Did They Know Jim Davis(Jock) Was About To Die When The Finished The Jock/Ellie Divorce Storyline? (2024)

The storyline was brought to a hurried end when it became apparent he was too ill to continue, although he did appear in all bar the last two episodes of season 4.

Swami

The cast all knew that Jim Davis was terminally ill and visited him at home prior to his death. he had deteriorated thro the second half of filming S3, wearing a wig and having to sit rather than stand for much of it

but to give him hope, they wrote scenes featuring him into the script for S4

Should add Jims issues first came to light when they were filming The Dove Hunt the year before

As a schoolgirl at the time who collected everything on Dallas and its cast, the public did not know he was ill and the weekend before he died it was in UK press that he was taken to hospital - ill with a stomach ulcer but would be back filming when Dallas resumed. He died about 3 days later

The only Season 4 DVD episodes where Jim Davis looked and sounded his usual self as Jock were the two episodes after J.R. was shot, but as mentioned above his health problems had started nearly a year earlier when he started to feel a bit ill while filming The Dove Hunt. After the first 2 episodes of Season 4 DVD, it's slow decline over the season for Jim Davis as Jock. And around his last 5-10 episodes, you can see his face and hair looking different, and his voice sounding different. He carried on working for as long as he could. That scene he did with Barbara Bel Geddes and Steve Kanaly, you could tell he was putting every last ounce of his acting energy into that scene. He had one more scene after that, sat down in a car as Jock and Miss Ellie were about to go on their second honeymoon, and clearly dubbed his final line of dialogue in the studio afterwards because it didn't match his mouth movements on screen.

Jim Davis must have passed away about 2 months or so after recording his last scene as Jock. Some people might have found it spooky and morbid that Dallas kept Jock alive in the storylines until well into Season 5 DVD, even having characters speak to Jock on the phone, but Dallas did the right thing.

Mustard said:

Some people might have found it spooky and morbid that Dallas kept Jock alive in the storylines until well into Season 5 DVD, even having characters speak to Jock on the phone, but Dallas did the right thing.

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To the person or persons responsible for orchestrating that storyline they should have been rewarded with an Emmy and Golden Globe award at the very least. Jim may have died off screen but keeping him alive on screen while the creative types figured out how best to deal with the character of Jock was, in my opinion, a masterstroke. Jim's passing and how the writers and actors honored his memory - for years to come - was some of the most powerful television. Who could forget when Miss Ellie completely lost it in the kitchen.

Rove said:

To the person or persons responsible for orchestrating that storyline they should have been rewarded with an Emmy and Golden Globe award at the very least. Jim may have died off screen but keeping him alive on screen while the creative types figured out how best to deal with the character of Jock was, in my opinion, a masterstroke. Jim's passing and how the writers and actors honored his memory - for years to come - was some of the most powerful television. Who could forget when Miss Ellie completely lost it in the kitchen.

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The worst of this storyline is how badly affected other parallel plots, especially re the women: Sue Ellen, Pam and Lucy, who languished for almost the whole season, one at Southern Cross and then her horrible condo, the other at the clinic and feeding Ugly Baby, and Lucy whining about Mitch absurdly at Southfork waiting to be kidnapped by Roger...Even Donna was boring just worrying about Ray´s new business until she found Jock´s and Sam´s dirt (that was a good twist!).

They should have given each woman strong long arcs that might have climaxed (or nor) when Miss Ellie said that "Jock is deeeaaaad"...but no, they didn´t. No wonder Rebecca and Katherine stole them the limelight for awhile that season.

Barbara Fan said:

Should add Jims issues first came to light when they were filming The Dove Hunt the year before

As a schoolgirl at the time who collected everything on Dallas and its cast, the public did not know he was ill and the weekend before he died it was in UK press that he was taken to hospital - ill with a stomach ulcer but would be back filming when Dallas resumed. He died about 3 days later

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I remember listening to the radio the night Jim died and it was announced he died of an ulcer. I was shocked he died as I didn't know he was ill. Looking at the reruns and having watched them everyday at one point in syndication you can see him deteriorating. It was a different time in the early 80's. It would be all over the internet now.

JR Ewing Fan said:

I remember listening to the radio the night Jim died and it was announced he died of an ulcer. I was shocked he died as I didn't know he was ill. Looking at the reruns and having watched them everyday at one point in syndication you can see him deteriorating. It was a different time in the early 80's. It would be all over the internet now.

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And thats why I am so glad we didnt have it back then, there is no way on earth they would have been able to keep the secret of Who shot JR
Back then it was the National Enquirer and Globe for scandal / gossip.

I also had no idea he was ill as a schoolgirl, but once my parents got a VCR and able to watch the series again it was rather obvious!!

But what a terrific actor he was.

Such a consumate professional.

The painting of Jock ensured that the character was still there on Dallas for many years even though the actor, Jim Davis had sadly passed away so long ago.

Via The Void said:

But what a terrific actor he was.

Such a consumate professional.

The painting of Jock ensured that the character was still there on Dallas for many years even though the actor, Jim Davis had sadly passed away so long ago.

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They would always show the painting looking over either JR’s or Bobby’s shoulder. They handled Davis’/Jock’s death perfectly.

Billy Wall said:

They would always show the painting looking over either JR’s or Bobby’s shoulder. They handled Davis’/Jock’s death perfectly.

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Yes they did, they gave the character honour & gravitas in the storylines following the actors death.

I'm one of the ones who felt that if they had handled it correctedly, Steve Forrest's character of Wes Parmalee may have stayed on as Jock. As it is it was left deliberately ambiguous as to whether he really was Jock or not. The idea of Jock being played by another actor didn't really go down well for the fans but if it had it could've opened up all sorts of drama for the show. Steve Forrest was a good actor he certainly had the gravitas & the presence to carry it off but sadly it was not to be simply because the fans found it difficult to accept someone other than the late, great Jim Davis who we lost so early into the show's run.

Via The Void said:

Yes they did, they gave the character honour & gravitas in the storylines following the actors death.

I'm one of the ones who felt that if they had handled it correctedly, Steve Forrest's character of Wes Parmalee may have stayed on as Jock. As it is it was left deliberately ambiguous as to whether he really was Jock or not. The idea of Jock being played by another actor didn't really go down well for the fans but if it had it could've opened up all sorts of drama for the show. Steve Forrest was a good actor he certainly had the gravitas & the presence to carry it off but sadly it was not to be simply because the fans found it difficult to accept someone other than the late, great Jim Davis who we lost so early into the show's run.

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I liked Steve Forrest. That storyline was a big reason I stayed glued to Dallas after that dream fiasco. I still think he was Jock. lol But other than that I was against recasting the role.

JR Ewing Fan said:

I liked Steve Forrest. That storyline was a big reason I stayed glued to Dallas after that dream fiasco. I still think he was Jock. lol But other than that I was against recasting the role.

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All of the evidence pointed to him actually being Jock.

Bobby had no evidence whatsoever just hearsay.

We never got to see the scene where Wes supposedly tells Miss Ellie he's not Jock. However the way Miss Ellie reacts about Wes when questioned by Clayton & her son's indicates that there was more to it! So who knows, I personally believe he was Jock & left to spare his family any more pain.