Born in 1914, durable, dependable actor James Seay was initially
designed for romantic leads after being signed by Paramount in 1940.
Caught up in a number of uncredited roles, the actor seemed to fare
better as a villain or stern, officious type. Although military service
may have taken away any chance for outright stardom, he compensated in
later years by focusing on minor character roles, finding steady
employment in late '40s and '50s films as a voice of authority. He was
the benign old folks home doctor who expounds on Kris Kringle's mental
condition in
Miracle on 34th Street (1947),
portrayed Col. George Washington during his early military career in
When the Redskins Rode (1951)
and became a familiar figure in "B" sci-fi classics, notably
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951),
When Worlds Collide (1951),
The War of the Worlds (1953),
Killers from Space (1954),
Beginning of the End (1957)
and
The Amazing Colossal Man (1957).
Seay's career extended into TV, which included recurring roles on such
western series as
Fury (1955) (as a
sheriff) and
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)
(as a judge). In hundreds of small-screen parts, he also played a
captain in Disney's "Swamp Fox" series in 1959. Not seen after the
early 1970s, Seay died at age 78 in 1992.
The F.B.I.(1965)as Charles Washburn, District Attorney, Harry Considine, Mr. Richards, Printer
There Was a Crooked Man...(1970)as Aide to Lieutenant Governor
Lancer(1968)as Lawyer
Death Valley Days(1952)as Alex McSween, Bert Fletcher, Claude Damon, Editor, Herman Ehrenberg, Jake, Jim Bergmann, Jim Butler, Joe Grimes, Lucius Peck, Marshal, Sheriff Boden, Teck
The Outcasts(1968)as Eldridge
The Last Bomb(1945)as Briefing Officer
The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made(2004)
American Cinema(1995)as Officer Janocek (clip from The Asphalt Jungle (1950))
The Lawbreakers(1961)as Mayor Harold Emshaw
