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Jewel Franklin Guy, known professionally as James Best, was an American television, film, stage, and voice actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician. During a career that spanned more than 60 years, he performed not only in feature films but also in scores of television series, as well as appearing on various country music programs and talk shows. Television audiences, however, perhaps most closely associate Best with his role as the bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the action-comedy series The Dukes of Hazzard, which originally aired on CBS between 1979 and 1985. He reprised the role in 1997 and 2000 for the made-for-television movies The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! and The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000).
Birth Name
Jewel Franklin Guy
Born
Monday, 26 July 1926
Died
Monday, 06 April 2015
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
Earl Hamner Storyteller | Self | 2015 |
Pop Culture Beast's Halloween Horror Picks | Thorne Sherman | 2014 |
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia | (archive footage) | 2013 |
The Sweeter Side of Life | Paddy Kerrigan | 2013 |
Return of the Killer Shrews | Thorne Sherman | 2012 |
Moondance Alexander | McClancy / Buck McClancy | 2007 |
Hot Tamale | Hank Larson | 2006 |
The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller | Sgt. David Brent | 2002 |
The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood | Rosco P. Coltrane | 2000 |
After They Were Famous | Himself | 1999 |
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
Earl Hamner Storyteller | Self | 2015 |
Pop Culture Beast's Halloween Horror Picks | Thorne Sherman | 2014 |
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia | (archive footage) | 2013 |
The Sweeter Side of Life | Paddy Kerrigan | 2013 |
Return of the Killer Shrews | Thorne Sherman | 2012 |
Moondance Alexander | McClancy / Buck McClancy | 2007 |
Hot Tamale | Hank Larson | 2006 |
The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller | Sgt. David Brent | 2002 |
The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood | Rosco P. Coltrane | 2000 |
After They Were Famous | Himself | 1999 |
Death Mask | Wilbur Johnson | 1998 |
The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! | Boss / Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane | 1997 |
B.L. Stryker | Mr. Parkinson | 1989 |
In the Heat of the Night | Nathan Bedford | 1988 |
The Dukes | Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane / Sheriff Rosco Coltrane | 1983 |
Enos | Rosco P. Coltrane | 1980 |
The Dukes of Hazzard | Sheriff Rosco Coltrane / Rosco P. Coltrane / Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane / Rufus Z. Coltrane / Woody | 1979 |
Centennial | Hank Garvey | 1978 |
Hooper | Cully | 1978 |
The End | Pacemaker Patient | 1978 |
Rolling Thunder | Texan | 1977 |
Tales of the Unexpected | Anne's Father | 1977 |
Nickelodeon | Jim | 1976 |
The Savage Bees | Pelligrino / Pellegrino | 1976 |
Gator | (unconfirmed) | 1976 |
Ode to Billy Joe | Dewey Barksdale | 1976 |
How the West Was Won | Sheriff Gruner | 1976 |
Savages | Sheriff Bert Hamilton | 1974 |
Hawkins | Sheriff John Early | 1973 |
Sounder | Sheriff Young / Sheriff Charlie Young | 1972 |
