Biography for
James MacArthur (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

8 December 1937, Los Angeles, California, USA

Birth Name

James Gordon MacArthur

Height

5' 8" (1.73 m)

Mini Biography

In a career spanning more than four decades, James MacArthur has developed a body of work which is wonderfully dynamic in both scope and range. Portraying everything from crazed killer to stalwart defender of law and order, frustrated teenager to cynical senior supervisor, he has appeared in numerous films, television programs, and stage productions since his career officially began back in 1955. Although he had been performing in parts during summer stock productions since 1949, making his stage debut in "The Corn Is Green," his real acting career did not begin until he starred as the complex and misunderstood teenager in John Frankenheimer's Deal a Blow. Broadcast live on the "Climax!" (1954) television anthology series, the program told the story of Hal Ditmar, a relatively ordinary youngster on the verge of manhood who finds himself caught up in a snowballing world of trouble with his parents, the law, and virtually everyone in authority after a minor infraction of the rules at a movie theater. The story was so well-crafted and MacArthur's performance so compelling that a year later it was remade by Frankenheimer into his first theatrical release, The Young Stranger (1957). The movie received much critical acclaim and earned its star a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Film Award nomination as Most Promising Newcomer (1958) and won a film festival in Switzerland. Next up was the Disney movie of Conrad Richter's novel, The Light in the Forest (1958). Set in the late 18th century in the burgeoning United States, it told the tale of a young man who had been kidnapped by Indians as a baby and raised as the son of a chief. A respected and accepted member of the tribe, the boy known as True Son is ripped away from the only life he has ever known and forced to return to his biological parents due to a treaty signed by people of whom he has no knowledge and who cannot possibly have any interest in his individual welfare. His subsequent struggles to find out exactly where he fits in and to gain the trust and sanction of his new community are told in a way which is as wrenching and relevant to today's society as it was then. The corollaries between this story and the custody battles which seem to occur with alarming frequency in our own time are strong and thought provoking. It seems the question regarding when in a child's life his biological parentage begins to be outweighed by the environment in which he is being raised is one which has yet to be answered. The depth with which MacArthur imbued the role makes his performance both truthful and unforgettable. Before its release in theaters, The Light in the Forest (1958) was preceded by three more appearances in live teleplays, including another outstanding performance in the "Studio One" (1948) production of Tongues of Angels as Ben Adams, a young man with a devastating stuttering problem who pretends to be a deaf/mute in order to hide his infirmity. A string of meaty roles quickly followed, including the Disney classic films Kidnapped (1960), Third Man on the Mountain (1959), and Swiss Family Robinson (1960); television programs such as "The Untouchables" (1959), "Bus Stop" (1961) and "Wagon Train" (1957); and two more live teleplays. As sociopathic killer and racketeer Johnny Lubin in The Untouchables episode Death for Sale, MacArthur for the first time portrayed an unsympathetic character. The heart-stopping realism of his performance provided definitive proof of his abilities as a multifaceted and talented actor. In what he described in one interview as his first "mature" role, he then appeared as a doctor-in-the-making in The Interns (1962), turning in a fine performance as a somewhat naive young man who grows up rather quickly when presented with several tough choices and life-defining situations. After that came more television, the underrated yet stirring film, Cry of Battle (1963), and Spencer's Mountain (1963), the highly successful precursor to the popular television series "The Waltons" (1972). Once again, in both films, MacArthur played young men whose lives are changed by circumstances beyond their control and who must dig deep within themselves to find the inner strength and fortitude to deal with those events. Having by now amassed an impressive list of film and television credits in addition to stage performances on Broadway and other venues, MacArthur then turned to the pivotal