part one of co-stars
Born in 1906 Andy Devine sidekick to many of the western stars, such as Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy and John Wayne. He starred in the classic Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance he appeared in three more movies with Wayne and many more films with the stars mentioned above. He was in the first pictures that Henry Fonda, James Stewart and John Wayne made, but sadly Andy died in 1977. His good friends John Wayne and Henry Fonda were reduced to tears at his parting.
Chill Wills was born on 18 July 1902, in Seagoville, Texas, USA. A colourful character actor of American Westerns. He was named Chill a musician from his youth, he performed from the age of 12 in tent shows, in vaudeville, and other companies. He formed a musical group, Chill Wills and is Avalon Boys. They were spotted by a man from RKO and started to appear in B Westerns, he was the bass-singing voice of Stan Laurel in Way Out West. The group was disbanded and he went solo appearing primarily in westerns as supporting actor. In The Alamo his portrayal of Beekeeper won him a nomination for an Academy Award. He appeared in Three other westerns with John Wayne, picture from Rio Grande, Chill Wills Died on 15 December 1978.
Maureen O'Hara was born Maureen FitzSimons on 17 August 1920 in Ranelagh, Dublin, Ireland. Another actress who was interested in show business at an early age, she worked hard at her craft in order to be the best. By the time she was 14 years old she was winning awards in drama contests. The hard work she had put in finally paid off, in 1938 at the age of 18 she got a bit part as a secretary in the film Kicking The Moon Around. Maureen appeared in a lot of films after that. 1952 saw Maureen play Mary Kate Danaher in John Ford's hit "The Quiet Man" starring John Wayne. She appeared in four more films with John Wayne, "Mclintock", "Rio Grande", "Wings Of Eagles" and "Big Jake", I think there was a sparkle between these two stars when they appeared in the same film together, picture from The Quietman. Maureen passed away on 24th October , 2015 in Boise, Idaho, USA.
Born George Francis Hayes on the 7 May 1885, as a young man he worked in a circus and played semi-pro baseball. He made his film debut, and gained fame as Windy Halliday sidekick to Hopalong Cassidy. He also played a clean shaven villain in some of the films he appeared in. When he left the Cassidy films he had to adopt a new name, so he took the name of Gabby. In the late thirties he played almost exclusively as a western sidekick to such stars as John Wayne, Roy Rogers and Randolph Scott, Gabby appeared in sixteen movies with John Wayne, Picture from Tall In The Saddle, Gabby died on 9 February 1969 and was sadly missed.
Born Wardell Bond on 9 April 1903 in Benkelman, Nebraska, U.S.A. Gruff, burly American character actor, Bond attended the University of Southern California, where he got work as an extra through a football team mate who would become both his friend and one of cinema's biggest stars, John Wayne. Director John Ford promoted Bond from extra to supporting player in the film Salute (1929), and became another fast friend. He appeared in hundreds of pictures over the next 30 years. In the films of Wayne and Ford, particularly, he was nearly always present. Among Ward Bond's most memorable roles are John L. Sullivan in "Gentleman Jim", Tom Polhaus in "The Maltese Falcon", and the Reverend Captain Samuel Johnson Clayton "The Searchers", Ward appeared in twenty-one more movies with John Wayne, picture from The Quietman. He gained his greatest fame as the star of T.V's "Wagon Train". During its production, he went to Dallas, Texas to attend a football game and died in his hotel room on 5 November 1960, he will be greatly missed.
Mildred Natwick was born on 19 June 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland,USA. Mildred a talented character actress whose presence was always welcome. A Bryn Mawr graduate, she went into acting after finishing College and made her Broadway debut in 1932. Mildred first appeared on screen in The Long Voyage Home with John Wayne 1940 which was directed by John Ford who hired her frequently. She always looked older than she was, and was playing spinsters while still in her thirties. Mildred's other films with Wayne and Ford were The 3 Godfathers 1949, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 1950 and The Quiet Man1952, picture from The Quietman. Sadly Mildred died on 25 October 1994 in New York, New York, USA.
Victor Mclaglen born on 11 December 1883 in Tunbridge wells, Kent,England, UK. Mclaglen was the son of the Right Reverend Andrew Mclaglen, a Protestant clergyman. The eldest of eight brothers, he tried to serve in the Boer War by joining the Life Guards but his father secured his release. He became a Prizefighter and toured the world he once fought heavyweight champion Jack Johnson. He fought in the First World War and soldiered in the middle east, after the war he attempted to resume a boxing career, but was given a acting role in "The Call of the Road" 1920. He became a popular leading man in British silent films playing tough or suave with apparent equal ease. With the coming of sound he was cast by John Ford as the tragic Gypo in "The Informer" 1935, for which Mclaglen won the Best Actor Oscar. He continued to play heroes, villians and simple minded thugs into the 1940s, when Ford gave his career a new impetus with a number of roguish Irish parts in such films as "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" 1949 and " The Quiet Man" 1952, plus two more Cavalry films with star John Wayne, picture from The Quietman. Sadly Victor died on 7 November 1959 in Newport Beach, California, USA.
