Back to prior page


Sagebrush Trivia
... Who Was That Barfly?


Ever thought or argued about who were the most frequent portrayers of lawman ... or who was generally the stagecoach driver ... or who was the shyster lawyer?  How about other roles such as the town drunk, the bartender, the cook, and the old prospector/miner.  Here's more statistics and info from western film expert Les Adams, and it answers some question

"Who got typecast and appeared in the same role over and over again?"

Les adds some additional tidbits and details:

Bud Osborne beat Hank Bell 36-31 for stage driver, but Bell won the stage guard race, thereby guaranteeing himself a place on the stage.  Jack Rockwell edged Ed Cassidy in the sheriff election by a count of 66-57, but Cassidy got first position in the Marshal's race by 17-11 against Rockwell. I didn't count leads among the marshals (Jones, McCoy, Hatton, Brown, LaRue, etc.) but may later. As lawmen, Rockwell hit 66 sheriffs, 8 deputies and 11 marshals (85) and Cassidy had 57 sheriffs, 0 deputies and 17 marshals (74), and against their total western/serial roles, each played a lawman in 36% of their performances. (And I haven't even run a collection on Rangers yet.) The total Sheriff list had 1464 sheriffs played by 512 different actors. The 16 listed played 432 sheriffs, making 30% of the sheriff's played by only 3% of the 512 performers. Guess that accounts for the belief that the same guys always played the sheriff. They nearly did.

The Stagecoach Drivers represent the visible players 'of record, billed or otherwise', and may not reflect who actually drove the stage. The likes of Post Park, George Plues, the Yrigoyen brothers and others probably drove half of the stages on film in long shots, chase scenes, etc. Betty Miles, tho infrequently, drove a pretty mean stagecoach herself. That's not to discount the work of players such as Bud Osborne, Hank Bell, Silver Tip Baker, et al who could take care of their own gags.

Ol' Bud Osborne scored highly overall by hitting first on stage drivers, third among dog henchies, sixth on sheriffs and bartenders, 12th among marshals and 17th on the deputy list. With the exception of Saloon Swampers and Servants, he was somewhere on every list, including Porters (train, bus and hotel), bankers and mayors.

Jack Evans won the Barfly (one of my favorite role types) honors by 53-50 over Herman Hack. When Evans retired as one of the 30's leading dog henchies, he grew a white beard and hung out mostly in PRC and Monogram saloons.

'Dog Henchies' are roles where the player had no given (or called) name, and does not represent every Henchman role played by the listed. Although, in some cases, it nearly does.

Earle Hodgins nearly had exclusive rights to the 'get-away-kid-you-bother-me role'. And there was no contest with Bill Nestell as a blacksmith and Dick Cramer as a bartender.

Every song by Johnny Lange and Lew Porter wasn't written together, which is why they aren't ranked tied together. Recall that Lange had a hand on Mule Train and Porter had many by himself. But if you wonder about the Same Song Rewritten, they had a habit of changing titles on three-four year old songs written for Fred Scott movies (and others) and using them again for Slim Andrews or Frank Yaconelli.

Under each category, you will find the most prolific performers.

Thanks to Les for providing this info.

Stage
Drivers
Stage
Guards
Sheriff Bartender Mayor Governor
1 Osborne, Bud 1 Bell, Hank 1 Rockwell, Jack 1 Cramer, Dick 1 Tombes, Andrew 1 Ingraham, Lloyd
2 Bell, Hank 2 Ellis, Frank 2 Cassidy, Edward 2 McClary, Clyde 2 Elliott, Dick 2 Warwick, Robert
3 Park, Post 3 Laidlaw, Ethan 3 London, Tom 3 Bell, Hank 3 Flint, Sam 3 Beddoe, Don
4 Palmer, Tex 4 Mapes, Ted 4 Clark, Steve 4 Meehan, Lew 4 Hall, Henry 4 DeMain, Gordon
5 Plues, George 5 Bucko, Roy 5 Price, Hal 5 Morrell, George 5 Harvey, Harry 5 Hicks, Russell
6 Kirk, Jack 6 Burns, Fred 6 Osborne, Bud 6 Osborne, Bud 6 Ingraham, Lloyd 6 LeSaint, Edward J.
7 Burns, Fred 7 Dillard, Art 7 Whitaker, Slim 7 O'Shea, Jack 7 LaRue, Frank 7 Murray, Forbes
8 Baker, Silver Tip 8 Dixon, Denver 8 Cobb, Edmund 8 Ellis, Frank 8 Parnell, Emory 8 Trowbridge, Charles
9 Burns, Bob 9 Jones, Ray 9 McKee, Lafe 9 Whiteford, Blackie 9 Price, Hal 9 Wood, Douglas
10 McClure, Bud 10 Kirk, Jack 10 Burns, Fred 10 Aubrey, Jimmy        
11 Rockwell, Jack 11 McCarroll, Frank 11 Kirk, Jack 11 Price, Hal        
12 Woodward, Bob     12 Adams, Ted            
        13 Peil, Edward            
        14 Taylor, Forrest            
        15 Buster, Budd            
        16 Strange, Glenn            
                       
