A sturdy and earnest performer on stage, television and in numerous films, James Whitmore was a much-honored character actor and occasional lead whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the early 21st century. Versatile in almost every genre of film, Whitmore was frequently called upon to play can-do, salt of the earth characters like his combat-weary platoon leader in “Battleground” (1949) or the heroic state patrolman fighting giant ants in the sci-fi classic “Them!” (1954). Whitmore was a frequent guest star in television series and TV movies, as well as worked extensively on stage