John Agar was born on 31 January 1921 in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A, he was the eldest of four children of a local meat packer. His marriage to Shirley Temple put him in the public eye for the first time, and a movie contract with independent producer David O. Selznick quickly ensued Agar debuted opposite John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Temple in John Ford's "Fort Apache" 1948, initial film in the famed director's "Cavalry Trilogy". His marriage to Temple ended in 1949 while his movie career continued. Popular with fans of westerns and sci-fi films, he appeared with Wayne in Fords "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" and "Sands Of Iwo Jima". But his career stalled shortly thereafter, with an acrimonious divorce. He appeared again with John Wayne in Chisum (1970) and Big Jake (1971) before taking minor roles in TV shows, picture from Sands of Iwo-Jima, sadly John died on 7 April 2002 in California USA.
Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske on 16 September 1924 in New York, New York. U.S.A. Lauren originally wanted to be a dancer, but later became enthralled with acting. She had studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, after high school. Once out of school, Lauren entered modeling and her beauty got her on the cover of Harpers Bazaar a popular magazine in the US. Her first film, she co-starred opposite Humphrey Bogart in To Have Or Have Not, when she was just 19 years old. She married him in 1945, and made several more films with him. Her first film with John Wayne was Blood Alley in 1955 an adventure film set in China. In 1976 Lauren co-starred with John Wayne in "The Shootist", the film was to be Wayne's last. Lauren passed away on August 12, 2014 in New York City, New York, USA.
Ben Johnson was born on 13 June 1918, in Foraker, Shidler, Oklahoma, USA. Ben Johnson was a ranch hand and rodeo performer when, in 1940 Howard Hughes hired him to take a herd of horses to California. He decided to stick around (the pay was good), and for some years was a stunt man, horse wrangler and double for such stars as John Wayne, Gary Cooper and James Stewart. His break came when John Ford noticed him and gave him a part in one of his films. He eventually, in 1950 was the star of Wagonmaster. In 1953 he returned to the rodeo circuit and won the world roping championship but by the end of the year he had barely cleared his expenses, so he went back into the movies and a career that saw him in over 300 movies. In 1972 Ben won an Academy Award for best supporting actor in the film "The Last Picture Show", Ben Johnson died on 8 April 1996, another great star that will be missed. Ben appeared in seven movies with John, picture from The Train Robbers.
Born Aaron Chwatt on 5 February 1919 in New York, New York, USA His stage name came about when he was a young man working at Dinty Moore's Tavern in the Bronx as a singer/waiter. He had to wear a uniform with 48 buttons, and with his red hair people started referring to him as Red Buttons. Lots of clowns want to play Hamlet, but this compact, red-haired comedian not only got the chance to do heavy drama, he won an Oscar for it: as the star-crossed sergeant in Sayonara 1957. He got his comic training in burlesque and in the resorts of the Catskills, he eventually moved to Broadway, and made his film debut in 1944 recreating his stage role in Winged Victory. Red appeared in twenty films two of them with John Wayne, picture from Hatari!, Sadly Red died on July 13th 2006 in Century City California USA.
Paul Fix born on 13 March 1901 at Dobbs Ferry, New york, USA. One of the busiest character actors in the business, Paul Fix appeared in more than 300 films during his career. He began his acting career in local theatre and repertory companies in upstate New York, and journeyed to Hollywood in the early '20s. Unlike many supporting actors, Fix was tremendously versatile, and played everything from a cackling, gabby Irish railroad engineer to a cold-eyed hired gunfighter. Early in his career Fix became friends with John Wayne, and the two remained very close for the rest of their lives, with Fix appearing in many of Wayne's films. Rumours report that Paul Fix taught John Wayne to walk the way he did. They were friends when Wayne first started acting and Wayne wanted something to set him apart, so Fix suggested the rolling gait that became his trademark, Paul appeared in twenty-seven movies with John Wayne. Paul Fix will be most remembered for is Micah Torrance, the easy-going but tough sheriff of North Fork, in the TV series "The Rifleman." Picture from El Dorado. Paul Fix died on 14 October in Los Angeles, California USA and is greatly missed.
Kirk Douglas was born into poverty the son of Jewish Russian immigrants as Issur Danielovitch Demsky on December 9, 1916 in Amsterdam, New York. He used his great talent to climb to the highest pinnacle of Hollywood stardom. He is convincing in both sympathetic and unsympathetic parts where his chiselled features, easy smile, distinctive voice, and famous cleft chin can suggest mirth or menace. He waited tables to put himself through St. Lawrence University where he was a champion wrestler and did theatre work. He became a professional wrestler and held numerous jobs to pay his way through the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He served in the Navy in World War II. After his return home from service his friend Lauren Bacall suggested him to producer Hal B. Wallis who tested him and gave him the lead role in "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" 1946, kirk received terrific reviews and remained in Hollywood. He made numerous films after that, three of them with John Wayne, In Harm's Way 1965. With Wayne in a cameo role in Cast a Giant Shadow 1966, picture from War Wagon 1967.
