(From Old Corral image collection)

Buddy Roosevelt Real name: Kenneth Stanhope Sanderson 1898 - 1973 Middle name variations: Standhope Stanhope

(From Old Corral image collection) Above is Buddy Roosevelt - silent era photo. (From Old Corral image collection) The cast for RKO's POWDERSMOKE RANGE (1935) included various past, current and future western film heroes, including Roosevelt.

The son of English settlers, handsome Kenneth Stanhope Sanderson came to Southern California from his birthplace in Meeker, Colorado, with the C. B. Irwin Wild West Show in 1914. Like so many before him, he found employment as a stunt-man with producer Thomas Ince's at fabled Inceville (today's Santa Monica), doubling the great early western star William S. Hart. According to Western film historian Buck Rainey, the newcomer was awarded the handsome sum of $22 a week doubling Hart in such classics as HELL'S HINGES (1916), but World War I interrupted what could only have been a dream-come-through for the young rodeo rider. Sanderson reportedly saw duty on the ill-fated U.S.S. Norfolk, nearly drowned and barely survived the devastating flu epidemic of 1918. Returning to Hollywood after the armistice, Sanderson doubled Rudolph Valentino in that star's breakthrough film, THE SHEIK (1921), and, at Universal, William Desmond in the serial BEASTS OF PARADISE (1923). Universal producer Nat Ross hired him to star in DOWN IN TEXAS, a 2-reeler, but he somehow fell though the cracks at that studio and instead signed a personal contract with poverty row entrepreneur Lester F. Scott, Jr. A typical shoestring producer whose product was released on the low budget, states rights circuits, Scott didn't like the name Sanderson and awarded the newcomer the more alluring Buddy Roosevelt, in honor, presumably, of former president Theodore Roosevelt. Beginning with ROUGH RIDIN' (1924), in which he prevents crooked ranch foreman Joe Rickson from taking advantage of heroine Elsa Benham, the newly named Buddy Roosevelt would make 25 fast-paced oaters for Scott, many with the name 'Buddy' in the title. Each cost approximately $22,000 to produce, even then a low amount, but Scott surrounded his novice actor with such veteran supporting players as Lafe McKee, Josef W. Girard, Lew Meehan, and Ruth Royce, and an obviously talented young director named Richard Thorpe kept the pace lickety-split. Buddy's leading ladies were all well-known to rural audiences and included a very young, brunette, Jean Arthur. Unfortunately, the budgets deteriorated even further along the way, especially after Scott hired newcomers Jay Wilsey and Floyd Alderson, both of whom were awarded catchy monikers, Buffalo Bill, Jr. and Wally Wales (after the Prince of), respectively. With three stars vying for attention (and budgets), a certain sameness began to creep into the vehicles and audiences were soon hard pressed to remember whether they had just seen Buffalo, Wally or Buddy --- plots and leading ladies had become interchangeable. In January of 1928, Roosevelt had had enough and bolted in favor of rival Rayart Productions, where he once again was defeated by low budgets. This time, however, there was no Richard Thorpe to put him through his paces but instead one J. P. McGowan, a director for whom the term 'hack' may very well have been coined. After six of these misbegotten little oaters, Roosevelt earned what could have been the biggest break of his career. Cast as the Cisco Kid in the all-talking IN OLD ARIZONA (1929), Buddy had to withdraw at the last moment due to a broken leg. Warner Baxter replaced him and won an Academy Award. Stuntman producer Paul Malvern, meanwhile, was interested in hiring Roosevelt for a new series of sound westerns, but Mrs. Roosevelt reportedly ruined what could have saved a decidedly rocky career by demanding too much money. John Wayne was cast instead and the rest, as they say, is history. Roosevelt did do another western series but with cheapskate entrepreneur Jack Irwin at the helm, and for a lot less money than Malvern had offered. The three Roosevelt/Irwin westerns, LIGHTNING SMITH RETURNS, THE RIDIN' KID, and VALLEY OF BAD MEN, remain among the most obscure ever released --- if they ever truly were released. Because they contained almost identical casts, it is perhaps easy to assume that they were merely alternate titles for the same film, but apparently three films were indeed produced --- in all likelihood back-to-back. In LIGHTNING SMITH RETURNS, Roosevelt played a fiction writer invited to a ranch by Barbara Worth (aka Hazel Keener), who then teases him mercilessly about his ignorance of all things western. He was an undercover marshal battling a megalomaniac rancher (played by former director William Bertram) in THE RIDIN' KID (aka THE RIDING KID), and discovered that a crooked tax attorney (Tom London) has usurped his ancestral ranch in VALLEY OF BAD MEN. Like most shoestring producers, Irwin ran out of money after that and no further Roosevelt westerns were produced.

