
Jim Backus
Biography
Jim Backus (1913–1989) was a radio, television, film, and voice actor.
Among his most famous credits are The Alan Young Radio Show, I Married Joan, Gilligan's Island, and Rebel Without a Cause. He also starred on his own show The Jim Backus Show.
Gallery




Known For
Acting History
2005
Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents as Himself (uncredited)
2004Los Angeles Plays Itself as Frank Stark in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage)
1987Hollywood's Hidden Secrets as Self
1986The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show
1985Prince Jack as Dealy
1982Slapstick of Another Kind as President of the U.S.
1982Gilligan's Planet as Thurston Howell, III (voice)
1981Enchanted Journey as Gamba
1981The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island as Thurston Howell III
1981Hill Street Blues as Mr. Magoo (archive footage) (uncredited)
1980There Goes The Bride as Mr. Perkins
1980The Gossip Columnist as Jim Backus
1979C.H.O.M.P.S. as Mr. Gibbs
1979Eischied
1979The Rebels as John Hancock
1979The Castaways on Gilligan's Island as Thurston Howell III
1979Angels' Brigade as Cmdr. Lindsey March
1979$weepstake$ as Major Adams
1978Rescue from Gilligan's Island as Thurston Howell III
1978Flying High
1978Good Guys Wear Black as Albert, the Doorman
1978Fantasy Island as Cap Truman
1977Have I Got a Christmas for You as Kevin Grady
1977Pete's Dragon as The Mayor
1977The Love Boat as Marvin Waterman
1977The Love Boat as Mr. Landers
1977CHiPs as Weitzman
1977What's New, Mr. Magoo?
1977Never Con a Killer as Stanley Bunch
1976Charlie's Angels as Iggy
1975Friday Foster as Enos Griffith
1975Mobile One as Macklin
1975Ellery Queen as Howard Biggers
1975Joe Forrester
1975Crazy Mama as Mr. Albertson
1975Cop on the Beat as Jake Mandel
1974Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus as Narrator / Santa Claus (voice)
1974Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1974Chico and the Man
1974Harry O as Ziggy
1974The New Adventures of Gilligan as Thurston Howell III (voice)
1974Goodnight Jackie as Mr. Landry
1973Miracle on 34th Street as Shellhammer
1973The Girl Most Likely To... as Prof. David Tilson
1973Police Story
1973Police Story as Jake Mandel
1972Magic Carpet as George Benson
1972Of Thee I Sing as Senator Robert F. Lyons
1972Now You See Him, Now You Don't as Timothy Forsythe
1972Getting Away from It All as Mike Lorimar
1971Mooch Goes to Hollywood as Jim Backus
1971Alias Smith and Jones
1970Myra Breckinridge as Doctor
1970The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County as Staunch
1970Uncle Sam Magoo as Mr. Magoo
1970Nanny and the Professor as Dr. Charles Walters
1969Wake Me When the War Is Over as Colonel
1969Love, American Style as Jerry Franks
1969The Brady Bunch
1969Medical Center
1969Marcus Welby, M.D. as Bill
1969The Barbara McNair Show as Self
1969Hello Down There as T.R. Hollister
1968Blondie as J.C. Dithers /Mr. Dithers
1968The Good Guys
1968The Mod Squad as Emile Wade
1968Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? as Tru-Blue Lou
1968Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In as Self
1967Accidental Family
1967Don't Make Waves as Self (uncredited)
1967Damn Yankees as Benny Van Buren
1967Hurry Sundown as Carter Sillens
1967The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour as Self
1966Continental Showcase as Self - Host
1965Billie as Howard G. Carol
1965I Dream of Jeannie as General Fitzhugh
1965The Wild Wild West as Fabian Swanson
1965Fluffy as Sergeant
1965John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! as Whitepaper
1964Gilligan's Island as Thurston Howell, III
1964The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1964Daniel Boone as Will Scataway
1964Rendezvous in Space as Moon (voice)
1964Advance to the Rear as Gen. Willoughby
1964Mr. Magoo, Man of Mystery as Mr. Magoo
1964Mr. Magoo in Sherwood Forest as Mr. Magoo
1963The Wheeler Dealers as Bullard Bear
1963Sunday in New York as Chief Pilot Drysdale
1963It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World as Tyler Fitzgerald
1963Johnny Cool as Louis Murphy
1963Burke's Law as Harold Mason
1963Burke's Law as Pork Pie Hannigan
1963Burke's Law as Herkimer Witt
1963Arrest and Trial as Sam Thayer
1963My Six Loves as Sheriff
1963Operation Bikini as Bosun's Mate Ed Fennelly
1963Critic's Choice as Dr. William Von Hagedorn
1963A Child Is Waiting as Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited)
1962Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol as Mr. Quincy Magoo / Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)
1962Zotz! as Prof. Horatio Kellgore
1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
1962The Merv Griffin Show as Self
1962The Beverly Hillbillies as Marty Van Ransohoff
1962The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm as The King (segment "The Dancing Princess")
1962Boys' Night Out as Peter Bowers
1962The Horizontal Lieutenant as Cmdr. Jeremiah Hammerslag
1961The Mike Douglas Show as Self
1961The Mike Douglas Show as Self - Co-Host
1961The Dick Powell Show as Monte
1961Cain's Hundred as Karl Bigger
1961Magoo Meets Frankenstein as Mr. Magoo
1960The Mr. Magoo Show as Mr Magoo
1960The Jim Backus Show
1960Inside Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice) / Self
1960Ice Palace as Dave Husack
1960Tom, Dick and Harriet as James
1960I Was a Teenage Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1959Magoo Meets Boing Boing (The Noise-Making Boy) as Mr. Magoo (voice)
19591001 Arabian Nights as Uncle Abdul Azziz Magoo (voice)
