Biff Elliot facts for kids

Biff Elliot (born Leon Shalek; July 26, 1923 – August 15, 2012) was an American actor. He was famous for playing the detective Mike Hammer in the 1953 movie I, the Jury. He also appeared in the TV show Star Trek in an episode called "The Devil in the Dark".

Quick facts for kids Biff Elliot
Elliot as Mike Hammer in I, the Jury
Born	Leon Shalek (1923-07-26)July 26, 1923 Lynn, Massachusetts
Died	August 15, 2012(2012-08-15) (aged 89) Studio City, California
Alma mater	University of Maine
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1948–2001
Spouse(s)	Betty Dole (m.1948-1974; her death) Connie Elliot (m.1977-2012; his death)

Early Life and Sports

Biff Elliot was born Leon Shalek in Lynn, Massachusetts. His parents were Susan and Israel Shalek. He was the youngest of three brothers. His family came from Eastern Europe. His father owned a business that made burlap bags.

Biff's oldest brother, Irwin Elliot Shalek, was known as Win Elliot. He became a popular radio and TV host. He was also a sports commentator.

Elliot got the nickname "Biff" when he started amateur boxing. This type of boxing is called Golden Glove boxing. After his mother found out, she stopped him from fighting. Then, Elliot played other sports. He enjoyed track and football.

College and Military Service

While in college at the University of Maine, Elliot joined the United States Army. This was during World War II. He served in North Africa and Italy. He was part of the 34th Infantry Division.

After the war, Elliot stayed for six months. He helped with occupation duties. Then he returned home. He went back to the University of Maine. He finished his degree in journalism in 1948.

Elliot met his first wife, Elizabeth (Betty) Dole, in college. She left school early to marry him. They moved to New York City. Betty worked there as a high fashion model.

Elliot worked in movies and TV for many years. His first wife passed away in 1974. She was 45 years old. In 1977, he married Connie Bandy. They were married for 35 years. Biff Elliot passed away in 2012.

Acting Career Highlights

Elliot had acted during his college years. He decided to become an actor instead of a writer. He appeared in many important TV shows. He often played strong, working-class characters.

A lawyer from Hollywood saw Elliot in a TV show. The lawyer suggested him to Victor Saville. Saville was making the first movie based on Mickey Spillane's book I, the Jury. Elliot got the part after a short audition.

He moved to Hollywood and got ready for the role. He read many Mike Hammer novels. I, the Jury was Elliot's first main movie role. He was the first actor to play Mike Hammer in a film.

Elliot later recorded a special audio track for I, the Jury. This track had his comments about the movie.

Over the next few years, Elliot was in many war movies. These included Between Heaven and Hell and PT 109. In 1959, he got a role in The Story on Page One. The famous writer Clifford Odets wrote and directed this movie.

In the 1960s, Elliot was mostly on TV. He appeared on Perry Mason. In 1961, he played a trumpeter named Buddy Blue on 77 Sunset Strip. In 1966, he was a government agent on The Dick Van Dyke Show.

A year later, in 1967, he was in the Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark". He also appeared in Gibbsville in 1976. In 1974, Elliot was in two episodes of the Planet of the Apes TV series. He even played an orangutan in one of them!

His last movie was That's Life! in 1986. His final TV appearance was in 1986 on Starman. Elliot stopped acting in 2001.

Later Years and Passing

After retiring from acting, Elliot worked in radio sports. He covered Los Angeles sports news. He worked for the CBS Radio Network.

Biff Elliot passed away at his home. This was in Studio City, California. He died on August 15, 2012, at 89 years old.

Selected Film and TV Roles

See also

In Spanish: Biff Elliot para niños