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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.



(Image courtesy of Jack Tillmany)
Lynton Brent - circa 1929
 

Lynton Brent - circa 1942


Lynton Brent

Full name: Lynton Wright Brent

1897 - 1981

Existing (and very brief) biographies on Lynton Brent note that he was born in Chicago, was a World War I veteran, was a writer, artist and architect, and he did stage plays prior to beginning film work circa 1929 - 1930.

Brent's Hollywood career consisted of nearly 300 films during a 20+ year span from about 1929 - 1950. Among those films were 66 westerns and 14 cliffhangers ... plus about two dozen of the Three Stooges shorts for Columbia. He was frequently employed by Republic Pictures, appearing in nearly fifty westerns, serials and other films during the period 1936 - 1944.

In serials, westerns and other features, Brent was often a henchman/gang member and was unbilled/uncredited. Once in a while, he was given a bit more to do, and a couple examples come to mind. In the Ken Maynard twelve chapter MYSTERY MOUNTAIN (Mascot, 1934), Brent is one of several individuals suspected of being "the Rattler". In the Range Busters' TRAIL RIDERS (Monogram, 1942), Brent is heroine Evelyn Finley's brother, and he gets a few lines of dialog and some screen time when he gets involved with Charlie King's gang. We know that Brent dabbled in writing - while Adele Buffington (using her "Jess Bowers" pseudonym) wrote the screenplay for the Johnny Mack Brown THE TEXAS KID (Monogram, 1943), the original story was by Lynton Wright Brent, and he's given credit in the opening titles (and he also appears in that film as one of the gang members).

Jack Tillmany had some circa 1929 - 1930 casting directories which included Lynton Brent:

He was the son of William Lynton Brent, the president of Merchants Trust Company and a Los Angeles civic leader, who was one of the founders and developers of Brentwood/Brentwood Park, a suburb of Los Angeles (which was named for Brent). W. L. Brent passed away on April 5, 1955 at the age of 86.

Lila Ashear did some sleuthing and was able to locate some additional information:

California Death Index has a record for Lynton Brent, born 8/2/1897 in Illinois, and passed away in the Los Angeles area on 7/12/1981. There is a corresponding record in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI).

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Lynton Brent: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0107589/

The Three Stooges net website has a listing of the two dozen Three Stooges comedies in which Brent appeared: http://www.threestooges.net/cast/actor/107/


Author and painter Lynton Brent ... is this our B western Lynton Brent?

It appears that Brent authored some books - some were westerns and some were risque/adult - unless there was another Lynton Wright Brent. This link will take you to a Google search for books by Lynton Wright Brent: https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Lynton+Wright+Brent%22+%2B%22books%22

The Ask ART website has a very brief profile on Brent, noting that he painted as a hobby: http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/biography.aspx?artist=11167031




(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above from L-to-R are Bud Osborne, Kermit Maynard, Charlie King and Lynton Brent. Scene from Range Busters adventure #18, TRAIL RIDERS (Monogram, 1942).



(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above from L-to-R are Lynton Brent, John King, Max Terhune and Dave Sharpe in another scene from the Range Busters adventure TRAIL RIDERS (Monogram, 1942).



(From Old Corral image collection)

Raymond Hatton (seated) looks on, McCoy (wearing frock coat) negotiates, and Jones is all tied up in this lobby card from FORBIDDEN TRAILS (Monogram, 1941). Lynton Brent is on the left of McCoy and Charlie King (without a moustache) is standing on the far right. Tristram 'Tris' Coffin is seated at the table.



(From Old Corral image collection)

Above from L-to-R are John Merton, Dave 'Tex' O'Brien, Crabbe (seated), Lynton Brent and Curley Dresden in a lobby card from SHERIFF OF SAGE VALLEY (PRC, 1942).  Crabbe had a dual role in this oater, and "the other Crabbe" is facing him on the far left.



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