1959The Untouchables as William Norbert
1959Ask Any Girl as Mr. Maxwell
1959A Private's Affair as Jim Gordon
1959The Big Operator as Cliff Heldon
1959Terror Faces Magoo as Mr. Magoo
1959The Wild and the Innocent as Mr. Forbes
1959Magoo's Lodge Brother as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1959Merry Minstrel Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1959Magoo’s Homecoming as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1959Bwana Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1959A Princess for Magoo as Narrator
195877 Sunset Strip as Maury Samuels
1958Gumshoe Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1958Love Comes to Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1958Macabre as Sheriff Jim Tyloe
1958Magoo’s Cruise as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1958Magoo’s Three-Point Landing as Mr. Magoo / Air Traffic Controller / Sully (voice)
1958The High Cost of Loving as Paul Mason
1958The Explosive Mr. Magoo as Mr Magoo (voice)
1958Scoutmaster Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1958Magoo's Young Manhood as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1957Magoo's Private War as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1957Magoo's Moose Hunt as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1957The Pied Piper of Hamelin as King's Emissary
1957Eighteen and Anxious as Harvey Graham
1957Rock Hound Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1957Magoo Saves the Bank as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1957Maverick as Joe Wheelwright
1957Man of a Thousand Faces as Clarence Locan
1957Magoo's Masquerade as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1957Tonight Starring Jack Paar as Self
1957Magoo Breaks Par as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1957Matador Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1957Magoo Goes Overboard as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1957Top Secret Affair as Col. Homer W. Gooch
1956Meet Mother Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1956The Great Man as Nick Cellantano
1956The Opposite Sex as Psychiatrist
1956You Can't Run Away from It as Danker
1956The Girl He Left Behind as Sgt. Hanna
1956Magoo's Problem Child as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1956The Gale Storm Show as Arthur Hutchins
1956Trailblazer Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1956Magoo's Puddle Jumper as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1956Magoo Beats the Heat as Mr. Magoo(voice)
1956The Naked Hills as Willis Haver
1956Calling Doctor Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1956Magoo Goes West as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1956Meet Me in Las Vegas as Tom Culdane
1956Magoo's Canine Mutiny as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1955The Square Jungle as Pat Quaid
1955Magoo Makes News as Mr. Magoo
1955Matinee Theater
1955Rebel Without a Cause as Frank Stark
1955Gunsmoke as Reverend Sims
1955Francis in the Navy as Commander Hutch
1955Madcap Magoo as Mr. Magoo
1955Magoo Express as Mr. Magoo
1955The Millionaire as Henry Banning
1954Destination Magoo as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1954Deep in My Heart as Ben Judson
1954Climax! as Detective Herman
1954The George Gobel Show as Self
1954When Magoo Flew as Mr. Magoo/Pilot (voice)
1953Geraldine as Jason Ambrose
1953I Love Melvin as Mergo
1953Angel Face as District Attorney Judson
1953Above and Beyond as Gen. Curtis E. LeMay
1952Androcles and the Lion as Centurion
1952Hotsy Footsy as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1952I Married Joan as Judge Bradley Stevens
1952Pete Hothead as Lavery the Floorwalker/Mailman (uncredited)
1952The Rose Bowl Story as Michael "Iron Mike" Burke
1952Pink and Blue Blues as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1952Don't Bother to Knock as Peter Jones
1952Pat and Mike as Charles Barry
1952Deadline - U.S.A. as Jim Cleary
1952Here Come the Nelsons as Joe Randolph
1951Hallmark Hall of Fame as Kevin Grady
1951I Want You as Harvey Landrum
1951Grizzly Golfer as Mr. Magoo
1951I'll See You in My Dreams as Sam Harris
1951The Man with a Cloak as Flaherty
1951Fuddy Duddy Buddy as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1951Iron Man as Max Watkins
1951His Kind of Woman as Myron Winton
1951Bright Victory as Bill Grayson
1951Hollywood Story as Mitch Davis
1951Plutopia as Milton the Cat
1951Half Angel as Michael Hogan
1951Barefaced Flatfoot as Mr. Magoo
1951M as The Mayor
1951Bungled Bungalow as Mr. Magoo
1950The Popcorn Story as Narrator
1950Emergency Wedding as Ed Hamley
1950The Killer That Stalked New York as Willie Dennis (uncredited)
1950Lux Video Theatre as Harry
1950Trouble Indemnity as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1950The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
1950Customs Agent as Shanghai Chief Agent Thomas Jacoby
1950Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town as Joseph "Little Joe" Rogers
1950Spellbound Hound as Mr. Magoo
1950What's My Line? as Self - Panelist
1950Robert Montgomery Presents as Lucus Edgerton
1950Edgar Bergen with Charlie McCarthy as Magistrate Backus
1949A Dangerous Profession as Police Lt. Nick Ferrone / Narrator (voice)
1949The Great Lover as Higgins
1949Easy Living as Dr. Franklin
1949Father Was a Fullback as Professor Sullivan
1949Ragtime Bear as Mr. Magoo (voice)
1949One Last Fling as Howard Pritchard
1948Studio One as Tim McTaggart
1948A-Lad-in His Lamp as Smokey the Genie (voice) (uncredited)
1948Where Will You Hide? as Narrator







