Elisha Cook Jr.

Biography

Elisha Cook Jr. was an American character actor known for his many roles in film noir. He was born in San Francisco and grew up in Chicago, and he started out in theater lobbies and vaudeville before Eugene O'Neill cast him on Broadway in Ah, Wilderness in 1933. He made his film debut in Her Unborn Child in 1930, but his breakthrough came as the baby-faced killer Wilmer Cook in The Maltese Falcon (1941). That role led to typecasting as mild-mannered villains and doomed hoodlums in The Big Sleep (1946), Born to Kill (1947), Shane (1953), and The Killing (1956). He also appeared in House on Haunted Hill (1959), One-Eyed Jacks (1961), Rosemary's Baby (1968), Blacula (1972), The Outfit (1973), and Tom Horn (1980). On television he was seen in Star Trek as Samuel T. Cogley, Salem's Lot as Weasel Craig, and Magnum, P.I. as Ice Pick. He retired in 1988 and died in 1995.

91years old at death

Born December 26, 1903San Francisco
Died May 18, 1995Big Pine
Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19

Movie Career

Films: 49
Career span: 45 years1937 to 1982

Genres

Drama53%, 26 films
Crime41%, 20 films
Mystery22%, 11 films
Romance16%, 8 films
Action14%, 7 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

Big break
In 1933, Eugene O'Neill gave Cook the part of Richard Miller in his play Ah, Wilderness. The production stayed on Broadway for two years.
First role
Cook began by selling programs in theater lobbies, and by the time he was 14 he was already acting in vaudeville and stock.

Elisha Cook Jr. movies on Netflix

Hammett1982IMDb rating 6.4as Eli the Taxi Driver
Carny1980IMDb rating 6.4as On-Your-Mark
Tom Horn1980IMDb rating 6.8as Stablehand
19411979IMDb rating 5.7as The Patron (Dexter)
Salem's Lot1979IMDb rating 6.8as Gordon 'Weasel' Phillips
The Champ1979IMDb rating 6.8as Georgie
St. Ives1976IMDb rating 6.2as Eddie
Electra Glide in Blue1973IMDb rating 7.0as Willie
Emperor of the North1973IMDb rating 7.2as Gray Cat
Messiah of Evil1973IMDb rating 6.3as Charlie
The Outfit1973IMDb rating 7.0as Carl
Blacula1972IMDb rating 5.8as Sam
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid1972IMDb rating 6.1as Bunker
The Night Stalker1972IMDb rating 7.4as Mickey Crawford
El Condor1970IMDb rating 6.0as Old Convict
Rosemary's Baby1968IMDb rating 8.0as Mr. Nicklas
The Spy in the Green Hat1967IMDb rating 5.8as Arnold
Johnny Cool1963IMDb rating 6.4as Underworld Leader
The Haunted Palace1963IMDb rating 6.7as Peter Smith
One-Eyed Jacks1961IMDb rating 7.1as Carvey
Day of the Outlaw1959IMDb rating 7.3as Larry Teter, Town Barber
House on Haunted Hill1959IMDb rating 6.7as Watson Pritchard
Baby Face Nelson1957IMDb rating 6.3as Homer van Meter
Plunder Road1957IMDb rating 6.9as Skeets Jonas
The Lonely Man1957IMDb rating 6.4as Willie
Voodoo Island1957IMDb rating 4.6as Martin Schuyler
The Killing1956IMDb rating 7.9as George Peatty
The Indian Fighter1955IMDb rating 6.3as Briggs
Drum Beat1954IMDb rating 6.3as Blaine Crackel
Shane1953IMDb rating 7.6as Stonewall Torrey
Don't Bother to Knock1952IMDb rating 6.9as Eddie Forbes
Flaxy Martin1949IMDb rating 6.5as Roper
The Great Gatsby1949IMDb rating 6.5as Klipspringer
Born to Kill1947IMDb rating 7.2as Marty
The Long Night1947IMDb rating 6.5as Frank Dunlap
The Big Sleep1946IMDb rating 7.9as Harry Jones
Dillinger1945IMDb rating 6.5as Kirk Otto
Dark Mountain1944IMDb rating 5.4as Whitey
Dark Waters1944IMDb rating 6.5as Cleeve
Phantom Lady1944IMDb rating 7.2as Cliff
A-Haunting We Will Go1942IMDb rating 6.2as Frank Lucas
Ball of Fire1941IMDb rating 7.7as Waiter
Hellzapoppin'1941IMDb rating 7.4as Harry Selby
I Wake Up Screaming1941IMDb rating 7.2as Harry Williams
The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9as Wilmer Cook
Stranger on the Third Floor1940IMDb rating 6.8as Joe Briggs
Love Is News1937IMDb rating 6.9as Egbert Eggleston
They Won't Forget1937IMDb rating 7.2as Joe Turner
Wife, Doctor and Nurse1937IMDb rating 6.0as Glen Wylie

