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{{short description|American actor}}
{{Short description|American actor (1923–2012)}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2024}}
{{short description|Actor, boxer}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2010}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|name = Biff Elliot
| name = Biff Elliot
|image = Biffelliot.jpg
| image = Biff Elliot in The Public Defender (Loyalty).jpg
|caption = Elliot as Mike Hammer in ''I, the Jury''
| caption = Elliot in an episode of ''[[The Public Defender (TV series)|The Public Defender]]'' (1954)
|birthname = Leon Shalek
| birth_name = Leon Shalek
|birth_date = {{birth date|1923|07|26}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1923|07|26|mf=yes}}
|birth_place = [[Lynn, Massachusetts]]
| birth_place = [[Lynn, Massachusetts]], U.S.
|death_date = {{death date and age|2012|08|15|1923|07|26}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2012|08|15|1923|07|26}}
|death_place = [[Studio City, California]]
| death_place = [[Studio City, California]], U.S.
|alma_mater = [[University of Maine]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Maine]]
| resting_place = [[Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary|Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]]
|restingplace =
|occupation = Actor
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1948–2001
|spouse = Betty Dole <br>(m.1948-1974; her death) <br>Connie Elliot <br>(m.1977-2012; his death)
| spouse = {{plainlist|
|yearsactive = 1948–2001
* {{marriage|Betty Dole|1948|1974|reason=died}}
* {{marriage|Connie Elliot|1977}}
}}
}}
}}


'''Biff Elliot''' (born '''Leon Shalek''', July 26, 1923 &ndash; August 15, 2012) was an [[United States|American]] [[actor]]. He is perhaps best known for his role as popular detective [[Mike Hammer]] in the 1953 version of ''[[I, the Jury (1953 film)|I, the Jury]]'', and for his guest appearance as Schmitter in the ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' episode "[[The Devil in the Dark]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/biff-elliot-mike-hammer-dies-363732|title=Biff Elliot, the First Mike Hammer of the Movies, Dies at 89|website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>
'''Biff Elliot''' (born '''Leon Shalek'''; July 26, 1923 &ndash; August 15, 2012) was an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as popular detective [[Mike Hammer (character)|Mike Hammer]] in the 1953 version of ''[[I, the Jury (1953 film)|I, the Jury]]'' and for his guest appearance as Schmitter in the ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' episode "[[The Devil in the Dark]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/biff-elliot-mike-hammer-dies-363732|title=Biff Elliot, the First Mike Hammer of the Movies, Dies at 89|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=17 August 2012 }}</ref>


==Early life==
==Early life==
Elliot was born in [[Lynn, Massachusetts]], the son of Susan M. (née Bernstein) and Israel Michael Shalek.<ref name=gen1>{{cite web |url=http://www.mymispoche.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I1145&tree=MM |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2012-08-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230008/http://www.mymispoche.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I1145&tree=MM |archivedate=2016-03-03 }}</ref> All of his grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.<ref name=gen1/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joshshalek.com/biff-elliot-1923-2012/|title=Welcome to Falling Rock National Park » Archive » Biff Elliot 1923-2012|publisher=}}</ref> His father was a former semi-pro baseball player who had, after retiring, opened a burlap-bag manufacturing business in [[Presque Isle, Maine]].
Elliot was born in [[Lynn, Massachusetts]], the son of Susan (née Bernstein) and Israel Shalek.<ref name="gen1">{{cite web |url=http://www.mymispoche.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I1145&tree=MM |title=Leon "Biff Elliot" Shalek b. 26 Jul 1923 Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA d. 15 Aug 2012 Studio City, Los Angeles County, California, USA |accessdate=2012-08-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230008/http://www.mymispoche.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I1145&tree=MM |archivedate=2016-03-03 }}</ref> He was the youngest of three brothers. His ancestors were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.<ref name="gen1" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Shalek |first=Josh |date=2012-08-15 |title=Biff Elliot 1923-2012 |url=https://www.kidshay.com/blog/biff-elliot-1923-2012 |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=Kid Shay |publisher=}}</ref>

Elliot had a childhood nickname "Bith" but later adapted it to "Biff" when he went into boxing, which he did when he was 16 and his family had moved to Presque Isle. He then became known as Biff Harris.{{Citation needed|date=January 2019}} Eventually Elliot went on to become the North Maine champion and even reached the New England regional championship, but once his mother found out about his boxing, she refused to allow him to continue. In 1943, Elliot signed up for the [[United States Army]], was placed in the [[34th Infantry Division (United States)|34th Infantry Division]] and later stationed to [[North Africa]].

