James Stacy

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James Stacy
Stacy in 1968
Born
Maurice William Elias

(1936-12-23)December 23, 1936
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 9, 2016(2016-09-09) (aged 79)
Ventura, California, U.S.
Other namesJim Stacey
Jim Stacy
OccupationActor
Years active1956–1992
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1963; div. 1966)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1968; div. 1969)​
PartnerAntigoni Tsamparlis (2000–2016; his death)
Children1

Maurice William Elias (December 23, 1936 – September 9, 2016), known professionally as James Stacy, was an American film and television actor who starred in the late 1960s TV western Lancer.

In 1973, Stacy was hit by a drunk driver while riding his motorcycle, resulting in his left leg being severed. His left arm, nearly severed in the accident, was later amputated in the hospital. His girlfriend died in the crash. He returned to acting in 1975 before retiring in 1992.

Early life[edit]

Stacy was born Maurice William Elias on December 23, 1936,[1] in Los Angeles to an Ulster-Scots waitress and a Lebanese American bookmaker.[2]

Career[edit]

Stacy made his film debut in Sayonara in 1957, and his television debut in Highway Patrol. He had a recurring role as "Fred" in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 1958 to 1963. During the 1960s he made guest appearances in television shows, including 5 episodes of Gunsmoke, Hazel, The Donna Reed Show, Have Gun - Will Travel, Combat!, and Perry Mason in the 1964 episode "The Case of the Simple Simon" and the series finale "The Case of the Final Fade-out" in 1966.

Stacy is perhaps best remembered as a star of the western series Lancer, along with Andrew Duggan, Wayne Maunder, and Paul Brinegar. Lancer aired on CBS from 1968 to 1970. Stacy played the character "Johnny Madrid Lancer", a former gunslinger, the son of Duggan's character, Murdoch Lancer. Stacy also acted in several motion pictures from the 1950s through the 1970s, including a minor part in the musical South Pacific.

Motorcycle accident[edit]

On September 27, 1973, Stacy was taking Claire Cox[3][4] for a ride on his motorcycle in the Hollywood Hills when a drunken driver struck them. Cox was killed and Stacy lost his left arm and leg. Stacy's ex-wife, actress and singer Connie Stevens, organized a 1974 celebrity gala to raise money for his expenses. The gala, whose attendees included Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand, raised $118,000 ($729,000 today).[2] In 1976, Stacy won a $1.9 million lawsuit ($10.2 million today) against the bar that had served the drunk driver.[2][3]

Comeback[edit]

After his recovery, Stacy appeared in roles created to accommodate his disability. His comeback film was the 1975 Kirk Douglas Western Posse, where he played newspaper editor Harold Hellman, a part Douglas had written for him. In 1977, Stacy starred in the TV movie Just a Little Inconvenience as a double-amputee Vietnam veteran. It earned him his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama or Comedy Special. In 1980, he starred in and produced the TV movie My Kidnapper, My Love. His brother, Louie Elias, a character actor and stuntman, wrote the screenplay, based on the novel by Oscar Saul, to accommodate Stacy's disability. Elias was also the associate producer. Stacy also played Ed, the Bartender in the Disney film Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Stacy's other TV appearances included Hotel, Cagney & Lacey (for which he was nominated for a second Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series) and Highway to Heaven. His last TV role was in five 1990 episodes of the cop series Wiseguy, as Ed Rogosheske.

Personal life[edit]

Marriages[edit]

Stacy was married twice. He married actress and singer Connie Stevens on October 12, 1963, in Hollywood.[5] They were divorced in November 1966.[6] His second marriage was to actress Kim Darby in 1968. They had a daughter, Heather, and divorced in 1969.[7][8]

Arrest and conviction[edit]

In November 1995, Stacy pleaded no contest to a charge of molesting an 11-year-old girl.[9] On December 7, 1995, he failed to appear for sentencing in Ventura County Superior Court and was arrested the next day in a Honolulu, Hawaii hospital after he fled California. He attempted suicide by jumping off a cliff. After recovering, he waived extradition and returned to California. On March 5, 1996, he received a six-year prison sentence. The prosecutor said she believed Stacy might have been eligible for probation for the molestation, but his post-arrest behavior, coupled with two arrests in June 1995 for prowling at the homes of other girls,[2][10] led her to seek a prison sentence.[11][12] He served his sentence at the California Institution for Men in Chino, California.[2]

Death[edit]

On September 9, 2016, Stacy died of anaphylactic shock in Ventura, California after being administered an antibiotic injection at the office of Dr. Cedric Emery.[13][14] He was 79.[13]

Portrayal[edit]

Stacy is portrayed by Timothy Olyphant in the 2019 Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt.[15]

