co-stars part six
Born Elda Furry on 2 May 1885, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, USA, Her father was a butcher. In 1913 she met and married matinée idol DeWolf Hopper Sr. and in 1915 they moved to Hollywood, where both began active film careers. He became a star with Triangle Company, she began in vamp parts and turned to supporting roles. After her divorce she appeared in dozens of films, becoming known as "Queen of the Quickies". In 1936 she started a gossipy radio show and two years later commenced a 28-year stint as a newspaper gossip columnist, rival of Louella Parsons. In her last films she mostly played herself, a tribute to her influence in Hollywood. Her son became famous as investigator Paul Drake in the "Perry Mason" 1957 series. Hedda Hopper appeared in two movies with John, Picture from Reap the Wild Wind 1942, Hedder passed away on 1 February 1966 in Hollywood, California, USA.
Born Charles Frederick Seel on 29 April 1897, New York, New York, USA, Charles Seel was born April 29,1897 in the Bronx. In his teens, while working for a glove company, he saw a silent movie troupe filming on the streets of New York, he asked for a job and got it. Playing a office boy in a long forgotten Biograph studios film. He quickly quit the glove business to become a actor. He played juvenile leads in vaudeville sketches in stock companies and went to Broadway. He started in radio in 1929 and on to Hollywood in 1937. His film appearances include: Comet Over Broadway 1938, Blackwell's Island 1939, The Man with the Golden Arm 1955, I Was a Teenage Frankenstein 1957, The Horse Soldiers 1959, North to Alaska 1960, Tammy and the Doctor 1963, Winning 1969, SSSSS 1973, and Westworld 1973. He began appearing on television in it's beginnings in such programs as Dragnet 1950's version, The Rifleman, Dennis the Menace, Wagon Train, Twilight Zone, Bonanza, The Munsters, F Troop, Ben Casey, Star Trek, Petticoat Junction, Adam -12, and his last Marcus Welby MD in 1976. He met his wife in vaudeville in 1922 and was married until her death in 1964. After 42 years of marriage, he continued to live in their same house in Burbank that they had bought in 1941. Charles appeared in six movies with John, Picture from The Horse Soldiers 1959, Charles passed away on April 19, 1980 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.
Born Russell J. Powell on 16 September 1875 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Burly vaudeville monologist/comedian "Russell J. Powell" made his first film in 1920. It wasn't until the advent of talkies, however, that Powell's gift for dialects and bizarre vocal sound effects could truly be appreciated. His more memorable screen roles included the Afghan Ambassador in Lubitsch's "The Love Parade" 1929 and his blackface turn as the Kingfish in the Amos and Andy vehicle "Check and Double Check" 1930. So far as many film aficionados are concerned, "Russell J. Powell" achieved immortality as the dockhand in the opening scene of "King Kong" 1933, who launches into a stream of fluent exposition with the quizzical "Say, you goin' on this craaazy voyage?". Russ appeared in four movies with John, Picture from The Big Trail 1930, Russ passed away on 28 November 1950 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Born Gerard Montgomery Blue on 11 January 1887 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Stalwart, durable Monte Blue, a romantic leading man of the silent days, was born January 11, 1887, as Gerard Monte Blue (some sources indicate 1890, but his mother's application for his admission to the Soldier's and Sailor's Orphan's Home lists his birth date as January 11, 1887). Various sources have reported his first name as George or Gerald, but, again, in his mother's application, it is spelled Gerard. His father was killed in a car crash when Monte was eight and his mother could not support five children. He was admitted (along with another brother) to the orphanage at that time. There he built up his physique playing football. At one time or another the able-bodied gent was a railroader, a fireman, a coal miner, a cowpuncher, a ranch hand, a circus rider, a lumberjack and, finally, trekking west, he became a day laborer for D.W. Griffith's Biograph Studios. Blue eventually became a stuntman for Griffith and an extra in The Birth of a Nation 1915, which was his first film. Griffith took him in and made him an assistant on his classic epic Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages 