Jim Backus was one of the few actors to do it all: radio, Broadway, movies, television and cartoons. After attending prep school in his native Cleveland, Backus enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Art, to ply his trade. While waiting for parts, he did radio and became friends with such future notables as Garson Kanin and Keenan Wynn. Backus stuck it out and soon was doing motion pictures in addition to radio. He was typecast in roles as "rich types" but broke the mold when he portrayed James Dean's father in the classic Rebel Without a Cause. With his career in full swing, Backus also tackled two roles that he would be best known for, Mr. Magoo in cartoons and Thurston Howell III, in Gilligan's Island. After the show's run ended, he continued doing guest spots on television and movies, before passing away on July 3, 1989.
Interred at Westwood Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California, USA, Section D, #203. One of his teacher's in grade school was Margaret Hamilton, who would later play Miss Gulch/The Wicked Witch, in The Wizard of Oz. Attended the Kentucky Military Academy. One of his classmates was future fellow actor Victor Mature. Used to work as a radio announcer in New York City. When Backus was doing radio plays, one of his characters "Hubert Updyke III" would become the basis for "Thurston Howell III" in _Gilligan's Island_ . Avid golfer. Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. pg. 34-35. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387 His last role, and one of his first roles, were both the voice of a genie in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. He was once a roommate of Martin Gabel. He not only played Thurston Howell III, he also portrayed a man who impersonates Thurston for criminal gain (the man later falls off a ship while drinking wine from a lady's slipper!). He reached the US Top 40 for a couple of weeks in 1958 with his novelty recording, 'Delicious!' on Jubilee Records featuring instrumental backing from Appleknocker And His Group. The female part has been uncredited - however it's basically the two of them taking a drink of champagne and exclaiming "delicious!" As the record progresses they get drunker and giddier, slurring the word and laughing hysterically. He provided the voice of Wally the Bird on the Western Airlines ads of the 1950s. His one-liner was simply "Western Airlines, the OOONLY way to fly." He repeated this line in _It's a Mad, mad, Mad, mad World(1963)_