Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr. (December 26, 1903 – May 18, 1995) was an American

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

famed for his work in

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

. According to Bill Georgaris of They Shoot Pictures, Don't They, Cook appeared in 21 films noir, more than any other actor or actress. He played cheerful, brainy collegiates until he was cast against type as the bug-eyed baby-faced killer Wilmer Cook in the 1941 version of '' The Maltese Falcon''. He went on to play deceptively mild-mannered villains. Cook's acting career spanned more than 60 years, with roles in productions including '' The Big Sleep'', '' Shane'', '' The Killing'', ''

House on Haunted Hill ''House on Haunted Hill'' is a 1959 American horror film produced and directed by William Castle, written by Robb White and starring Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Carolyn Craig, and Elisha Cook Jr. Price play ...

'' and '' Rosemary's Baby''.

Early life, stage, and military service

Born in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, and raised in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Cook was the son of Elisha Vanslyck Cook Sr., a journalist and sometime playwright,Folkart, Burt A. (1995).
"Elisha Cook Jr., 91; Classic Movie Villain"
''Los Angeles Times,'' May 20, 1995. Retrieved July 31, 2017. and actress Helen Roslyn Henry. He first worked in theater lobbies selling programs, but by the age of 14 he was already performing in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

and

stock Stocks (also capital stock, or sometimes interchangeably, shares) consist of all the Share (finance), shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided. A single share of the stock means fractional ownership of the corporatio ...

. In 1933,

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

cast him in the role of Richard Miller in his play '' Ah, Wilderness,'' which ran on Broadway for two years. Cook enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

in Los Angeles, California, on August 15, 1942."United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938–1946: Cook Jr, Elisha V.
enlistment date August 15, 1942, Los Angeles, California, United States; merged database with "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ''ca.'' 1938–1946," Access to Archival Databases (AAD), National Archives and Records Administration (2002), National Archives, College Park, Maryland. Transcription of enlistment record available at

FamilySearch FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is part of the Church's Family History Department (FHD). The Fami ...

, a free online genealogical database by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved July 30, 2017. According to his enlistment record he stood 5-feet-5-inches tall and weighed 123 pounds. Cook's military record documents his level of education at "3 years of high school," received at St. Albans School for Boys in

Sycamore, Illinois Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 18,577 at the 2020 census, up from 17,419 at the 2010 census. Sycamore is the county seat of D ...

Career in film

In 1930, Cook traveled to California, where he made his film debut in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

's version of the play ''Her Unborn Child'', a motion picture directed by

Albert Ray Albert Ray (August 28, 1897 – February 5, 1944) was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He directed more than 70 films between 1920 and 1939. He also appeared in 18 films between 1915 and 1922. He was born in New Rochelle ...

and produced by Windsor Picture Plays Inc. At

Twentieth Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film production and distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Com ...

, Cook made an impression as a bespectacled college freshman with radical ideas in the musical comedy '' Pigskin Parade'' (1936). He was also featured in the unofficial sequel, ''

Life Begins in College ''Life Begins in College'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter. It marked the Ritz Brothers' first starring role in a feature film. Plot The action takes place at Lombardy College, founded "to give the Indian nations of ...

'' (1937). Cook remained at Fox for two years, and then began freelancing at other studios. He did return to Fox occasionally in prominent roles: as a songwriter in the Alice Faye-

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she p ...

musical ''

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of History of music publishing, music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the American popular music, popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally ...

'' (1940), and as a mobster disguised as an old woman in the

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...

feature '' A-Haunting We Will Go'' (1942). Typical of his early, bookish roles was his turn as a meek screenwriter in the madcap Olsen and Johnson comedy '' Hellzapoppin'' (1941). After ''The Maltese Falcon,'' Cook became typecast again, as weaklings or sadistic losers and hoodlums, who in the plots were usually murdered, either being strangled, poisoned or shot. In Universal's '' Phantom Lady'' (1944), he portrays a slimy, intoxicated nightclub-orchestra drummer to memorable effect. He received excellent notices for his portrayal of a happy, breezy disc jockey who turns out to be a homicidal maniac in '' The Falcon's Alibi'' (1946). He also had a substantial, though uncredited role as Bobo in the 1953

production '' I, the Jury''. WilmerMaltFalc1941Trailer

In addition to his performance as Wilmer in '' The Maltese Falcon'' (1941), some of Cook's other notable roles include the doomed informant Harry Jones in '' The Big Sleep'' (1946), the henchman (Marty Waterman) of the murderous title character in '' Born to Kill'' (1947), the pugnacious ex-Confederate soldier 'Stonewall' Torrey who is gunned down by

Jack Palance Walter Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk, , ''Volodymyr Ivanovych Palahniuk''; February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American screen and stage actor, known to film audiences for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominat ...

in '' Shane'' (1953), and George Peatty, the shady, cuckolded husband in

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...