role of Ensign Ralston in the tense and nerve-wracking Cold War yarn, The Bedford Incident (1965). His performance as the eager to-please and earnest young officer carried a subtlety and intensity hard to believe of someone not yet thirty years old. The role of William Ashton in the light-hearted romance, The Truth About Spring (1965) came next, almost immediately followed by yet another coming-of-age performance as Lt. Weaver in the blockbuster WWII saga, Battle of the Bulge (1965). Westerns and war dramas predominated the next phase of MacArthur's career with appearances in television programs such as "Branded" (1965), "12 O'Clock High" (1964), "Gunsmoke" (1955), "Combat!" (1962), "Hondo" (1967), "Bonanza" (1959), and "Death Valley Days" (1952), in addition to the films Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966), Mosby's Marauders (1966), and Hang 'Em High (1968). It was his appearance in this last that would ultimately lead him into the role of Dan Williams on "Hawaii Five-O" (1968). When Leonard Freeman found himself looking for a replacement to play the complex sidekick to Jack Lord's powerful Steve McGarrett, he went looking for the young actor he remembered from just two or three days' work on his low-budget spaghetti Western. The juxtaposition of MacArthur's still-boyish good looks with his ability to bring a convincing toughness and sincerity to the role made him one of the best-remembered and well-admired actors of 1960s and 1970s popular television. Even today, more than twenty years after the program stopped production, it is broadcast in syndication in markets all over the world. Its "Book 'im, Danno" catchphrase is still as much a part of our popular culture as that famed line from another show of the same era: "Beam me up, Scotty." Departing Five-O prior to its 12th and final season, MacArthur's appearances became less frequent, yet still memorable. He was featured in such popular television shows as "The Love Boat" (1977), "Vega$" (1978), "Fantasy Island" (1978), and "Murder, She Wrote" (1984) and starred in two made-for-television movies: Irwin Allen's _Night the Bridge Fell Down, The (1980) (TV)_ and Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story (1980) (TV). His poignant portrayal of hapless Walt Stomer in the latter provided a fine example that his skills as an actor had not waned in the 25 years since that first television appearance. He concentrated on the stage for a while then, performing in productions such as "Arsenic and Old Lace," "A Bedfull of Foreigners," and "Love Letters," as well as the occasional live appearance at charity and celebrity sporting events. In 1998, after nearly a decade away from television screens, he took up the role of Frank Del Rio in the Family Channel movie Storm Chasers: Revenge of the Twister (1998) (TV). With the new century, MacArthur has returned to a more active professional schedule, continuing to make a number of personal appearances to sign autographs and greet fans, as well as several speaking engagements such as northeast Ohio's One Book, Two Counties: An Evening With James MacArthur, The Cinema Audio Society Annual Awards Banquet and AdventureCon in Knoxville, Tennessee. In addition, he has been featured in several television specials and interview programs, including Emme & Friends, "Entertainment Tonight" (1981), Inside TVLand, and Christopher Closeup. The increasing popularity of the DVD market has seen the re-release of Swiss Family Robinson (1960) with a new behind-the-scenes documentary narrated by MacArthur and a lengthy on-screen interview covering many aspects of his career. Planned for re-release in July 2003, the 1956 version of Anastasia (1956) is expected to include an on-screen interview with MacArthur discussing his mother, Helen Hayes, and her work in that movie. April 2003 marked his return to the stage as Father Madison in Joe Moore's original play Dirty Laundry. Rumors abound that another attempt will be made to turn "Hawaii Five-O" (1968) into a feature-length film which will include MacArthur. Development of a one-man show based upon his extraordinary life and career is ongoing, with the possibility of an accompanying autobiography. On 6 November 2003, the Hawaii International Film Festival chose James MacArthur and Hawaii Five-O as the recipient of their annual Film in Hawaii award, an honor both well-deserved and especially significant, coming as it did from the people and the State of Hawaii. Plans were being made to feature MacArthur a new television series set in the Hawaiian Islands, though nothing more definitive has been arranged as of this writing.

