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RIP James Best

Best HICKORY, N.C. — James Best, whose prolific career included 83 movies and 600 TV shows but is best remembered for his role as Rosco P. Coltrane, the bumbling sheriff of Hazzard, died in a hospice here April 6 after a brief illness. He was 88.
MSTies will recall his role as the heroic Thorne Sherman in the movie in episode 407- THE KILLER SHREWS.

The Charlotte Observer has an obit.

Thanks to Paul, Kathleen, Dylan, Tim and Forrest for the headses ups.

30 Replies to “RIP James Best”

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  1. Dan in WI says:

    I had no clue he made a sequal to Killer Shrews…

    You can’t be a guy my age and not have found childhood memories of Sheriff Coltrain.

       11 likes

  2. 1 adam 12 says:

    Very sad. Even in a piece of crap like Killer Shrews, he did some good work. RIP.

       6 likes

  3. Doug Glassman says:

    Dan in WI:
    I had no clue he made a sequal to Killer Shrews…

    And not just a sequel, but one of those “ha ha wasn’t the first one stupid so we don’t have to put effort into this one” sequels like Hobgoblins 2. Turns out the shrews lose something when they’re not dogs in ridiculous costumes.

       3 likes

  4. Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy says:

    :-(

    Now more than ever, is the time for James to reprise his role in Twilight Zone’s “The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank.”

       5 likes

  5. Captain Cab says:

    Very sad to hear this, he was a very good character actor, loved him on Dukes of course and also his guitar playing character on the Andy Griffith Show (the “hick” guy who showed up Bobby Fleet and His Band With a Beat”). Just last night I was watching the Killer Shrews and this past weekend he was in one of the Twilight Zone episodes that Vince Gilligan picked with Bob Odenkirk during their MeTV special (“The Grave” with Lee Marvin, awesome episode).

       8 likes

  6. jjk says:

    Even in a cheapie like Killer Shrews he did a good job of portraying a believable character.

       8 likes

  7. Dr. Batch says:

    He was in a lot of stuff. Always seems to turn up in an old TV show.

       4 likes

  8. ck says:

    Let’s hope he meets up with his sidekick in heaven so they can play a
    duet of some great Dixieland Jazz.

       6 likes

  9. Torgospizza-NJ says:

    Famed director Quentin Tarantino studied acting at James Best’s acting workshop…but please, Do Not hold that against him…RIP

       1 likes

  10. Circus Peanuts says:

    Did anyone know there was a “Return of the Killer Shrews?” From 2012. How did i miss this. RIP James… you were not the least, you were the Best.

       0 likes

  11. Insect Man #47 says:

    So sad to hear this. As mentioned above, a couple of the very best Andy Griffith Show episodes featured him as Jim Lindsey, the guitar player. And Killer Shrews is one of my absolute favorite MST eps. I love the short “Jr. Rodeo Daredevils” and I can’t tell you how many times I have said to my wife, “Just fart and get some sleep”.

       3 likes

  12. Never did get them Duke boys.
    RIP James.

       6 likes

  13. GizmonicTemp says:

    I grew up with “Dukes of Hazzard”, and “Killer Shrews” is one of my favorite EPs as an adult. RIP!
    Romans 14:8

       2 likes

  14. Stan Freberg also passed away today. Granted, he had nothing to do with MST3K (that I can remember), I still wanted to point that out.

       6 likes

  15. Kevin Sorbonne says:

    I met him when he was actor-in-residence at Ole Miss. A bunch of us teenagers getting to look at real actors close up. He was not only informative (he taught a class) he was hilarious. The last night they did “Rainmaker” with him in the lead.

    Really awesome guy.

    God Bless you Mr. Best.

       3 likes

  16. radioman970 says:

    Finally! Enos is now Sheriff Enos. Took a looooOOOoooong time!

    RIP. I agree with everything above. He was great in everything. That TZ and that Andy are all time favs. Thought are with his family and many close friends he must have. Seemed like a great person.

       1 likes

  17. Kenneth Morgan says:

    Brandon Pierce:
    Stan Freberg also passed away today. Granted, he had nothing to do with MST3K (that I can remember), I still wanted to point that out.

    Sad to hear about James Best. Just as sad to hear about Stan Freberg.

       2 likes

  18. JCC says:

    R.I.P.

    I don’t really like that episode apart from the short, the sketches,[mnbbbbjbsbhhsbhjsb]Dixieland Jazz, and the drink stealing but oh how I would love to have been a fly on the wall in the writing room when “Ingrid is Goude, but James is Best.” fell into their laps. It’s just such a perfect riff.

       2 likes

  19. radioman970 says:

    ^^ didn’t like…? :shock: I’m a fanboy, I know.

       0 likes

  20. swh1939 says:

    Milton Delugg passed away too (SCCtM).

       0 likes

  21. Franklin Hart says:

    I caught this interview with James Best on NPR a little while back. I wouldn’t normally sit through a long actor interview, but I really enjoyed this one. Seemed like a nice guy.

    http://www.npr.org/2013/03/10/173833280/thirty-years-later-still-a-good-old-boy-thing

       1 likes

  22. GregS says:

    Sad to see him go, RIP.

    We just watched him in an episode of The Twilight Zone last night.

       3 likes

  23. ready4sumfootball says:

    I’m going to disagree with #3 just a bit; I actually didn’t think Return of the Killer Shrews was all that bad. I got a copy out of curiosity and was kind of dreading it going in, thinking I was going to stop it any minute, but I ended up watching the whole thing. The feeling I got was that it was kind of like an Asylum movie, but better in that it didn’t completely throw out logic the way Sharknado or Transmorphers does. Like how I wish Asylum movies were made. Also, while it was kind of in on the joke it wasn’t obnoxious. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not on my favorite films list or anything like that. But it’s a watchable little B-movie and if you can watch Asylum movies for laughs and you stumble upon it on Netflix or something give it a go.

       2 likes

  24. HauntedHill says:

    I have always enjoyed his work. Reading his bio, it seems he lived a full and productive life doing what he loved. We should all be as lucky. RIP..

       3 likes

  25. jedicrippler says:

    Brandon Pierce:
    Stan Freberg also passed away today. Granted, he had nothing to do with MST3K (that I can remember), I still wanted to point that out.

    Actually, Joel said that Freberg’s Cecil was his starting point for Gypsy’s personality. So there is a tangential connection.

       3 likes

  26. Shaun says:

    Killer SHrews is maybe my favorite Joel episode. Also watched Dukes of Hazzard growing up. RIP James Best.

       2 likes

  27. Yipe Stripes says:

    So long, old friend.

       4 likes

  28. ThorneSherman says:

    My namesake, you will be missed. The Killer Shrews is one of my fave episodes, watched it once again when i heard he had passed.

       3 likes

  29. Professor Firefly says:

    RIP…An underrated actor…was excellent in Twilight Zone and on The Andy Griffith Show…was great in Rolling Thunder with William Devane..Just to name a few…Will be missed.

       5 likes

  30. Kali says:

    I will always remember his appearances in Twilight Zone as among my favorite episodes. RIP, James.

       5 likes

Comments are closed.