Unkempt, rough and tough looking members of the gang, or lynch mob, or vigilantes, or posse riders, or cow herders. They had minimal or no dialog, not much screen time, and were generally not listed in the film credits. Some would show up as a face in the crowd, portraying townspeople, barflies, deputies, wagon drivers, ranch hands, etc. We tend to recognize some of their faces, but have no clue as to their real names. |
Tommy Coats Full name: Thomas James Coats 1900 - 1954 appeared in at least 111 westerns and 13 serials and his film career ran from about 1931 - 1951. |
Tommy Coats was another riding actor that was generally a henchman, posse rider, cowhand, gang member, etc. Most of his roles were uncredited and his film career spanned about twenty years, from the early 1930s through early 1950s.
He was born in Scotland in 1900, became a U. S. Citizen in 1943, and passed away on June 6, 1954 in Jackson, Oregon. Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Tommy Coats: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167673/ The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), Social Security Death Index (SSDI), and other sources have information on Tommy Coats:
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(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Tommy Coats, Bob Clark, Tom London, Herman Willingham, Herman Nowlin/Nolan, and Clyde Kinney in GHOST VALLEY RAIDERS (Republic, 1940), which starred Don Barry. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above is a handful of mid 1940s baddies and henchies - from L-to-R are Herman Hack, Tommy Coats, Fred Graham, Bud Geary and Buck Bucko in a scene from CHEROKEE FLASH (Republic, 1945), which starred Sunset Carson. Les Adams adds that Tommy Coats was a Republic mainstay but pops up in some of the John Wayne Lone Stars of the mid 1930s. |
Above - Barney Beasley in a screen capture from Bob Steele's ALIAS JOHN LAW (Supreme, 1935). | Barney Beasley Full name: Barney B. Beasley Middle name variations: Ballard Barnard Barnade 1895-1951 appeared in at least 102 westerns and 2 serials and his film career ran from about 1930 - 1944. |
Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Barney Beasley: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0064018/
A familiar face in 1930s westerns was Barney Beasley who most often played an unbilled henchman, barfly, townsman, etc.
The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), California Death Index, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the death certicate provide more on Barney Beasley. The death certificate identifies that he was involved in an accident, but details of that incident are unknown:
Find A Grave confirms that Beasley is interred at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3386867/barney-b-beasley Footnotes:
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(Courtesy of Jack Jones) Above - Barney Beasley in a crop/blowup from a cast and crew shot from the short, THE SUNDOWN TRAIL (William Pizor/Imperial, 1934), which starred Wally Wales. (Courtesy of Carol Murray and her "Jack Hendricks Photo Album") Above - a crop/blowup of Beasley from a production still from Tom Tyler's THE LARAMIE KID (Reliable, 1935). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are an unidentified player, Barney Beasley, an un-moustached Tom Smith, and Ken Maynard appears to be 'rassling with Ed Brady in a still from GUN JUSTICE (Universal, 1933). The bartender is Olin Francis. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Al Hoxie, unidentified player, Yakima Canutt, Barney Beasley, Wally Wales, Sherry Tansey and Peggy Djarling in a scene from CARRYING THE MAIL (William Pizor/Imperial, 1934), one of the several two to three-reel (20 minutes to a half hour) oaters churned out by producer William Pizor in the mid-1930s. The Pizor/Imperial series marked the end of Wally Wales' starring career - a year or two later, he changed his name to Hal Taliaferro and became a prolific sidekick and supporting player in scores of A and B grade westerns and serials into the 1950s. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are lawmen Barney Beasley and Bill Cody about to meet up with Bud Pope, Buck Morgan (moustache) and an unidentified baddie in a still from Cody's THE CYCLONE RANGER (Spectrum, 1935). |
Archie Ricks Full name: Archie Vernon Ricks 1896-1962 appeared in at least 70 westerns and 4 serials and his film career ran from the 1920s - 1945. |
Archie Ricks was an unbilled/uncredited townsman or gang member with little screen time and no dialog. I do recall one B western in which Ricks had a meaty role - this was the Tex Ritter HITTIN' THE TRAIL (Grand National, 1937) with Archie as the "Tombstone Kid" and helping Tex battle Earl Dwire.
Archie's wife Ethel Marion Jones passed away in 1939, and she was the sister of famous Hollywood stable owner Clarence 'Fat' Jones. Archie passed away January 10, 1962 at his Los Angeles home. Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Archie Ricks: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0725568/ The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), California Death Index and the death certificate provide more information on Archie Ricks and family:
Find A Grave website has a photo of the marker for Archie V. Ricks who is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66404821/archie-vernon-ricks His wife Ethel M. Ricks (1902 - 1939) is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113238210/ethel-m-ricks |
(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from left to right are Betty Boyd, Mary Carr, Archie Ricks, Harry Todd, Jack Kirk, and Bob Burns in a scene from the Jack Hoxie GUNLAW (Majestic, 1933). (From Old Corral image collection) Above, from L-to-R are Lucile Browne, William Farnum, Bob Steele, Archie Ricks, James Flavin, and George Hayes (in his days prior to becoming 'Windy' or 'Gabby') in a lobby card from THE BRAND OF HATE (Hackel/Supreme, 1934). James Flavin and Lucile Browne were husband and wife in real life and were married in 1932. (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above from left to right are Archie Ricks, Herman Hack, Kit Guard and Bob Steele in a scene from Steele's KID COURAGEOUS (A. W. Hackel/Supreme, 1934). (From Old Corral collection) Above is a 1950 blue duotone re-release lobby card and crop/blowup from THE GUN RANGER (A. W. Hackel/Republic, 1937). Bob Steele has the drop on, from L-to-R, Earl Dwire, Lew Meehan, Archie Ricks, an unidentified guy, and Barney Beasley. That unidentified guy may be Dick Morehead. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Jack Randall is on the piano and behind him from L-to-R are Frank Hagney, unidentified player (black hat), Oscar Gahan, Chick Hannan/Hannon, unidentified blonde saloon gal, Archie Ricks, and an unidentified tall galoot in a scene from RIDERS OF THE DAWN (Monogram, 1937), Randall's first starring oater. Hagney was a henchman working for Warner Richmond. The blonde isn't Peggy Keys, who was the heroine in this western - the saloon gal may be Ella McKenzie. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above are a covey of no-goods from the lost/missing Jack Randall oater RIDERS FROM NOWHERE (Monogram, 1940). Randall, the brother of Three Mesquiteers star Bob Livingston, would do one more western after RIDERS FROM NOWHERE and then his starring series was over. From left to right are: Jack Evans, Jack Hendricks, Archie Ricks, Charlie King, unidentified face, Carl Mathews, Herman Hack and unidentified player. (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above from left to right are George Chesebro, Ray 'Crash' Corrigan, Budd Buster (top hat), Jimmy Aubrey, Archie Ricks and Herman Hack in a saloon scene from the Range Busters BOOT HILL BANDITS (Monogram, 1942). The partial face behind Corrigan's left shoulder is Richard Cramer doing barkeep duty. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from left to right are Marjorie Manners, Archie Ricks, Ray Jones, Buster Crabbe, unidentified man and woman, Frank Hagney, unidentified woman, I. Stanford Jolley (with the six-shooter), and on the far right is an unidentified player. Production still from Crabbe's BLAZING FRONTIER (PRC, 1943). Don't be fooled by the badge on Hagney as he and Stan Jolley are the gang leaders in this Billy the Kid yarn. |