Once the war finished, Elliot was discharged and decided to return to the [[University of Maine]] in 1945. In college Elliot wrote column for [[The Maine Campus]] entitled Scotch and Soda. He graduated in 1949 and moved to [[New York City]] in hopes of pursuing a writing career. After failing as a writer, Elliot switched his attention to acting, and began taking courses at the actors' studio.


==Career==
==Career==
He first started doing stage and television work, mostly playing tough, working-class characters. When he was spotted by a Hollywood attorney while performing a television episode, the attorney recommended him to [[Victor Saville]], the producer who was preparing the first film adaption of [[Mickey Spillane]]'s ''[[I, the Jury]]''. When accepted for the audition, Elliot was brought to [[Hollywood]], and began preparing for his role by cramming with [[Mike Hammer]] novels, spending the whole night re-reading them. After a successful 15-minute audition, Elliot landed his first leading role on film and became the first actor to portray the famed Mike Hammer in a motion picture. Elliot was signed for a long term contract as Mike Hammer but the public didn't take to him and other actors were cast in the role.<ref>p. 191 Collins, Max Allen ''Mickey Spillane in His Own Words'' in ''Mickey Spillane on Screen: A Complete Study of the Television and Film Adaptations'' McFarland, 12 Jan 2018 </ref>
Elliot, who had acted during his college years, abandoned writing to pursue television roles. He appeared in many important dramatic shows of the time, mostly playing tough, working-class characters. When Elliot was spotted by a Hollywood attorney while performing in a television episode, the attorney recommended him to [[Victor Saville]], the producer who was preparing the first film adaption of [[Mickey Spillane|Mickey Spillane's]] ''I, the Jury''. After securing the part following a 15-minute audition, Elliot was brought to Hollywood and prepared for the role by reading [[Mike Hammer (character)|Mike Hammer]] novels, often spending the entire night reading them. ''I, the Jury'' became Elliot's first leading film role, and he was the first actor to portray the Mike Hammer character in a film. Although Elliot was signed to a long-term contract as Mike Hammer, other actors were later cast in the role.<ref>p. 191 Collins, Max Allen ''Mickey Spillane in His Own Words'' in ''Mickey Spillane on Screen: A Complete Study of the Television and Film Adaptations'' McFarland, 12 Jan 2018</ref>


In 2004 Elliot recorded a [[Audio commentary|commentary track]] for ''I, the Jury''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=I, the Jury commentary track |url=https://www.kidshay.com/blog/i-the-jury-commentary-track |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=Kid Shay |language=en-US}}</ref>
⚫
Over the next few years, Elliot was a prominent fixture in classic war films of the 1950s and '60s, appearing in ''[[Between Heaven and Hell (film)|Between Heaven and Hell]]'', ''[[The Enemy Below]]'', ''[[Pork Chop Hill]]'', and ''[[PT 109 (film)|PT 109]]''. But mostly he worked in television. In 1959, Elliot got a seemingly good break when playwright [[Clifford Odets]] happened to see ''I, the Jury'' and offered him a role in ''[[The Story on Page One]]'', which Odets wrote and directed. Thereafter, over the next decade, Elliot was mostly seen on television, including an appearance on [[Frank Lovejoy]]'s detective series, ''[[Meet McGraw]]'', and an appearance on ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'', starring [[Raymond Burr]].In 1961 Elliot played the part of Buddy Blue,a trumpeter on the run from a gangster in the series [[77 Sunset Strip]].In 1966, he portrayed a government agent in an episode of the comedy series ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]''. In 1967, he appeared in the ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' episode "[[The Devil in the Dark]]". He guest-starred in an episode of ''[[Gibbsville (TV series)|Gibbsville]]'' in 1976. In 1977, he had a memorable supporting role in [[Telly Savalas]]'s ''[[Beyond Reason (1977 film)|Beyond Reason]]'' with [[Diana Muldaur]]. A late notable role came in 1981 when he co-starred in ''Back to the Planet of the Apes'', a TV movie. Elliot would make his final film appearance in 1986 in a comedy, co-starring with [[Jack Lemmon]] in a scene from ''[[That's Life! (film)|That's Life!]]''.


