The Horses

(Courtesy of Ed Phillips)

(Courtesy of Ed Phillips)

Above - Mix and the original Tony in lobby card photos from 3 JUMPS AHEAD (Fox, 1923) and THE TROUBLE SHOOTER (Fox, 1924). In the card on the right, you can see white diamond face blaze on the original Tony. Note the blaze fades out just above the nostrils.

The Silent Film Sources website has an interesting group of articles on Tom Mix (excerpted from the 1957 memoirs by his wife Olive Stokes Mix). The page devoted to Mix, the original Tony, and a horse named 'Buster' that was the double for Tony, is at: http://www.cinemaweb.com/silentfilm/bookshelf/33_mix06.htm

The Santa Clarita Valley History in Pictures website has several webpages on Mix. This one has a nice shot of Mix and the original Tony: http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/lw2030.htm

G. E. Nordell's website includes a photo of Mix on Old Blue, the horse he used prior to Tony Sr. The signed notation on the photo reads: "In memory of 'Old Blue', the best horse I ever rode, born July 14, 1897, killed January 29, 1919. We grew old together, Tom Mix" The photo is at: http://www.genordell.com/stores/western/images/TomMix&Blue_Mixville.jpg

Above - Tony Jr.

(Courtesy of Donn & Nancy Moyer and the Jeannie Blair collection)

Above - Mix with his circus in the background and riding Tony Jr. lookalike #3. This horse has a unique and irregular face blaze that runs over the left eye, and the mane is light in color. Below is a closeup/crop of lookalike #3.

Above is Tony Jr. lookalike #1. This horse had a diamond shape blaze and a very thin, white stripe from the diamond down to the nose.

Mix, Tony Jr. and his Tony Jr. lookalikes at Universal, 1932-1933.

No original Tony (Tony Sr.) in these films.

There is a bit of controversy on whether Mix rode the original Tony in any of his nine sound oaters for Universal. The answer is "no" (even though Tony is listed in the posters and such for about half of the films).

I re-looked at eight of nine films and Tony Jr. is Mix's mount in those. The original Tony (Tony Sr.) does not appear in any of these films. In addition to Tony Jr., Mix also rode several lookalikes/doubles, and those horses would show up several years later when Mix did the serial, THE MIRACLE RIDER (Mascot, 1935).

I've listed the Mix' Universal films in release order, from the first to the finale, and added some "hoss comments":

DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (released April, 1932) - posters show: AND HIS WONDER HORSE "TONY". At the beginning of the film, a bunch of school kids are patiently waiting for Mix. And you see Tom and hoss silhouetted on top of a high hill. He rides down, reins up at the corral, and rears his horse. And the hoss is lookalike #3 with the wide face blaze that runs over the left eye. Then a quick change as Tom converses with the kids, and he's astride Tony Jr.

THE RIDER OF DEATH VALLEY (1932) - posters show: and "TONY" the Wonder Horse. The opening film credits show "and Tony". About 5 minutes into the film, Mix rides into town atop Tony Jr.

THE TEXAS BAD MAN (1932) - posters show: AND TONY. The opening film credits show "and Tony". Within the first few minutes, Mix and his horse are chit-chatting around a nighttime fire. And the horse is Tony Jr.

MY PAL, THE KING (1932) - posters show: and his wonder horse "Tony". My old VHS copy of this has missing titles and credits. In the early scenes, young King Mickey Rooney sneaks out of the palace. Mickey is out wandering the streets and sees Tom riding Tony Jr. Then Mix lifts Mickey into the saddle and chats.

THE FOURTH HORSEMAN (1932) - posters show: and TONY THE WONDER HORSE. Mix is riding Tony Jr. when he rescues Margaret Lindsay from Fred Kohler's saloon. My old VHS copy of this was not very sharp/clear, but in the long chase at the end, as Mix tries to get to the county tax recorder to pay off Lindsay's tax debt, he is riding the Tony Jr. lookalikes. Was hard to tell from the video quality, but it appears to be lookalike #1. Later, after paying the tax bill, Mix goes after Kohler, and rides his hoss through the saloon window. The mane on this horse was light in color, and may have been lookalike #3.

HIDDEN GOLD (1932) - posters show: AND HIS PONY 'TONY'. Opening credits/titles show "Tony, Jr. (The Miracle Horse)". At the end, Mix and heroine Judith Barrie are riding double and escaping a fire, and Tom is riding both lookalikes #1 and #3.

FLAMING GUNS (1932) - posters show: AND HIS NEW PONY, TONY Jr. According to my cryptic notes, I have a poor quality VHS of this somewhere, but have been unable to locate it.

TERROR TRAIL (1933) - posters show: AND HIS NEW PONY TONY Jr. About 10 minutes into the film, Mix rides into town with 4 prisoners, and he's on lookalike #3. Later, he takes his horse to the stable, and it's Tony Jr.

RUSTLERS' ROUNDUP (released March, 1933) - posters show: AND HIS NEW PONY TONY Jr. Opening credits/titles show "and Tony". Enter a new horse - this one has no face blaze and no white socks. But it's a trick. At Mix's ranch, one of the cowpokes scrubs down the horse and the Tony Jr.'s face blaze and socks appear after the wash job. Mix is also riding lookalike #1.

(From Old Corral image collection)		Tony Jr. The two images on the left show Tom Mix during his early 1930s days at Universal with Tony Jr. (with four white socks). Note that both horses have four white socks, but the face blazes don't appear to match.
(From Old Corral image collection) The above photo of Mix is used in a variety of articles and books, and normally includes the caption that he is riding Tony Sr. (which is incorrect). This is Mix on Tony Jr. (four white socks).