- James Stacy
Infobox actor
imagesize = 150px
name = James Stacy
birthname = Maurice William Elias
birthdate = birth date|1936|12|23|mf=n
birthplace = Los Angeles,California
deathdate =
deathplace =
restingplace =
restingplacecoordinates =
occupation = Actor
yearsactive = 1957-1991
spouse =Kim Darby (1968-1969)Connie Stevens (1963-1966)
website = http://www.jamesstacy.com/James Stacy (born Maurice William Elias on
December 23 ,1936 ), is a former American actor whose career was effectively ended in a motorcycle crash which left him an amputee and took the life of his girlfriend. Returning to acting after his recovery, Stacy retired from acting in 1991. He was arrested and convicted of child molestation in 1995, serving a six year sentence inCalifornia Institution for Men , at Chino.Biography
Stacy was born in
Los Angeles, California to an Irish-Scottishwaitress and a Lebanese-Americanbookmaker . [ [http://www.jamesstacy.com/credits.html "James Stacy Biography"] . James Stacy.com.]Early career
Stacy made his 1957
film debut in "Sayonara ", which starredMarlon Brando , and histelevison debut in "Highway Patrol" starringBroderick Crawford . He had a recurring role as "Fred" in "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet " from 1958-1963.In the 1960s he sporadically appeared in TV shows, including "
Gunsmoke ", "Hazel", "The Donna Reed Show ", "Perry Mason", "Have Gun - Will Travel ", and "Combat! " As an actor, Stacy is best remembered as a star of the 51-episode Western series "Lancer" onCBS from 1968-1970. He played the character "Johnny Madrid Lancer", a formergunslinger . His costars wereAndrew Duggan ,Wayne Maunder , andPaul Brinegar . Stacy was also in several motion pictures from the 1950s through the 1970s, including a minor part in the musical "South Pacific".Motorcycle accident
On
September 27 ,1973 , Stacy lost his left arm and leg, and his girlfriend, waitress Claire Cox, was killed when they were struck by adrunk driver while riding on amotorcycle . A 1974 celebrity gala, whose attendees includedFrank Sinatra andBarbra Streisand , raised $118,000 for his expenses, and in 1976, he won a $1.9 million landmarklawsuit against the bar that had served the drunk driver. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,947672,00.html "Misery Worth Millions"] . Time Magazine. 31 May 1976.]Comeback
After his recovery, Stacy appeared in roles created to accommodate his handicap. His comeback film was the 1975
Kirk Douglas western "Posse", in which he was cast as newspaper editor "Harold Hellman", a part Douglas had written for him. In 1977, he starred in the TV movie "Just a Little Inconvenience", playing a double-amputee Vietnam veteran, and inWalt Disney Pictures 1983 fantasy film "Something Wicked This Way Comes".Stacy starred in and produced the TV movie, "My Kidnapper, My Love", in 1980. His brother, Louie Elias, a bit actor and stuntman, wrote the screenplay, based on the novel by Oscar Saul, to accommodate Stacy’s handicap. Elias was also the associate producer.
Other television appearances included "
Cagney & Lacey " on CBS, "Hotel" on ABC, and "Highway to Heaven " onNBC . His last TV role was in five 1990 episodes of the cop series "Wiseguy ", playing "Ed Rogosheske." After that Stacy was reportedly too inebriated to work and retired. Elias was twice nominated for anEmmy Award : for "Just a Little Inconvenience" (1978: Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series) and the "Cagney & Lacey" episode "The Gimp," (1986: Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series).Personal life
Stacy has married twice, to actress and
singer Connie Stevens (1963-1966) and actressKim Darby (1968-1969), with whom he had a daughter named Heather.Arrest and conviction
On
November 9 ,1995 , under his birth name of Maurice Elias, he pleaded guilty to afelony charge of lewd orlascivious acts with a child under fourteen years for having fondled thegenitals of an 11-year-old-girl. [ [http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/ "California's Registered Sex Offenders"] . Meganslaw.ca.gov.]On
December 7 , 1995, he failed to appear for sentencing inVentura County Superior Court. He was arrested the next day in aHonolulu, Hawaii ,hospital after having fled. He attemptedsuicide by downing a pint ofwhiskey and leaping off a convert|1200|ft|m|sing=on cliff. He landed on a ledge just convert|45|ft|m from the top. By the end of December he had waivedextradition and was returned to California. OnMarch 5 ,1996 , he was sentenced to a six-yearprison term. The prosecutor in the case said initially that she believed he might have been eligible forprobation for the molestation, but his behavior after his arrest, coupled with two arrests in June 1995 for prowling at the homes of other girls, led her to seek a prison sentence. [Elias, Paul. [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/16678389.html?dids=16678389:16678389&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+6%2C+1996&author=PAUL+ELIAS&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=1&desc=Actor+Stacy+Sentenced+in+Molestation "Actor Stacy Sentenced in Molestation"] . L.A. Times. 6 March 1996.] As a result, 150 concurrently served days were added for one prowling charge, while several others were dismissed. He served his sentence at theCalifornia Institution for Men , at Chino.References
External links
*
* [http://u.webring.com/hub?ring=jamesstacy James Stacy Web Ring]
* [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800053735/bio Yahoo Movies James Stacy]
* [http://www.vh1.com/movies/person/59468/personmain.jhtml?personid=59468 VH1 Movies biography]
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