Born Walter Andrew Brennan on 25 July 1894 in Swampscott, Massachusetts, USA. In many ways the most successful and familiar character actor of American sound films and the only actor to date to win three Oscars for Best Supporting Actor. Brennan attended college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, studying engineering. He worked some in Vaudeville and also in various jobs such as clerk in a bank and a lumberjack. Eventually he hooked up with several musical comedy troupes, but set aside his acting, in 1917 at the age of 23, to serve as a doughboy in WW I. After his release from service he travelled to Guatemala to raise pineapples, before winding back in America in Los Angeles to try his hand as a realtor. At the age of 33 he had, by then, become a stuntman when he got his first official credit in 'Tearin' Into Trouble' as Billy Martin. He would be cast in eight more one and two reelers that decade. In 1932 he had most of his teeth kicked out by a horse, but in a later role that disability would be used for comedic effect. Walter appeared in six films with John Wayne, but he also appeared in numerous films in his lifetime, picture from Rio Bravo, sadly Walter died on 21 September 1974 in Oxnard, California, USA he is greatly missed.
Born Henry DeWitt Carey II on 16 January 1878 in The Bronx, New York, U.S.A. Born on 116th Street in New York City to a Judge of Special Sessions who was also president of a sewing machine company. Grew up on City Island, New York. Attended Hamilton Military Academy and turned down an appointment to West Point to attend New York University where his law school classmates included future New York City mayor James J. Walker. Carey married twice, the second time to actress Olive Fuller Golden (aka Olive Carey, who introduced him to future director John Ford. Carey influenced Universal Studios head Carl Laemmle to use Ford as a director, and a partnership was born that lasted until a rift in the friendship in 1921. During this time, Carey grew into one of the most popular Western stars of the early motion picture, occasionally writing and directing films as well. In the Thirties he moved slowly into character roles and was nominated for an Oscar for one of them, the President of the Senate in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). Ford dedicated his remake 3 Godfathers (1948) "To Harry Carey - Bright Star Of The Early Western Sky." Harry appeared in four movies with John Wayne, Harry died on 21 September 1947 in Brentwood, California, U.S.A.
Born Harry Carey on 16 may 1921 in Saugus, California, U.S.A, Reliable character actor, mostly in Westerns, son of silent star Harry Carey and actress Olive Carey. Born on his parents' 1000-acre ranch in Saugus, north of Los Angeles, young Carey grew up among cattle and horses. Because of the many Navajo Indians who worked on the ranch, he spoke Navajo before he spoke English. During the Second World War, he joined the Navy and served in the South Pacific as a medical corpsman, but was transferred (against his will) to serve under his father's friend, director John Ford, in the O.S.S, he then decided to pursue an acting career. After a couple of small acting parts, he was given a chance to work in a picture with his father, Red River 1948. John Ford gave the younger Carey a leading role in the film Ford dedicated to Carey Snr, "3 Godfathers" 1948. As a full-fledged member of the famed John Ford Stock Company, Carey appeared in many of Ford's greatest Westerns over the next two decades. He appeared in ten westerns with John Wayne.
Born Etienne Pelissier Jacques de Bujac on 20 April 1904 Carlsbad, New Mexico, U.S.A. He was the courageous Jack Driscoll, who saved Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) from the clutches of her simian suitor in "King Kong" 1933, and the characterization dogged him throughout a lengthy screen career. Cabot, the scion of a family of diplomats, reportedly wangled a screen test out of RKO producer David O. Selznick after meeting him at a 1932 Hollywood party. Tall and handsome, Cabot had a vaguely sinister, cold-blooded quality about him (as well as a harsh, metallic voice) that suited him for heavies as well as heroes. He played gangsters in "Let 'Em Have It" 1935 and "Show Them No Mercy" 1936, and was a chilling Magua in "The Last Of The Mohicans" 1936. A long time drinking buddy of John Wayne, he spent his later years working almost exclusively in the Duke's starring vehicles Bruce appeared alongside John in eleven of his movies, picture from Hatari !, Sadly Bruce died on 3 May 1972 in Woodland Hills, California, USA, and is greatly missed.
Born Norton Earl Worden on 23 July 1901 in Rolfe, Iowa, U.S.A Raised on a cattle ranch in Montana. Educated at Stanford and the University of Nevada as an engineer. Washed out as an Army pilot. Toured the country in rodeos as a saddle bronc rider. Broke his neck in a horsefall in his 20s, but didn't know it until his 40s. Drove a cab in New York, then worked on dude ranches as a wrangler and as a guide on the Bright Angel trail of the Grand Canyon. Recommended by Billie Berks to several movie producers. Became friends with John Wayne, Howard Hawks, and later John Ford, all of whom provided him with much work. Best loved for his role as Mose Harper in "The Searchers", Hank appeared alongside John in fifteen of his movies counting The Searchers, picture from The Searchers, sadly Hank died on 6 December 1992 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.