James Best
Biography
James Best was an American actor who worked in film, television, and theater for more than 60 years. Born in Powderly, Kentucky, and raised in Corydon, Indiana, he began performing while serving in the Army Air Forces during World War II, when he transferred to an army unit that staged plays for troops. He joined Universal Studios in 1949 and took billed parts in Westerns such as Winchester '73 (1950), Kansas Raiders (1950), Ride Lonesome (1959), and Firecreek (1968). Other films included The Killer Shrews (1959), Shenandoah (1965), and Hooper (1978). He was best known for the role of Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard, which aired from 1979 to 1985, and he returned to the part in The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! (1997) and The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000). He also worked as an acting coach, and in 2008 the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association honored him with a lifetime achievement award.
88years old at death
- Born Powderly
- Died Hickory
- Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
- Also credited as Jewel Franklin Guy and James Knowland Best
Movie Career
- Films
- 32
- Career span
- 63 years1950 to 2013
Genres
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A change of course
Best served in the Army Air Forces during World War II and was assigned to the military police. While in Germany, he moved from that unit to an army group of actors who toured Europe putting on plays for troops, which started his acting career.
Early training
Best also worked as an acting coach, teaching drama and acting techniques in Los Angeles for more than 25 years. Before The Dukes of Hazzard, he spent two years as artist-in-residence at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, where he taught drama.
First role
In 1949 Best started his contract career at Universal Studios. He first took unbilled roles there, including the 1950 film One Way Street, and billed parts in Westerns came later that same year.
James Best movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Budd Boetticher directed three of these films, Michael Damian three and Hugo Fregonese three. Eight actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
James Stewart's page
Jack Elam's page
Rock Hudson's page
John Schneider's page
Denver Pyle's page
All films by Budd Boetticher
All films by Michael Damian
Hugo FregoneseDirector, 3 films, 1950 to 1954
All films by Hugo Fregonese
Also three films together2 more actors
- Audie MurphyThe Quick Gun (1964), The Cimarron Kid (1952) and Kansas Raiders (1950)
- Hugh O'BrianSeminole (1953), The Battle at Apache Pass (1952) and The Cimarron Kid (1952)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What James Best's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$179 million
9 of the 32 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 32 films: 9 worldwide figure; 3 us gross only; 3 never in cinemas; 17 figure not found.
- 9Worldwide figure
- 3US gross only
- 3Never in cinemas
- 17Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$78M43.6% of the total
- 2$45M25.2% of the total
- 3$27M15.1% of the total
- 4$17M9.7% of the total
- 5$5.0M2.8% of the total
- 6$3.2M1.8% of the total
- 7$2.2M1.3% of the total
- 8$1.0M0.6% of the total
$37,895from the other 1 film with a worldwide figure, 0% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.