George Clifton James (May 29, 1920 - April 15, 2017) was an American actor best known for Live and Let Die (1973), Cool Hand Luke (1967), and Superman II (1980).
James was often cast as bumbling, comedic and/or brutal and corrupt sheriffs or other police officers throughout his career.
He was married to Donna Lea Beach and Laurie Harper and had six children, one with Beach and five with Harper.
Clifton died in 2017 at the age of 96 from complications of diabetes.
Filmography
Film Roles
- 1957: The Strange One as Col. Ramey
- 1959: The Last Mile as Harris
- 1961: Something Wild as Det. Bogart
- 1962: Experiment In Terror as Capt. Moreno
- 1962: David and Lisa as John
- 1964: Black Like Me as Eli Carr
- 1964: Invitation to a Gunfighter as Tuttle
- 1966: The Chase as Lem
- 1967: The Happening as O'Reilly
- 1967: The Caper Of The Golden Bulls as Philippe
- 1967: Cool Hand Luke as Carr
- 1967: Will Penny as Catron
- 1969: The Reivers as Butch Lovemaiden
- 1970: Tick Tick Tick as D.J. Rankin
- 1970: WUSA as Speed
- 1972: The Biscuit Eater as Mr. Eben
- 1972: Particular Men as Boesch
- 1972: The New Centurions as Whitey
- 1973: Kid Blue as Mr. Hendricks
- 1973: Live and Let Die as Sheriff Pepper
- 1974: The Man with the Golden Gun as J.W. Pepper
- 1973: The Iceman Cometh as Pat McGloin
- 1973: The Werewolf of Washington as Attorney General
- 1973: The Last Detail as M.A.A.
- 1973: The Laughing Policeman as Maloney
- 1974: Buster And Billie as Jake
- 1974: The Bank Shot as Streiger
- 1974: Juggernaut as Corrigan
- 1975: Rancho Deluxe as John Brown
- 1975: The Runaway Barge as Sooey
- 1975: Friendly Persuasion as Sam Jordan
- 1975: The Deadly Tower as Capt. Fred Ambrose
- 1975: From Hong Kong With Love as Bill
- 1976: Silver Streak as Sheriff Chauncey
- 1977: The Bad News Bears In Breaking Training as Sy Orlansky
- 1979: Undercover With The KKK as Jimmy Eakin
- 1980: Cabo Blanco as Lorrimer
- 1980: Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones as Barber Charlie Amos
- 1980: Superman II as Sheriff
- 1982: Talk To Me as State Trooper
- 1984: Kidco as Orville Peterjohn
- 1985: Stiffs as Uncle Leo
- 1986: Where Are The Children as Chief Coffin
- 1986: Whoops Apocalypse as Maxton S. Pluck
- 1987: The Untouchables as District Attorney (Uncredited Role)
- 1988: Eight Men Out as Charles Comiskey
- 1989: Walter And Carlo I Amerika as Tex
- 1989: She-Devil as Bob's Father (uncredited)
- 1990: The Bonfire of the Vanities as Albert Fox
- 1991: Carolina Skeletons as Dexter Cody
- 1994: The Vernon Jones Story as Judge Blake
- 1996: Lone Star as Hollis
- 1996: The Summer Of Ben Tyler as Chief Sam Thompkins
- 2000: Interstate 84 as Buddy
- 2002: Sunshine State as Buster Bidwell
- 2006: Raising Flagg as Ed McIvor
Television Roles
- 1954: The Secret Storm as Wes Glenway
- 1957: Decoy as Patrolman Raymond
- 1957: The Phil Silvers Show as State Trooper/National Guard Sergeant (2 episodes)
- 1958: Kraft Theatre as Jack Haines
- 1958: Armchair Theatre as Blick
- 1958-1970: Gunsmoke as Sam Wickes/Tenner Jackson/Sam Hare/Teek (5 episodes)
- 1959-1960: Naked City as Officer Fennelli/Jacoby/George Haskel (3 episodes)
- 1961: The Ed Sullivan Show as Ralph Follet
- 1961: Brenner as Mack the Dispatcher
- 1961: Cains Hundred as Tom Larch
- 1963: Route 66 as George Simmons
- 1963: The Doctors And The Nurses as Lou Cutler
- 1963: East Side West Side as Dave Meltzer
- 1965: Slatterys People as Harry Means
- 1966: The Virginian as Big Ben Albright
- 1967: Cimarron Strip as Sheriff Jack Hawkes
- 1968: Mannix as Barney Ford
- 1968-1971: Bonanza as Mr. Quarry/Lawson (2 episodes)
- 1969: Ironside as Frank Bollo
- 1974: The Six Million Dollar Man as Walter 'Shadetree' Burns
- 1975: City of Angels as Lt. Murray Quint
- 1976: Captains And The Kings as Gov. Skerritt
- 1979: Supertrain as Sheriff Sam
- 1979: Hart to Hart as Highway Cop
- 1979: Young Maverick as Judge Stebbins
- 1979-1982: Trapper John, M.D. as Lewis/Bobby Joe Brady (2 episodes)
- 1980: Another World as Striker Bellman
- 1980: The Dukes of Hazzard as Sheriff Lester Crabb
- 1980: The Contender as Tompkins
- 1981-1982: Texas as Striker Bellman #2 (108 episodes)
- 1981-1982: Lewis and Clark as Silas Jones
- 1982: The Fall Guy as Sheriff Taylor
- 1983: The A-Team as Sheriff Jake Dawson/Warden Beale (2 episodes)
- 1984: Highway to Heaven as Nick Claybourne
- 1988: Murder, She Wrote as Ray Dressler
- 1990: Dallas as Duke Carlisle
- 1990: Night Court as Rev. Lester Sinclair
- 1991: Monsters as Inspector
- 1991: Gabriels Fire as Jimmy Williams
- 1996: All My Children as Red Kilgren
Self
- 2000: Artists Of Hells Kitchen
