Rex Bell can never be accused of using gawdy outfits like that worn by Ken Maynard, Tom Mix and others. His workmanlike costume consisted of a neckerchief and a dark shirt which was often buttoned at the top.  He wore a gunbelt with a single rightside holster.  His headware was most often a white hat, but he also used a black one.  And he generally wore blue jeans with a long inseam as there was a large rollup on the pants legs (John Wayne also rolled his pants the same way in his Lone Star/Monogram films). One of Bell's mannerisms was that he pushed his hat up on his forehead.  You'll see several examples in the images on the Bell webpages.

Rex and Clara at a 1933 movie premier.

(Courtesy of Ed Tabor)

(Courtesy of Janice Graves) Above is a shot of Janice Graves' Grandfather, William Conant, with Rex Bell.  "1943" is written on the back of the photo, but I think this shot may be 1950s vintage based on the gray streak in Bell's hair.  No info on the location of this shot either, though Janice mentions that her Grandfather lived in California. (Courtesy of Ed Tabor) From January, 1955 (Collage of newspaper headlines on Bell's passing from Old Corral image collection)

I have a variety of full-size newspaper headlines and articles on Bell's passing and the above are some examples of the newspaper coverage of his passing.  Following are some date and information tidbits which I've summarized from those articles and they add a few more details to the Bell biography.  Have also added a few comments where the information doesn't seem to be in synch or correct.

• was Nevada's good will ambassador ... an acute politician ... a shrewd statesman ... only member of the Republican Party to gain office in the 1958 election sweep of major state offices by the Democratic party.
• Bell filed his candidacy for Nevada Governor on June 18, 1962.
• Bell was with his brother, Hodson M. Beldam, when the heart attack occurred on the evening of July 4, 1962 (after the Republican July 4 political rally and two days of strenuous activities which was the launch of his run at the Governor's post in the 1962 election). Bell had complained earlier about some pains in his arm, and was to see a doctor on July 5.  He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Sunrise Hospital.
• a memorial service was held in Las Vegas on the Saturday after his death, and Hoot Gibson was among the attendees.  Bell's remains were transported to Glendale, California where funeral and burial services were held.  Pallbearers and honorary pallbearers included Hollywood personalities Slapsy Maxie Rosenbloom, Dick Foran, Gilbert Roland, Bob Steele and Richard Arlen.  Other notables in attendance were Ralph Edwards and Walter O'Malley (LA Dodgers baseball team owner).
• Clara Bow, accompanied by her nurse, attended the California funeral.  Katie Jenkins, longtime friend of Bell, also attended the service.
• Bell wore western clothes and cowboy boots during his two terms as Lieutenant Governor (which also included being president/speaker of the Nevada State Senate).
• In 1944, he ran --- and lost the election --- for the Nevada seat in the US House of Representatives.
• For those of you who can remember politics from the President Reagan era, Bell's running mate in the 1962 election (as Lieutenant Governor) was Carson City attorney, Paul Laxalt (click HERE for a bio on Laxalt).
• Bell appeared in Reno about a month before his death as the grand marshal of the Reno Rodeo Parade.
• Bell was born in Chicago in 1904, the son of Daisy and George Beldam. His parents were in the livery business and his grandparents on both sides were in the livestock industry.  (Comments: Bell's grave marker shows 1903.)
• Bell first attended school in Chicago.  The family moved to Los Angeles in 1921 and Bell attended and graduated from Hollywood High in 1923.  (Comments: there is no mention of the family living for a time in Iowa.  And if Bell was born in 1903, the Hollywood High graduation year of 1923 seems wrong, unless he lost a year or two because of the family moves.)
• His Hollywood career began in 1926 (Fox) and he retired from the screen in 1944. (Comments: his last B western was released in 1942; perhaps the 1944 date is when he 'officially' announced his retirement from films.)
• In 1930, he purchased the Walking Box ranch at Searchlight (which were the Nevada holdings of the Rock Springs Cattle Company, and the land extended across the southern tip of Clarke County into California).  Later he acquired the Gonzales Smith ranch at Jean, Nevada.  Both ranches were located in Southern Nevada, and Bell's holdings eventually rose to about a half million acres.
• In 1945, he and his brother, Hodson M. Beldam, opened a western wear store in Las Vegas.  Bell opened a similar store in Reno in 1958.
• Bell was president and general manager of Rexco, Inc., a manufacturing and distributing firm for gift novelties.
• Lots of mentions about Bell's many civic activities, including much involvement with the Boy Scouts of America ... executive board member for the 1960 Boy Scout Jamboree ... chairman of Region 10 for the Scouts ... featured speaker at many Nevada and California Boy Scout functions ... more.
• Bell was an original member of the board of directors of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Rex Bell: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0068471/

Jim Tipton's Find-A-Grave website has a picture of the grave marker for Rex Bell and Clara Bow at Forest Lawn - Glendale, California: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=2096

The Las Vegas Life website has an article on Bell and Clara Bow and their marriage/elopement: http://www.lvlife.com/2000/11/flashback/story01.html

There's a 1961 photo of Bell and other Nevada political figures at the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs website: http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/archives/photos/leg-0246.htm

Visit the Rex Bell Elementary School, Las Vegas, Nevada: http://ccsd.net/schools/bell/index.html

Info on the auction of Bell and Bow's Walking Box ranch in 2000 is at: http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-20-Wed-2000/news/15071459.html

Apparently Nipton, California was the place where Bell herded his cattle ... and also the railroad stop for his guests when they visited the Walking Box ranch: http://www.nipton.com/history.html

There's a webpage devoted to Searchlight, Nevada: http://www.2steppin.com/srchlt.htm

William Cramer has a website on Clara Bow, including photos and a biography: http://www.clarabow.net/biography/biography.html