The role was ridiculous, but James recognized a scene-stealing opportunity when he saw one (which most character actors rarely get) and turned the last third of the movie into a live action Road Runner cartoon......when finally told he was chasing a secret agent, James howled on behalf of everybody whose property was ever destroyed in a Bond chase....."On whose side?!"
Bond producers brought James' Sheriff Pepper back in "The Man With The Golden Gun", having J.W. and his wife improbably pop up as tourists in Thailand.....but we always thought of J.W. as strictly an 'American First' guy who'd take his vacations in either Vegas or Disney World......
James, who passed away April 15th at age 95, enjoyed a long movie career, but sometimes his typecasting was as rigidly enforced as any 1940's Warner Brothers contract character guy. When producers needed a vaguely menacing Southern cracker, a barrel-chested, bigoted good ole boy, they sent for James. And he duly delivered in films like "Superman II", "Silver Streak", "tick, tick tick", "The Reivers" such...(he was among the trio of hometown thugs who pound Marlon Brando into rasberry jam in one of the BQ's favorite guilty pleasures, "The Chase")
James had an acting range capable of much better things, and when given the chance could bring more nuance and subtext to the one note stereotypes that scripts often called upon him to play....whatever he played in whatever film.....you sure as hell didn't forget him....
The BQ will miss Mr.James, a gifted craftsman who created a gallery of memorable characters. His presence in films was always welcome. Rest In Peace......
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