Johnny Carpenter, the last of the shoestring B-western independent combination producer/stars, didn't make top drawer B-westerns, but through all the budget pinching and corner cutting, his love of western films shows through on the screen in much the same way his friend Ed Wood's did in low echelon horror films. Johnny tried. And tried hard to make decent, exciting B-westerns. His best was BADMAN'S GOLD (1951). Johnny didn't get started til it was nearly all over. If he'd come along ten years earlier - who knows. But at least we must give him A for effort when every other producer was fleeing for the TV range.
 (Courtesy of Les Adams)
Above - Carpenter wearing a left-handed, cross-draw holster and gunbelt in BADMAN'S GOLD (Jack Schwarz Productions, 1951).
 (Pressbook ad courtesy of Les Adams)
 (Courtesy of Les Adams)
Clipping from the OUTLAW TREASURE (1955) pressbook with Carpenter billing himself as 'John Forbes'. |
What Johnny accomplished off screen, out of his own pocket, for hundreds of thousands of handicapped children who visited his "Heaven on Earth" ranch for 47 years far surpasses what he did on screen. Johnny's motto, emblazoned on a sign at the ramshackle ranch, read, "The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth. Dedicated free forever to the handicapped."
Johnny Carpenter - a true western hero, on or off screen!
Born June 25, 1914, in the small Ozark mountain town of Debinsville, Arkansas ❋ (just south of Russellville on Hwy 40), Johnny learned to horseback on his Dad's farm. His father also operated a butcher shop. Little else is known about his childhood, but as a member of the University of Arkansas varsity team at 18, he moved up to the Southern League and was set for a first team berth in 1936 with the Chicago White Sox when, during spring practice, he was run over by a car in a hit and run accident, breaking his left leg in seven places, breaking his back and causing internal injuries. In a body cast for 119 days, he lost his chance at a baseball career. During an eight year recuperation, he went back to riding and shooting on his Dad's farm, interests he had prior to baseball.
Johnny (and his brother, Frank 'Red' Carpenter) came west to Hollywood in the early '40s, finding work at a stable where he put his riding skills to use.
His first part in a film is apparently a bit in THUNDERING TRAILS ('43) with the 3 Mesquiteers at Republic. Working as a stuntman, he was the only stuntman to ride the entire prestigious Grand National horse race on film for Mickey Rooney's NATIONAL VELVET in '44. Johnny's also seen in NAVAJO TRAIL ('45) with Johnny Mack Brown, NORTHWEST TRAIL ('45) with Bob Steele, SANTA FE SADDLEMATES ('45) and EL PASO KID ('46) with Sunset Carson, SONG OF OLD WYOMING ('45) and COLORADO SERENADE ('46) with Eddie Dean, TRAIL OF KIT CARSON ('45) with Allan Lane, SONG OF THE WASTELAND ('47) with Jimmy Wakely, STRANGER FROM PONCA CITY ('47) with Charles Starrett, RELENTLESS ('48) with Robert Young, RED CANYON ('49) with Howard Duff, KID FROM TEXAS ('50) with Audie Murphy and COMANCHE TERRITORY ('50) with Macdonald Carey.
In 1950, Johnny hooked up with producer Jack Schwarz (releasing through Eagle-Lion) who gave Johnny bigger and better parts each time in I KILLED GERONIMO ('50) with Jimmy Ellison, BORDER OUTLAWS ('50) with Spade Cooley and Bill Edwards, FIGHTING STALLION ('50) with Bill Edwards, and Johnny's breakthrough film as the Tucson Kid in CATTLE QUEEN ('51) with Maria Hart. Directed by prolific Bob Tansey, this was a remake of Tansey's Trail Blazers title, BLAZING GUNS. Tansey then produced and directed Johnny in what is regarded as Carpenter's best B-western, BADMAN'S GOLD ('51) released again by Eagle-Lion. Tansey's death within the year put an end to any other starring films for Johnny for a couple of years. Meantime, he was riding and stunting at Universal-International in CAVE OF OUTLAWS ('51) with Macdonald Carey, DUEL AT SILVER CREEK ('52) with Audie Murphy, IRON MAN ('51) with Jeff Chandler and LAW AND ORDER ('53) with Ronald Reagan.
Johnny also found work in the early '50s on several episodes of TV's WILD BILL HICKOK starring Guy Madison.