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1957 Sayonara Reporter Uncredited
1958 Lafayette Escadrille Alan Nichols Uncredited
1958 South Pacific Sailor / Seabee Credited as Jim Stacey, Uncredited
1961 Like Father, Like Son Art Credited as Jim Stacey
1963 Summer Magic Charles Bryant
1965 Winter A-Go-Go Danny Frazer
1965 A Swingin' Summer Mickey
1969 Flareup Joe Brodnek
1975 Posse Harold Hellman
1982 Double Exposure B.J. Wilde Alternative title: Model Killer
1983 Something Wicked This Way Comes Ed, the Bartender
1991 F/X2 Cyborg Alternative title: F/X 2: The Deadly Art of Illusion
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1956–1963 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Fred 19 episodes
1957 Highway Patrol Young Man in Car Episode: "Female Hitchhiker"
1962 Shannon Cracker Coe Episode: "The Jungle Kid"
1962 Have Gun – Will Travel Johnny Tully Episode: "Man in an Hourglass"
1962 The Donna Reed Show Danny
Steve 		2 episodes
1962 Cheyenne Luther James Episode: "Showdown at Oxbend"
1963 Hazel Episode: "The Baby Came C.O.D."
1964–1966 Perry Mason Scott Everett
Barry Conrad 		2 episodes
1964–1973 Gunsmoke Various roles 5 episodes
1965 Mister Roberts Episode: "Just Getting There Is Half the Fun"
1966 And Baby Makes Three Dr. Peter Cooper unsold TV pilot
1966 The Monroes Perry Hutchins Episode: "Ride with Terror"
1966 Combat! Farley Episode: "The Bankroll"
1968 Premiere Andrew Bass Episode: "The Freebooters" (unsold pilot)
1968 Cimarron Strip Joe Bravo Episode: "The Judgment"
1968–1970 Lancer Johnny Madrid Lancer 51 episodes
1971 Paper Man Jerry TV movie
1972 Love, American Style Segment: "Love and the Alibi"
1972 Heat of Anger Gus Pride TV movie
1972 Medical Center Neil Episode: "Cycle of Peril"
1972 The Streets of San Francisco Peter Forrest Episode: "Whose Little Boy Are You?"
1972 Marcus Welby, M.D. Phil Darrow Episode: "Jason Be Nimble, Jason Be Quick"
1972 Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Episode: "Starting Over Again"
1973 Ordeal Andy Folsom TV movie
1977 Just a Little Inconvenience Kenny Briggs TV movie
1980 My Kidnapper, My Love Denny TV movie
1981 An Ozzie and Harriet Christmas Self TV special on KTLA in Los Angeles
1985 Hotel Jeremy Hale Episode: "Saving Grace"
1986 Cagney & Lacey Ted Peters Episode: "The Gimp"
1987 Highway to Heaven Joe Mason Episode: "The Hero"
1990 Wiseguy Ed Rogosheske 5 episodes
1990 Matters of the Heart Glen Harper TV movie

References[edit]

  1. ^ "James Stacy: An Update". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. Knight News Service. October 14, 1985. p. P–2. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e Rist, Curtis (May 13, 1996). "Hitting Bottom". People. Vol. 45, no. 19. p. 62. ISSN 0093-7673. Archived from the original on February 5, 2009.
  3. ^ a b Weller, W. Robert (May 6, 1976). "Tavern Liable in Fatal Accident". The Evening News. Newburgh, New York. Associated Press. p. 1A.
  4. ^ "Screen capture of Claire A. Cox being listed in the California Death index as dying on the same day as the motorcycle accident". California Death Index. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016.
  5. ^ "Actor, Actress Are Married". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. October 13, 1969. p. 1. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  6. ^ "Connie Stevens Divorces Hubby". The Gettysburg Times. Associated Press. November 3, 1966. p. 10. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  7. ^ Morehouse, Rebecca (June 4, 1969). "'True Grit' Makes Kim Darby a Star". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 61. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  8. ^ Scott, Vernon (June 29, 1977). "Actress Kim Darby Is Growing Up". The Telegraph. Nashua, New Hampshire. United Press International. p. 49. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  9. ^ "James Stacy: TV Actor Sought By Court". Wilmington Morning Star. December 9, 1995. p. 2A. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  10. ^ Ishak, Natasha (June 26, 2019). "From Celebrated TV Cowboy to Convict: The Tragic Demise of James Stacy". allthatsinteresting.com. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  11. ^ Elias, Paul (March 6, 1996). "Actor Stacy Sentenced in Molestation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  12. ^ "Actor receives six year sentence". The Hour. Norwalk, Connecticut. Associated Press. March 6, 1996. p. 6. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  13. ^ a b Grimes, William (September 18, 2016). "James Stacy, Actor Who Played Gunslinging 'Lancer,' Dies at 79". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  14. ^ Terry, Joshua (September 10, 2016). "Emmy-Nominated Actor James Stacy Dies at 79". Variety. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  15. ^ Coates, Tyler (March 21, 2019). "The Real-Life People Portrayed in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". Esquire. Retrieved March 23, 2019.

External links[edit]

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