                       

Storekeeper Banker Blacksmith Henchman
Blackie
Dog
Henchman
(no name in film)
Deputy
1 Morrell, George 1 Cassidy, Edward 1 Nestell, Bill 1 King, Charles 1 Ellis, Frank 1 West, Wally
2 Buster, Budd 2 Hall, Henry 2 Ellis, Frank 2 Strange, Glenn 2 Mathews, Carl 2 Hack, Herman
3 McKenzie, Bob 3 LaRue, Frank 3 Alexander, Dick 2 Whiteford, Blackie 3 Osborne, Bud 3 Kirk, Jack
4 Blystone, Stanley 4 Buster, Budd 4 Dresden, Curley 2 Chesebro, George 4 Chesebro, George 4 Ellis, Frank
5 Dwire, Earl 5 Clark, Davison 5 Kirk, Jack 5 Hagney, Frank 5 McCormick, Merrill 5 Corey, Jim
6 McKee, Lafe 6 Stockdale, Carl 6 Marcus, James 5 Mason, James 6 Corey, Jim 6 Dillard, Art
7 Powell, Russ 7 Dilson, John 7 Merton, John 5 Meehan, Lew 7 Taylor, Al 7 Ortego, Artie
8 Rawlinson, Herbert 8 Flint, Sam 8 Whiteford, Blackie 5 Osborne, Bud 8 Bradford, Lane 8 Chesebro, George
9 Stockdale, Carl 9 French, Charles K.     5 Terry, Bob 9 Evans, Jack 9 Palmer, Tex
    10 Gould, William     10 Others, 97 10 Hannon, Chick 10 Taylor, Al
                11 McCarroll, Frank    
                12 King, Charles    
                       

Army
Sergeant
Prospector Marshal Barfly Drunk Homesteader
1 Pennick, Jack 1 Bell, Hank 1 Cassidy, Edward 1 Evans, Jack 1 Conklin, Chester 1 Morrell, George
2 Corbett, Ben 2 Jenks, Si 2 Rockwell, Jack 2 Hack, Herman 1 Lynn, Emmett 2 Evans, Jack
3 Flavin, James 3 Morante, Milburn 3 Strange, Glenn 3 Morrell, George 1 Morrell, George 3 Burns, Bob
4 Sawyer, Joe 4 Adams, Ernie 4 Clark, Steve 4 Hannon, Chick 4 Aubrey, Jimmy 3 Burns, Fred
5 Lease, Rex 5 Aubrey, Jimmy 5 London, Tom 5 Carpenter, Horace B. 5 Barclay, Don 5 Cassidy, Edward
6 Parnell, Emory     6 Andrews, Stanley 6 Dalroy, Rube 5 Carpenter, Horace B. 6 Flowers, Morgan
7 Teal, Ray     7 Bridge, Alan 7 Dixon, Denver 5 Jenks, Si 6 Hannon, Chick
8 Wilke, Bob     8 Price, Hal 8 Cooper, Tex 5 Price, Hal 6 Mack, Cactus
            9 McClary, Clyde 5 Saylor, Syd 6 Morante, Milburn
            10 Palmer, Tex 5 St. John, Al 6 Bell, Hank
                       

