Cook in THE BIG SLEEP

About Elisha Cook Jr. (1903 - 1995)

Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr. was born on December 26th, 1903 in San Francisco, California.

He attended St. Albans College and the Chicago Academy of Dramatic Art and made his stage Debut at 14 years of age working in vaudeville, stock companies and Broadway and was an assistant stage manager at age 17. He moved to Hollywood in 1936 and never looked back. He is famous for playing small-time gangsters as a small man with a heavy acting personality.

He was married to Mary Lou Cook from 1929 until their divorce in 1942. He was married to Peggy McKenna from 1943 until his death in 1995.

Cook's best-known roles were that of Wilmer in THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) and a hapless would-be tough guy in THE BIG SLEEP (1946).

At age 92 he was the last surviving member of the FALCON cast.

Elisha Cook's other notable credits include...

TREASURE: IN SEARCH OF THE GOLDEN HORSE (1984)
HAMMETT (1992)
NATIONAL LAMPOON GOES TO THE MOVIES (1982)
HARRY'S WAR (1981)
CARNY (1980)
TOM HORN (1980)
1941 (1979) ....Dexter
ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968) .... Mr. Nicklas
SHANE (1953) ... toughtalking homesteader
PHANTOM LADY (1944) .... drummer Cliff March
SERGEANT YORK (1941) (uncredited) .... piano player
I WAKE UP SCREAMING (1941)

Cook's television credits also includes: GUNSMOKE, THE WILD WILD WEST, PERRY MASON, BONANZA, NIGHT STALKER, SIMON AND SIMON, BARETTA, and MAGNUM P.I.