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(Courtesy of Dorothy Hack)

Herman Hack is the Indian pointing to the sky in one of his earliest film roles in HIDDEN VALLEY (Monogram, 1932). Prone on the sacrificial altar is a young Bob Steele. Herman's initial screen appearances were in 1931.



(Courtesy of Dorothy Hack)

Above from L-to-R are lawman Earl Dwire (standing), Gordon Clifford, Perry Murdock, John Wayne, the moustached Herman Hack (as a Deputy) and Reed Howes in a scene from PARADISE CANYON (Lone Star, 1935).



From L-to-R are Eleanor Stewart, kindly ol' Lafe McKee and star Bob Allen putting the grips on Wally Wales/Hal Taliaferro in this 1937 release.  Herman Hack is the the player between Allen and Taliaferro/Wales.



(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.



Hack wore a rather unique gunbelt, and you can see it pictured on the left ... and in the images above and below. You can also spot his multi-colored gunbelt in the Bob Allen lobby card above.




(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Herman Hack, Henry Wills, Cliff Parkinson and Tom London in THE SAN ANTONIO KID (Republic, 1944), one of the Red Ryder series starring Bill Elliott.



Stephen Lodge remembers Herman Hack

(Courtesy of Stephen Lodge)

Above from L-to-R are Bobby Lodge, Herman
Hack and Steve Lodge at Corriganville, 1951.


When my mother, brother, and I visited the set of The Gene Autry TV Show, shooting at Corriganville in 1951 (I was eight-years-old), it was only the second set I had ever been on. My excitement was overwhelming, as was my brother Bob's, and we went around asking everyone wearing a cowboy hat for their autograph. Under one of those hats, was the most friendly, smiling face I had ever seen --- it belonged to a sweetheart of a man by the name of Herman Hack. He didn't seem to be like the other actors --- I mean, he didn't seem to be an actor. He acted like a genuine, out-of-the-old-west, cowboy --- a cowboy like I had imagined a cowboy would act like if I ever met what I thought a real cowboy should be. He talked to my brother and myself on our own level. He knelt down so we could look him in the eye, and he told us all about a pilot for a new series he had just filmed called, Frontier Parson. He told us he had been the star. Mom took a picture of Bobby and me standing with Herman, and it's always been one of my favorites. Later on, I would work with him on several shows I did when I was in the costuming end of the business, and we always said hello, reminiscing about our meeting that day out in Simi Valley at Corriganville. Some years after he'd passed away, I was working on a show and saw the last name of "Hack" on a list of extras. I located the woman with the name, and it turned out she was Herman's daughter. She was surprised I knew who her father was --- by name --- because most Western fans only knew him by his face: third bad guy from the left; or fourth posse member, etc. My memories of Herman Hack are good ones. So, If you know what he looked like, then keep on looking --- you're bound to see him in nearly every old B-Western ever made, and now you should be able to put a name to that more-than-friendly friendly face.

Stephen Lodge
January, 2004


Stephen Lodge's 'Behind The Scenes' website has some great info and photos of TV shows and movies being made (such as ANNIE OAKLEY, WILD BILL HICKOK, a Johnny Mack Brown western, and more): http://employees.oxy.edu/jerry/bts/index1.htm


Larry Scott remembers the Hack Family
Got several e-mails from Larry Scott in November-December, 2003. As a youngster, Larry lived across the street from the Herman Hack family. Larry writes:

"The street Herman Hack lived on was North Laurel Ave, in the 500 block. This was an area somewhat central to many of the studios in Hollywood. Laurel is west of Fairfax and the 500 block is south of Melrose Ave. I am not sure of the house number, it might be 533 or 535. He had two daughters, their names were Dorothy and Dolly. Remember this was around 1949 to 1953, and I could be mistaken. The garage was in the back yard behind a gate and I only saw the contents when I occasionally played there. What I recall seeing were many racks of outfits, including buckskin shirts and pants and other western outfits. I had next to no contact with Herman and I don't recall his daughters talking about his movie work."


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