Occupation Film actor Education Rice University Role Actor | Name James Craig Years active 1937–1972 | |
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Full Name James Henry Meador Born February 4, 1912 ( 1912-02-04 ) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. Died June 28, 1985, Santa Ana, California, United States Spouse Sumie Craig (m. 1969–1980), Jil Jarmyn (m. 1959–1962) Movies Kitty Foyle, The Devil and Daniel Webster, Drums in the Deep South, Fort Vengeance, The Cyclops Similar People Lesley Selander, William Dieterle, Jil Jarmyn, Bert I Gordon, Roy Rowland | ||
James Craig (February 4, 1912 – June 28, 1985), born James Henry Meador, was an American actor.
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Biography
After graduating from the Rice Institute, Craig began appearing in films in 1937, most often in B-movies and serials. In 1939, he appeared in the Three Stooges film Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise.
Craig received critical praise (and a step up to A-movies) when he played a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul in All That Money Can Buy, also titled The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941). He also appeared in the films Kitty Foyle (1940), The Human Comedy (1943), Lost Angel (1943), and Kismet (1944).
Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, thought Craig resembled the studio's most popular male star Clark Gable. Mayer signed Craig to a seven-year contract to potentially fill in for Gable when he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. In 1944, Craig co-starred with William Powell and Hedy Lamarr in The Heavenly Body. That year exhibitors voted him the second most likely to be a "star of tomorrow".
With the advent of television, Craig guest-starred on several TV series from the early-50s until the early-70s, which include Daniel Boone. In 1957, he starred opposite Audrey Totter in 20th Century Fox's adventure movie Ghost Diver. Both his last film and television performance came in 1972: he played Dr. Hainer in the sci-fi movie Doomsday Machine and John Rodman on The ABC Afternoon Playbreak episode "This Child Is Mine".
Personal life
Craig was married three times and had two sons and a daughter. After retiring from acting in 1972, Craig became a successful real estate agent. He died of lung cancer in 1985.