's '' The Killing'' (1956). Other films in which he appeared are

William Castle William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is known for the horror film, horror and thriller film, thriller B movie, B-movies he directed durin ...

's horror film ''

'' (1959), ''

One-Eyed Jacks ''One-Eyed Jacks'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by and starring Marlon Brando, his only directorial credit. Brando portrays the lead character Rio, and Karl Malden plays his partner, "Dad" Longworth. The supporting cast features Pin ...

'' (1961), '' Papa's Delicate Condition'' (1963), '' Blood on the Arrow'' (1964), '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1968), '' The Great Bank Robbery'' (1969), '' El Condor'' (1970), '' Blacula'' (1972), '' The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid'' (1972), '' Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' (1973), '' The Outfit'' (1973), ''

Tom Horn Thomas Horn Jr., (November 21, 1860 – November 20, 1903) was an American scout, cowboy, soldier, range detective, rodeo performer, and Pinkerton agent in the 19th-century and early 20th-century American Old West. Believed to have committ ...

'' (1980), and '' Treasure: In Search of the Golden Horse'' (1984).

Television

Cook appeared on a wide variety of American television series from the early 1950s to the late 1980s. He played a private detective, Homer Garrity, in an episode of '' Adventures of Superman''

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

titled "Semi-Private Eye," airing for the first time on January 16, 1954. That same year, on April 12, he guest-starred on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

's '' The Dennis Day Show.'' In 1960, he was cast in the episode "The Hermit" of the ABC

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

'' The Real McCoys'' with

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Come and Get It (1936 film), Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky (film), Kentucky'' (19 ...

. He appeared too in 1960 as Jeremy Hake in the episode "The Bequest" of the ABC western series '' The Rebel'', which starred Nick Adams. He also portrayed the character Gideon McCoy in the 1966 episode "The Night of the Bars of Hell" on ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western (genre), Western, spy film, spy, and science fiction on television, science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 19 ...

''. He performed as well in the second episode of ABC's crime drama '' The Fugitive''. Cook made two guest appearances on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

courtroom drama series '' Perry Mason''. In 1958, he played Art Crowley in "The Case of the Pint-Sized Client", and in 1964 he played Reelin' Peter Rockwell in "The Case of the Reckless Rockhound". Cook portrayed lawyer Samuel T. Cogley in the ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

'' 1967 episode "

Court Martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the mili ...

", Isaac Isaacson on the ''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

'' television series, Weasel Craig in '' Salem's Lot'', and later had a long-term recurring role as

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

crime lord "Ice Pick" on CBS's '' Magnum, P.I.'' In October 1969 Cook appeared as Frankie in episode 33 of '' The Ghost & Mrs. Muir''. In 1974 he made a surprise guest appearance on '' The Odd Couple'' as government agent

Eliot Ness Eliot Ness (April 19, 1903 – May 16, 1957) was an American Bureau of Prohibition, Prohibition agent known for his efforts to bring down Al Capone while enforcing Prohibition in the United States, Prohibition in Chicago. He was leader of a team ...

. That same year, he guest-starred as Herbie on ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...

'' in the 1974 episode "The Green Man." He appeared too in ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction film, science fiction Action-adventure fiction, action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson (producer), Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel Cyborg (novel), ''Cyborg'' by ...

'' episode "Once a Thief" in 1977. Toward the end of his life, Cook often played dimwitted or cranky elderly characters. He played a bum in an episode of ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American Action television, action television series that ran on NBC from January 23, 1983, to March 8, 1987, about a fictional team of former United States Army Special Forces who work as mercenaries while on the run from ...

'' as well as an elderly uncle in an episode of '' Alf'', which was one of his last roles prior to his retirement entirely from acting in 1988, followed by his death seven years later.

