Unkempt, rough and tough looking members of the gang, or lynch mob, or vigilantes, or posse riders, or cow herders. They had minimal or no dialog, not much screen time, and were generally not listed in the film credits. Some would show up as a face in the crowd, portraying townspeople, barflys, deputies, wagon drivers, ranch hands, etc. We tend to recognize some of their faces, but have no clue as to their real names. |
Parkinson - circa 1943 Parkinson - circa 1944 (Courtesy of Patricia L. Manson) Parkinson in an unidentified film role. |
Cliff Parkinson
Full name: Clifford Emmitt Parkinson 1898 - 1950
"Making a good living playing dead are four Hollywood cowboys, Cliff Parkinson, Art Felix, Clem Fuller and Dean Spencer. They are the ones who always 'dead fall' from their horses in chases at $25 a fall." In the 1940 census below, Parkinson's earnings for 1939 were a respectable $3000.00 and he worked 40 weeks. Yet, the Internet Movie Database has him acting in only four 1939 films. Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Cliff Parkinson: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0662830/ Family Search (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), ProQuest Obituaries, the California Death Index, and death certificate provide more on Cliff Parkinson. Note the (mis)spellings of his last name as "Perkinson" (with an E) in the 1900 and 1910 census and "Perpinson" in 1940.
Find A Grave confirms that Parkinson is interred at Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10061586/cliff-parkinson
Patricia L. Manson remembers her uncle, Cliff Parkinson:
I always called Cliff "Uncle Bucky".
In 2001, Lynda Anne Parkinson e-mailed me about her grandfather: "I have little info on him myself. I remember my grandmother telling me he died of cancer and he was an extra and stunt man in western films. He had two children by the names of Nancy and Joseph (Joe was Lynda's dad). My Aunt Nancy died of cancer in the mid 60's. My father died in early 95." |
Parkinson is interred at Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, California, Lot 4, Section 7765, Memorial G. | (Courtesy of Dale Crawford & Jim Sorensen) |
(Courtesy of Patricia L. Manson) Above from L-to-R are an unidentified player, Cliff Parkinson and Fred Kohler, Jr. in a scene from 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 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. |
(Courtesy of Patricia L. Manson) Above are Cliff Parkinson (left) with Tito Guizar (real name: Federico Arturo Guízar Tolentino, 1908-1999). Guizar is remembered by B-western fans for his appearances in a pair of Roy Rogers oaters, ON THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL (Republic, 1947) and THE GAY RANCHERO (Republic, 1948). | (Courtesy of Patricia L. Manson) Above - Cliff Parkinson, probably early 1930s and wearing a sombrero, a Spanish costume ... and regular shoes. |
(Courtesy of Patricia L. Manson) Above is a very young Cliff Parkinson and his trusty Ford. Enlargement of the license plates shows Hawaii 1922 on the bottom plate and the top plate is California 1927. | (Courtesy of Patricia L. Manson) No date or info on the background location on the above photo of Cliff Parkinson, probably mid to late 1930s. Possibly at Republic Pictures or another studio? |