More Villains and Supporting Players

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.

Theodore A. 'Ted' Lorch

1873 or 1880 - 1947

Les Adams has Lorch credited in about 60 sound era films, and that includes 22 westerns and 8 chapterplays. A pretty "hammy" actor, he always struck me as the pattern for 'Snidely Whiplash' as well as what 'Simon Legree' would look like. Lorch is best remembered for playing the High Priest in the serial FLASH GORDON (1936) and for menacing The Three Stooges in a half dozen or so two-reelers.

Lorch had a meaty role in one of my favorite Stooge films, HALF-WITS HOLIDAY (1946) --- Lorch plays Professor Sedletz and he makes a bet with Vernon Dent (as Professor Quackenbush) that he can turn the boys into gentlemen.

Go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral, and follow the link to the California Death Records database --- they have a record for Theodore Lorch, 1880-1947.

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Ted Lorch, Harry Carey and Roger Williams in Carey's GHOST TOWN (Commodore, 1936).

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Ted Lorch. Click HERE.

Jim Tipton's Find A Grave website has a photo of the marker for Lorch at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6930304

Remember Dudley Do-Right of the mounties and his arch enemy, Snidely Whiplash? Click here to see a cell from the TV cartoon series: http://www.animationusa.com/univ03.html

You can search for Ted Lorch appearances in the Three Stooges shorts at: http://www.3-stooges.com/text/shorts1.html

Murdock MacQuarrie

(sometimes spelled McQuarrie)

1878 - 1942

Murdock MacQuarrie popped up as the friendly rancher, father of the heroine, occasional lawman ... and he was also a background face in crowd scenes and barrooms. Lea Adams has him pegged in about 130 sound era films, of which 96 are westerns and 8 are serials.

Go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral, and follow the link to the California Death Records database --- they have a record for Murdock MacQuarrie (spelled Mac not Mc).

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Murdock McQuarrie: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0534259/

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Les Adams has Carpenter in 250+ sound era films, and that includes 194 westerns and 20 serials. Carpenter had a kindly face and meek demeanor, and got work as a ranch owner, an old miner, etc. (but guys like Lafe McKee, Lloyd Ingraham and John Elliott got the meatier roles). Generally, Carpenter was a background performer, bystander, spectator --- i.e., one of the townsmen, one of the ranchers, an old-timer in the local saloon, etc.

In the 1920s, Carpenter was a director.

Go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral, and follow the link to the California Death Records database. There you will find a record for: Horace Bernard Carpenter, born 1/31/1875 in Michigan, Mother's maiden name of Coburn, and he passed away on 5/21/1945.

(Courtesy of Ed Phillips)

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Horace B. Carpenter: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0139356/

(Courtesy of Jack Tillmany)

(Courtesy of Ed Tabor)

The above lobby card is from a 1923 silent helmed by Carpenter. That looks like a youngish Carpenter (in his late 40s) in the checkerboard shirt. The other two players are unidentified.

(Courtesy of Jack Tillmany)

Franklyn Farnum

Sometimes spelled: Franklin Farnum

1876 or 1878 - 1961

Les Adams has Farnum in about 175 sound era films, and that includes 62 westerns and 10 serials. He was not related to brothers William Farnum and Dustin Farnum. Franklyn was an established and respectable star during the silent era, predominantly in low budget oaters. He successfully handled the migration into talkies and found work doing supporting roles in various films though the late 1950s. In B westerns, he generally portrayed a lawman, gang leader, ranch owner ... and often wore a suit.

Go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral, and follow the link to the California Death Records database --- they have a record for Franklyn Farnum (with Franklyn spelled with a Y), 1878-1961.

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Farnum: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0267916/

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Franklyn Farnum, Bob Custer and George Chesebro mixing it up in a scene from Custer's MARK OF THE SPUR (Big 4, 1932).

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above is a photo of a title lobby card showing Franklyn Farnum and Bill Cody in BORDER GUNS (Aywon, 1934), one of a trio of films that Cody did for grade Z film producer Robert J. Horner.

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Franklyn Farnum, Lafe McKee, Bill Cody, Ada Ince and Bill Cody, Jr. in FRONTIER DAYS (Spectrum, 1934).

Fred Parker

? - ?

Fred Parker was another familiar performer who was an occasional lawman, ranch owner, father of the heroine ... and he was also a background face and bystander in crowd scenes and barrooms. Les Adams has Parker in about 100+ sound era films, which includes 93 westerns and 1 serial.

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Fred Parker: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0662252/

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Franklyn Farnum, Fred Parker, Wally Wales and Karla Cowan in a scene from the three reel short, ARIZONA CYCLONE (Imperial, 1934).

(Courtesy of Ed Tabor)

Above is a green duotone lobby card from the Wally Wales starrer THE LONE RIDER (William Pizor/Imperial, 1934). On the left are Fred Parker and Myrla Bratton (billed as Merla Bratton in this film). The "directed by Robert Emmett" is Robert Emmett 'Bob' Tansey. This was the last of the three reel shorts (approximately 27 minutes running time) that Wales did for Pizor/Imperial.

Above from L-to-R are Fred Parker, Forrest Taylor, Johnny Mack Brown (all 'duded' up) and Hal Price in a lobby card from DESERT PHANTOM (A. W. Hackel/Supreme, 1936).