James B. Adams (October 4, 1888 – December 19, 1933) was an American silent-screen comedian and actor.
In 1921, Adams starred in two-reel comedies for Educational Pictures and Al Christie. The slightly built, pencil-mustached Adams has been described by historian Kalton C. Lahue as "a poor man's Charley Chase." Like Chase, and unlike the other comics at Educational, Adams favored situational comedy over slapstick.
He briefly replaced Mack Sennett comic Harry McCoy in the cartoon-inspired Hall Room Boys series (produced by Harry Cohn and Jack Cohn, later of Columbia Pictures). By 1924, Adams was back with Educational.
Christie hired Adams for six comedies released in 1926 and 1927. The Christie comedies were more polite and less extreme than the slam-bang comedies of other studios, but Christie's soft-pedal comedy style did find an audience. Star comedians Jimmie Adams, Bobby Vernon, Lige Conley, Neal Burns, and Billy Dooley constituted a lineup that was no threat to Hal Roach, but nevertheless entertained millions with a style than neither Roach or Mack Sennett could or would provide.
Adams was also a singer. In 1930, he co-starred with burly comic Bud Jamison as "The Rolling Stones," a pair of singing vagabonds touring America. Adams also sang with The Ranch Boys, a musical group featured in Charley Chase comedies.
Adams died of myocardial infarction at age of 45, in Glendale, California.
Actor
1933
Luncheon at Twelve (Short) as
Jimmy (as The Ranch Boys)
1933
Midsummer Mush (Short) as
Member of Camping Trio
1933
Sherman Said It (Short) as
Soldier / Musician
1933
Arabian Tights (Short) as
Musician - The Ranch Boys (uncredited)
1932
First in War (Short) as
Charley's Pal and Quartet Member (uncredited)
1932
The Tabasco Kid (Short) as
Cowboy (uncredited)
1931
One of the Smiths (Short) as
Buster Adams (uncredited)
1931
Rough Seas (Short) as
Pvt. Jimmie Adams (as The Ranch Boys)
1930
High C's (Short) as
Vocalist (as The Ranch Boys)
1930
The Grand Parade as
Jones
1929
The Office Scandal as
Delaney
1928
The Farmer's Daughter as
Cicero Hopkins
1928
Slippery Heels (Short)
1928
Love Shy (Short) as
Jimmie
1928
Holy Mackerel (Short)
1927
Swiss Movements (Short) as
Freddie
1927
Oh, Mummy! (Short) as
Jimmie
1927
Dr. Quack (Short) as
The Boy
1927
Meet the Folks (Short) as
James Pettingill
1927
Here Comes Precious (Short) as
Jimmie
1927
Wild and Woozy (Short) as
Jimmie
1926
Shell Socked (Short) as
Jimmie
1926
Hold Still (Short) as
Police Officer
1926
Beauty à la Mud (Short) as
Jimmie
1926
Her Man o' War as
Shorty Flynn
1926
Chase Yourself (Short) as
Jimmie
1926
Gimmie Strength (Short) as
Jimmie
1926
Whoa, Emma! (Short) as
Jimmie
1926
For Sadie's Sake (Short) as
Jimmie
1925
Fair But Foolish (Short) as
Jimmie
1925
Be Careful (Short) as
The Traveling Stocking Salesman
1925
Stop Flirting as
Count Spinagio
1925
Love Goofy (Short) as
Jimmie
1925
Step Fast (Short) as
George
1924
Hotel Hysteria (Short)
1924
Why Hurry? (Short) as
The Husband
1924
Hold Your Breath as
Beauty Parlor Proprietor
1924
Nerve Tonic (Short) as
Eddie - the Nervous Wreck
1924
Safe and Sane (Short) as
Andy - Safe Company Foreman
1924
Aggravatin' Papa (Short) as
Jimmie - the Suitor
1923
Black and Blue (Short) as
The Suitor
1923
Done in Oil (Short) as
Jimmie
1923
Seaside Simps (Short) as
Ferdie
1923
Roll Along (Short) as
Rastus Jones
1923
The Dude (Short) as
Abner
1923
Green as Grass (Short) as
Jimmie
1923
Vamped (Short)(as Jimmy Adams)
1922
A Good Scout (Short) as
The Book Agent
1922
Pitter Patter (Short)
1922
The Steeplechaser (Short)
1922
No Money to Guide Him (Short) as
Ferdie
1922
Red Hot Rivals (Short) as
The Police Constable
1922
Breaking Into Jail (Short) as
Ferdie
1922
The Dentist (Short) as
Ferdie
1922
Beware of Blondes (Short) as
Ferdie
1922
Better Late Than Never (Short) as
Ferdie
1922
Game Birds (Short) as
Ferdie
1922
From Soup to Nuts (Short) as
Ferdie
1922
Nobody's Baby (Short) as
Ferdie
1921
Free and Easy (Short)
1921
Matinee Idols (Short) as
Ferdie
1921
Meet the Wife (Short) as
Ferdie
1921
Sunless Sunday (Short)
1920
Kismet as
Chamberlain (as James Adams)
1920
A Movie Hero (Short)(as Jimmy Adams)
1920
A Fresh Start (Short)
1920
Over the Transom (Short) as
Jimmie - the Hotel Clerk (as Jimmy Adams)
1920
A Baby Doll Bandit (Short)(as James Adams)
1920
Naughty Lions and Wild Men (Short)
1919
Weak Hearts and Wild Lions (Short) as
Jimmie - the Village Peeper (as James Adams)
1919
The Good Ship Rock 'n' Rye (Short) as
The Ship's Captain (as James Adams)
1919
African Lions and American Beauties (Short)
1919
Chasing Her Future (Short)(as Jimmy Adams)
1919
A Village Venus (Short)(as Jimmy Adams)
1919
A Jungle Gentleman (Short) as
Doctor Cutup (as Jimmy Adams)
1919
The Flirts (Short) as
A Flirt
1919
His Musical Sneeze (Short) as
Casper's Father (as Jimmy Adams)
1918
The Son of a Hun (Short)
1918
Roaring Lions on the Midnight Express (Short)
1918
A Tight Squeeze (Short)
1918
Wild Women and Tame Lions (Short)
1918
A Waiter's Wasted Life (Short) as
The Warden
1918
Her Husband's Wife (Short)
1918
Hungry Lions in a Hospital (Short) as
A Patient
1917
A Milk-Fed Vamp (Short) as
Cobble Stonio
1917
Roaring Lions and Wedding Bells (Short) as
Frank
Director
Writer
Soundtrack
2006
Barnyard (writer: "Down on the Farm (They All Ask for You)" - as Jimmy Adams)
1930
Crosby's Corners (Short) (writer: "Down on the Farm (They All Ask for You)" - as Jimmy Adams, uncredited)
1928
English as She Is Not Spoken (Short) (writer: "Down on the Farm (They All Ask for You)" - uncredited)
Archive Footage
1983
Historia del cine: Epoca muda (Video documentary)(as Jimmy Adams)