But Carpenter's main claim to fame were the four B-westerns he self promoted in the '50s - SON OF THE RENEGADE ('53) distributed by Schwarz again through United Artists; LAWLESS RIDER ('54) directed by stunt great Yakima Canutt and produced by longtime Gene Autry associate Alex Gordon - again released by U.A.; OUTLAW TREASURE ('55) directed by B-vet Oliver Drake and distributed independently by Amco; and finally, I KILLED WILD BILL HICKOK ('56) directed by another stunt legend, Richard Talmadge. This one was even shot in Eastman Color.
Jack Schwarz was again involved in distribution through his own Equity Studios. For unknown reasons, on the last two, Carpenter listed himself as writer/producer but billed himself while acting as John Forbes. Besides the name directors Johnny associated himself with, he'd also hire two or three name actors --- Douglass Dumbrille, Frankie Darro, Noel Neill (LAWLESS RIDER); Jack Ingram, Henry Wills (SON OF THE RENEGADE); Adele Jergens, Glenn Langan, Michael Whalen (OUTLAW TREASURE), and Tom Brown, Helen Westcott, Denver Pyle (I KILLED WILD BILL HICKOK).
To round out the casts in his films, Johnny fell back on friends and a stock company of regulars - his brother Frank, Kenne Duncan, Whitey Hughes, Bill Coontz (aka Bill Foster), Verne Teters, Lou Roberson (brother of John Wayne stunt double Chuck Roberson), Bill Chaney, Roy Canada, Alyn Lockwood and Bill Ward. Bob Burns, who'd starred in a few silent 2-reelers at Universal and had played character roles all through the '30s and '40s, wound up his career with a part in LAWLESS RIDER. Carpenter went back to stunt work and roles as a heavy after I KILLED WILD BILL HICKOK.
In 1956, he appeared on eight episodes of the Russell Hayden produced JUDGE ROY BEAN with Edgar Buchanan, filmed on Hayden's ranch in Pioneertown, California. Johnny's also seen in RED SUNDOWN ('56) with Rory Calhoun, WILD HERITAGE ('58) with Will Rogers Jr., NO PLACE TO LAND ('58), TOMBOY AND THE CHAMP ('61) and 7TH COMMANDMENT ('61). Johnny never gave up hope on producing another B-western. Leading lady Beatrice Gray, who'd worked opposite Hoot Gibson, Bob Steele, Kirby Grant and Johnny Mack Brown in the '40s, was Carpenter's 'wife' for a small scene in WILD HERITAGE. For our book Westerns Women (McFarland 1999) she told us:
"He talked me into investing $10,000 up front to finance a western script he called 'Johnny Ringo', which he'd direct. Everyone would get paid when it sold. It was shot in Jacksboro, a small town in Texas. One day, the leading lady's (Elaine Walker) husband misunderstandably told them (the cast) that I had money to pay their salaries. He organized a work stoppage only halfway into the film. So, it had to be shut down. I returned to L.A. minus my 10 grand. Johnny kept the film. I'd sure like to see it! What there is of it!"
It's very likely this was some of the footage Johnny showed me, my wife and stuntlady Evelyn Finley one 98 degree day in 1984 in his barn at his "Heaven on Earth" ranch in Lake View Terrace.
Johnny's first "Heaven on Earth" ranch, devoted to handicapped children, was in Glendale. Located there since the mid '40s, he moved the mock western town to Foothill Boulevard in Lake View Terrace (20 miles northwest of Los Angeles) in 1970 where he stayed til he was evicted in January 1994 to make way for a housing development. It was Johnny's empathy with handicapped kids stemming from his hit and run accident when he was 18 that led him to first open the ranch. He made a pact: If God would let him walk again, he would spend his life helping the handicapped. He kept his pact. Over the years, thousands of children from the L.A. school system and from such groups as the United Cerebral Palsy/Spastic Children's Foundation were greeted at the gates by Johnny as they spent the day for free touring the western town set and riding horseback, with Carpenter's help if need be. Johnny's many supporters pitched in to pay the $700 a month it cost to rent the five acres of land. These included former President Ronald Reagan, L.A. mayor Tom Bradley and the Variety Clubs of America.
Johnny told Readers Digest in 1982: "The Bible says, 'As you sow, so shall ye reap.' Well, I've reaped two-hundredfold. I've gotten more satisfaction out of this ranch than anything else I've ever done. Everything I own is on my back. Yet because of the ranch, I can get up every morning and walk down the street like a king. If I get to heaven, it'll be on the coattails of these kids."
