part three page two
Henry Brandon was born Heinrich von Kleinbach on 8 June 1912 in Berlin, Germany, German-born character actor of American films, most often seen in villainous roles. His parents emigrated to the United States shortly after his birth. His early interest in acting led him to study at the acclaimed Pasadena Community Playhouse. He landed the lead villain role in the Laurel and Hardy film Babes in Toyland 1934, and rapidly became a familiar and reliable heavy in pictures both large and small. In 1936, he adopted the stage name Henry Brandon after several years of being billed as either Henry or Harry Kleinbach. He captivated and thrilled audiences as the sinister Dr. Fu Manchu, yet balanced things by playing a sizable number of sympathetic roles as well, such as the skilled foreman Joe Dombrowski in Black Legion 1936 . He continued to work on stage throughout his film career, playing the villain for many years in the record-length run of the melodrama The Drunkard. His sharp features led him rather incongruously to be cast as Indian chiefs in two John Ford movies, The Searchers 1956 and Two Rode Together 1961. He kept busy in films and occasional television roles, as well as reprising his role in The Drunkard onstage in the 1980s, until the end of his life on 15 February 1990 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Brandon was a confirmed bachelor, he appeared in two more movies with Wayne. Picture from The Searchers 1956.
Elizabeth Allen born on 25 January 1934 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, Tall, striking actress who retired in 1980, perhaps best remembered as the strange department store saleswoman in the "Twilight Zone" episode featuring Anne Francis as a mannequin made a live woman for a month. Is also remembered for her introductions on the "Jackie Gleason Show". She was known as "The Away We Go" girl, who every week introduced Jackie's variety skits with that immortal phrase. Elizabeth appeared in one movie with John Wayne. Picture from Donovan's Reef 1963. Sadly Elizabeth passed away in September 19, 2006 in Fishkill, New York, USA.
Born Shirley Jean Ricket on 25 March 1926 in Seattle, Washington, USA, Shirley won a baby contest in Seattle when she was about 1 1/2 and her mother re-located the entire family to Hollywood as she was sure she had a child star. Her first movie was "How's my Baby" with Monty Collins and T. Roy Barnes. Shortly after that she went for an interview with Hal Roach and became part of Our Gang. She left the Gang to go to Darmour Studios to play Tomboy Tailor with Mickey Rooney and Billy Barty. In subsequent years she worked in more than a hundred movies, mostly musicals. When they stopped making major musicals in Hollywood she became a Striptease artist in Burlesque and travelled all over the US and Canada playing in Burlesque Theatres and nightclubs. Her mother took care of her daughter while she travelled, and when her mother died, she moved to Buffalo, N.Y, Shirley appeared in two movies with John. Picture from 'Neath the Arizona Skies 1934. Shirley passed away on 6 February 2009, Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S.A.
Slim Pickens was born Louis Bert Lindley Jr. on 29 June 1919 in Kingsburg, California, USA. Well, there was this big, lanky, fourteen-year-old California ranch kid, and he went into the rodeo manager's office and said, "Mister, I want to sign up for the calf-roping but my paw says I ain't allowed to. So I can't use my right name." And the manager said, "Son, no matter what name you use, it'll be slim pickin's out there today." So the boy said, "That's as good a name as any, I reckon-put me down as Slim Pickin's." The manager spelt it "Pickens," and the boy won $400 that afternoon. He spent the next two decades touring the country on the rodeo circuit, becoming a highly-paid and well-respected rodeo clown, a job of enormous danger. At the age of 31, he was given a role in a Western film, Rocky Mountain (1950), and quickly found a niche in both comic and villainous roles in Westerns. With his hoarse voice and pronounced western twang, he was not always easy to cast outside the genre, but when he was, as in 'Dr. Strangelove', the results were often memorable. Slim appeared in two movies with John, Slim passed away on 8 December 1983 in Modesto, California, USA. Picture from The Cowboys 1972.