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

Rosemary's Baby1968 Drama, Horroras Mr. Nicklas
IMDb rating 8.0261K votes
The Killing1956 Crime, Drama, Film-Noiras George Peatty
IMDb rating 7.9107K votes
The Maltese Falcon1941as Wilmer Cook
IMDb rating 7.9175K votes
The Big Sleep1946as Harry Jones
IMDb rating 7.995K votes
House on Haunted Hill1959as Watson Pritchard
IMDb rating 6.735K votes
Salem's Lot1979as Gordon 'Weasel' Phillips
IMDb rating 6.832K votes
Shane1953as Stonewall Torrey
IMDb rating 7.648K votes
Electra Glide in Blue1973as Willie
IMDb rating 7.07.2K votes

Most often with

André De Toth directed three of these films, Howard Hawks two. Royal Dano appears in four 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.

Top

Royal Dano

Vincent Price

Jack Palance

Lon Chaney Jr.

Ellen Corby

Regis Toomey

André De TothDirector, 3 films

Howard HawksDirector, 2 films

Films together

Royal Dano4 films together, 1972 to 1982
Royal Dano's page
- Hammett1982IMDb rating 6.4Cook as Eli the Taxi DriverDano as Pops
- Electra Glide in Blue1973IMDb rating 7.0Cook as WillieDano as Coroner
- Messiah of Evil1973IMDb rating 6.3Cook as CharlieDano as Joseph Lang
- The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid1972IMDb rating 6.1Cook as BunkerDano as Gustavson
Vincent Price3 films together, 1947 to 1963
Vincent Price's page
- The Haunted Palace1963IMDb rating 6.7Cook as Peter SmithPrice as Charles Dexter Ward
- House on Haunted Hill1959IMDb rating 6.7Cook as Watson PritchardPrice as Frederick Loren
- The Long Night1947IMDb rating 6.5Cook as Frank DunlapPrice as Maximilian the Great
Jack Palance3 films together, 1953 to 1967
Jack Palance's page
- The Spy in the Green Hat1967IMDb rating 5.8Cook as ArnoldPalance as Louis Strago
- The Lonely Man1957IMDb rating 6.4Cook as WilliePalance as Jacob Wade
- Shane1953IMDb rating 7.6Cook as Stonewall TorreyPalance as Jack Wilson
Lon Chaney Jr.3 films together, 1937 to 1963
Lon Chaney Jr.'s page
- The Haunted Palace1963IMDb rating 6.7Cook as Peter SmithChaney as Simon Orne
- The Indian Fighter1955IMDb rating 6.3Cook as BriggsChaney as Chivington
- Wife, Doctor and Nurse1937IMDb rating 6.0Cook as Glen WylieChaney as Chauffeur Scott
Ellen Corby3 films together, 1947 to 1953
Ellen Corby's page
- Shane1953IMDb rating 7.6Cook as Stonewall TorreyCorby as Mrs. Liz Torrey
- Born to Kill1947IMDb rating 7.2Cook as MartyCorby as Maid
- The Long Night1947IMDb rating 6.5Cook as Frank DunlapCorby as Observer in Crowd
Regis Toomey3 films together, 1944 to 1946
Regis Toomey's page
- The Big Sleep1946IMDb rating 7.9Cook as Harry JonesToomey as Chief Inspector Bernie Ohls
- Dark Mountain1944IMDb rating 5.4Cook as WhiteyToomey as Steve Downey
- Phantom Lady1944IMDb rating 7.2Cook as CliffToomey as Detective
André De TothDirector, 3 films, 1944 to 1959
All films by André De Toth
- Day of the Outlaw1959IMDb rating 7.3Cook as Larry Teter, Town Barber
- The Indian Fighter1955IMDb rating 6.3Cook as Briggs
- Dark Waters1944IMDb rating 6.5Cook as Cleeve
Howard HawksDirector, 2 films, 1941 to 1946
All films by Howard Hawks
- The Big Sleep1946IMDb rating 7.9Cook as Harry Jones
- Ball of Fire1941IMDb rating 7.7Cook as Waiter
Also three films together5 more actors
- Marie WindsorSalem's Lot (1979), The Outfit (1973) and The Killing (1956)
- Timothy CareyThe Outfit (1973), One-Eyed Jacks (1961) and The Killing (1956)
- Alan LaddDrum Beat (1954), Shane (1953) and The Great Gatsby (1949)
- John DierkesThe Haunted Palace (1963), One-Eyed Jacks (1961) and Shane (1953)
- Dana ElcarThe Champ (1979), St. Ives (1976) and The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.