Jim Backus | |
|---|---|
 Publicity still of Backus for The Jim Backus Show, 1962 | |
| Born | James Gilmore Backus February 25, 1913 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 1989 (aged 76) Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1948–1984 |
| Known for | Gilligan's Island Rebel Without a Cause Mr. Magoo |
| Spouses | |
| Awards | Hollywood Walk of Fame |
James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom Gilligan's Island, the father of James Dean's character in Rebel Without a Cause,[1] the voice of the near-sighted cartoon character Mr. Magoo,[2] the rich Hubert Updike III on the radio version of The Alan Young Show, and Joan Davis' character's husband (a domestic court judge) on TV's I Married Joan. He also starred in his own show of one season, The Jim Backus Show, also known as Hot Off the Wire.
An avid golfer, Backus made the 36-hole cut at the 1964 Bing Crosby Pro-Am tournament. He was inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.[3]
- ^ Rieder, Howard (1969). "Memories of Mr. Magoo". Cinema Journal. 8 (2): 17–24. doi:10.2307/1225373. ISSN 0009-7101. JSTOR 1225373.
- ^ Cantor, David (2020). "Inside Magoo (1960)". Body, Capital, and Screens. Amsterdam University Press. pp. 181–204. doi:10.2307/j.ctv12sdvgj.10. JSTOR j.ctv12sdvgj.10. S2CID 240850992.
- ^ "Jim Backus". Hollywood Walk of Fame. October 25, 2019.