⚫
Over the next few years, Elliot became a prominent fixture in war films of the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in ''[[Between Heaven and Hell (film)|Between Heaven and Hell]]'', ''[[The Enemy Below]]'', ''[[Pork Chop Hill (film)|Pork Chop Hill]]'' and ''[[PT 109 (film)|PT 109]]''. In 1959, playwright [[Clifford Odets]], who had noticed Elliot in ''I, the Jury'', offered him a role in ''[[The Story on Page One (film)|The Story on Page One]]'', which Odets wrote and directed. In the 1960s, Elliot appeared mostly in television, including appearance on [[Frank Lovejoy]]'s detective series ''Meet McGraw'' and on ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]''. In 1961 Elliot played the part of Buddy Blue, a trumpeter on the run from a gangster, in the series ''[[77 Sunset Strip]]''. In 1966, he portrayed a government agent in an episode of the comedy series ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]''. In 1967, he appeared in the ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' episode "[[The Devil in the Dark]]". He guest-starred in an episode of ''[[Gibbsville (TV series)|Gibbsville]]'' in 1976. In 1977, he had a memorable supporting role in [[Telly Savalas]]'s ''[[Beyond Reason (1977 film)|Beyond Reason]]'' with [[Diana Muldaur]]. In 1974, Elliot costarred in two episodes of the ''[[Planet of the Apes (TV series)|Planet of the Apes]]'' series, playing an [[orangutan]] in one of them. Elliot make his final film appearance in the 1986 film ''[[That's Life! (film)|That's Life!]]''. His last appearance on television was in 1986 on the set of the television series of ''[[Starman (TV series)|Starman]]''. Elliot retired in 2001. {{Citation needed|date=August 2012}}
His last appearance on television was in 1986 on the set of the television series of ''[[Starman (TV series)|Starman]]'', and he retired in 2001. {{Citation needed|date=August 2012}}


==Personal life==
==Death==
[[File:Grave of Biff Elliot, Westwood, Los Angeles.JPG|thumb|Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery: "It was easy"]]
After Elliot's retirement he worked in radio sports, covering [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] sports for [[CBS Radio Network]]. Elliot was previously married to Betty Cole, a former model, whom he met during his tenure at the [[University of Maine]] and married in his sophomore year in 1948. She died in 1974. In 1977, he married Connie and they resided in Los Angeles.


Elliot died at his home in [[Studio City, California]], on August 15, 2012, at the age of 89. He was buried in [[Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary|Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]].<ref>Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.</ref>
A brother of [[Win Elliott]], longtime [[CBS Radio Network]] [[sportscaster]] and 1950's TV [[game show]] host, Biff Elliot died in his home in [[Studio City, California]] on August 15, 2012, aged 89.


