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Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr. was an American stage, film and television character actor who often specialized in roles as "cowardly villains and neurotics". He is perhaps best remembered for his portrayal of Wilmer in the 1941 version of The Maltese Falcon and the futile efforts made by his character to intimidate Sam Spade in the film. Cook's acting career spanned more than 60 years, with roles in productions including The Big Sleep, Shane, The Killing, House on Haunted Hill, and Rosemary's Baby.
Birth Name
Elisha Van Slyck Cook Jr.
Born
Saturday, 26 December 1903
Died
Thursday, 18 May 1995
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | Peter Smith / Micah Smith (as Elisha Cook) | 2007 |
| Rosemary's Baby: A Retrospective | (archive footage) | 2000 |
| The 68th Annual Academy Awards | Self - Memorial Tribute | 1996 |
| Freakazoid! | (archive footage) | 1995 |
| Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend | Eddie Forbes / Self (from Don't Bother to Knock [1952]) (archive footage) | 1987 |
| The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains | Pappy Glue | 1987 |
| ALF | Uncle Albert | 1986 |
| The Twilight Zone | Weldon (segment "Welcome to Winfield") | 1985 |
| It Came Upon the Midnight Clear | Mr. Bibbs | 1984 |
| Night Court | Wilbur Posten | 1984 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | Peter Smith / Micah Smith (as Elisha Cook) | 2007 |
| Rosemary's Baby: A Retrospective | (archive footage) | 2000 |
| The 68th Annual Academy Awards | Self - Memorial Tribute | 1996 |
| Freakazoid! | (archive footage) | 1995 |
| Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend | Eddie Forbes / Self (from Don't Bother to Knock [1952]) (archive footage) | 1987 |
| The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains | Pappy Glue | 1987 |
| ALF | Uncle Albert | 1986 |
| The Twilight Zone | Weldon (segment "Welcome to Winfield") | 1985 |
| It Came Upon the Midnight Clear | Mr. Bibbs | 1984 |
| Night Court | Wilbur Posten | 1984 |
| Treasure: in Search of the Golden Horse | Mr. Maps | 1984 |
| Whiz Kids | Sid | 1983 |
| The A-Team | Jim Beam | 1983 |
| This Girl for Hire | Eddie | 1983 |
| Bring 'Em Back Alive | Wilmer Bass | 1982 |
| Hammett | Eli the Taxi Driver | 1982 |
| Movie Madness | Mousy ("Municipalians") | 1982 |
| Chicago Story | Captain Billy | 1982 |
| Simon & Simon | Bradley Bishop / Dutch Silver | 1981 |
| The Fall Guy | Whitman the Counterfeiter | 1981 |
| Leave 'em Laughing | Jetter | 1981 |
| Harry's War | Sgt. Billy | 1981 |
| Magnum, P.I. | Francis 'Ice Pick' Hofstetler / Harold W. Farber / Wilmer | 1980 |
| Carny | On-Your-Mark | 1980 |
| Tom Horn | Stablehand / Stable Hand | 1980 |
| 1941 | The Patron (Dexter) | 1979 |
| Salem's Lot | Gordon 'Weasel' Phillips | 1979 |
| The Champ | Georgie | 1979 |
| Mad Bull | Sweeper | 1977 |
| Lucan | Hal Mooney | 1977 |
| Dead of Night | Karel / Karel (segment "No Such Thing as a Vampire") | 1977 |
| Quincy M.E. | Henry Davis / Mr. Charles Trout Sr. | 1976 |
| America at the Movies | Wilmer Cook | 1976 |
| St. Ives | Eddie | 1976 |
| The Bionic Woman | Inky | 1976 |
| The Black Bird | Wilmer Cook | 1975 |
| Winterhawk | Finley | 1975 |
| The Blue Knight | Spinks | 1975 |
| Starsky and Hutch | Polly the Snitch | 1975 |
| Switch | Henley | 1975 |
| McCoy | Bob Mayfield | 1975 |
| S.W.A.T. | Albert Winters / Harry Thorne | 1975 |
| Baretta | Banjo / Banjo Vincent | 1975 |
| Movin' On | Andrew Shannon | 1974 |
| The Phantom of Hollywood | Studio Engineer | 1974 |
| The Outfit | Carl (as Elisha Cook) / Carl | 1973 |
| Electra Glide in Blue | Willie | 1973 |
| Emperor of the North | Gray Cat | 1973 |
| Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid | Cody | 1973 |
