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.

Whatever Happened To ... Riley Hill Real name: Roy Harris ? 1914 or 1920 or ? - 1992 or ? Right is a youthful and slim Roy Harris, circa 1940, before he became Riley Hill. Or was his real name Riley Hill, and he adopted the screen moniker of Roy Harris when he worked at Universal?

(Image courtesy of Jack Tillmany)

One of the more familiar faces in Monogram oaters of the 1940s was Riley Hill. As B western supporting work and bit parts faded, he successfully migrated to television, and during the 1950s, you can spot him in lots of TV westerns including RANGE RIDER, LONE RANGER, GENE AUTRY, ROY ROGERS, CISCO KID, WILD BILL HICKOK, more.

Something occurs in the mid 1950s, and this busy TV and movie performer exits the film/TV business ... but not completely. Over the next twenty-five years - roughly the mid 1950s to 1980 - he pops up in an occasional bit role on a TV show or in A or B grade film.

Consensus is that Riley Hill was born Roy Harris in Texas, and he used the Harris name in his early film work at Universal and Monogram in the late 1930s - early 1940s. He had some fairly meaty roles during his "Roy Harris at Universal period", including several with Johnny Mack Brown. Examples: he was "the Wolverine Kid" in LAW OF THE RANGE (Universal, 1941), and was a lawman and JMB's brother, who gets killed by the outlaws, in RAWHIDE RANGERS (Universal, 1941). Then he was off the screen for about two years (1942 - 1944) and we assume he was doing World War II service. In late 1944, he's back making westerns but using the name "Riley Hill". As Hill, he gets to play another "Kid something-or-other" - this time as "the Sonora Kid", the crooked and downright nasty brother of Sunset Carson in SHERIFF OF CIMARRON (Republic, 1945). Then he becomes a member of Monogram's stable of baddies and appears in many of the films starring Brown, Wakely, and Whip Wilson.

In later years, Harris/Hill may have resided in Arizona, and/or New Mexico, and/or Texas ... or all three states or some combination thereof. Among his last film jobs was playing a reporter in WANDA NEVADA (1979) which starred Peter Fonda and Brooke Shield. That was filmed in Arizona, and Harris/Hill may have been living there at that time.

Les Adams has Harris/Hill identified in about 85 films, and that number includes 58 westerns as well as 3 Universal serials.

What ever happened to Riley Hill? There's no rock solid, confirmed answers to that question. In the interim, it's needle-in-a-haystack time! Some additional info below:

• In their Best Of The Badmen book, Boyd Magers, Bob Nareau and Bobby Copeland have a profile on Hill, and note that in his later years, he may have lived in the Tucson, Arizona area as well as Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico and Las Cruces, New Mexico.
• You may want to go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral and then to the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). There you will find a bunch of records for "Roy Harris" and "Riley Hill". Among the names is: Riley O. Hill, born 12 March 1920, Social Security number issued in Texas, passed away on 20 April 1992 at age 72.
• Assuming he was a military vet, I checked the US Department of Veterans Affairs gravesite locator at: http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/. Enter "Roy" and "Harris" or "Riley" and "Hill" in the search boxes and you'll find a bunch of folks born circa 1914-1920 that may be our guy.
• I don't have a clue if this mystery man was: 1) Roy Harris and became Riley Hill; or 2) his real name was Riley Hill and he adopted the Roy Harris name when he was at Universal; 3) and if he was Roy Harris, his first name could have been Roy or Leroy or Royce or ...

At this point (October, 2007), we'll let this profile cook for a bit in hopes that an Old Corral visitor - or perhaps a Roy Harris / Riley Hill family member - will provide more info.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Riley Hill: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0384610/

(Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above from L-to-R are Max Terhune, Nell O'Day, Riley Hill (billed as Roy Harris), Ray Corrigan and John King in a scene from the Range Busters' ARIZONA STAGECOACH (Monogram, 1942). In this film, Harris/Hill is Nell O'Day's brother and gets involved with a gang run by Charlie King. Released in late Summer, 1942, ARIZONA STAGECOACH was one of Harris/Hill's last film appearances before a two-year break in which he probably did World War II duty. (Courtesy of Les Adams) From L-to-R are stuntman Eddie Parker, Johnny Mack Brown and Riley Hill in a scene from TRIGGER FINGERS (Monogram, 1946). (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above from L-to-R are Johnny Mack Brown, Gerry Patterson, Riley Hill, Max Terhune and Terhune's dummy Elmer in a scene from LAW OF THE WEST (Monogram, 1949).