Biff Elliot
Biography
Biff Elliot was an American actor who began his career in television, where he usually played tough, working-class characters, after acting during his college years at the University of Maine. A Hollywood attorney saw him in a television episode and recommended him to producer Victor Saville, and Elliot won the lead as detective Mike Hammer in the first film version of Mickey Spillane's I, the Jury, becoming the first actor to play the character on screen. He went on to appear in numerous war films of the period, among them Between Heaven and Hell (1956), The Enemy Below (1957), Pork Chop Hill (1959) and PT 109 (1963). In 1959 Clifford Odets cast him in The Story on Page One. He worked largely in television, with guest roles on Perry Mason, 77 Sunset Strip, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Star Trek, and made his final film appearance in That's Life! (1986).
89years old at death
- Born Lynn
- Died Studio City
- Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
- Leon Shalek (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 17
- Career span
- 31 years1955 to 1986
First and latest
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A first
Biff Elliot was the first actor to play Mickey Spillane's detective Mike Hammer in a film, winning the part after a 15-minute audition and preparing by reading the Hammer novels all night.
A change of course
Elliot had acted during his college years and gave up writing to chase television roles, playing tough working-class characters in the era's dramatic shows.
Biff Elliot movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Jack Lemmon appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Jack Lemmon's page
Walter Matthau's page
Robert Wagner's page
L.Q. Jones's page
John Doucette's page
Brad Dexter's page
Also two films together10 more actors
- Norman FellPT 109 (1963) and Pork Chop Hill (1959)
- Paul PicerniKotch (1971) and Torpedo Run (1958)
- Robert BlakePT 109 (1963) and Pork Chop Hill (1959)
- Frank GorshinThe True Story of Jesse James (1957) and Between Heaven and Hell (1956)
- Herb EdelmanThe Front Page (1974) and Steambath (1973)
- Charles AidmanKotch (1971) and Pork Chop Hill (1959)
- Felicia FarrThat's Life! (1986) and Kotch (1971)
- Barry AtwaterPork Chop Hill (1959) and The True Story of Jesse James (1957)
- Joe Di RedaThe Enemy Below (1957) and The True Story of Jesse James (1957)
- Lew GalloPT 109 (1963) and Pork Chop Hill (1959)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Biff Elliot's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$22.7 million
5 of the 17 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 17 films: 5 worldwide figure; 3 us gross only; 2 never in cinemas; 7 figure not found.
- 5Worldwide figure
- 3US gross only
- 2Never in cinemas
- 7Figure not found
Highest grossing
The five biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$15M66.0% of the total
- 2$3.0M13.2% of the total
- 3$1.7M7.5% of the total
- 4$1.5M6.7% of the total
- 5$1.5M6.6% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.