James Whitworth(1936-1991)
- Actor
Big, brawny and burly, with a rough face, thick, dark curly hair, a
furry mustache, a deep, growly voice, and a strong, stocky build, the
redoubtable James Whitworth certainly made his aggressive and
intimidating presence felt in several choice down'n'dirty 1970's drive-in
exploitation pictures in which he often portrayed brutish, nasty and
despicable bad guys. James was born on February 19, 1936 in Brooklyn,
New York. Among Whitworth's more memorable roles are a vicious biker in
"The Black Angels" (1970), a mean prison guard in the pleasingly sleazy
"Sweet Sugar" (1973), one of the scuzzy low-life criminal inhabitants
of "Terminal Island" (1973), and a hulking telephone repairman who's
severely clobbered by a trio of desperate kidnappers in the terrific
"The Candy Snatchers" (1973). Whitworth gave an especially wild
go-for-broke frightening performance and thus achieved his greatest
enduring popularity as Papa Jupiter, the ferocious father of the
deranged desert-dwelling cannibal family in Wes Craven's outstanding
"The Hills Have Eyes" (1977). Whitworth was likewise fine and
impressive in a rare change-of-pace good guy lead as the tough and
valiant take-charge hero of the hugely enjoyable low-budget science
fiction outing "Planet of Dinosaurs" (1978). Besides his film credits,
Whitworth also did guest spots on such TV shows as "Mission:
Impossible," "The Rockford Files," "Fantasy Island," "Emergency!,"
"Quincy M.E.," and "B.J. and the Bear." He abruptly stopped acting in
the early 1980's. James died of lung cancer on December 15, 1991.