(From Old Corral image collection) Above from left to right are Buddy Roosevelt (with moustache), Benny Corbett, Tom London (on horseback), Wilsey and Bob Roper in a scene from WESTWARD BOUND (Webb-Douglas Productions/Syndicate, 1931). Wilsey was the star of this early sound film which was directed by Harry S. Webb, the later owner (with B. B. Ray) of Reliable Pictures. (Courtesy of Ed Tabor) Above - a lobby card from the Jack Irwin directed THE RIDIN' KID (Syndicate, 1931). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above - a lobby card from THE VALLEY OF BADMEN (Syndicate, 1931), another Roosevelt oater directed by Jack Irwin. In the photo inset are Buddy and Charles 'Slim' Whitaker. This is one of the lost/missing westerns.

After doubling Marion Davies riding scenes in OPERATOR 13, and playing supporting roles in a host of other films, Roosevelt was again starred on poverty row, this time by the ubiquitous Victor Adamson (aka Denver Dixon, aka Art Mix), who in 1934 cast him in four oaters for Superior Talking Pictures, which, of course, were far from superior. Roosevelt was a foreman attempting to help some beleaguered neighbors in BOSS COWBOY; fought outlaws over oil claims in CIRCLE CANYON; trailed a gang after witnessing the murder of a miner in LIGHTNING RANGE; and became the 'Texas Terror', cleaning up a gaggle of cutthroats in RAWHIDE ROMANCE. Anyone who has ever sat through an Adamson/Dixon/Mix production will know that these films were as ramshackle as they come.

(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above, Roosevelt and Clarise Woods in CIRCLE CANYON (Superior, 1934), one of the ultra low budget oaters that Buddy did for Victor Adamson (Denver Dixon). In this photo, ol' Buddy looks a bit like George O'Brien, especially with that drawstring shirt. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above - Buddy Roosevelt and heroine Patsy Bellamy in the title lobby card from LIGHTNING RANGE (California Motion Picture Enterprises/Superior, 1934). (From Old Corral image collection) Above from left to right are a young Fay McKenzie, Buddy, Frances Morris and George Chesebro in BOSS COWBOY (California Motion Picture Enterprises/Superior, 1934). Fay McKenzie is best remembered for her work with Gene Autry at Republic, where she was the feminine interest in DOWN MEXICO WAY (Republic, 1941), SIERRA SUE (Republic, 1941), HOME IN WYOMIN' (Republic, 1942), HEART OF THE RIO GRANDE (Republic, 1942) and COWBOY SERENADE (Republic, 1942). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from left to right are Merrill McCormick, Buddy and Barbara Starr in RANGE RIDERS (California Motion Picture Enterprises/Superior, 1934).

With the Adamson series, Roosevelt was through as a star but he continued playing bit roles in scores of westerns and action melodramas until retiring in the early 1960s. The indefatigable Les Adams has clocked his appearances in sound films at about 100, including 50 westerns, 14 cliffhangers and the rest assorted non-western features and shorts. According to Republic Pictures authority Jack Mathis, he did about 20 westerns and serials for that studio between 1936 and 1955. In other words, from HELL'S HINGES (1916) to THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962), his final credited film, Buddy Roosevelt's career contains the entire history of the classic American western film.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Buddy Roosevelt: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0740480/

Jim Tipton's Find A Grave website notes that Buddy is interred at Highland Cemetery, Meeker, Colorado: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10064735

There's been questions on whether Sanderson's middle name was Standhope or Stanhope. Highland Cemetery, also known as Meeker Cemetery, is located about a half mile south of the town of Meeker, Colorado and is the burial location for Sanderson/Buddy Roosevelt. It appears from the cemetery records, that his middle name was Stanhope: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/rioblanco/cemeteries/rioblanco/pg9.htm#S

The Family Search website has information on Buddy Roosevelt / Kenneth Sanderson:

• 1930 census: 32 year old Keneth S. Sanderson and 29 year old wife Frances reside in the Los Angeles area: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XC83-CXT
• 1940 census: 42 year old K. S. Sanderson and 32 year old wife Frances are living in the Los Angeles area: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9H2-NC4
• 1940 census takers worksheet: Sanderson and Frances own their home at 3230 Ellington in the LA area, and were living there in 1935. Sanderson reports his birth location as Colorado and his occupation as "Actor - Motion Pictures": https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-27797-1985-47?cc=2000219&wc=MMYH-FDZ:n1458552969

(Courtesy of Norman Foster)

After his Hollywood career ended, Buddy returned to his hometown of Meeker, Colorado where he lived for the remainder of his life. Roosevelt was buried in Meeker and the grave marker photo notes he served in the Coast Guard during World War II.