Trivia

Was cast as Brent in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) because of his resemblance to Charlton Heston, star of Planet of the Apes (1968).

In 1959, Norman Lear produced a pilot for a situation comedy called "Band of Gold" in which James and Suzanne Pleshette played a different couple each week. The program was considered too "experimental" and was never broadcast.

A student under Jun Fan (Bruce) Lee, at his dojo of Chinese Gung Fu in California.

On May 24, 1942 his father Capt. John Allen Franciscus was on a United Army Air Force Lockheed C40-D (Ser. No. 42-22249) taking him and other pilots from Bolling Field, District of Columbia, to Houlton Air Force Base, Maine. The pilots were to ferry bombers across the Atlantic. However, the Lockheed commuter plane crashed 5 miles northeast of Howe Brook, Maine, killing all on board.

Twice portrayed President John F. Kennedy, or a character directly based on him: The Greek Tycoon (1978) and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (1981).

Was the first choice to play Dr. Kildare in the 1961 TV series, but he was committed to another series (that never materialized) so the producers went with Richard Chamberlain.

He played an astronaut in both Marooned (1969) and Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970).

A longtime smoker, the youthful looking Franciscus died of emphysema at age 57.

Fathered four daughters with Kathleen 'Kitty' Wellman: Jamie (B. 1961), Kellie (B. 1963), Korie (B. 1973) and Jolie (B. 1975).

"I guess I've never seen a man spend that much time in front of a mirror before." (Sharyn Hillyer, "Splat From The Past #1481," interview featured on YouTube, regarding James Franciscus, whom she appeared with on the TV series, Mr. Novak, in 1963.).

Ex-son-in-law of William A. Wellman.

Partners with Frederick H. Brogger in Omnibus Productions (founded in 1968).

Daughter born on 2 January 1975

Ex-brother-in-law of William Wellman Jr..

Ex-uncle-in-law of Cathy Wellman.