Colorful American character actor equally adept at vicious killers or grizzled sidekicks. As a child he worked in the cotton fields. He attended Santa Monica Junior College in California and subsequently became an accountant and, at one time, manager of the Bel Air Hotel. Elam got his first movie job by trading his accounting services for a role. In short time he became one of the most memorable supporting players in Hollywood, thanks not only to his near-demented screen persona but also to an out-of-kilter left eye, sightless from a childhood fight. He appeared with great aplomb in Westerns and gangster films alike, and in later years played to wonderful effect in comedic roles.
Movies
Pocketful of Miracles Cheesecake
High Noon Charlie - Drunk in Jail (uncredited)
Firecreek Norman
The Night of the Grizzly Hank
Finders Keepers Eddie
Kansas City Confidential Pete Harris
The Comancheros Horseface (Comanchero)
The Cannonball Run Doctor
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Tom McLowery
Support Your Local Sheriff! Jake
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again Big Mac
Pardners Pete
Hawmps! Bad Jack Cutter
Suburban Commando Col. Dustin 'Dusty' McHowell
Hannie Caulder Frank Clemens
Cannonball Run II Doc
Night Passage Shotgun
Never a Dull Moment Ace Williams
Rio Lobo Phillips
Count the Hours! Max Verne
Hot Lead & Cold Feet Rattlesnake
Rancho Notorious Mort Geary
Baby Face Nelson Fatso Nagel
Moonfleet Damen
The Way West Preacher Weatherby
Artists and Models Ivan
Rawhide Tevis
The Sundowners Earl Boyce
Creature from Black Lake Joe Canton
The Rare Breed Deke Simons
Ride, Vaquero! Barton
The Ring Harry Jackson
The Last Sunset Ed Hobbs
The Norseman Death Dreamer
4 for Texas Dobie
Kiss Me Deadly Charlie Max
Dirty Dingus Magee John Wesley Hardin
The Far Country Frank Newberry
The Man from Laramie Chris Boldt
Support Your Local Gunfighter Jug May
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western Self
Dragoon Wells Massacre Tioga
The Gun Runners Arnold
Bird of Paradise The Trader
Hawken's Breed Tackett
The Over the Hill Gang Sheriff Clyde Barnes
American Guerrilla in the Philippines The Speaker
Sidekicks Boss
Tarzan's Hidden Jungle Burger
Thunder Over Arizona Slats Callahan
Lure of the Swamp Henry Bliss
Edge of Eternity Bill Ward
Jinxed! Otto
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. Troscliar Boudreaux
High Lonesome Smiling Man
The Girl in Lovers Lane Jesse
The Last Challenge Ernest Scarnes
The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Bitterroot
The Last Rebel Matt
Where the Hell's That Gold?!!? Boone
Gun Belt Rusty Kolloway
Sartana Does Not Forgive Slim Kovacs
Wichita Al
Once Upon a Texas Train Jason Fitch
The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County Kittrick
The Giant of Thunder Mountain Hezekiah Crow
One Way Street Arnie (uncredited)
The Villain Avery Simpson
Princess of the Nile Basra
Man Without a Star Knife Murderer (uncredited)
Sacred Ground Lum Witcher
Shadow Force Tommy
Appointment in Honduras Castro
Big Bad John Jake Calhoun
The Winds of Autumn J. Pete Hankins
A Knife for the Ladies Jarrod (Sheriff)
Lure of the Wilderness Dave Longden
The Slowest Gun in the West Ike Dalton
The Last Escape of Billy the Kid Pat Garrett
Key to the City Councilman (uncredited)
Louis L'Amour's Down the Long Hills Squires
The Aurora Encounter Charlie
The Red Pony Granddad
My Man and I Celestino Garcia
Lacy and the Mississippi Queen Willie Red Fire
Skyward Christmas Clay Haller
Uninvited Grady
The Battle at Apache Pass Mescal Jack
Ride a Northbound Horse Sheriff
Jubal McCoy
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid Alamosa Bill Kermit
The Moonlighter Slim
The Silent Partner Shanks
The Bushwhackers Cree
Grayeagle Trapper Willis
Jubilee Trail Whitey
Vera Cruz Tex
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (archive footage)
I Am Not a Freak Self
Montana Territory Gimp
Cattle Queen of Montana Yost
Ride Clear of Diablo Tim Lowerie
Lost Mr. Newsom
Bonanza: The Return Buckshot
Bonanza: Under Attack Buckshot
Shootout in a One-Dog Town Handy
Scrooge's Rock 'N' Roll Christmas Scrooge
The Wild Country Thompson
Pony Express Rider Crazy Charlie
A Ticket to Tomahawk Fargo
Wild Weed Raymond - Henchman
Huckleberry Finn King
Once Upon a Time in the West Frank's Gunman
Kismet Hasan-Ben
The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite Seth Beaumont
Cat Ballou Kid Sheleen
The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe Bitterroot
Plimpton! Shoot-Out at Rio Lobo Self
Shows
Cheyenne
F Troop
Home Improvement Hick Peterson
Simon & Simon
Alias Smith and Jones
Tales of Wells Fargo Chris
Gunsmoke Dolph Quince
Eight Is Enough
Father Murphy
The Twilight Zone Avery
Bonanza Dodie Hoad
Target: The Corruptors!
Outlaws
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Rawhide Turkey Creek Jack Johnson
Have Gun, Will Travel
Cimarron Strip
Daniel Boone Petch
The Outcasts
The High Chaparral Macklin
Lancer
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Lee Dineen
Richard Diamond, Private Detective Danny Boy
M Squad Luke Morgan
Bronco
Tarzan
Hondo
National Velvet
The Rifleman
The Rebel Uncle Luce
The Dakotas
Sugarfoot Toothy Thompson
Lawman
Ben Casey
The Guns of Will Sonnett
The Texan
The Brian Keith Show
The Sacketts Ira Bigelow
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Hock Ellis
Grizzly Adams
The Legend of Jesse James Deacon Smith
Tightrope
Frontier
Detective in the House
The Restless Gun Tony Molinor
Mr. & Mrs. North
Easy Street
J.J. Starbuck
Struck by Lightning Frank
Zorro Gomez (uncredited)
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Halleck
Temple Houston George Taggart
Nichols Marcus A.F. Baxter
Richard Diamond, Private Detective Perk Butler
Gunsmoke Clint Dodie
Gunsmoke Steed
Gunsmoke Ben
Gunsmoke Hector
Gunsmoke Specter
Gunsmoke Del Ordman
Gunsmoke Sam Band
Gunsmoke Jim Barrett
Gunsmoke William Prange
Gunsmoke Lucas Murdoch
Gunsmoke Titus Spangler
Gunsmoke Pierre Audubon
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Little Jimmy Lehigh
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Stage Driver Cass
Four Star Playhouse Vic
The Lone Ranger Reno Lawrence
Black Beauty Jonas McBride
Bonanza Honest John
The Texan Luke Watson
Bonanza Buford Buckalew
How the West Was Won Cully Madigan
The Untouchables Jug Alverson
The Virginian Harve Yost
Paradise Skragg
Lawman Herm Forrest
Kung Fu Marcus Taylor
Lucky Luke Axel Ericson
Screen Director's Playhouse Shanks
Cheyenne Calhoun Durango
The Untouchables Nick Bravo
Have Gun, Will Travel Arnold Shaffner
The Wonderful World of Disney Sheriff
Mr. Lucky Phil Bricker