IMDb Mini Biography By: curator@jamesmacarthur.com

Mini Biography

James Gordon MacArthur was born December 8, 1937, in Los Angeles, California. Adopted as an infant by playwright Charles MacArthur and his wife, actress Helen Hayes, he grew up in Nyack, New York, and was educated at Allen Stevenson School in New York, and later at Solebury School in New Hope, Pennsylvania, where he starred in basketball, football, and baseball. In his final year at Solebury he played guard on the football team, captained the basketball team, was elected president of his class as well as of the Student Government and the Drama Club, rewrote the school's constitution, edited the school paper, The Scribe, and played Scrooge in a local presentation of A Christmas Carol.

His first radio role was on "Theatre Guild of the Air" in 1948. "The Theatre Guild of the Air" was the premiere radio program of its day, producing one-hour plays that were performed in front of a live audience of 800. Hayes accepted a role in one of the plays, which also had a small part for a child. Her son was asked if he would like to do it, and agreed. He made his stage debut at Olney, Maryland, in 1949, with a two-week stint in "The Corn Is Green." The following summer, he repeated the role at Dennis, Massachusetts, and his theatrical career was underway. In 1954, he played John Day in "Life With Father" with Howard Lindsay and Dorothy Stickney. However, young James did not get a fast-track into important Broadway productions just for being Helen Hayes's son. Instead, he received his training in summer stock.

Nor was his theater experience limited to stage roles. He also worked as a set painter, lighting director and chief of the parking lot. During a Helen Hayes festival at the Falmouth Playhouse on Cape Cod, he had a few walk-on parts. He also helped the theater electrician and, in fact, grew so interested that he was allowed to stay on after Miss Hayes's plays had ended. As a result, he lighted the show for 'Barbara Bel Geddes' in "The Little Hut" and for Gloria Vanderbilt in "The Swan." When he visited Paris with his mother as a member of "The Skin of Our Teeth" Company, he was in charge of making thunder backstage with a four-by-eight sheet of metal.

In 1955, at the age of 18, he was chosen to play 'Hal Ditmar' in the TV play, 'Deal a Blow'. The play was directed by John Frankenheimer and starred Macdonald Carey, Phyllis Thaxter, and Edward Arnold. In his scenes with the veterans, James showed that he was more than capable of matching experience with ability, and his "sensitive and intelligent" portrayal of the misunderstood teenager, teetering on the brink of delinquency, was lauded by critics and viewers alike. In 1956, Frankenheimer directed the movie version of the play, which was renamed The Young Stranger (1957), and James MacArthur was again chosen for the starring role. Once again, his performance was critically acclaimed, and earned him a nomination in the Most Promising Newcomer category at the 1958 BAFTA awards.

During summer breaks from Harvard University, where he was studying history, he made The Light in the Forest (1958) and Third Man on the Mountain (1959), for Walt Disney. Then, deciding to make acting his full time career, he dropped out of Harvard in his sophomore year, and made two more Disney movies, Kidnapped (1960) and Swiss Family Robinson (1960). These movies are now regarded as classics, and are still popular more than 40 years later. In February, 2003, Conrad Richter's novel The Light in the Forest was one of the books selected for Ohio's One Book, Two Counties project. Jim was invited to be a guest speaker, and spoke of how the book was turned into the film, and his experiences making the movie. When Swiss Family Robinson was released in DVD format, he was asked to provide background commentary and other bonus material for the DVD.

He made his Broadway debut in 1960, playing opposite Jane Fonda in "Invitation to a March." For his performance, he received a Theater World Award. Then came roles in "Under the Yum Yum Tree," "The Moon Is Blue," "'John Loves Mary," "Barefoot in the Park," and "Murder at the Howard Johnson's."

He then went on to star in such movies as The Interns (1962), Spencer's Mountain (1963), The Truth About Spring (1965), and Cry of Battle (1963). In 1963, he was a runner up in the "Top New Male Personality" category of the Golden Laurel Awards. Between movie and theater roles, Jim was also much in demand for television guest appearances, which included parts in "Studio One" (1948), "General Electric Theater" (1953), "Bus Stop" (1961), "Bonanza" (1959), "Gunsmoke" (1955)_ , "Wagon Train" (1957), "Eleventh Hour, The" (1962)_, "The Great Adventure" (1963), "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" (1962), "Combat!" (1962), "The Virginian" (1962), "12 O'Clock High" (1964), "Tarzan" (1966), and a particularly chilling performance as baby-faced opium dealer Johnny Lubin in "The Untouchables" (1959) episode "Death For Sale."