Bobby Vinton was born Stanley Robert Vintula Jr. on 16 April 1935 in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, Born of Polish extraction, Vinton was one of the more enduring boy-next-door pop idols who sprang up in the early 60s. He began as a trumpeter before agreeing to front his high school band as featured vocalist. A tape of one such performance reached Epic Records, who signed him in 1960. Composed by Al Byron and Paul Evans, "Roses Are Red My Love" was Vinton's first national smash but it was overtaken in Britain by Ronnie Carroll's Top 10 cover version. Despite a much-publicized arrival in London for his cameo in the teen-exploitation movie, Just For Fun, a second US number 1, "Blue Velvet", was initially ignored in the UK, although another American smash, a revival of Vaughn Monroe's "There! I've Said It Again", made number 34 in 1963. Bobby appeared in two movies with John. Picture from Big Jake 1971.
Born Elizabeth Evans on 26 April 1887 in London, England, Initially a student instructor at London's Academy of Dramatic Art. Star actress of UK silent films who became a Hollywood character player in the sound era, typically portraying stern, autocratic elders. Elisabeth Risdon made her Broadway debut in 1912 with "Fanny's First Play." Most popular British film star of 1915. In American theatre from 1917, moved to Hollywood in mid-1930s. Generally played matriarchal roles (and she was very good at it). This woman's composure and customary dignity are distinctly ruffled when she is literally spanked on her bottom by a grizzly 'George 'Gabby' Hayes' in the John Wayne 1944 mystery-western, Tall in the Saddle, she also appeared in Reap The Wild Wind with the Duke. Elisabeth passed away on 20 December 1958 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
Birth name Ramiro Gonzalez-Gonzalez born on 21 December 1926 in Aguilares, Texas, USA. Gonzalez had only the most elemental schooling as a youngster and remained functionally illiterate for much of his life. First came to notice as a contestant on Groucho Marx's quiz show, "You Bet Your Life." His highly amusing personality won him bit parts in films, and he continued to work as a minor supporting player for years, Pedro appeared in five movies with the Duke. Picture from Rio Bravo 1959, Pedro passed away on February 6, 2006 in Culver City, Los Angeles, California, USA, and is sadly missed.
Born Rodolfo Acosta on 29 July 1920 in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico, Mexican character actor who achieved his greatest success in the USA, primarily as a villain in Westerns. He worked in Mexico in films of the great director Emilio Fernández, which led to a bit in John Ford film The Fugitive 1947. He came to the USA and was signed by Universal for a small role in One Way Street 1950. He stayed in the US and his sharp, ruthless features led him to a long succession of roles as banditos, Indian warriors, and outlaws. In The Tijuana Story 1957, he actually had a sympathetic leading role. But in general he spent his career as a most familiar Western bad guy. Rodolfo appeared in four films with John Wayne, Rodolfo passed away on 7 November 1974 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.
He was born Joseph Sauers in Guelph, Canada on August 29, 1906 and eventually moved to California to pursue a film career. This familiar mug appeared everywhere during the 30s and 40s particularly as a stock player for Warner Bros. in their more standard college musicals, comedies and crime yarns, playing both sides of the fence - detectives and thugs - with equal ease. Trained at the Pasadena Playhouse, he had a perfect 'tough guy' look - sturdy chin and build with squinty eyes, more distinctive for his shock of light hair and a slightly high-pitched voice. Sawyer made his film debut in 1931 under his real name and appeared mostly in strong-armed bits in the early years until hitting steady featured status playing a slew of coaches, cops and cronies with imposing names like "Spud," "Slug" and "Whitey." He would make a wide range of films, literally hundreds, over a period of four decades, including College Humor 1933, "College Rhythm" 1934, The Westerner 1934, The Informer 1935, Pride of the Marines 1936, Black Legion, Joe appeared in six movies with the Duke. Joe passed away on on 21 April 1982 in Ashland, Oregon, USA.
I thought I would put this fellow on the Co-Star pages, His Name was Duke The Miracle Horse, because if you are a John Wayne fan you will know they appeared together six times in his early movies.
Fernando Alvarado was born on August 1, 1936 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for A Medal for Benny 1945, Without Reservations 1946 and Tycoon 1947. Picture from Tycoon 1947.