1916, where he earned another small part. Gradually moving to support roles for both Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille, Blue earned his breakthrough role as "Danton" in Griffith's Orphans of the Storm 1921 with sisters Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish. He rose to stardom as a rugged romantic lead opposite Hollywood's top silent stars, among them Gloria Swanson, Clara Bow and Norma Shearer. He made a relatively easy transition into talkies as he had a fine, cultivated voice, but, at the same time, lost most of his investments when the stock market crashed in 1929. By the 1930s the aging star had moved back into small, often unbilled parts, continuously employed, however, by his old friend DeMille and Warner Bros. At the end of his life he was working as an advance man for the Hamid-Morton Circus in Milwaukee. Monty appeared in two movies with John, Monty passed on 18 February 1963 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Birth name Miguel Inclán Delgado born in 1900 in Mexico, Popular villain of Mexican cinema from the 1930s into the '50s, although he also had some sympathetic roles, notably as the kindly policeman in Salón México 1949 and several appearances as Benito Juárez. Inclán came from a theatrical family and started out working in the carpa theatres (he later bought a theatre with his film earnings and put his extended family to work in it). His son Miguel Inclán García also had a long career as an actor, although mostly on the stage. Other relatives of Inclán who made their mark in the entertainment industry are, his grand nephew 'Rafaél Inclán' , Raúl "Chato" Padilla and Alfonso Zayas. Miguel appeared in only one movie with John Wayne, Picture from Fort Apache 1948, Miguel passed away on 25 July 1956 in Tijuana, Mexico.
Born on 22 March 1896 in Oakland, California, USA, Most of character actress Fern Emmett's early appearances were in westerns, where she played scores of maiden aunts, hillbilly wives, town spinsters, ranch owners and stagecoach passengers. When she moved into contemporary films, she was most often seen as a landlady or gossip. She enjoyed a rare breakaway from this established screen persona when she played a screaming murder victim in the 1943 Universal thriller Captive Wild Women. Seldom given more than a few lines in "A" features, Emmett was better-served in programmers and 2-reel comedies. Emmett so closely resembled "Wicked Witch of the West" Margaret Hamilton that some historians have lumped their credits together, even though Emmett began her film career in 1930, three years before Hamilton ever stepped before a camera. Fern Emmett was the wife of actor Henry Rocquemore. Fern appeared in eight movies with John Wayne, Picture from The Shepherd of the Hills 1941, Fern passed away on 3 September 1946 in Hollywood, California, USA.
Birth name Irene Luther born on 13 October 1891 in Buffalo, New York, USA, Silent screen femme Irene Rich came from a once well-to-do Buffalo, New York family. Born in 1891, her father faced a reversal of fortune while she was quite young and they subsequently moved to California. Following her education, Irene pursued a steady career as a realtor. She had already married twice by the time she decided to become an actress and, by the "ripe old age" of 27, had begun working as a movie extra. Success came quickly for Irene Rich and her first part of real substance came with the picture The Girl in His House 1918. She continued on as a poised, resourceful co-star and became a particular favorite of Will Rogers, who used her in Water Water Everywhere 1920, The Strange Boarder 1920, Jes' Call Me Jim 1920, Boys Will Be Boys 1921, and the Ropin' Fool 1921. Her vast array of leading men went the gamut -- from Harry Carey in Desperate Trails 1921, to Lon Chaney in The Trap 1922, to John Barrymore in Beau Brummel 1924, to movie star mongrel Strongheart in Brawn of the North 1922. Irene's true screen persona, however, arrived in the form of tearjerkers, nobly portraying the ever-suffering, well-coiffed "doormat" in her own plush, domestic dramas. Somewhat reminiscent in both looks, style and demeanor to Irene Dunne, Ms. Rich became an avid favorite in women's pictures throughout the 1920s, one of her best known roles being Lady Windemere's Fan 1925. Irene appeared in two movies with John Wayne, Picture from Fort Apache 1948, Irene passed away on 22 April 1988 in Hope Ranch, California, USA.
