street
Driver (uncredited)
1950