Lawyer Saloon
Swamper
Gambler Pitch
Man
Stock
Rodeo
Footage
Cook
1 Gould, William 1 McClary, Clyde 1 Coffin, Tris 1 Hodgins, Earle 1 Canutt, Yakima 1 Gan, Chester
2 Fiske, Robert 2 Aubrey, Jimmy 2 Willis, Norman 2 McKenzie, Bob 2 Montana, Montie 2 Toones, Fred
3 Mason, LeRoy 3 Morante, Milburn 3 Glendon, J. Frank 3 Lorch, Theodore 3 Strickland, Mabel 3 Jiminez, Soledad
3 Taylor, Forrest 4 Many 4 Fowley, Douglas 4 Many     4 Fung, Willie
5 Bridge, Alan     5 MacDonald, Kenneth         5 Turich, Rosa
5 Peil, Edward     6 Cramer, Dick         6 Pollard, Snub
7 Adams, Ted     7 Meeker, George         7 Corbett, Ben
7 Wilson, Clarence C.     8 Merton, John         8 Jamison, Bud
9 King, Charles     9 Pyle, Denver         9 Powers, John
9 McKee, Lafe     10 McDonald, Francis         10 Jenks, Si
9 McKenzie, Bob                    
9 Dunham, Phil                    
9 Glendon, J. Frank                    
9 Earle, Edward                    
10 Smith, Jack C.                    
                       

Porter Servant Half-Breed
Henchman
Indians Conductor Engineer
1 Toones, Fred 1 Turich, Rosa 1 Stevens, Charles 1 Cody, Iron Eyes 1 Taylor, Forrest 1 Crehan, Joseph
2 Turner, Ray 2 Jiminez, Soledad 2 Clemente, Steve 2 Thunder Cloud,Chief 1 Waller, Eddy 2 Acuff, Eddie
3 McDaniel, Sam 3 McDaniel, Sam 3 Lackteen, Frank 3 Stevens, Charles 3 Burns, Fred 3 Price, Hal
4 Dickerson, Dudley 4 Stewart, Nicodemus 4 Regas, George 4 Yowlachie, Chief 4 Chatterton, Tom 4 O'Malley, Pat
5 Stewart, Nicodemus     5 Thompson, Nick 5 Silverheels, Jay 5 Dewey, Earle 5 Many
            6 Big Tree, Chief 6 Homans, Robert    
            7 Lackteen, Frank 7 O'Malley, Pat    
            8 Thorpe, Jim 8 O'Shea, Oscar    
            9 Hazelett, Bill 9 Roth, Gene    
            10 Ortego, Artie 10 Many    
            10 Redwing, Rodd        
            10 Johnson, Noble        
                       

Townsman Vigilantes/
Lynchers
Townswoman Songs Same Song
Rewritten
Undertaker/
Coroner
1 Cooper, Tex 1 McCarroll, Frank 1 Plummer, Rose 1 Burnette, Smiley 1 Porter, Lew 1 McDowell, Nelson
2 Dalroy, Rube 1 Whiteford, Blackie 2 McKenzie, Eva 2 Porter, Lew 2 Lange, Johnny 2 Howlin, Olin
2 Carpenter, Horace B. 1 Ward, Blackjack 3 Gibson, Helen 3 Lange, Johnny     3 Carre, Bart
4 Hack, Herman 4 Henderson, Ray 4 Tansey, Emma 4 Nolan, Bob     4 Worden, Hank
5 Coats, Tommy 5 Jones, Ray 5 Emmett, Fern 5 Elliott, Jack        
6 Cox, Victor 6 Ortego, Artie 6 Novak, Eva 6 Autry, Gene        
7 Bucko, Buck 7 Taylor, Al 10 Clement, Dora 7 Rose, Fred        
8 Haskell, Al 8 Hack, Herman 10 Cunard, Grace 7 Spencer, Tim        
9 Baldra, Chuck 9 Hannon, Chick 10 Keckley, Jane 8 Carter, Everett        
10 Bell, Hank 10 Burns, Fred 10 Simmons, Georgia 8 Whitley, Ray        
11 Dixon, Denver 10 Peil, Edward 10 Farrington, Betty 8 Marvin, Johnny        
            9 Ritter, Tex        
            10 Allen, Fleming        
            10 Cherkose, Eddie        
                       


Above is the property of, and copyright ©1999-2006 by Les Adams


Back to prior page