Indeed, Johnny Carpenter entered Heaven on February 27, 2003, after a battle with cancer for a year or so at a Burbank nursing home. He was 88. He was survived by a sister, Corinne Bostian, of New Mexico. Johnny is buried at Forest Lawn in Los Angeles.
Boyd Magers
May, 2001
❋ Footnote: census, Johnny's World War II draft registration, and other records have his birth place as Dardanelle, Yell County, Arkansas, not Debinsville, Arkansas. Details below.
 (Courtesy of Minard Coons)
|  |  | Above from L-to-R are Al LaRue (before his days as 'Lash'), Sarah Padden, Jennifer Holt, Lee Bennett, unknown player (possibly Ray Elder), Eddie Dean, and Emmett 'Pappy' Lynn at the desk. From the Cinecolor SONG OF OLD WYOMING (PRC, 1945), singing cowboy Eddie Dean's first starring oater.
Carpenter - as ranchhand 'Buck' - is in the upper right corner and was in his early thirties when this oater was made. |
 (Courtesy of Les Adams)
Left to right are Clark/Clarke Stevens; John Carpenter; short man in the doorway is Bill Chaney; unidentified guy; and Quentin Sondergaard on the far right. Lobby card from BADMAN'S GOLD (Jack Schwarz Productions, 1951). |
Links
 Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Johnny Carpenter: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0139383/
20 minute video interview of Johnny Carpenter includes lots about his Heaven on Earth Ranch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl9LY6VnbPA
Articles and photos in 1956 editions of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper on Carpenter and leading lady Elaine Walker filming Johnnie Ringo:
October 24, 1956 article and photo: https://www.newspapers.com/image/638292083/?match=1&clipping_id=160002410
November 19, 1956 article and photo: https://www.newspapers.com/image/637735687/?match=1&clipping_id=160001826
August 2, 1957 Fort Worth Star-Telegram has a large ad inviting the locals to "Johnny Ringo's Gala Western Days Celebration" and you could "witness the shooting of scenes for a new western movie at the JOHNNY RINGO RANCH location five miles west of Fort Worth!" This was during Carpenter's failed effort to create that 'Johnny Ringo' movie or TV show: https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-ad-for-johnny-c/160085852/
You can stream or download several of Carpenter's films from the Internet Archive:
SON OF THE RENEGADE (1952) from the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/son_of_the_renegade
I KILLED WILD BILL HICKOK (1956) from the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/i_killed_wild_bill_hickok
I KILLED WILD BILL HICKOK is a Wheeler Company production and listed as a 1956 release. However, the end credits show a 1954 date. Is a poor quality oater and Carpenter's last starrer. Watch the first minute or two of the film - a train runs from right to left on the screen. But they got the (stock) footage reversed and you can see the DENVER & RIO GRANDE lettering on the steam locomotive is reversed. Thus, the DENVER & RIO GRANDE name appears as DENVER & RIO GRANDE. Screen capture below. Carpenter and his film editor must have been asleep.
Boyd Magers Western Clippings website has more on Carpenter's starring films: http://www.westernclippings.com/westernsof/johnnycarpenter_westernsof.shtml
Carpenter was a friend of Ed Wood, Jr. (who brought us PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE and other films). Joe Blevins wrote about the Carpenter / Wood relationship on his blog: https://d2rights.blogspot.com/2014/01/ed-wood-wednesdays-week-29-son-of.html
On the trail of Johnny Carpenter ...
including details on family, wives, children.
His wives ... and children:
- 1. He married Thelma F. Mayfield in December, 1936 and they divorced circa October, 1938. Thelma Carpenter and one year old daughter, Ann Roselie Carpenter, were living with Thelma's parents at the time of the 1940 census.
Find A Grave has Thelma Fay Mayfield Meeks (1914 - 2000) interred at Florida Memorial Gardens, Rockledge, Brevard County, Florida: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24137582/thelma-fay-meeks
- 2. He tied the knot with Lois Allen Clark on August 26, 1941 in Maricopa, Arizona.
- 3. In November, 2024, I connected with Kathy Ruston and learned more about actress Elaine Walker and Carpenter. Elaine was her grandfather's sister. For those of you with a subscription to Ancestry.com, you may want to visit Kathy Ruston's "Hitt-Ruston Adamson" Family Tree.
In the info below, the Ruston surname is a common thread and I've highlighted it in THIS COLOR.