Born Adam Williams on 26 November 1922 in New York, New York, USA, An American film and television actor. Williams had a few notable roles including playing Larry, a car bomber, in The Big Heat 1953. In 1952, Williams played the lead role as Los Angeles woman killer in Without Warning!. One of his last roles was playing Terrence Milik in the television movie Helter Skelter 1976. He also appeared on dozens of television programs in the 1950s and 1960s. Adam appeared in two movies with John Wayne, Picture from Flying Leathernecks 1951, Adam passed away on 4 December 2006 in California, USA.
Born Albert Van Dekker on 20 December 1905 in Brooklyn, New York, USA, A stage actor from 1927, Albert Dekker was an established Broadway star when he made his film debut ten years later. Tall and with rugged good looks, Dekker often played aggressive character roles, and was memorable as the double-crossing gang leader in the classic The Killers 1946. From 1945 to 1946 he served a term in the California legislature representing the Hollywood district. As he got older, Dekker, unlike many actors, turned to the stage rather than television, and achieved great success there and on the college lecture circuit. Dekker's last role, in The Wild Bunch (1969), was one of his most memorable: the tough railroad detective Harrigan, who hires a murderous group of bounty hunters to track down and kill a gang of outlaws who've been robbing his company's trains. Alber appeared in three movies with John Wayne, Picture from War of the Wildcats 1943, Albert passed away on 5 May 1968 in Hollywood, California, USA.
Born Claude Marion Akins on 25 May 1918 in Nelson, Georgia, USA, Broad-shouldered and beefy Claude Akins had wavy black hair, a deep booming voice and was equally adept at playing sneering cowardly villains as he was at portraying hard-nosed cops. The son of a police officer, Akins never seemed short of work and appeared in nearly 100 films and 180+ TV episodes in a career spanning over 40 years. He originally attended Northwestern University, and went on to serve with the US Army Signal Corps in World War II in Burma and the Phillipines. Upon returning, he reignited his interest in art and drama and first appeared in front of the camera in From Here to Eternity 1953. He quickly began notching up roles in such TV shows as "Dragnet" 1951, "My Friend Flicka" 1956, "Gunsmoke" 1955 and "Zane Grey Theater" 1956. He also turned in several strong cinematic performances, such as gunfighter Joe Burdette in Rio Bravo 1959, Mack in the excellent The Defiant Ones 1958, Sgt. Kolwicz in Merrill's Marauders 1962 and Earl Sylvester in The Killers 1964. In the early 1970s Akins turned up in several supernatural TV films playing "no-nonsense" sheriffs in both The Night Stalker 1972 TV and The Norliss Tapes 1973 TV, and was unrecognizable underneath his simian make-up as war-mongering Gen. Aldo in Battle for the Planet of the Apes 1973. Akins also appeared in The Sea Chase 1955 with John Wayne, Picture from Rio Bravo 1959, Claude passed away on 27 January 1994 in Altadena, California, USA.
Born on 4 November 1908 in Pennsylvania, USA, Dark, pencil - moustached American actor Anthony Warde made his film bow in 1936. Throughout his career, Warde excelled in unsavoury characterizations, usually in serials and low-budget crime and Western films. He played Killer Kane in the 1939 chapter play Buck Rogers, and also showed up in such Republic serials as The Masked Marvel 1943, The Purple Monster Strikes 1945, and The Black Widow 1947. Active until 1964, Anthony Warde made a number of TV appearances in the 1950s, including a brief turn as a counterfeiter in an episode of Amos 'N' Andy. Anthony appeared in two movies with John Wayne, Anthony passed away on 8 January 1975 in Hollywood, California, USA.