Though not all his movie characters were starring roles, and some of them were quite brief, for the most part they were pivotal to the plot. His role in The Bedford Incident (1965) was that of a young ensign who became so rattled by the needling of his Captain (Richard Widmark), that he accidentally fired an atomic weapon, thus (we are given to understand) starting World War III. In Battle of the Bulge (1965), he again played the role of a young and inexperienced officer. This time, however, the officer found courage and a sense of responsibility. It was his brief but memorable appearance in the Clint Eastwood movie Hang 'Em High (1968) that eventually led him to the role of Dan Williams in "Hawaii Five-O" (1968).

In 1967, Leonard Freeman, the producer of Hang 'Em High, produced the pilot for a new television cop show, "Hawaii Five-O." Before the pilot went to air, it was shown to a test audience. The show was well received, but the audience did not like the actor playing the role of Dan Williams. Freeman remembered the actor who had appeared as the traveling preacher in Hang 'Em High, who came on the set, did the scene in one take and was gone. He was James MacArthur and Freeman offered him the role of Dan Williams. Hawaii Five-O became one of the most successful shows in television history, ran for twelve years. Leaving at the end of its eleventh season, Jim returned to the theater in "The Lunch Hour" with Cybill Shepherd. He appeared in "A Bedfull of Foreigners" in Chicago in 1984, and in Michigan in 1985. He followed this with "The Hasty Heart," before taking a year out of show business. In 1987, he returned to the stage in "The Foreigner," then played Mortimer in the national tour of "Arsenic and Old Lace" with 'Jean Stapleton', Marion Ross, and Larry Storch. In 1989, he followed another stint in "The Foreigner" with "Love Letters" and, in 1990 - 1991, "A Bedfull of Foreigners," this time in Las Vegas. Since leaving Hawaii Five-O , Jim has also guest-starred on such TV shows as "Murder, She Wrote" (1984), "Love Boat, The" (1977)_, "Fantasy Island" (1978), and "Vega$" (1978), as well as in the miniseries Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story (1980) (TV) and The Night the Bridge Fell Down (1983) (TV).

Throughout his career, Jim has also found time for various other ventures. During 1959-1960, between movie and theatrical successes, he was a partner with actors James Franciscus and Alan Ladd Jr. in a Beverly Hills telephone answering service; in June 1972 he directed the Honolulu Community Theatre in a production of his father's play "The Front Page," and for a while in the 1990s he was part owner of Senior World publication as well as writing the occasional celebrity interview. In the year 2000, he joined the ranks of those celebrities who have been awarded their own sidewalk star in Palm Springs.

He is still much in demand for television and radio specials and interview programs. His most recent appearances include spots on "Entertainment Tonight" (1981), "Christopher's Closeup," and the British BBC 5 Radio obituary program "Brief Lives," in which he paid a moving tribute to late Hawaii Five-O cast mate Kam Fong. In April, 2003, Jim traveled to Honolulu for a brief return to the stage in a cameo role in Joe Moore's play "Dirty Laundry," appearing as a priest accused of molestation. With many of his films now being released in DVD format, Jim has found a new audience, as he has provided interviews and behind-the-scenes commentary to be included as extras with DVDs of not only his own movies, but also those of his mother, Helen Hayes.

IMDb Mini Biography By: administrator@jamesmacarthurfanclub.com

Spouse

H.B. Duntz	(1984 - present) 1 child
Melody Patterson	(12 July 1970 - 1975) (divorced)
Joyce Bulifant	(2 November 1958 - 1967) (divorced) 2 children

Trivia

Adopted son of Helen Hayes and Charles MacArthur.

Children (with Joyce Bulifant): Charles, Mary.

Has a son with H.B. Duntz named Jamie.

Has a daughter, Juliette.

Personal Quotes

Among certain stratas of the population, there could be a backlash, but I don't think that actors getting into the political arena affects their careers. Just because one's an actor doesn't mean we should be penalized because we have a broader forum due to the nature of our business. Besides, I'm not so sure how much influence actors really have. And anyone who votes for a candidate solely on the advice of his favorite actor isn't too bright in my book. [discussing Hollywood's involvement with politics in the October 1980 issue of Boxoffice magazine]

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