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.

Stanley 'Stan' Blystone Full name: William Stanley Blystone 1894 - 1956

(Courtesy of Jack Tillmany)

Stanley Blystone and his three brothers hailed from Wisconsin - and all four wound up California.

John Gilman "Jack" Blystone (1892-1938) had scores of directing jobs in silents and 1930s sound films. He's probably best remembered for helming Tom Mix westerns as well as SWISS MISS and BLOCKHEADS, two Laurel and Hardy comedies released in 1938 by Hal Roach and MGM. Jasper Kepler Blystone (1899-1965) was an assistant director, and he also began in silents. Some of his sound era work includes MY FRIEND FLICKA (20th Century Fox, 1943), THUNDERHEAD-SON OF FLICKA (20th Century Fox, 1945) and several in the Mr. Moto and Charlie Chan series. The oldest brother was George O. Blystone (1890-1947), and he was not in the film business (though he also migrated from Wisconsin to California as did his three siblings).

(Courtesy of Les Adams) Note the "J. G. Blystone Production" mention in the above lobby card from OH, YOU TONY! (Fox, 1924) - this was one of many Tom Mix silents churned out by Stan's brother John Gilman "Jack" Blystone.

Based on the census records, big, gruff Stanley Blystone was in Hollywood in 1920, working as an assistant director in silents. A few years later, he had shifted from duties behind the camera to screen roles.

By the 1930s, Stan was employed by the major and minor production companies. In westerns, he was the brains heavy or second-in-command or just a big galoot who was a member of the gang. In non-westerns, he was a cop in uniform, plain clothes detective, prison guard, sailor, ship's captain, barkeep, prisoner ... you name it.

Les Adams has him identified in about 375 sound era films - of those, 105 are westerns and 33 are serials. Pay attention to those film statistics as two-thirds of Stan's film work was NOT in oaters and cliffhangers but in other A and B grade films as well as 40 or so shorts. Blystone did some films for Republic Pictures - from 1936-1955, he appeared in 56 films which are a mix of westerns, serials and other features. Among his extensive work in two-reelers (shorts), Blystone has over twenty losing battles with the Three Stooges at Columbia Pictures during the period 1933-1954.

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: William Stanley Blystone, born 8/1/1894 in Wisconsin, Mother's maiden name of Oliver, passed away on 7/16/1956. There was no corresponding record in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). Blystone was married to silent screen actress Alma Tell, and she passed away in 1937. Stan and Alma had no children.

In their Best Of The Badmen book, Boyd Magers, Bob Nareau and Bobby Copeland reported that Blystone collapsed and died of a heart attack on his way to do a part in a WYATT EARP TV show.

Rick Albright checked the 1920 and 1930 census information and found the following info on Stan Blystone:

1920: Los Angeles, Calif., living at 1822 Highland Ave.: WILLIAM S. BLYSTONE, 25, single, born WI, parents born PA and WI, asst. director/motion pictures. He is living in the home of actor Robert B. McKenzie and family, all of whom list motion pictures as their occupations.
(Footnote: interesting that Blystone is living with the McKenzie family - Robert B. 'Bob' McKenzie had about 200 sound film appearances, and over a third of that number was westerns. His wife Emma also did film work. And daughter Fay McKenzie was a heroine to Wally Wales, Buddy Roosevelt and Gene Autry. Can't remember the McKenzie family - click HERE and a separate window will open.)

1930: Los Angeles, Calif., living on Larchmont Blvd.: WILLIAM S. BLYSTONE, renting at $40 a month, age 35, single, born WI, parents born PA and NY (NY does not match the 1920 entry), actor/motion pictures.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on three of the Blystone brothers as well as Stan's wife Alma Tell:
William Stanley Blystone: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0090008/
Alma Tell Blystone: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0854374/
John Gilman Blystone: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0090007/
Jasper Kepler Blystone: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0090006/

Jim Tipton's Find A Grave website has a photo of the markers for Stanley, his wife Alma, and his brother John G. Blystone. All three are interred at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood, California:
Stanley Blystone: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5933667
Alma Tell Blystone: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6674517
John Gilman Blystone: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7992843

The Three Stooges Net website includes a listing of the various cast members in the Stooges' shorts. Note that Blystone worked in more Stooges shorts than bad guy Dick Curtis: http://www.threestooges.net/cast.php?id=133

Jeffrey W. Blystone has a Blystone Family Genealogy website, and Stan is listed: http://mysite.verizon.net/jwbly/page4.html

Jeff Blystone notes that Jaspar Blystone's grandson Peter Blystone is a documentary film maker: http://www.echoprod.com/profile.html

(Chuck Anderson - Old Corral collection) Above from L-to-R are Stanley Blystone, Hoot Gibson and Skeeter Bill Robbins in a lobby card from Gibson's offbeat/dreary THE FIGHTING PARSON (Allied, 1933). Skeeter Bill Robbins turned up in several of Gibson's films - in real life, he was the foreman on Hoot's ranch. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Buzz Barton, Rex Bell, Ruth Mix and Stanley Blystone in a scene from Bell's SADDLE ACES (Resolute, 1935). (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above from L-to-R are Stanley Blystone, Tom London, Herman Hack, old codger Jack Duffy and Gaylord (Steve) Pendleton in a scene from TRAIL'S END (Beaumont, 1935), which starred Conway Tearle. (Chuck Anderson - Old Corral collection) Above are Budd Buster (left) and Stanley Blystone (right) in a scene from the Hoot Gibson THE RIDING AVENGER (Diversion, 1936). Budd was about 45 years old and Blystone was around 42 when they did this oater.