Personal life

Cook was married to singer Mary Gertrude Dunckley (known professionally as Mary Lou Cook of the popular vocal quartet The Merry Macs) from 1928 until their divorce on November 4, 1941. He then married Illinois native Elvira Ann (Peggy) McKenna in 1943. They were married for 25 years until they formally divorced in

Inyo County, California Inyo County () is a County (United States), county in the Eastern California, eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the po ...

in February 1968. They remarried on December 30, 1971. Their second marriage lasted another 19 years until Peggy's death on December 23, 1990. Various references about Cook state that he had no children from his marriages; yet his army enlistment record of 1942 documents his marital status as "Divorced, with dependents," which suggests he may have had a child or children with his first wife, or been responsible for the well-being of others. Cook never became part of the Hollywood social scene, which he held in low regard. His slight build and calm demeanor belied his offscreen status as a rugged outdoorsman. He resided for many years in

Bishop, California Bishop (formerly Bishop Creek) is the only incorporated city in Inyo County, California, United States. It is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley within the Mojave Desert, at an elevation of . The city was named after Bishop Creek ...

, but he typically spent his summers at Lake Sabrina in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

. According to

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...

, who in 1941 directed him in ''The Maltese Falcon'':

ook Ook, OoK or OOK may refer to: * Ook Chung (born 1963), Korean-Canadian writer from Quebec * On-off keying, in radio technology * Toksook Bay Airport (IATA code OOK), in Alaska * Ook!, an esoteric programming language based on Brainfuck * Ook, the ...
lived alone up in the High Sierra, tied flies and caught golden trout between films. When he was wanted in Hollywood, they sent word up to his mountain cabin by courier. He would come down, do a picture, and then withdraw again to his retreat.

Death

Cook died of a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

at age 91, on May 18, 1995, at a

nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...

Big Pine, California Big Pine (formerly Bigpine) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Inyo County, California, United States. Big Pine is located approximately south-southeast of Bishop. Its population was 1,875 at the 2020 census, up from 1,756 at the 2010 census. ...

. He was the last surviving member of the main cast of '' The Maltese Falcon''.

Complete filmography

* ''Her Unborn Child'' (1930) as Stewart Kennedy (film debut) * ''Chills and Fever'' (1930 short) as Member of the Glee Club (uncredited) * ''

Honor Among Lovers ''Honor Among Lovers'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Dorothy Arzner. The film stars Claudette Colbert, Fredric March, Monroe Owsley, Charles Ruggles and Ginger Rogers. The film was originall ...

'' (1931) as Office Boy (uncredited) * '' Two in a Crowd'' (1936) as Skeeter * '' Pigskin Parade'' (1936) as Herbert Van Dyke * '' Breezing Home'' (1937) as Pete Espinosa (uncredited) * '' Love Is News'' (1937) as Egbert Eggleston * '' The Devil Is Driving'' (1937) as Tony Stevens * '' They Won't Forget'' (1937) as Joe Turner * '' Wife, Doctor and Nurse'' (1937) as Glen Wylie * '' Danger - Love at Work'' (1937) as Chemist * ''

'' (1937) as Ollie Stearns * '' Thoroughbreds Don't Cry'' (1937) as Boots Maguire (uncredited) * ''

Three Blind Mice "Three Blind Mice" is an English nursery rhyme and musical round.I. Opie and P. Opie, ''The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997), p. 306. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3753. ...

'' (1938) as Boy on Bench (uncredited) * '' My Lucky Star'' (1938) as Waldo * ''

Submarine Patrol ''Submarine Patrol'' is a 1938 film directed by John Ford. The screenplay was by Rian James, Darrell Ware, and Jack Yellen. The film starred Richard Greene, Nancy Kelly and Preston Foster. The supporting cast features George Bancroft, Eli ...

'' (1938) as Seaman Rutherford Davis Pratt, aka 'The Professor' * '' Newsboys' Home'' (1938) as Danny * '' Grand Jury Secrets'' (1939) as Robert Austin / Norman Hazlitt * '' He Married His Wife'' (1940) as Dicky Brown * '' Stranger on the Third Floor'' (1940) as Joe Briggs * '' Public Deb No. 1'' (1940) as Communist * ''

'' (1940) as Joe Codd * '' Love Crazy'' (1941) as Elevator Man * ''

Sergeant York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...

