James Franciscus

Actor

About

Also Known As

James Grover Franciscus

Birth Place

Clayton, Missouri, USA

Born

January 31, 1934

Died

July 08, 1991

Cause of Death

Emphysema

Biography

Filmography

Secret Weapons (1985)

L' Ultimo Squalo (1982)

Peter Benton

Butterfly (1981)

Moke Blue

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (1981)

John F Kennedy

Nightkill (1980)

When Time Ran Out (1980)

Photos & Videos

View All

Valley Of Gwangi, The (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Ain't That Somethin'!

Valley Of Gwangi, The (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Bird On The Wing

Family & Companions

Kathleen Kent Franciscus

Wife

Married on March 28, 1960; divorced in 1980s; her father was film director William Wellman; both helped boost popularity of tennis in the 1960s with a series of "Celebrity Tennis Exhibitions" through the US with fellow actors Efrem Zimbalist Jr, Charlton Heston and Chad Everett.

Carla Franciscus

Wife

Married in the mid-1980s.

Biography

Blonde, handsome, golden boy TV star of the 1960s and 70s. After a brief stint in summer stock, Franciscus made his feature debut in "Four Boys and a Gun" (1956). Although he appeared in several films during the 1960s and 70s (most notably as the title character in "Youngblood Hawke" 1964), he is best known for his work on four TV series: as the rookie detective on "Naked City" (1958-59), as the idealistic high school English teacher "Mr. Novak" (1963-65), the blind insurance investigator on "Longstreet" (1971-72), and the New York physician who retreats to the backwoods of Colorado, "Doc Elliot" (1973-74).

A "social register" blueblood, Franciscus twice portrayed Kennedyesque presidents, opposite Jacqueline Bisset in the 1978 feature "The Greek Tycoon" and the 1981 TV movie "Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy" opposite Jaclyn Smith. Later he turned to producing classics on TV ("Heidi," "The Red Pony," "Jane Eyre") and made occasional guest appearances on TV series before his death at 57 from emphysema.

Filmography

Life Events

1957

Disney executive saw him in production of "The Great Gatsby" and asked him to read for a role in "A Light in the Forest"; didn't get part but signed for lead in the thriller "Four Boys and a Gun" (date approximate)

1957

Feature acting debut, "Four Boys and a Gun"

1958

Regular role on TV series, "Naked City"

1961

Played insurance company investigator in short-lived TV series, "The Investigators"

1968

Became vice president, producer of Omnibus Productions Inc. which he cofounded with with Fred Brogger

1969

Produced TV special, "Heidi" (also acted)

Photo Collections

Marooned - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Marooned (1969), starring Gregory Peck, David Janssen, and Gene Hackman. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

The Valley of Gwangi - Lobby Card Set

Here is a set of Lobby Cards from The Valley of Gwangi (1969), featuring visual effects by Ray Harryhausen. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.