 | Unkempt, rough and tough looking members of the gang (or lynch mob, or vigilantes, or posse or cow herders) who had minimal or no dialog. They are generally not listed in the film credits. We tend to recognize some of their faces, but have no clue as to their real names. |
 |  | Herman Hack Real name: Herman Hackenjos 1899 - 1967 appeared in at least 381 westerns and 20 serials |
| Special thanks to Dorothy Hack Burnette Babcock, Herman Hack's daughter, for info and photos on her family. Dorothy and hubby Robert Babcock live in California. |
 (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above is a 1920s photo of Herman with his brothers Ben and Andrew at home in Indiana. That's Herman on the right wearing the glasses. | | Les Adams has prolific performer Herman Hack identified in 400+ sound era films, and that number includes appearances in 381 westerns and 20 chapterplays, much of which is un-credited. Les adds that Hack did it all - townsman, barfly, posse rider and rope-holder in a lynch mob. Hack worked in some early television and can be spotted in a few GENE AUTRY programs. He also did an occasional A grade film. An example: Hack was one of the church elders in the Gary Cooper FRIENDLY PERSUASION (Allied Artists, 1956). Hack's film career spanned about 25 years, from the early 1930s through the mid 1950s. You may want to check the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral, and then the California Death Records database. There you will find a record for: Herman H. Hackenjos, born 6/15/1899 in Illinois, Mother's maiden name of Gramm, and passed away on 10/19/1967. There is a corresponding record in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). I asked Herman's daughter Dorothy about the Hackenjos last name ... she noted "that dad had to cut it down as they would ask him how to spell his name ... so he put Hack and that is how he was known in the business for years." Dorothy also mentioned that the Hack/Hackenjos family are in Indiana (Bluffton, Berne, Morton, Ft. Wayne). In some e-mails from Dorothy around Thanksgiving, 2004, she mentioned that prolific supporting actor Jack 'Pappy' Kirk was Herman's best friend and the best man at the wedding of Herman and Signe in May, 1932. Other close friends included Bob Steele, Al Haskell, and the brothers Roy and Buck Bucko. |
 (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Members of the Santa Monica Mounted Police unit circa 1939-1940. The men in the photo include three western film veterans - from L-to-R are unidentified, Bob Card, Ralph 'Buck' Bucko, unidentified, unidentified, and Herman Hack.  (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above are Herman and wife Signe and daughters Dorothy (left) and Dolly Kay (right) circa 1943.  (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Herman and wife Signe and daughters Kay (left) and Dorothy (right) circa 1947.  (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above is the Hack Family circa 1956 - Herman and wife Signe in the center with and daughters Dorothy (right) and Kay (left).  (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Mid 1959 - above are Signe, Herman and daughter Dorothy working on the TV series, THE NINE LIVES OF ELFEGO BACA which starred Robert Loggia. Ten films in the Elfego Baca series were made by Disney and were initially broadcast during 1958-1960.  (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above are Herman and daughter Dorothy working on THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST (Disney/Buena Vista, 1958) which starred Fess Parker.  (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above from L-to-R are Smiley Burnette, Herman Hack and Rufe Davis circa mid 1950s during one of the get-togethers of the "Chuckwagon Trailers", a bunch of veteran western film performers who met and did an annual barbecue event. For a time, Hack was the leader/coordinator of the Trailers. Both Smiley and Herman passed away in 1967.  (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above, Herman is at home in his Santa Claus suit along with his grandchildren Elizabeth and John Burnette - this photo is probably from Christmas, 1966, about a year before Herman passed away. |