In the mid 1950s, Carpenter was in the Fort Worth, Texas area developing a movie or TV show based on the "Johnnie Ringo" character. Elaine Walker was his leading lady and her real name was Wanda Lee Hitt (1935 - 2010). After her mother re-married, she became Wanda Lee Hitt Ruston.
A few family trees on Ancestry.com have several 1950s TV and movie photos of Elaine Walker. There's also a large "Johnnie Ringo" ad from Fairview Productions, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas with a photo of Walker and Carpenter.
Appears that Carpenter and Walker married - or had a common law arrangement - and they had a son, John L. Carpenter (1957 - 1990).
Elaine Walker has a few credits at the Internet Movie Database: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907715
There's two grave marker records at Find A Grave:
Wanda Lee 'Elaine Walker' Hitt-Ruston Geary (1935 - 2010) is interred with her last husband Michael Geary at Fort Rosecrans National Military Cemetery, San Diego, San Diego County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184506395/wanda_lee_geary
A common headstone for four individuals is at Sanger Cemetery, Sanger, Fresno County, California. Buried there are J. L. Carpenter (October 5, 1957 - May 10, 1990), Morris Dale Ogan (1941 - 1994), and Wanda's stepdad Sam Ruston (1912 - 1987). Wanda L. Ogan (1935 - ) is listed on the marker but is not interred there: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14793719/j-l-carpenter
Calfornia Birth Index for J. L. Carpenter. He was born October 6, 1957 in the Los Angeles area and mother's maiden name was Ruston: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2YP-S4T
California Death Index for John L. Carpenter. He was born October 6, 1957 in California; passed away on April 10, 1990; and mother's maiden name was Rustin [sic]: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPXL-HN4
 (Courtesy of Kathy Ruston and the Ruston Family)
Above - Elaine Walker and Carpenter during their mid
1950s work on JOHNNIE RINGO in Fort Worth, Texas.
 (Courtesy of Kathy Ruston and the Ruston Family)Above - Elaine Walker and Roger Moore, perhaps taken
during Moore's stint on the MAVERICK TV show circa 1960.
Confusion on his birth location:
Various biographies have Carpenter born in the small town of Debinsville, Arkansas. Over the years, ye Old Corral webmaster received occasional e-mails questioning that Debinsville, Arkansas location. One e-mail noted that Debinsville, Arkansas doesn't exist and Carpenter was born in Dardanelle, Arkansas. That appears to be correct as the family is living in Dardanelle, Yell County, Arkansas at the time of the 1910 and 1920 census. And Johnny's World War II draft registration has his birth place as Dardanelle, Arkansas. In the info below, I've highlighted Dardanelle, Arkansas in THIS COLOR.
No luck finding Debinsville, Arkansas in Google Maps. Do a search on Google Maps, and enter "Debinsville Arkansas" in the Search box at the top: https://www.google.com/maps
And do a search for "Debinsville Arkansas" in Wikipedia: https://www.wikipedia.org/
The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), Fold3 military records (subscription), California Death Index, Social Security Death Index (SSDI), and other records have information on Carpenter and family. Note that he is "Josh L. Carpenter" in the 1920 census and "J. L. Carpenter" in the 1930 census and other records.
Before Johnny's birth:
- 1900 census: 25 year old Joshua Carpenter (born Tennessee), his 20 year old wife Maud (born Arkansas), one year old daughter Marjorie (born Arkansas), and 50 year old servant Andrew J. Gray (born Georgia; occupation Farm Laborer) lived in Dardanelle and Delaware Townships (excl. Dardanelle town), Mt. Nebo town, Yell County, Arkansas: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3F6-HS5
1900 census takers worksheet - the Carpenters were renting and occupation of father Joshua was "Farmer": https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-677K-BS?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM3F6-HS5&action=view
- 1910 census: 35 year old Jasper L. Carpenter (born Tennessee), his 30 year old wife Maud (born Arkansas), along with three daughters and a son, ages 2-10 years of age, were living in Dardanelle, Yell County, Arkansas: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MKKZ-6XD
1910 census takers worksheet - the Carpenters owned their home and occupation of father Jasper L. was "Proprietor-Grocery store": https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RVP-XHJ?mode=g&i=16&wc=QZZ4-M26%3A133642401%2C140745001%2C140753401%2C1589089268%3Fcc%3D1727033&cc=1727033
After Johnny's birth:
- 1920 census - 45 year old Josh L. Carpenter (born Tennessee; no occupation listed), 39 year old wife Maud (born Arkansas), 17 year old daughter Ruth (born Arkansas), 14 year old daughter Jewell (born Arkansas), 11 year old son Edgar (born Arkansas), 9 year old daughter Lorana (born Arkansas), 5 year old son Josh L. Carpenter (born Arkansas), 3 year old son Woodroe (born Arkansas), and 8 month old son Thomas W. (born Arkansas) were living in Dardanelle, Yell County, Arkansas. Also residing in the household were 20 year old married daughter Margie Littleton (born Arkansas) and her 22 year old husband Bonnie Littleton (born Arkansas). 5 year old Josh L. Carpenter is Johnny: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MDFY-SH3
1920 census takers worksheet - the Carpenter family owned their home in Dardanelle, Arkansas. Johnny is listed as Josh L. but "Jr." has been scribbled next to his name on the census sheet: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RX7-3QH?mode=g&i=29&wc=QZJ5-VCP%3A1036470101%2C1037826301%2C1037842101%2C1589332980%3Fcc%3D1488411&cc=1488411
- 1930 census - 56 year old Jasper Carpenter (born Tennessee), 40 year old wife Maude (born Arkansas), 16 year old son J. L. Carpenter (born Arkansas), 13 year old son Woodrow (born Arkansas), 10 year old son Thomas (born Arkansas), and 8 year old daughter Corinne (born Arkansas) were living in Ozark, Franklin County, Arkansas: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XML3-CJ2
1930 census takers worksheet - the family was renting at 271 Carter Street, Ozark, Arkansas. The occupation of father Jasper was "Foreman - Road Construction": https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R42-SNK?mode=g&i=25&wc=QZFS-8N8%3A648804901%2C649102001%2C648890301%2C1589282454%3Fcc%3D1810731&cc=1810731
- Carpenter researcher Kathryn Graham had military news from the September 24, 1936 Little Rock, Arkansas Gazette: "... J. L. Carpenter of Dardanelle enlisted in the army yesterday and assigned to the Second Cavalry at Fort Riley, Kan."
- Arkansas marriage index for J. L. Carpenter and Thelma F. Mayfield. Marriage was December, 1936 in Yell County, Arkansas (month and year shown; no day is listed): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VJTB-5QY
- October 16, 1938 Little Rock, Arkansas Gazette newspaper reported on the suit for divorce of "Thelma J. Carpenter vs. J. L. Carpenter".
- 1940 census - 25 year old Thelma Carpenter (no occupation) and one year old daughter, Ann Roselie Carpenter, were living in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas with Thelma's parents, Andrew and Jennie Mayfield. There's multiple entries and overstrikes in the single, married, divorced column for Thelma: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQKB-1H7
- Fold3 military records had the World War II draft registration dated October 16, 1940 for 26 year old J. L. Carpenter. He was born June 25, 1914 in Dardanelle, Arkansas. He was 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighed 178 pounds, and was living at 1631 Florida Street, Long Beach, California with his brother, Woodrow Wilson Carpenter. Listed under physical characteristics: "Bad scar on left leg caused from broken leg" (probably from that 1936 hit and run accident mentioned in his bio).
- Researcher Kathryn Graham had the August 26, 1941 Maricopa, Arizona marriage license of J. L. Carpenter and Lois Allen Clark. Both listed 728 East Esther? Street, Long Beach, California as their residence; and brother W. W. Carpenter and wife Dorothy were witnesses.
- Social Security Death Index (SSDI) - John Carpenter was born June 25, 1914 in Arkansas, last residence of Burbank, California, and he passed away on February 27, 2003: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JLDD-G22
- 1940 census: Johnny's 18 year old sister Corinne had married, was now Corinne Bostian, and her husband was 25 year old George T. Bostian. They were living in Morrilton, Conway County, Arkansas. Corinne's prior residence address was Dardanelle, Yell County, Arkansas: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KQV8-64Q
- Find A Grave website has a photo of the marker for John Carpenter who is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10064847/johnny-carpenter
There are various websites with biographical information on Carpenter. Most all of them re-use information published at the time of his death. Sadly, there are a couple of errors - the first is that obit biographies spell his name "Johny" (with a single N). The second is a Debinsville, Arkansas birth location (when it should be Dardanelle, Yell County, Arkansas). Obituaries do (correctly) mention that Carpenter was survived by his sister Corinne Bostian of New Mexico (she is listed in the above 1930 and 1940 census):
Here's a few articles and photos on Carpenter and his Heaven on Earth ranch which ceased operation in the mid 1990s:
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