“James is best known for having worked on four Clint Eastwood films: they are Coogan’s Bluff (1968), Play Misty for Me (1971), Every Which Way But Loose (1978) and Sudden Impact (1983).”, — write: www.dailymail.co.uk
Published: 19:09 BST, 27 May 2025 | Updated: 19:36 BST, 27 May 2025
The movie star was already interred at Los Angeles National Cemetery in April, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
James is best known for having worked on four Clint Eastwood films: they are Coogan’s Bluff (1968), Play Misty for Me (1971), Every Which Way But Loose (1978) and Sudden Impact (1983).
The North Carolina native was also on the TV shows All in the Family, Tenafly, Dragnet, It Takes a Thief, Adam-12, The Name of the Game, Mannix, The Wild Wild West, Hawaii Five-O and Burr’s Ironside.
On Perry Mason the versatile actor played Lt Ed Brock opposite Raymond Burr and Hal Holbrook from 1986 until 1995.
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And on Matlock he portrayed another police lieutenant, Frank Daniels, on the first season (1986-1987) opposite Andy Griffith.
On The Rockford Files with James Garner he played FBI Agent David Shore on the episode The Case Is Closed in 1974.
Other TV shows he had guest starring roles on were Police Story, Emergency!, Columbo, T.J. Hooker, St. Elsewhere, Murder, She Wrote and Hill Street Blues.
McEachin was in the movies Uptight (1968), If He Hollers, Let Him Go! (1968), True Grit (1969) and Hello, Dolly! (1969).
McEachin also wrote several books, including 1996’s Tell Me a Tale: A Novel of the Old South, 1997’s Farewell to the Mockingbirds, 1999’s The Heroin Factor, 2000’s Say Goodnight to the Boys in Blue and 2021’s Swing Low My Sweet Chariot: The Ballad of Jimmy Mack, a memoir.
His wife, Lois, whom he married in 1960, died in July 2017.
McEachin had a military background.
He served in the United States Army during the Korean War.
The star nearly died during an ambush when serving in King Company, 9th Infantry Regiment (United States), 2nd Infantry Division.
McEachin was one of only two soldiers to survive the ambush.
Following his military career, McEachin dabbled in civil service, first as a fireman and then a policeman in Hackensack, New Jersey.
He moved to California for his musical ambitions.
Early on he became record producer who went by the name Jimmy Mack in the 1950s. During his stint in music he worked with Otis Redding and went on to produce The Furys. Acting did not start until the 1960s.