James Brown (actor)
James Edward Brown (March 22, 1920 – April 11, 1992) was an American film and television actor.[3] He was perhaps best known for playing "Lt. Ripley Masters" in the American western television series The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.[1]
James Brown | |
|---|---|
 Brown (left) with Rin Tin Tin in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, 1955 | |
| Born | James Edward Brown[1] March 22, 1920 Desdemona, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | April 11, 1992 (aged 72) |
| Alma mater | Baylor University |
| Occupation | Film and television actor |
| Years active | 1941–1992 |
| Spouse(s) | Betty Brown[2] |
| Children | 2[2] |
Life and career
Brown was born in Desdemona, Texas.[2] He attended at Baylor University,[4] where Brown was a tennis player when he was a teenager.[2] Brown began his career in 1941, where he played the uncredited role of the "Medic" in the film Ride, Kelly, Ride. He then became credited in the 1942 film The Forest Rangers.[4] Brown starred, co-starred and appeared on films such as, The Good Fellows, Objective, Burma!, Gun Street, The Big Fix, When the Clock Strikes, Air Force, Irma la Douce, The Fabulous Texan, Young and Willing, The Gallant Legion, The Younger Brothers, Corvette K-225, Sands of Iwo Jima, Yes Sir, That's My Baby, Our Hearts Were Young Gay (and its sequel Our Hearts Were Growing Up), Chain Lightning, Missing Women, Inside the Mafia, The Groom Wore Spurs and Going My Way, among others.[2][4]
In 1954, Brown joined the cast of the new ABC western television series The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, in which he played the role of "Lt. Ripley Masters".[4][5] He starred along with actors, Lee Aaker, Joe Sawyer and Rand Brooks. After the series ended in 1959, Brown guest-starred in television programs, including, Gunsmoke, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Lassie (3 episodes), The Virginian, Laramie, Route 66, Barbary Coast, Daniel Boone, Bronco, Honey West and Murder, She Wrote.[2][4] He retired his career somewhere in the 1960s, for which Brown created diving weighting systems and also became admired for his product.[4] He then returned to acting in film and television in the 1970s.[4]
Brown played the recurring role of "Detective Harry McSween" in 39 episodes of the soap opera television series Dallas from 1979 to 1986.[5]
Death
Brown died in April 1992 of lung cancer at his home in Woodland Hills, California, at the age of 72.[2][4] He was cremated.[6]
References
- "James Brown, Rin Tin Tin Back Protecting the Fort". The Daily Times-News. Burlington, North Carolina. May 8, 1976. p. 31. Retrieved February 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- Associated Press (April 14, 1992). "James Brown Is Dead; 'Rin Tin Tin' Actor, 72". The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- Tucker, David (May 27, 2018). Gale Storm: A Biography and Career Record. McFarland. p. 140. ISBN 9781476632469 – via Google Books.
- Folkart, Burt (April 13, 1992). "James Brown; Actor Played Lt. Masters on 'Rin Tin Tin'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- Brode, Douglas (January 1, 2010). Shooting Stars of the Small Screen: Encyclopedia of TV Western Actors, 1946–Present. University of Texas Press. pp. 61–62. ISBN 9780292783317 – via Google Books.
- Wilson, Scott (August 19, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 93. ISBN 9781476625997 – via Google Books.