George Chesebro

I've always called George Chesebro the 'man of many last names', for the spelling of his last name appears to have been a difficult assignment for the folks preparing film credits.

When he was given screen credit, you can find his last name spelled Cheesebro, Cheseboro, and lots more variations. But incorrect spelling in film credits and movie art was not uncommon (and examples that immediately come to mind are Chief Thunder Cloud, Chief Thunder-Cloud, Chief Thundercloud, Edmond Cobb, Edmund Cobb, Bud Osborne, Bud Osbourne, etc.).

George Chesebro was born in Minneapolis. His Hollywood film career began around 1915, and in the early features and serials, he did bits and minor supporting roles in various productions as well as starring in a few outdoorsy silents. His starring roles included a half dozen mountie adventures for Milburn Morante. However, it was during the 1930s and 1940s that he came of age as one of the most prolific of the B western and serial bad guys ... and he worked at all the major and minor film production outfits.

I always think of Chesebro as the finest of the weak, shifty-eyed baddies, who had no backbone and would always squeal on his confederates when pummeled by the hero.

Once in a while, Chesebro was on the side of the law. An example is his role as a deputy/helper to star Harry Carey, Sr. in WILD MUSTANG (Ajax, 1935). Alas, Chesebro's name was spelled Cheeseborough in the credits.

In TRAIL OF ROBIN HOOD (Republic, 1950), Chesebro is one of the guest stars that come to the aid of Roy and Jack Holt. I always get a chuckle when he shows up and is temporarily shunned by the several Republic Pictures movie heroes ... until he says to youngster Carol Nugent that "after making twenty pictures with Jack Holt, he reformed me Honey." By the way, Chesebro introduces himself as "Hi boys ... I'm George Chesebro" (and he pronounces his last name as Cheese bro).

(From Old Corral image collection)

Above, Steve Clark (middle) tries to break up a brawl between hero Jack Randall and George Chesebro in LAND OF SIX GUNS (Monogram, 1940).

(From Old Corral image collection)

Above from left to right are George Chesebro, Bill "Cowboy Rambler" Boyd, Art Davis(with a neck hold on an unknown player), and Lee Powell on the stairs in the title lobby card from ROLLING DOWN THE GREAT DIVIDE (PRC, 1942), one of six films in the short lived Frontier Marshals series.

(From Old Corral image collection)

Cornering Bob Steele are veteran baddies Al Ferguson (left) and George Chesebro (right) in DEATH VALLEY RANGERS (Monogram, 1943), one of the Trail Blazers westerns.

Les Adams has Chesebro identified in about 400 sound era films. That number includes 300 westerns and 34 cliffhangers. His film work at Republic Pictures, from 1935-1953, numbers about 70 movies, mostly westerns and serials.

You may also want to go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral and check the California Death Records database. There you will find a record for: George Newell Chesebro, born 7/29/1888 in Minnesota, Mother's maiden name of Grant, and he passed away on 5/28/1959.

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on George Chesebro: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0156173/

The genealogy site on the Chesebro family includes mention of his full name being George Newell Chesebro, date and birthplace of July 29, 1888 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and passed away May 28, 1959 in Los Angeles. Go to the Chesebro website search page, and enter George Chesebro in the last name and first name fields. On the subsequent page, scroll down the list of names in the left side column until you find

Chesebro, George Newell

and click on that. When the search is done, you should find a record for George Chesebro, his wife Dolly Higgins Chesebro, and info on his father (Chesebro, James Fredrick "Fred" (1860 - 1907)); his mother (Grant, Margaret Bell (1861 - 1917)); and their five children (which includes George).

The search page is at: http://www.chesebro.net/tng/searchform.php

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Franklyn Farnum, Bob Custer and George Chesebro mixing it up in a scene from Custer's MARK OF THE SPUR (Big 4, 1932).

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Frank Crane, Louise Gabo, a smiling Jack Perrin (billed as "Jack Gable"), Tom Tyler, Roberta Gale, George Chesebro and Tom London in Tyler's MYSTERY RANCH (Reliable, 1934).

(Image courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Lafe McKee, George Chesebro, Jack Perrin, Slim Whitaker, Benny Corbett (on Whitaker's back), and in the background at the desk is Charles K. French. From RIDIN' GENTS (Reliable, 1934), one of the Bud 'n' Ben shorts starring Perrin and Benny Corbett.

(From Old Corral image collection)

Above from left to right are a young Fay McKenzie, hero Buddy Roosevelt, 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).

(From Old Corral image collection)

Above, from L-to-R are cowboy star Jack Randall, Kenne Duncan, Glenn Strange, Jack Perrin and George Chesebro. Carl Mathews is in back with the neckhold on Strange. From Randall's LAND OF SIX GUNS (Monogram, 1940).

(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above from left to right are Dennis Moore, Bud Osborne and George Chesebro in a scene from one of the last of the Range Busters series, COWBOY COMMANDOS (Monogram, 1943). Take a gander at Dennis Moore's unique gunbelt with twin six-shooters - it has buckles on the left and right side, not a single buckle in the center.

(From Old Corral image collection)

Above, Chesebro with Sunset Carson.

(From Old Corral image collection)

In the Roy Rogers "All Star" western, TRAIL OF ROBIN HOOD (Republic, 1950), Chesebro was able to play a good guy when Roy called on his Hollywood cowboy buddies to lend a hand.

Kneeling from L-to-R: Tom Keene, Roy Rogers, William Farnum.
Back Row from L-to-R: Tom Tyler, Ray 'Crash' Corrigan, Allan 'Rocky' Lane, Monte Hale, George Chesebro, Kermit Maynard.
Not pictured are Jack Holt and Rex Allen.