Biography

Born in 1914, durable, dependable actor James Seay was initially designed for romantic leads after being signed by Paramount in 1940. Caught up in a number of uncredited roles, the actor seemed to fare better as a villain or stern, officious type. Although military service may have taken away any chance for outright stardom, he compensated in later years by focusing on minor character roles, finding steady employment in late '40s and '50s films as a voice of authority. He was the benign old folks home doctor who expounds on Kris Kringle's mental condition in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), portrayed Col. George Washington during his early military career in When the Redskins Rode (1951) and became a familiar figure in "B" sci-fi classics, notably The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), When Worlds Collide (1951), The War of the Worlds (1953), Killers from Space (1954), Beginning of the End (1957) and The Amazing Colossal Man (1957). Seay's career extended into TV, which included recurring roles on such western series as Fury (1955) (as a sheriff) and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955) (as a judge). In hundreds of small-screen parts, he also played a captain in Disney's "Swamp Fox" series in 1959. Not seen after the early 1970s, Seay died at age 78 in 1992.
- IMDb mini biography by: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net

Some sources give Seay's middle initial as A, and the 1920 U.S. Census gives it as C, but both the Social Security Death Index and the World War II Military Enlistment Records give it as W.

Raised by his mother Mable Seay and his aunt Grace Lawry, he for a time used his aunt's last name, Lawry, as his own for billing purposes, particularly in theatre.

James during WWII was active in training films. He can be seen as an instructor for "Flight Characteristics Of The A-20" Training Film #1-3332, from the War Department. That training film is on You Tube and Zeno's Warbirds website.