'' (1941) as Piano Player (uncredited) * ''

Man at Large ''Man at Large'' is a 1941 American mystery thriller film directed by Eugene Forde and written by John Larkin. The film stars Marjorie Weaver, George Reeves, Richard Derr, Steven Geray, Milton Parsons and Spencer Charters. The film was r ...

'' (1941) as Hotel Clerk * '' The Maltese Falcon'' (1941) as Wilmer Cook * '' I Wake Up Screaming'' (1941) as Harry Williams * '' Hellzapoppin''' (1941) as Harry Selby * '' Ball of Fire'' (1941) as Waiter * '' A Gentleman at Heart'' (1942) as Genius * '' Sleepytime Gal'' (1942) as Ernie * '' A-Haunting We Will Go'' (1942) as Frank Lucas * ''

Wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while th ...

'' (1942) as Harold 'Chicopee' Nevins * '' Manila Calling'' (1942) as Gillman * '' Kill or Be Killed'' (1942) * ''

Baptism of Fire The phrase baptism by fire, baptism of fire or baptism with fire is a Christian theological concept originating from the words of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11. It also has related meanings in military history and popular culture. Christiani ...

'' (1943 documentary) as Bill * '' Phantom Lady'' (1944) as Cliff * '' Up in Arms'' (1944) as Info Jones * '' Dark Mountain'' (1944) as Whitey * '' Dark Waters'' (1944) as Cleeve * '' Dillinger'' (1945) as Kirk Otto * '' Why Girls Leave Home'' (1945) as Jimmy Lobo * '' Blonde Alibi'' (1946) as Sam Collins * '' Cinderella Jones'' (1946) as Oliver S. Patch * '' The Falcon's Alibi'' (1946) as Nick * ''

Joe Palooka, Champ ''Joe Palooka, Champ'' is a 1946 American film featuring the comic-strip boxer Joe Palooka. This film from Monogram Pictures is the beginning of a series with eleven sequels: * ''Gentleman Joe Palooka'' (1946) * ''Joe Palooka in the Knockout' ...

'' (1946) as Eugene * '' Two Smart People'' (1946) as Fly Feletti * '' The Big Sleep'' (1946) as Harry Jones * ''

Fall Guy Fall guy is a colloquial phrase that refers to a person to whom blame is deliberately and falsely attributed in order to deflect blame from another party. Origin The origin of the term "fall guy" is unknown and contentious. Many sources place ...

'' (1947) as Joe * '' Born to Kill'' (1947) as Marty * '' The Long Night'' (1947) as Frank Dunlap * '' The Gangster'' (1947) as Oval * '' Flaxy Martin'' (1949) as Roper * ''

The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' () is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious mi ...

'' (1949) as Klipspringer * '' Behave Yourself'' (1951) as Albert Jonas * ''

Don't Bother to Knock ''Don't Bother to Knock'' is a 1952 American psychological thriller starring Richard Widmark and Marilyn Monroe and directed by Roy Ward Baker. The screenplay was written by Daniel Taradash, based on the 1951 novel ''Mischief'' by Charlotte ...

'' (1952) as Eddie Forbes * '' Shane'' (1953) as Stonewall Torrey * '' I, the Jury'' (1953) as Bobo (uncredited) * '' Thunder Over the Plains'' (1953) as Joseph Standish * '' The Outlaw's Daughter'' (1954) as Lewis 'Tulsa' Cook * '' Drum Beat'' (1954) as Blaine Crackel * '' Timberjack'' (1955) as Punky * ''

Trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, w ...

'' (1955) as Finn * '' The Indian Fighter'' (1955) as Briggs * ''Indian Agent'' (1955, TV movie) as Pete, the Cavalry Scout (uncredited) * '' The Killing'' (1956) as George Peatty * ''

Accused of Murder ''Accused of Murder'' is a 1956 American film noir crime film directed by Joseph Kane and starring David Brian, Vera Ralston and Sidney Blackmer. Plot Nightclub singer Ilona Vance is accused of murder because she was the last person to see croo ...

