James Gilmore "Jim" Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was a radio, television, film actor, character actor, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of "Mr. Magoo," the rich "Hubert Updike, III," of the Alan Young radio show, Joan Davis' husband (a domestic court judge) on TV's I Married Joan, James Dean's father in Rebel Without a Cause and "Thurston Howell, III" on the 1960s hit sitcom Gilligan's Island. 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 actually made the 36-hole cut at the 1964 Bing Crosby Pro-Am tournament.
Early life
James Gilmore Backus was born February 25, 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Bratenahl, Ohio, a wealthy village surrounded by greater Cleveland. He was the son of Russell Gould Backus, a mechanical engineer, and Daisy Gilmore (née Taylor) Backus. He is of Lebanese background.
The "upper-crust" character
Backus had an extensive career and worked steadily in Hollywood over five decades, often portraying characters with an "upper-crust," New English air, such as Mr. Howell in Gilligan's Island. He appeared in Father was a Fullback in 1949, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World back to back in 1962 and 1963, Billie (1965), Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968), Hello Down There (1969), Prince Jack in 1984, provided the voice of Mr. Magoo, and voiced Smoky the Genie in the Bugs Bunny cartoon A Lad In His Lamp (though he was uncredited for the role). He frequently could be heard on prime-time radio programs in the postwar era, including The Jack Benny Program, and portrayed an exceedingly vain character named "Hartley Benson" on The Mel Blanc Show on the CBS Radio Network (1947–1948).
He would occasionally be cast in dramatic roles, for example in Richard Brooks's Deadline - U.S.A. (1951) and George Cukor's Pat and Mike (1952). In stark contrast to his usual affluent characters, he appeared on The Brady Bunch as an old gold prospector, a role he also played on a Gilligan's Island episode. He also appeared in the final season episode The Hustler in which he plays Mike's boss, Mr. Matthews.
Backus had a cameo in the poorly received 1979 television movie Angels Brigade.
Other Movies
In the 1973 made for TV movie The Girl Most Likely to... as Prof. David Tilson.
From acting to writing
Backus and his wife, Henny Backus, co-wrote several humorous books, including Only When I Laugh. He also co-wrote the 1971 family film Mooch Goes to Hollywood, about a dog who tries to become a movie star. In 1984 he wrote his autobiography, titled Backus Strikes Back.
In his youth, Backus was a student at the Kentucky Military Institute, but was expelled for riding a horse through the mess hall. In 1952 he had a brief scene in Don't Bother To Knock with Marilyn Monroe. Years later, when Backus was a frequent talk show guest, he would recount the time Monroe urgently beckoned him into her dressing room. Once there, she exclaimed in her breathy voice, "Do Mr. Magoo!"
In the late 1950s he made two novelty 45 rpm records, "Delicious" and "Cave Man." In 1974, a collection of Backus' old radio material was compiled into a full-length comedy LP album released on the DORE label under the title The Dirty Old Man. Backus also played the voice of God in the recording of Truth of Truths, a 1971 rock opera based on the Bible.
Television commercials
Backus acted in several television commercials. As Mr. Magoo, he also helped advertise the GE line of products over the years.[1] He was also spokesperson for La-Z-Boy furniture during the 1970s. In the late 1980s, he was reunited with former co-star Natalie Schafer in an advertisement for Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn. They reprised their roles from Gilligan's Island, but instead of still being shipwrecked, the setting was a luxurious study or den. Both performers were rather frail and this would be the last television appearance either one would be in before their deaths.
Death
On July 3, 1989, Jim Backus died in Los Angeles, California from complications of pneumonia, after suffering from Parkinson's disease for many years. Backus was buried at the southwest corner of Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, Los Angeles.
References
1.^ General Electric advertisement featuring Mr. Magoo. Life Magazine December 14, 1959
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