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. |
(Courtesy of Jack Tillmany) | Fred Kohler, Sr. Full name: Fredrick Louis Kohler not Frederick with an E 1887 or 1888 - 1938 |
Fred Kohler, Jr. Birth name: Jesse William Koehler Amended birth name: Fred Jesse William Koehler 1911 - 1993 | (Courtesy of Jack Tillmany) |
Fred Kohler, Sr. began his Hollywood career around 1910 at Selig, and by the 1920s had became typecast as a brutish, vicious villain, appearing in many of Paramount's Zane Grey westerns, THE IRON HORSE with George O'Brien, more. That typecasting continued into the sound era where he was an antagonist to Reb Russell, Tom Mix, Ken Maynard, George O'Brien and William Boyd/Hoppy. The best of his sound western roles is facing Mix in THE RIDER OF DEATH VALLEY (Universal, 1932). Another meaty role was his portrayal of 'General Burr' in the cliffhanger, THE VIGILANTES ARE COMING (Republic, 1936), which starred Bob Livingston. Kohler, Sr. passed away from a heart attack at his home in West Hollywood, California on October 28, 1938.
Film historian William K. Everson had a multi paragraph write-up on Kohler Senior in his book THE BAD GUYS, A Pictorial History of the Movie Villain (Cadillac Publishing/Citadel Press, 1964). Everson begins his Kohler comments with:
"If I were ever asked to nominate the best western badman of all, I don't think there would be much of a mental struggle before Fred Kohler's name was elevated to that lofty pedestal. Fred was a badman of the old school - crafty, ugly, brawny, happier with the simple villainies of robbing stagecoaches or rustling casttle, and not one to have others do his dirty work for him. When displeased, which was frequently, he'd grind his teeth audibly and glower ... "
Son Fred Kohler, Jr. got a (brief) chance to do some hero work in the mid 1930s in a planned six film series for producer William Berke and Commodore Pictures. But Commodore went belly-up and only two of the Kohler Jr. oaters were lensed (as well as two with Harry Carey, Sr.). Big and burly like his dad, the younger Kohler had a mild (bland) screen personality - on screen, he just didn't project the same kind of malevolence as his father. Fred Junior became a minor bit/supporting player from the 1930s until his last film and television appearances in the 1960s. You can spot him in several of the pre-World War II Charles Starrett oaters ... at Republic with Bill Elliott, Don Barry, Roy Rogers and the Three Mesquiteers ... and in Gene Autry's later films for Columbia Pictures. Junior also shows up in early TV shows including THE CISCO KID, WILD BILL HICKOK, 26 MEN, and more. Fred Jr. passed away on January 7, 1993 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
In the sound era, Fred Senior made about 70 films, of which 33 were westerns and 2 were serials. Fred Junior appeared in about 85 movies, of which 34 were oaters and 4 were cliffhangers.
Father and son appeared together in several films including Fred Senior's last, LAWLESS VALLEY (RKO, 1938), one of the George O'Brien sagebrushers.
(Courtesy of Leota Whitaker Gandrau) Above - pretty Kay Sutton is sandwiched between Fred Kohler, Sr. and Jr. in the older Kohler's final screen role in the George O'Brien LAWLESS VALLEY (RKO, 1938). Both Senior and Junior played no-good father and son in this O'Brien. |
On the (confusing) trail of Fred Kohler Senior and Junior
Tracking info on the Junior and Senior Kohlers has been a mind numbing experience. In the information below, there are common threads which I've highlighted in several colors. These are:
Fred Seniors first wife was Ida Friedman and she is linked as the birth mother of Fred Junior. Ida's mother was Susan Anixter. |
About Fred Senior |
The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), California Death Index, newspaper obituaries/funeral notices, and the death certificate provide more on the Senior Kohler:
Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Fred Kohler Senior: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0463264/
Find A Grave website has the location of the unmarked grave for Kohler, Sr. at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8676881/fred-kohler
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About Fred Junior |
The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), and the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) have information on Fred Jr.:
Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Fred Kohler Junior: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0463249/ Find A Grave website notes that Fred Jr. had a non-cemetery burial somewhere in Arizona: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81596629/fred-kohler |
Fred Senior |
(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above - Jack Luden seems to be the winner of this brawl with a young and curly-haired Fred Kohler, Sr. in the silent SHOOTIN' IRONS (Paramount, 1927). During the late 1920s, Kohler was a busy guy working under contract at Paramount. (Courtesy of Les Adams) In the above still and crop/blowups, Ken Maynard is prone among an entire regiment of henchies in THE FIDDLIN' BUCKAROO (Universal, 1933). From L-to-R are Slim Whitaker, Bud McClure, Frank Ellis (face in shadows), Roy Bucko (with Maynard's pearl handled six-shooter in his belt), Hank Bell (with Maynard's other pearl handled six-shooter in his belt), Jack Kirk (face in shadows), Jack King (tall hat), Fred Kohler, partial face of unidentified guy, and Buck Bucko. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above - Fred Kohler, Sr. and Ann D'Arcy in a scene from THE MAN FROM HELL (Willis Kent, 1934) which starred Reb Russell. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above, Fred Kohler, Sr. versus Buck Jones in BORDER BRIGANDS (Universal, 1935). Hank Bell, with his usual handlebar moustache, is in the middle watchin' the action. (From Old Corral image collection) Above from L-to-R are Reb Russell, Yvonne Pelletier, Fred Kohler, and Dick Botiller in LIGHTNING TRIGGERS (Willis Kent, 1935), Reb's last film. If you look closely, you can see the disfigured right hand on Kohler, which was caused, depending on the source, by a birth defect or a hunting accident, or ... various. Bobby Copeland provides some additional info: "Fred Kohler, Jr. told me what happened to his Father's hand. Sr., who was too young at the time to handle explosives, was working with dynamite when he accidentally blew off part of his hand. The mining officials gave him $100 to never reveal what had happened." |
Fred Junior |
(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Fred Kohler, Jr., Ed Cassidy (minus his usual moustache) and Earl Dwire in THE PECOS KID (Commodore, 1935), one of a pair of mid 1930s oaters in which the younger Kohler was the lead and hero. (Courtesy of Patricia L. Manson) Above from L-to-R are an unidentified player, Cliff Parkinson and Fred Kohler, Jr. in another still from THE PECOS KID (Commodore, 1935). (From Old Corral image collection) Above from L-to-R are Fred Kohler, Jr., kneeling over Earl Dwire. Left to right in the back row are Tom London, Jack Hendricks (AKA Ray Henderson), Ed Cassidy and Betty Mack. Lobby card and crop/blowup from TOLL OF THE DESERT (Commodore, 1935), the second (of two) starring oaters for Kohler, Jr. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Jack Ingram, Pascale Perry, Fred Kohler, Jr., Tom Tyler, Tom Chatterton, Sam Lufkin (bartender) and Al Taylor in a scene from the Three Mesquiteers RAIDERS OF THE RANGE (Republic, 1942). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above is a title card included in the pressbook for WESTERN MAIL (Monogram, 1942), one of the eight 1941-42 releases that Tom Keene did for Monogram. The baddies in the background are, from L-to-R, Sherry Tansey, Rocky Camron (Gene Alsace), Karl Hackett and Fred Kohler, Jr. (Courtesy of Donn & Nancy Moyer) Above - 1970s photo of Fred Kohler, Jr. |