'' (1956) as "Whitey" Pollock * '' Voodoo Island'' (1957) as Martin Schuyler * '' The Lonely Man'' (1957) as Willie * '' Chicago Confidential'' (1957) as Candymouth Duggan * ''

Plunder Road ''Plunder Road'' is a 1957 American crime film, crime film noir directed by Hubert Cornfield and starring Gene Raymond, Jeanne Cooper and Wayne Morris (American actor), Wayne Morris. Plot Five men carry out an elaborate plan to rob a gold shipmen ...

'' (1957) as Skeets Jonas * '' Baby Face Nelson'' (1957) as Homer van Meter * ''

'' (1959) as Watson Pritchard * '' Day of the Outlaw'' (1959) as Larry Teter (town barber) * '' Platinum High School'' (1960) as Harry Nesbit * '' College Confidential'' (1960) as Ted Blake * ''

'' (1961) as Carvey * '' Papa's Delicate Condition'' (1963) as Mr. Keith * '' Black Zoo'' (1963) as Joe * '' The Haunted Palace'' (1963) as Peter Smith / Micah Smith * '' Johnny Cool'' (1963) as Undertaker * ''The Judge'' (1963, TV movie) * ''The Glass Cage'' (1964) as Girl's father * '' Blood on the Arrow'' (1964) as Tex * ''McNab's Lab'' (1966, TV movie) as Coach * '' The Spy in the Green Hat'' (1967) as Arnold * '' Welcome to Hard Times'' (1967) as Hanson * '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1968) as Mr. Nicklas * ''Cry for Poor Wally'' (1969) as Preacher * '' The Great Bank Robbery'' (1969) as Jeb * ''The Movie Murderer'' (1970, TV movie) as Willie Peanuts * '' El Condor'' (1970) as Old Convict * '' Night Slaves'' (1970, TV movie) * ''Night Chase'' (1970, TV movie) as Proprietor * ''The Scarecrow'' (1972, TV movie) as Micah * '' The Night Stalker'' (1972, TV movie) as Mickey Crawford * '' The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid'' (1972) as Bunker * '' Blacula'' (1972) as Sam * '' Messiah of Evil'' (1973) as Charlie * '' Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid'' (1973) as Cody * ''

Emperor of the North Pole ''Emperor of the North Pole'' is a 1973 American action adventure film directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Keith Carradine, and Charles Tyner. It was later re-released on home media (and is more widely known) un ...

'' (1973) as Gray Cat * '' Electra Glide in Blue'' (1973) as Willie * '' The Outfit'' (1973) as Carl * '' The Phantom of Hollywood'' (1974, TV movie) as Studio Engineer (uncredited) * '' Winterhawk'' (1975) as Finley * ''

The Black Bird ''The Black Bird'' is a 1975 comedy film written and directed by David Giler and starring George Segal and Stéphane Audran. It is a comedic sequel to the John Huston film version of The Maltese Falcon (1941 film), ''The Maltese Falcon'' (1941) ...

'' (1975) as Wilmer Cook * ''Senior Power ...and how to use it!'' (1975) as Henry Boyle * '' St. Ives'' (1976) as Eddie * ''

Dead of Night ''Dead of Night'' is a 1945 British supernatural horror anthology film directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, and Robert Hamer. It stars Mervyn Johns, Googie Withers, Sally Ann Howes, and Michael Redgrave. Produ ...

'' (1977, TV movie) as Karel * ''Mad Bull'' (1977, TV movie) as Sweeper * '' The Champ'' (1979) as Georgie * '' Salem's Lot'' (1979, TV movie) as Gordon "Weasel" Phillips * ''

1941 The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...

'' (1979) as The Patron (Dexter) * ''

'' (1980) as Stablehand * '' Carny'' (1980) as On-Your-Mark * '' Harry's War'' (1981) as Sgt. Billy * ''Leave 'em Laughing'' (1981 TV movie) as Jetter * '' National Lampoon's Movie Madness'' (1982) as Mousy ("Municipalians") * '' Hammett'' (1982) as Eli the Taxi Driver * ''Terror at Alcatraz'' (1982, TV movie) as Hotel Desk Clerk * ''This Girl for Hire'' (1983, TV movie) as Eddie * ''Shadow of Sam Penny'' (1983, TV movie) as Dutch Silver * '' Off Sides (Pigs vs. Freaks)'' (1984, TV movie) as Novatney * '' It Came Upon the Midnight Clear'' (1984, TV movie) as Mr. Bibbs * ''Treasure: In Search of the Golden Horse'' (1984) as Mr. Maps * '' The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains'' (1987, TV movie) as Pappy Glue

Television credits

* ''

The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It f ...