| Messiah of Evil | Charlie | 1973 |
| Police Story | Smiley | 1973 |
| Blacula | Sam | 1972 |
| The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid | Bunker | 1972 |
| The Night Stalker | Mickey Crawford | 1972 |
| The Scarecrow | Micah | 1972 |
| Night Slaves | (unconfirmed) | 1970 |
| The Odd Couple | Heel | 1970 |
| El Condor | Old Convict | 1970 |
| McCloud | Mr. Rafer | 1970 |
| The Movie Murderer | Willie Peanuts | 1970 |
| The Great Bank Robbery | Jeb | 1969 |
| The Ghost & Mrs. Muir | Frankie | 1968 |
| Rosemary's Baby | Mr. Nicklas | 1968 |
| The Movie Orgy | Self (archival footage) | 1968 |
| Mannix | Herbie | 1967 |
| Ironside | Charley Yager | 1967 |
| Cimarron Strip | Spud | 1967 |
| Welcome to Hard Times | Hanson | 1967 |
| The Spy in the Green Hat | Arnold | 1967 |
| The Road West | Wild Man | 1966 |
| The Monroes | Jed | 1966 |
| Star Trek | Cogley | 1966 |
| Summer Fun | Coach | 1966 |
| Batman | Professor Isaacson | 1966 |
| The Wild Wild West | Gideon McCoy / Mike McGreavy | 1965 |
| I Spy | Erick Magnuson | 1965 |
| A Man Called Shenandoah | Judd | 1965 |
| Blood on the Arrow | Tex | 1964 |
| The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Arnold | 1964 |
| The Big Parade of Comedy | Joe in 'Love Crazy' / (archive footage) | 1964 |
| Destry | Leech | 1964 |
| The Glass Cage | Ellen's father / Girl's father | 1964 |
| Hollywood and the Stars | Joe Turner (clip from They Won't Forget (1937)) / Wilmer Cook (clip from The Maltese Falcon (1941)) | 1963 |
| Burke's Law | Wyatt | 1963 |
| Temple Houston | John Alvorsen | 1963 |
| The Fugitive | Sailor | 1963 |
| Johnny Cool | Undertaker / Underworld Leader | 1963 |
| The Haunted Palace | Micah Smith (as Elisha Cook) / Peter Smith / Micah Smith / Gideon Smith | 1963 |
| Black Zoo | Joe | 1963 |
| Papa's Delicate Condition | Mr. Keith | 1963 |
| The Dakotas | Brinkman | 1962 |
| The Dick Powell Theatre | Moxie / Lob McHenry | 1961 |
| One-Eyed Jacks | Carvey | 1961 |
| Surfside 6 | Mike Pulaski | 1960 |
| The Islanders | Tomas | 1960 |
| Outlaws | Cully | 1960 |
| Thriller | Harry Elser | 1960 |
| College Confidential | Ted Blake | 1960 |
| Platinum High School | Harry Nesbit | 1960 |
| Startime | Trick | 1959 |
| The Rebel | Jeremy Hake | 1959 |
| Johnny Ringo | Maxie Dolan | 1959 |
| Laramie | Doc | 1959 |
| Bonanza | Marcus / John Walker | 1959 |
| The Deputy | Miller | 1959 |
| Johnny Staccato | Solomon Bradshaw / Conrad | 1959 |
| Tightrope | Sam Parker | 1959 |
| Day of the Outlaw | Larry Teter / Larry Teter (town barber) | 1959 |
| House on Haunted Hill | Watson Pritchard | 1959 |
| The Third Man | Kebble | 1959 |
| The Untouchables | Clarinet Player | 1959 |
| Rawhide | Bain / Jim Gribble / Joel Turner | 1959 |
| 77 Sunset Strip | Alfred 'Pony' Quist | 1958 |
| Bat Masterson | Thorn Loomis / Pete Sheeley | 1958 |
| The Kraft Music Hall | Self | 1958 |
| Peter Gunn | Snooker | 1958 |
| Baby Face Nelson | Homer van Meter | 1957 |
| Plunder Road | Skeets Jonas | 1957 |
| Tombstone Territory | Adam Kirby | 1957 |
| Trackdown | Clint Serle | 1957 |
| The Real McCoys | Harry | 1957 |
| Perry Mason | Reelin' Pete / Art Crowley | 1957 |
| Wagon Train | Matt Wilson / Lem Salters / Cadge Waldo | 1957 |
| Chicago Confidential | Candymouth Duggan | 1957 |
| The George Sanders Mystery Theater | (as Elisha Cook) | 1957 |
| The Lonely Man | Willie | 1957 |
| Panic! | Charlie Pulaski | 1957 |
| Voodoo Island | Martin Schuyler | 1957 |
| The O. Henry Playhouse | Fred | 1957 |
| Whirlybirds | Robber | 1957 |
| Accused of Murder | 'Whitey' Pollock | 1956 |
| The Sheriff of Cochise | Simpson | 1956 |
| The Killing | George Peatty | 1956 |
| The Indian Fighter | Briggs / Briggs (as Elisha Cook) | 1955 |