==Partial filmography==
==Partial filmography==
Line 44: Line 43:
*''[[House of Bamboo]]'' (1955) - Webber
*''[[House of Bamboo]]'' (1955) - Webber
*''[[Good Morning, Miss Dove]]'' (1955) - Reverend Alex Burnham
*''[[Good Morning, Miss Dove]]'' (1955) - Reverend Alex Burnham
*''[[Between Heaven and Hell (film)|Between Heaven and Hell]]'' (1956) - Tom Thumb - Co. G
*''[[Between Heaven and Hell (film)|Between Heaven and Hell]]'' (1956) - Tom Thumb, Company G
*''[[The True Story of Jesse James]]'' (1957) - Jim Younger
*''[[The True Story of Jesse James]]'' (1957) - Jim Younger
*''[[The Enemy Below]]'' (1957) - Quartermaster
*''[[The Enemy Below]]'' (1957) - Quartermaster
*''[[Torpedo Run]]'' (1958) - Lt. Paul Buckeye (uncredited)
*''[[Torpedo Run]]'' (1958) - Lieutenant Paul Buckeye (uncredited)
*''[[Pork Chop Hill]]'' (1959) - Pvt. Boven
*''[[Pork Chop Hill (film)|Pork Chop Hill]]'' (1959) - Private Boven
*''[[The Story on Page One (film)|The Story on Page One]]'' (1959) - Eddie Ritter (uncredited)
*''[[The Story on Page One (film)|The Story on Page One]]'' (1959) - Eddie Ritter (uncredited)
*''[[Perry Mason]]'' (1959) (Season 2 Episode 30: "The Case of the Lame Canary") - Jimmy McLain
*''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' (1960) (Season 5 Episode 20: "The Day of the Bullet") - Mr. Kovacs
*''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' (1960) (Season 5 Episode 32: "One Grave Too Many") - Lieutenant Bates
*''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' (1961) (Season 6 Episode 16: "A Crime for Mothers") - Phil Ames
*''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' (1961) (Season 6 Episode 37: "Make My Death Bed") - Dr. Bob Hudson
*''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' (1961) (Season 7 Episode 2: "Bang! You're Dead") - Fred Chester
*''[[PT 109 (film)|PT 109]]'' (1963) - Seaman Edgar E. Mauer
*''[[PT 109 (film)|PT 109]]'' (1963) - Seaman Edgar E. Mauer
*''[[Combat!]]'' (1963) episode: "The Party" as Rafferty
*''[[Combat!]]'' (1963) (Episode: "The Party") as Rafferty
*''[[Brainstorm (1965 film)|Brainstorm]]'' (1965) - Detective (uncredited)
*''[[Brainstorm (1965 film)|Brainstorm]]'' (1965) - Detective (uncredited)
*''[[Blood Bath]]'' (1966) - Cafe Manager
*''[[Blood Bath]]'' (1966) - Cafe Manager
*''[[Destination Inner Space]]'' (1966) - Dr. Wilson
*''[[Destination Inner Space]]'' (1966) - Dr. Wilson
*''[[The Navy vs. the Night Monsters]]'' (1966) - Cmdr. Arthur Simpson
*''[[The Navy vs. the Night Monsters]]'' (1966) - Commander Arthur Simpson
*''[[Combat!]]'' (1966) episode: "The Outsider" as Doctor
*''[[Combat!]]'' (1966) (Episode: "The Outsider") as Doctor
*''[[The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969 film)|The Girl Who Knew Too Much]]'' (1969) - Archie
*''[[The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969 film)|The Girl Who Knew Too Much]]'' (1969) - Archie
*''[[The Day of the Wolves]]'' (1971) - The Inspector
*''[[The Day of the Wolves]]'' (1971) - The Inspector
*''[[The Hard Ride]]'' (1971) - Mike
*''[[The Hard Ride]]'' (1971) - Mike
*''[[Kotch]]'' (1971) - Motel Manager
*''[[Kotch]]'' (1971) - Motel Manager
*''[[Cool Breeze (film)|Cool Breeze]]'' (1972) - Lt. Carl Mager
*''[[Mission Impossible]]'' (1972) (Episode: "Casino") as Mel Simpson
*''[[Cool Breeze (film)|Cool Breeze]]'' (1972) - Lieutenant Carl Mager
*''[[Save the Tiger]]'' (1973) - Tiger Petitioner
*''[[Save the Tiger]]'' (1973) - Tiger Petitioner
*''This Is a Hijack'' (1973) - Neal Hanaford
*''This Is a Hijack'' (1973) - Neal Hanaford
*''[[The Front Page (1974 film)|The Front Page]]'' (1974) - Police Dispatcher
*''[[The Front Page (1974 film)|The Front Page]]'' (1974) - Police Dispatcher
*''Planet of the Apes (TV series) (1974) episode: The Cure - Orangutan
*''Planet of the Apes (TV series) (1974) (Episode: The Cure) - Orangutan
*''[[The Wild McCullochs]]'' (1975) - Ralph
*''[[The Wild McCullochs]]'' (1975) - Ralph
*''[[The Dark (1979 film)|The Dark]]'' (1979) - Detective Jack Bresler
*''[[The Dark (1979 film)|The Dark]]'' (1979) - Detective Jack Bresler
Line 76: Line 82:


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Portal|Biography|United States|Film|Television|Theater}}
{{Portal|Biography|United States|Film|Television|Theater}}
* [http://biffelliot.com/ Official Website]
* [http://biffelliot.com/ Official Website]
*{{IMDb name|id=0254187}}
*{{IMDb name|id=0254187}}
{{Memoryalpha}}
{{Memory Alpha}}
* [http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?pid=159219213 Obituary]
* [http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?pid=159219213 Obituary]


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[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:Male actors from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American military personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Disease-related deaths in California]]
[[Category:Male actors from Lynn, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Actors from Lynn, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:University of Maine alumni]]
[[Category:University of Maine alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Jewish American male actors]]
[[Category:Jewish American male actors]]
[[Category:People from Studio City, Los Angeles]]
[[Category:People from Studio City, Los Angeles]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]]

Latest revision as of 17:46, 27 November 2024

Biff Elliot
Elliot in an episode of The Public Defender (1954)
Born
Leon Shalek

(1923-07-26)July 26, 1923
Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedAugust 15, 2012(2012-08-15) (aged 89)
Studio City, California, U.S.
Resting placeWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Alma materUniversity of Maine
OccupationActor
Years active1948–2001
Spouses
Betty Dole
​
​
(m. 1948; died 1974)​
Connie Elliot
​
(m. 1977)​

Biff Elliot (born Leon Shalek; July 26, 1923 – August 15, 2012) was an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as popular detective Mike Hammer in the 1953 version of I, the Jury and for his guest appearance as Schmitter in the Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark".[1]

Early life

[edit]

Elliot was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, the son of Susan (née Bernstein) and Israel Shalek.[2] He was the youngest of three brothers. His ancestors were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.[2][3]

Career

[edit]

Elliot, who had acted during his college years, abandoned writing to pursue television roles. He appeared in many important dramatic shows of the time, mostly playing tough, working-class characters. When Elliot was spotted by a Hollywood attorney while performing in a television episode, the attorney recommended him to Victor Saville, the producer who was preparing the first film adaption of Mickey Spillane's I, the Jury. After securing the part following a 15-minute audition, Elliot was brought to Hollywood and prepared for the role by reading Mike Hammer novels, often spending the entire night reading them. I, the Jury became Elliot's first leading film role, and he was the first actor to portray the Mike Hammer character in a film. Although Elliot was signed to a long-term contract as Mike Hammer, other actors were later cast in the role.[4]

In 2004 Elliot recorded a commentary track for I, the Jury.[5]

Over the next few years, Elliot became a prominent fixture in war films of the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in Between Heaven and Hell, The Enemy Below, Pork Chop Hill and PT 109. In 1959, playwright Clifford Odets, who had noticed Elliot in I, the Jury, offered him a role in The Story on Page One, which Odets wrote and directed. In the 1960s, Elliot appeared mostly in television, including appearance on Frank Lovejoy's detective series Meet McGraw and on Perry Mason. In 1961 Elliot played the part of Buddy Blue, a trumpeter on the run from a gangster, in the series 77 Sunset Strip. In 1966, he portrayed a government agent in an episode of the comedy series The Dick Van Dyke Show. In 1967, he appeared in the Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark". He guest-starred in an episode of Gibbsville in 1976. In 1977, he had a memorable supporting role in Telly Savalas's Beyond Reason with Diana Muldaur. In 1974, Elliot costarred in two episodes of the Planet of the Apes series, playing an orangutan in one of them. Elliot make his final film appearance in the 1986 film That's Life!. His last appearance on television was in 1986 on the set of the television series of Starman. Elliot retired in 2001. [citation needed]

Death

[edit]
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery: "It was easy"

Elliot died at his home in Studio City, California, on August 15, 2012, at the age of 89. He was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.[6]

Partial filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Biff Elliot, the First Mike Hammer of the Movies, Dies at 89". The Hollywood Reporter. August 17, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Leon "Biff Elliot" Shalek b. 26 Jul 1923 Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA d. 15 Aug 2012 Studio City, Los Angeles County, California, USA". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  3. ^ Shalek, Josh (August 15, 2012). "Biff Elliot 1923-2012". Kid Shay. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  4. ^ p. 191 Collins, Max Allen Mickey Spillane in His Own Words in Mickey Spillane on Screen: A Complete Study of the Television and Film Adaptations McFarland, 12 Jan 2018
  5. ^ "I, the Jury commentary track". Kid Shay. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  6. ^ Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
[edit]
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