'' in Santa and the Bookies. (December 12, 1953) * '' Adventures of Superman'' in "Semi-Private Eye," (January 16, 1954) as Homer Garrity, * ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' (1955) (Season 1 Episode 6: "Salvage") as Shorty * ''

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults.Perry Mason'' in "The Case of the Pint-Sized Client" (1958) as Art Crowley * ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'' in "Matt for Murder" (1958) as Huggins * ''

'' in "Odd Man Out" (1959) as Cyrus Tucker * ''

Rawhide Rawhide may refer to: *Rawhide (material), a hide or animal skin that has not been tanned * Whip made from rawhide Entertainment * ''Rawhide'' (1926 film), a Western directed by Richard Thorpe * ''Rawhide'' (1938 film), a Western starring baseball ...

'' (1959) as Bain * ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was bo ...

'' in "No Funeral For Thorn" (1959) as Thorn Loomis (playing Bat's long time friend in a rare "good guy" role) * '' The Real McCoys'' in "The Hermit" (1960) as Harry * ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...

'' in "The Long Long Ride" (1960) as Snooker * ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'' in "The Tracy Sadler Story" (1960) as Cadge Waldo * ''

Tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

'' in "The Long Odds" (1960) as Sam Parker * ''

Tombstone Territory ''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western television series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the seco ...

'' in "The Witness" (1960) as Adam Kirby * '' The Rebel'' in "The Bequest" (1960) as Jeremy Hake * '' Thriller'' in "The Fatal Impulse" (1960) as The Assassin * '' The Islanders'' in "The Twenty-Six Paper" (1961) as Tomas * '' Surfside 6'' in "Witness for the Defense" (1961) as Mike Pulaski * '' The Deputy'' in "Brand of Honesty" (1961) as Miller * '' Laramie'' in "The Tumbleweed Wagon" (1961) as Doc * ''

'' (1961) – Joel Turner in S3:E22, "Incident in the Middle of Nowhere" * '' Outlaws'' in "The Dark Sunrise of Griff Kincaid" (1962) as Cully * '' The Dakotas'' in "A Nice Girl from Goliath" (1963) as Brinkman * ''

'' in "Hung High" (1964) as George * ''

'' in "Breckinridge" (1965) as Jackie Beal (S10E25) * ''

'' in "The Night of the Double-Edged Knife" (1965) as Mike McGreavy and "The Night of the Bars of Hell" (1966) as Gideon McCoy * ''

'' in "

" (1967) as Samuel T. Cogley, Esq * '' The Ghost & Mrs. Muir'' in "Not So Desperate Hours" as Frankie. * '' The Odd Couple'' in "Our Fathers" (1974) as Eliot Ness * ''

'' in "The Green Man" (1974) as Herbie * ''

Starsky & Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a '' Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired ...

'' in "Lady Blue" (1975) as Polly the snitch * ''

'' in "Once a Thief" (1977) as Inky (credited as Elisha Cook) * ''

Insight Insight is the understanding of a specific causality, cause and effect within a particular context. The term insight can have several related meanings: *a piece of information *the act or result of understanding the inner nature of things or of se ...

'' in " The Trouble with Grandpa" (1982) as Grandpa * '' Magnum, P.I.'' (1980s) as Francis "Ice Pick" Hofstetler in 13 episodes (final television appearance) * ''

Night Court ''Night Court'' is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 4, 1984, and ended on May 31, 1992, after nine seasons consisting of List of Night Court episodes, 193 episodes. The show is set in the night shift of a Manhattan ...

'' in "Married Alive" (1985) as Wilbur Posten * ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'' in " Welcome to Winfield" (1986) as Weldon * ''

'' (1985) in Season 4 Ep. 5 "Road To Hope" as Jim Beam * '' ALF'' in "We're So Sorry, Uncle Albert" (1988) as Uncle Albert

References

External links

* *
Elisha Cook Jr.
at

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Elisha Jr. 1903 births 1995 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors American people of English descent American male television actors Military personnel from California Male actors from Chicago Male actors from San Francisco Male Western (genre) film actors United States Army personnel of World War II American vaudeville performers Western (genre) television actors