| Superman's Peril | Homer Garrity | 1955 |
| Trial | Finn / Finn (as Elisha Cook) | 1955 |
| Crusader | Ed Scanlon | 1955 |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Shorty | 1955 |
| The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial | Jed | 1955 |
| Gunsmoke | Cyrus Tucker / George / Huggins / Jocko Beal | 1955 |
| The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Guns McCallum | 1955 |
| Timberjack | Punky (as Elisha Cook) / Punky | 1955 |
| The Millionaire | Nevins | 1955 |
| TV Reader's Digest | Big Mike Preisser | 1955 |
| Drum Beat | Blaine Crackel | 1954 |
| The Outlaw's Daughter | Lewis 'Tulsa' Cook | 1954 |
| Climax! | Pop | 1954 |
| The Lone Wolf | Chris Walters | 1954 |
| Mystery Is My Business | Matty | 1954 |
| The Motorola Television Hour | Charlie | 1953 |
| Thunder Over the Plains | Joseph Standish | 1953 |
| I, the Jury | Bobo | 1953 |
| Shane | Stonewall Torrey / Frank 'Stonewall' Torrey | 1953 |
| General Electric Theater | Jed / Lloyd Harwell / Willy Zucks | 1953 |
| The Jackie Gleason Show | Self - as Lefty | 1952 |
| Adventures of Superman | Homer Garrity | 1952 |
| Don't Bother to Knock | Eddie Forbes | 1952 |
| Death Valley Days | Peasley | 1952 |
| The Dennis Day Show | Barney's Gunsel | 1952 |
| Schlitz Playhouse | Goon #1 | 1951 |
| Behave Yourself! | Albert Jonas | 1951 |
| Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok | Jumper Joe | 1951 |
| Big Town | Johnny Sutter | 1950 |
| Treasury Men in Action | Roy Weber | 1950 |
| The Great Gatsby | Klipspringer | 1949 |
| Flaxy Martin | Roper | 1949 |
| The Gangster | Oval | 1947 |
| The Long Night | Frank Dunlap | 1947 |
| Born to Kill | Marty / Marty Waterman | 1947 |
| Fall Guy | Joe | 1947 |
| The Big Sleep | Harry Jones | 1946 |
| Two Smart People | Fly Feletti | 1946 |
| Joe Palooka, Champ | Eugene | 1946 |
| The Falcon's Alibi | Nick | 1946 |
| Cinderella Jones | Oliver S. Patch | 1946 |
| Blonde Alibi | Sam Collins | 1946 |
| Why Girls Leave Home | Jimmy Lobo | 1945 |
| Dillinger | Kirk Otto | 1945 |
| Dark Waters | Cleeve | 1944 |
| Dark Mountain | Whitey | 1944 |
| Up in Arms | Info Jones | 1944 |
| Phantom Lady | Cliff / Cliff Milburn | 1944 |
| Manila Calling | Gillman | 1942 |
| Wildcat | Harold 'Chicopee' Nevins | 1942 |
| A-Haunting We Will Go | Frank Lucas | 1942 |
| Sleepytime Gal | Ernie | 1942 |
| A Gentleman at Heart | Genius | 1942 |
| Ball of Fire | Waiter | 1942 |
| Kill or Be Killed | 1942 | |
| Hellzapoppin' | Harry Selby | 1941 |
| I Wake Up Screaming | Harry Williams | 1941 |
| The Maltese Falcon | Wilmer Cook | 1941 |
| Sergeant York | Piano Player | 1941 |
| Man at Large | Hotel Clerk | 1941 |
| Love Crazy | Elevator Man / Joe (elevator operator) | 1941 |
| Tin Pan Alley | Joe Codd | 1940 |
| Public Deb No. 1 | Communist | 1940 |
| Stranger on the Third Floor | Joe Briggs | 1940 |
| He Married His Wife | Dicky Brown | 1940 |
| Grand Jury Secrets | Robert Austin / Norman Hazlitt | 1939 |
| Newsboys' Home | Danny | 1938 |
| Submarine Patrol | Seaman Rutherford Davis Pratt - aka 'The Professor' / Seaman Rutherford Davis Pratt, aka 'The Professor' | 1938 |
| My Lucky Star | Waldo | 1938 |
| Three Blind Mice | Boy on Bench | 1938 |
| Thoroughbreds Don't Cry | Boots Maguire | 1937 |
| Life Begins in College | Ollie Stearns / Oliver ("Ollie") Stearns Jr. | 1937 |
| Danger - Love at Work | Chemist / McBain, the chemist | 1937 |
| Wife, Doctor and Nurse | Glen Wylie | 1937 |
| They Won't Forget | Joe Turner | 1937 |
| The Devil Is Driving | Tony Stevens | 1937 |
| Love Is News | Egbert Eggleston | 1937 |
| Breezing Home | Pete Espinosa | 1937 |
| Pigskin Parade | Herbert Van Dyke | 1936 |
| Two in a Crowd | Skeeter | 1936 |
| Honor Among Lovers | Office Boy | 1931 |
| Her Unborn Child | Stewart Kennedy | 1930 |
