Douglas Fowley and Rocky Camron

The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc.

Born and raised in New York City, Douglas Fowley wound up in Hollywood during the 1930s. Under a contract at Fox, he appeared in numerous roles in films of that studio during the late 1930s - early 1940s, including the Mr. Moto, Charlie Chan and Laurel & Hardy series. Typecast as a villain, and often wearing a moustache, Fowley worked at many of the A and B film studios and production units during the 1940s. Fowley was in the Navy during World War II.

Several of his meatier supporting roles were: as neurotic film director Roscoe Dexter in SINGING IN THE RAIN (MGM, 1952); portraying the sympathetic boyfriend to lovely Pauline Moore (as psychic Eve Cairo), Fowley aids Sidney Toler in his quest for Dr. Zodiac in CHARLIE CHAN AT TREASURE ISLAND (20th Century Fox, 1939). In the 1940s through 1950s, Fowley also did some low budget westerns, appearing in films of Roy Rogers at Republic, Eddie Dean at PRC, Tim Holt at RKO, the Hopalong Cassidy series, more.

In some of his roles, especially his later work, Fowley would remove his false teeth (or 'click' his false teeth) - an example is his performance as a cold, battle weary G.I. in MGM's BATTLEGROUND (1949).

As with many of the performers of the period, Fowley ultimately wound up in TV playing bit parts and character roles in various shows from the 1950s through the 1970s, and that included TVers like WILD BILL HICKOK and PERRY MASON. However, his most memorable TV work was the three or four year period in the late 1950s when he portrayed gunslinger Doc Holliday, the helper to Hugh O'Brian in THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP (Myron Healey portrayed Holliday during one season of that series when Fowley was busy with movie work). One of Fowley's last roles was in 'The Trevi Collection', a 1975 episode of KOLCHAK, THE NIGHT STALKER.

You may want to go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral and then to the California Death Records database. There you will find a record for: Douglas Vincent Fowley, born 5/30/1911 in New York, Mother's maiden name of O'Connor, and he passed away on 5/21/1998.

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Douglas Fowley: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0288830/

Above, Tom Keene is wrestling a Winchester away from Rocky Camron (Gene Alsace) in RIDING THE SUNSET TRAIL (Monogram, 1941). Stuntwoman and great rider Betty Miles is shown in the bottom right corner of this lobby card.

Most sources list Rocky Camron's real name as Gene Alsace, while others mention Rockford Cane Camron. Perhaps neither are correct - go to the In Search Of ... webpage and then to the California Death Records database. There you will find a record for: Rockford G. Camron, born 8/4/1902 in Colorado, Mother's maiden name of Davidson, and he passed away on 6/16/1967.

He was often seen in Monogram and PRC westerns during the 1940s, and most of these were produced and/or directed by Robert Emmett Tansey. His frequent range costume consisted of chaps and quite often, he'd tuck a sixgun in his belt rather than wear a traditional gunbelt. Most often he was a baddie, but in a few films, he wound up portraying one of the good guys. In the Eddie Dean SONG OF OLD WYOMING (PRC, 1945), Camron had a great death scene, falling down a flight of stairs after getting shot.

Thx to Les Adams, co-author of Shoot-Em-Ups, for reminding me that the single starring oater for Alsace/Camron was GUNSMOKE ON THE GUADALUPE (Willis Kent, 1935), and at that time, Rocky used the name of 'Buck Coburn'.

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Rocky Camron/Gene Alsace/Buck Coburn: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0022490/

(From Old Corral image collection)

Above from left to right are Rocky Camron, Betty Miles, Hoot Gibson, Victor Daniels and Bob Steele in a scene from Monogram's SONORA STAGECOACH (Monogram, 1944).

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above is Rocky Camron (credited as 'Buck Coburn') in his only starring role. He and burly Roger Williams have the drop on the saloon crowd in this scene from GUNSMOKE ON THE GUADALUPE (Willis Kent, 1935). Standing on the far right with his mouth covered is Bud Osborne. Willis Kent was also responsible for the series of oaters starring Reb Russell.

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

In a crop from a lobby card from HARMONY TRAIL (aka WHITE STALLION), above is stuntman Cliff Lyons (doubling for Ken Maynard) and on the right is Rocky Camron.