Born George Harrington Lloyd on 5 November 1892 in Edinburgh (Christian County), Illinois, USA, "George H. Lloyd" retired from films as a character actor in 1955. After that he settled down with his wife in a house in Los Angeles City proper. In 1962, he and his wife divorced and in the conclusion of his divorce proceedings, George H. Lloyd lost his home to his wife and his living arrangements were reduced to a run-down section of town on Hoover Street in a lowly depressed area of Los Angeles. In 1918, "George H. Lloyd" was mustered out of war service due to an injury of some sort. It is unclear if he received a war-time medal of valour for his valiant work during his tenure in 1918 the year he served in the army for the United States Government during the "Great War" as it was called then. Unfortunately, "George H. Lloyd" has become forgotten as a steady and faithful character player in western films mostly. He died in obscurity which is very unfortunate given the amount of supported film work that he provided for many top film stars of his era which lasted between 1933 to 1955. George appeared in four movies with John Wayne. "George H. Lloyd" was buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery in West Los Angeles, California on 15 August 1967 because he served as a staff sergeant during World War I honourably. Picture from Lady From Louisiana 1941.
Born Lee Phelps on 15 May 1893 in Pennsylvania, USA, Lee Phelps was a long time resident of Culver City, California, the home of several film studios, including MGM and Hal Roach. Whenever the call went out for street extras, Phelps was always available; his Irish face and shiny pate can be easily spotted in such silent 2-reelers as Laurel and Hardy's Putting Pants on Phillip. Phelps was active in films from 1921 through 1953, often in anonymous bit or atmosphere parts, usually playing a cop or a delivery man. Lee Phelps has found his way into several TV movie-compilation specials thanks to his participation in two famous films of the early '30s: Phelps played the cowering speakeasy owner slapped around by Jimmy Cagney in The Public Enemy 1931, and also portrayed the waterfront waiter to whom Greta Garbo delivers her first talking-picture line ("Gif me a viskey, baby...etc.") in Anna Christie 1930.Lee appeared in three movies with John Wayne, Picture from Red River 1948, Lee passed away on 19 March 1953 in Culver City, Los Angeles, California. U.S.A.
Born on 24 October 1915 in Waurika, Oklahoma, USA, Expert horseman Boyd "Red" Morgan entered films as a stunt man in 1937. Morgan was justifiably proud of his specialty: falling from a horse in the most convincingly bone-crushing manner possible. He doubled for several top western stars, including John Wayne and Wayne's protégé James Arness. He could also be seen in speaking roles in such films as The Amazing Transparent Man 1959, The Alamo 1960, True Grit 1968, The Wild Rovers 1969 and Rio Lobo 1970. According to one report, Boyd "Red" Morgan served as the model for the TV-commercial icon Mister Clean. Boyd appeared in six movies with John Wayne, Picture from True Grit 1969, Boyd passed away on 8 January 1988 in Tarzana, California, USA.
Born Jack Elam on 13 November 1918 in Miami, Arizona, USA, Colorful American character actor equally adept at vicious killers or grizzled sidekicks. As a child he worked in the cotton fields. He attended Santa Monica Junior College in California and subsequently became an accountant and, at one time, manager of the Bel Air Hotel. Elam got his first movie job by trading his accounting services for a role. In a short time he became one of the most memorable supporting players in Hollywood, thanks not only to his near-demented screen persona. He made an infamous career with his eerie, immobile eye, which was caused by a fight with another kid at the age of 12. It happened during a Boy Scout meeting when another boy took a pencil, threw it, and it jabbed his eyeball. He appeared with great aplomb in Westerns and gangster films alike, and in later years played to wonderful effect in comedic roles. Jack appeared in two movies with John Wayne, Picture from Rio Lobo 1970, Jack passed away on 20 October 2003 in Ashland, Oregon, USA.
Born on 6 December 1900 in Clinton, Massachusetts, USA, At age three Agnes Moorehead first appeared onstage, and at 11 she made her professional debut in the ballet and chorus of the St. Louis Opera. She earned a Ph.D. in literature and studied theatre at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She began playing small roles on Broadway in 1928; shortly thereafter she shifted her focus to radio acting, becoming a regular on the radio shows March of Time, Cavalcade of America, and a soap opera series. She toured in vaudeville from 1933-36 with Phil Baker. In 1940 she joined Orson Welles Mercury Theatre Company, giving a great boost to her career. Moorehead debuted onscreen as Kane's mother in Welles' film Citizen Kane 1941. Agnes appeared in two movies with John Wayne, Picture from The Conqueror 1956, Agnes passed away on 30 April 1974 in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.