Jim Backus Autographs
James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom Gilligan's Island, the father of James Dean's character in Rebel Without a Cause, the voice of the near-sighted cartoon character Mr. Magoo, the rich Hubert Updike III on the radio version of The Alan Young Show, and Joan Davis' character's husband (a domestic court judge) on TV's I Married Joan. He also starred in his own show of one season, The Jim Backus Show, also known as Hot Off the Wire.
An avid golfer, Backus made the 36-hole cut at the 1964 Bing Crosby Pro-Am tournament. He was inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
Backus was born February 25, 1913, in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Bratenahl, Ohio, an East Side suburb of Cleveland located on the Lake Erie shore, surrounded by the city on three sides. He was the only son of Russell Gould Backus and Daisy Taylor (née Gilmore) Backus. His older sister was Katherine Jane Backus. He attended Shaw High School in East Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from University School in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Read more about Jim Backus on Wikipedia
Affiliate disclosure: When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Current items with a signature of Jim Backus
These are the most current items with a signature of Jim Backus that were listed on eBay and on other online stores - click here for more items.
Traded items with a signature of Jim Backus
The most expensive item with a signature of Jim Backus (Mister Magoo #3 (1963) CGC 4.5 Signed by Jim Backus JSA/CGC Authentic) was sold in December 2025 for $1,034.00 while the cheapest item (GILLIGAN'S ISLAND mr magoo JIM BACKUS wife HENNY BACKUS signed AUTOGRAPH 3530) found a new owner for $3.99 in November 2020. The month with the most items sold (4) was January 2021 with an average selling price of $44.99 for an autographed item of Jim Backus. Sold items reached their highest average selling price in January 2026 with $261.00 and the month that saw the lowest prices with $4.99 was April 2008. In average, an autographed item from Jim Backus is worth $38.50.
Most recently, these items with a signature of Jim Backus were sold on eBay - click here for more items.