The Midnight Special | Himself | 1972 |
The Brain Machine | Rev. Emory Neill | 1972 |
Run, Simon, Run | Henry Burroughs | 1970 |
Dan August | Wiley | 1970 |
Lancer | Clayt | 1968 |
Mod Squad | Clay Lynch | 1968 |
Firecreek | Drew | 1968 |
The Guns of Will Sonnett | Harley Bass / Rake Hanley | 1967 |
First to Fight | Sergeant Carnavan / Gunnery Sgt. Ed Carnavan | 1967 |
The Felony Squad | Arnold Wyatt / George Collins | 1966 |
Iron Horse | Chico Trent | 1966 |
The Green Hornet | Yale Barton | 1966 |
Hawk | Emile White | 1966 |
Three on a Couch | Dr. Ben Mizer | 1966 |
Honey West | Vince Zale | 1965 |
I Spy | The Doctor / Sam | 1965 |
Shenandoah | Carter - Rebel Soldier / Carter, Rebel Soldier | 1965 |
Black Spurs | Sheriff Ralph Elkins / Ralph Elkins | 1965 |
Daniel Boone | Wyatt | 1964 |
Flipper | Dr. Peter Kellwin | 1964 |
The Quick Gun | Scotty Grant / Scotty Wade | 1964 |
Destry | Curly Beamer | 1964 |
Shock Corridor | Stuart | 1963 |
Redigo | Les Fay | 1963 |
Burke's Law | Tucson, 'The Cowboy' | 1963 |
Temple Houston | Gotch | 1963 |
The Fugitive | Dan Murray | 1963 |
The Gallant Men | Pvt. Hook | 1962 |
Combat! | Trenton | 1962 |
G.E. True | Ernie Swift | 1962 |
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Tom Carmody | 1962 |
The Virginian | Curt Westley | 1962 |
Black Gold | Jericho Larkin | 1962 |
Ben Casey | Simon Waller / Dr. Joe Sullivan | 1961 |
Whispering Smith | Hemp Reeger | 1961 |
Stagecoach West | Mike Pardee / Les Hardeen / Jack Craig | 1960 |
Surfside 6 | Ernie Jordan | 1960 |
The Andy Griffith Show | Jim Lindsey | 1960 |
Michael Shayne | Danny | 1960 |
The Barbara Stanwyck Show | Joe | 1960 |
The Mountain Road | Niergaard | 1960 |
Pony Express | Bart Gentry | 1960 |
Overland Trail | Pvt. Frank Cullen | 1960 |
Hawaiian Eye | Johnny Olin | 1959 |
Startime | Duke | 1959 |
The Rebel | Abel Waares / Ted Evans | 1959 |
The Twilight Zone | Billy Ben Turner / Jeff Myrtlebank / Johnny Rob | 1959 |
Men Into Space | Lt. John Leonard | 1959 |
Lock Up | Roy Duggan | 1959 |
The DuPont Show with June Allyson | Jovan Wilanskov | 1959 |
Laramie | Ben Leach / Dallas / Johnny Best | 1959 |
Bonanza | Sheriff Vern Schaler / Page / Carl Reagan | 1959 |
The Man and the Challenge | David Mallory | 1959 |
Cast a Long Shadow | Sam Mullen | 1959 |
The Killer Shrews | Thorne Sherman | 1959 |
Markham | Don Lennard | 1959 |
The David Niven Show | Frank Simms / Pvt. Boland | 1959 |
Verboten! | Sgt. David Brent | 1959 |
Ride Lonesome | Billy John | 1959 |
Black Saddle | Ben Travers | 1959 |
Rawhide | Art Fuller / Brock Quade / Willie Cain | 1959 |
77 Sunset Strip | Babe Mackie | 1958 |
Bat Masterson | Joe Best / Danny Dakota | 1958 |
Behind Closed Doors | Webb | 1958 |
The Rifleman | Bob Barrett | 1958 |
The Texan | Clay Kirby | 1958 |
Bronco | Frankie Banton | 1958 |
Rescue 8 | Chad Curran | 1958 |
Wanted: Dead or Alive | Stoner / Luke Perry | 1958 |
The Naked and the Dead | Rhidges | 1958 |
Frontier Justice | Pyke Dillon | 1958 |
The Left Handed Gun | Tom Folliard | 1958 |
Cole Younger, Gunfighter | Kit Caswell | 1958 |
Man on the Prowl | Doug Gerhardt | 1957 |
Tombstone Territory | Mitt Porter | 1957 |
Trackdown | Bud Ehlers / Joe Sunday / Rand Marple | 1957 |
The Restless Gun | Jim Kenyon | 1957 |
Perry Mason | Martin Potter / Allan Winford | 1957 |
Wagon Train | Garth English / Bowman Lewis / Art Bernard | 1957 |