Born Marcia Virginia Hunt on 17 October 1917 Chicago, Illinois, USA, Pretty sometimes radiantly so, slender actress with big, expressive eyes and one of the warmest smiles ever to flash across the screen. She never quite caught the brass ring of stardom, despite possessing the requisite talent and charm. A former Powers model, she was signed by Paramount, and made an effective debut in The Virginia Judge 1935. Hunt played demure, virginal ingenues in most of her 1930s pictures, Hunt was signed by MGM in 1939, and that studio should have provided her with the Big Break, but instead she found herself running in place again: leads in unimportant (if well-made) programmers, character parts in big pictures. They did give her a few opportunities to sing, which she did quite well. Marsha as appeared in two films with the duke.
Born Charles Orby Whitaker on 29 July 1893 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, American cowboy and actor. At the age of 17 Slim worked the rodeo circuit, eventually becoming a cowhand on the Chowchilla Ranch in Central California. In 1912 he was hired as a riding extra and stunt man by Bronco Billy Anderson for westerns being filmed in Niles Canyon, California. During the silent era, his peers were Wally Wales, Al Bridge, Charlie King, Ken Maynard, Yakima Canutt, Walter Brennan, Hoot Gibson, and a very young John Wayne and many others. He was one of the most prolific of the B-western bad guys and supporting actors. His movie career spanned thirty-six years, from the silents through the post-World War II period, and he appeared in over 300 films. Slim appeared in twelve movies with the Duke. Slim passed away on 27 June 1960 in Los Angeles, California.
Born Sherwood Bailey on 6 August 1923, Long Beach, California, USA. Actor Sherwood Bailey is best known for playing the rusty-headed freckled faced boy Spud in the Our Gang series. As an adult, Bailey left acting and became a civil engineer. Sherwood passed away on 6 August 1987, Newport Beach, California, USA. Sherwood appeared in one movie with John, Sherwood passed away on 6 August 1987 in Newport Beach, California, USA. Picture from The Big Stampede 1932. Sherwood passed away on 6 August 1987, Newport Beach, California, U.S.A.
Born Addison Whitaker Richards Jr. on 20 October 1887, in Zanesville, Ohio, USA, In 1931 he joined the Pasadena Community Playhouse as an actor and eventual artistic director. Graduated from Washington State B of A and Pomona College. A minor American film character from the early 1930s with Warner Bros. through the early 1960s who could be counted upon to play upstanding, law-abiding citizens and or officers of good moral fibre; only occasionally menacing. Addison appeared in two movies with John, Addison passed away on 22 March 1964, in Los Angeles, California, USA. Picture from Flying Tigers 1942.
Born Elmer Kikume Gozier on 9 October 1894, in Honolulu Oahu, Hawaii, From Kansas but of Hawaiian descent, stunt man and bit-part player Al Kikume became a fixture in Hollywood jungle melodramas and serials from 1933 to the mid-'50s. A warrior in Tarzan the Fearless 1933, his first credited appearance, Kikume later played Chief Lutembi in Republic Pictures' legendary jungle serial Jungle Girl 1941. He was demoted to a mere member of the tribe in the even more fondly remembered sequel, Perils of Nyoka 1942, but was created a chief again in the self-explanatory Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla 1952. Al appeared in two movies with John, Al passed away on 27 March 1972 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Picture from Operation Pacific 1951.
Ann Rutherford was born on 2 November 1920 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, The daughter of a former Metropolitan Opera singer, John Rutherford and her actress mother, was destined for show business. Not long after her birth, her family moved to California where she made her stage debut in 1925. Ann appeared in many plays and on radio for the next nine years before making her first screen appearance in Carnival Of Paris in 1934. Ann's talent, which was readily apparent, was signed to three films in 1935. By now she was a leading lady in the fabled Westerns with two legends--John Wayne and Gene Autry. By the time Ann was seventeen, she inked a deal with MGM, where she would gain the status of superstar for her portrayal of Polly Benedict in the popular Andy Hardy series with Mickey Rooney. Ann did find time to play in other productions too. One which is still loved today was the Charles Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol where she played the sweet role of the Spirit of Christmas Past. In 1939, Ann appeared in three movies with John Wayne, The Oregon Trail 1936, The Lawless Nineties 1936 & The Lonely Trail 1936. Ann passed away on June 11, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.