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(Courtesy of Leota Whitaker Gandrau and Debbie and Tom Bahn) Above is a silent era photo of Wilsey that was given to prolific B-western support player/villain Charles 'Slim' Whitaker. The notation on the photo reads: To ---- Charley Whitaker In appreciation of the many times you slamed me in the jaw. Sincerely, Buffalo Bill Jr.

In my opinion, Wilsey's best work was not as the star but as a featured/supporting player ... and he popped up in lots of films.  He was in several of the John Wayne/Lone Star horse operas, 'NEATH ARIZONA SKIES (1934), TEXAS TERROR (1935) and RAINBOW VALLEY (1935).  One of his best roles was the buckskin clad wagonleader-scout in the excellent WHEELS OF DESTINY (Universal, 1934) which starred Ken Maynard (but Jay's last name is incorrectly spelled Wilsie in the opening credits).  He had a credited appearance in the all-star POWDERSMOKE RANGE (RKO, 1935) which starred Harry Carey, Bob Steele and Tom Tyler.  He was Daniel Boone in the opening sequences of Tom Mix's THE MIRACLE RIDER (Mascot, 1935), but was not credited.  And he wore the 'gladiator' costume of a Muranian guard in Gene Autry's THE PHANTOM EMPIRE (Mascot, 1935).

From my notes, it appears his last onscreen roles were in the Bob Allen Ranger films for Columbia in 1936-37, as well as a several of the PRC Lone Rider series in the early 1940s.  He did some stunt and doubling work beyond those dates.

Les Adams adds some info on Wilsey doubling Charles Starrett: "In LAWLESS PLAINSMEN (Columbia, 1942), Wilsey's doubling for Starrett was so obvious that I didn't even have to hit the pause button to catch it, especially in two fights against Ray Bennett.  Wilsey also had a scene and a line or so as a Starrett cowhand named Slim, rather than as a henchman."

(Courtesy of Ed Tabor) Above, John Wayne restrains Wilsey in this lobby card from 'NEATH THE ARIZONA SKIES (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934).  Wilsey was a big, tall guy --- note his height next to Wayne. (Courtesy of Ed Tabor) Pointing the way to more nefarious deeds is Yakima Canutt, a fixture in the Lone Star/ Monogram films of Wayne as both stuntman and supporting player.  From L-to-R are Artie Ortego, Jay Wilsey, Yakima Canutt, Herman Hack and Tex Phelps.

Boyd Magers did an interview with Wilsey's fourth wife (and leading lady) Genée Boutell.  They were married in 1933 and together for about 28 years, until Wilsey's death on October 25, 1961 from lung cancer.  Genée recalled the supporting roles and stuntwork that Wilsey did into the early 1940s, and also noted that he was born in Missouri.  They had a 42 foot schooner, and the couple sailed all over after Jay's exit from Hollywood, and they even lived for a while in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Notice that Boutell's name is spelled 'Bontell' in the RAWHIDE ROMANCE poster on the previous webpage.)

Bobby Copeland's B-Western Boot Hill book has a copy of the Wilsey obituary which mentions that he occasionally doubled Charles Starrett at Columbia, and at the time of his death, he owned a trailer park in Los Angeles.

For those into rangewear, Wilsey's 'hero costume' generally consisted of a dark shirt, buttoned at the color, and a light colored neckerchief.  He used a traditional single gun rig, with holster on the right side.  And he often wore chaps.

Overall, Jay Wilsey's impact on the B western was a minor one, and today, he is one of the forgotten cowboys of the silver screen.  However, the films in which he starred are a valuable reference to those who are interested in early talkies, and to the shortcomings inherent in the independently produced programmer western.

The Motion Picture Herald and Boxoffice polls were conducted from about the mid 1930s through the mid 1950s.  With a few exceptions, the annual results would list the 'Top Ten' (or 'Top Five') cowboy film stars.  In most cases, the winners were what you would expect --- Autry, Rogers, Holt, Starrett, Hoppy, etc.  Wilsey never achieved a Top Ten ranking in these polls.

On Les Adams' Prolific Performers page on the Old Corral, Wilsey's total sound era screen appearances is relatively small, only about 60 films.  That isn't much for a 10+ year period covering the 1930s and into the early 1940s --- and for the production outfits in which he labored, the wages were small.  And later in life, he had a sailing ship and spent time in Hawaii.  Therefore, it appears there's a slice of life that is missing from Wilsey's background --- he had to be working elsewhere, in order to generate income.

You may also want to go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral, and then visit the California Death Records database. There you will find a record for: Jay Wilsey, born 2/6/1896 in Missouri and passed away on 10/25/1961. No Social Security number is listed.

There was a Wilsey family genealogy website at: http://members.aol.com/wilseyweb/albertrossfgs.htm, but as of May, 2005, the site was no longer on AOL. It had a record for Wilbert Jay Wilsey, born February 6, 1896 in Clark County, Missouri, and passed October 25, 1961 in California.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Jay Wilsey/Buffalo Bill, Jr., as well as Victor Adamson/Denver Dixon, and Genée Boutell.  Click below:
          Jay Wilsey: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0932912/
          Victor Adamson/Denver Dixon: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0011535/
          Genée Boutell: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0100288/

There's a website with some interesting tidbits on film badguy Boris Bullock ... AKA William Barrymore ... but really Elia Bulakh, Russian Cossack: http://www.dickbarrymore.com/book2.asp

(From Old Corral image collection) Above is a lobby card from RIDING SPEED (Superior, 1934), and heroine Joile Benet is chucklin' at the prone Buffalo Bill, Jr. Wilsey directed this low-budget sagebrush adventure. (Courtesy of Ed Tabor)

(Courtesy of Ed Phillips) Above is Wilsey during his sound era starring roles and wearing his usual range costume which consisted of a dark shirt, chaps, and a single six-gun. Note the two different horses.

(Courtesy of Ed Tabor)

Jay Wilsey/Buffalo Bill, Jr. Filmography Sound films only Special thanks to Les Adams for providing this filmography info

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