Have Gun - Will Travel | Roy Smith / Andy Fisher | 1957 |
Richard Diamond, Private Detective | Jack Milhoan | 1957 |
I Was a Teenage Werewolf | Kid at party who gets slapped | 1957 |
Code 3 | Arkansas Trueblood | 1957 |
Last of the Badmen | Ted Hamilton | 1957 |
Hot Summer Night | Kermit | 1957 |
The Rack | Millard Chilson Cassidy | 1956 |
West Point | William Purdom / Cadet Carl M Placek | 1956 |
Zane Grey Theatre | Pyke Dillon | 1956 |
Calling Homicide | Det. Arnie Arnhoff | 1956 |
The Sheriff of Cochise | Mike Norris | 1956 |
Gaby | Jim | 1956 |
Telephone Time | American Soldier | 1956 |
Forbidden Planet | Crewman | 1956 |
When Gangland Strikes | Jerry Ames | 1956 |
Come Next Spring | Bill Jackson | 1956 |
Crossroads | Pierre | 1955 |
The People's Choice | Mr. Hunnicut | 1955 |
Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Bish Darby / Hennessy / Norman Frayne | 1955 |
Frontier | Jason Cartwright / Ben Reed | 1955 |
The Adventures of Champion | Paul Kenyon / Mace Kincaid | 1955 |
Cheyenne | Ernie Riggins | 1955 |
Gunsmoke | Beal / Charlie Noon / Dal | 1955 |
The Eternal Sea | Student | 1955 |
Top of the World | Col. French's Orderly | 1955 |
A Man Called Peter | Man with Jane at Youth Rally | 1955 |
Seven Angry Men | Jason Brown | 1955 |
Buffalo Bill, Jr. | Telegrapher Larry Martin | 1955 |
The Millionaire | Fred Morgan | 1955 |
They Rode West | Lt. Finlay | 1954 |
Climax! | Shag | 1954 |
The Lineup | Jim Kasino / Rhodes | 1954 |
The Raid | Lt. Robinson | 1954 |
Return from the Sea | Barr | 1954 |
The Caine Mutiny | Lt. JG Jorgensen | 1954 |
The Yellow Tomahawk | Private Bliss / Pvt. Bliss | 1954 |
Stories of the Century | Dave Ridley | 1954 |
Riders to the Stars | Dr. Sidney K. Fuller | 1954 |
Annie Oakley | Jess Dugan / Scott Warren | 1954 |
City of Bad Men | Deputy Gig | 1953 |
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms | Charlie - Radar Man | 1953 |
The President's Lady | Samuel Donelson | 1953 |
Column South | Primrose | 1953 |
Seminole | Corp. Gerad / Corporal Gerad | 1953 |
General Electric Theater | Hardy Coulter | 1953 |
Flat Top | Radio Operator | 1952 |
Cavalcade of America | Slate Morley / Harry | 1952 |
Hopalong Cassidy | Rick Ashton | 1952 |
Francis Goes to West Point | Cpl. Ransom / Corporal Ransom | 1952 |
About Face | Joe - Hal's Roommate | 1952 |
Steel Town | Joe Rakich | 1952 |
The Battle at Apache Pass | Cpl. Hassett | 1952 |
Death Valley Days | Tiny Stoker / Ruel Gridley / Jimmy Burns / Jim Campbell | 1952 |
The Cimarron Kid | Bitter Creek Dalton | 1952 |
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair | Marvin Johnson | 1952 |
The Adventures of Kit Carson | Henry Jordan / Johnny | 1951 |
Apache Drums | Bert Keon | 1951 |
Air Cadet | Jerry Connell | 1951 |
Target Unknown | Sgt. Ralph Phelps | 1951 |
Kansas Raiders | Cole Younger | 1950 |
Lux Video Theatre | Waldo / Clem Wallace | 1950 |
The Gene Autry Show | Ray Saunders / Bank Teller | 1950 |
Peggy | Frank Addison | 1950 |
Winchester '73 | Crater | 1950 |
I Was a Shoplifter | Police Broadcaster in Surveillance Plane | 1950 |
Comanche Territory | Sam | 1950 |
One Way Street | Driver | 1950 |
The Lone Ranger | Jim Blake | 1949 |
Director Filmography
Title | Year |
---|
The Dukes of Hazzard | 1979 |
Producer Filmography
Title | Year |
---|
The End | 1978 |