| Maynard's films included many familiar henchies and supporting players that we've grown to love and hate: Charlie King and kindly old Lafe McKee appeared in about twenty of the films; Bob Kortman, Bud Osborne, Wally Wales (Hal Taliaferro) and Tom London had about a dozen appearances; and Jack Rockwell, who usually played a surly lawman or gang member, did about thirty films with Maynard. A frequent antagonist was Hooper Atchley, a little guy with a small moustache who usually wore a suit. He played opposite Maynard in ARIZONA TERROR, BRANDED MEN, DRUM TAPS, GUN JUSTICE and the MYSTERY MOUNTAIN serial. There's profiles on all of these performers in the Villains and Supporting Players section on the Old Corral. |
 (From Old Corral collection) Above, Charlie King menaced many of our favorite cowboy heroes. The above still shows a rather slim Ken Maynard and King in a scene from FIGHTING THRU (Tiffany, 1930).  (From Old Corral collection) I've had the above lobby card for decades, and it shows a thinner Maynard which I'd guessed was from his early 1930s work at Tiffany or KBS/World Wide. The scene of Maynard and the unidentifiable player is not a photo pasted on the card, but is printed on the heavy card stock. The borders are dark blue, it is standard lobby card size, and there are no markings or identification on the front or back. Update: Les Adams and I did some comparing of the photo inset on this card versus some other images, and it appears this is from Maynard's TRAILING TROUBLE (Grand National, 1937). If so, the guy on the ground is Roger Williams.  (From Old Corral collection) Left to right are Syd Saylor, Verna Hillie, Wally Wales/Hal Taliaferro, Ken Maynard, Jack Cheatham, Al Bridge and Jack Rockwell in the chapterplay, MYSTERY MOUNTAIN (Mascot, 1934). This is somewhat typical of scene stills which are staged for the photographer. Thus, a photo is often different than what appears in the actual film. And that's the case with this photo. This occurs at the beginning of Chapter 6 and Al Bridge is killed with a dart from the Rattler. While Wales/Taliaferro and Cheatham are in this still, they are not in the actual film scene.  (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Vince Barnett and Maynard, and on the ground is Martin Garralaga. From BOOTS OF DESTINY (Grand National, 1937).  (From Old Corral collection) Maynard and Hoot Gibson were the duo that were Monogram's initial Trail Blazers. Bob Steele was available to join the team due to the demise of the Three Mesquiteers series at Republic ... Ken and Hoot needed some younger blood to add some vitality and pep to the films. Above is the trio circa 1943-44. From L-to-R are Ken Maynard (now riding the white Tarzan II), Bob Steele, and Hoot Gibson. Gibson is riding Rusty, the Wonder Horse which had been earlier used by Jack Randall and Tom Keene in their series at Monogram. The original Tarzan died about 1940. When Maynard exited the Trail Blazers, Chief Thunder Cloud came in as the replacement - Thunder Cloud rode Rusty and Gibson rode a different mount.  (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above from L-to-R are Forrest Taylor, Hoot Gibson, former Universal hero Bob Baker (wearing the badge), Betty Miles, Kenneth Harlan (at the desk), Ken Maynard and I. Stanford Jolley in WILD HORSE STAMPEDE (Monogram, 1943), the initial entry in the Trail Blazers series.  (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above - Ken Maynard has his grips on Le Roy Mason in BLAZING GUNS (Monogram, 1943), another of the Trail Blazers series.  (Courtesy of Donn & Nancy Moyer) Above - Ken and friend. Based on the shirt pattern, the pants with 'those durn leg straps and buckles', and Maynard's waist size, this is during his time as a member of Monogram's Trail Blazers. |
