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Archie Stout photo from August, 1945 article in American Cinematographer magazine available at the Internet Archive.
Cinematographer
Archie Stout

Birth name:
Archibald Job Stout

1886 - 1973



In my years of loving and researching B westerns and serials, I've become a fan and critic of the cinematographer / cameraman.

A personal favorite is Archie Stout who may be best remembered for camera work on most of John Wayne's "Lone Star" westerns which were released by Monogram Pictures in 1933 - 1935. He did several later ones with Wayne, and they worked together in 29 films during 1933 - 1954.

Stout's Hollywood career spanned about 35 years, circa 1920 through his retirement in 1954. Current stats in the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has him doing about 135 films, and most were A and B grade westerns. Most of his films were black and white, but a few later ones were in Technicolor and WarnerColor.

At the 25th Oscars ceremony in 1953, Winton C. Hoch and Archie Stout received Academy Awards for their Technicolor filming of THE QUIET MAN (Republic, 1952). That wonderful movie was directed by John Ford and starred John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Archie was second unit cameraman, and mostly involved in the outdoor filming. This is his story.

Archibald Job Stout was born March 30, 1886 in Renwick, Humboldt County, Iowa to Franklin Luther Stout (1854 - 1923) and Mary E. Disbrow (1865 - 1958). There's very little biographical info on Archie's early years - before his long stint as a cameraman, he may have dabbled in real estate and been a California forest ranger / game warden / conservation officer.

In the 1920 census, Archie lived in Los Angeles ... and his occupation was "Camera man - Motion Pictures". His early cinema work were silent comedies for Mack Sennett and the Christie Brothers. An article in the August, 1945 American Cinematographer magazine outlines his early career. Fred Jackman was head of the Mack Sennett camera department and took a liking to Stout. Quote: " 'He was a natural born cameraman' explains Jackman. 'I gave him a job at once as a Sennett cameraman.' " (Link to that magazine article is further down this webpage.)

More jobs came his way. He was one of the cinematographers on Cecil B. DeMille's THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Paramount, 1923) and a couple Jack Holt starrers, THE THUNDERING HERD (Paramount, 1925) and WILD HORSE MESA (Paramount, 1925).

Circa 1930, Archie became the camera department boss and principal cinematographer for B films churned out by Trem Carr (1891 - 1946) and producer Paul Malvern (1902 - 1993). And among their many films were 50+ low budget westerns starring Tom Tyler, Bob Steele, Bob Custer, Rex Bell, Bill Cody, and John Wayne. Those were released under various company names including Syndicate, Tiffany, Sono-Art/World Wide, and Monogram Pictures.



1934 Monogram organization chart with boss Trem Carr,
producer Paul Malvern, and Camera Department Head, Archie Stout.


John Wayne had starred in several Mascot cliffhangers and a brief western series for Warners. Wayne's next employment was sixteen oaters for Monogram and producer Paul Malvern and released in 1933 - 1935. These were the "Lone Star" westerns and Archie was the camaraman on fifteen of the sixteen. The exception was RAINBOW VALLEY (Lone Star/Monogram, 1935) which was filmed by William Hyer.

Stout continued to pick up jobs at Paramount, and examples include HERITAGE OF THE DESERT (Paramount, 1932), SUNSET PASS (Paramount, 1933), and THE LAST ROUND-UP (Paramount, 1934). Those starred a young Randolph Scott and were directed by Henry Hathaway. He did others at Paramount including NEVADA (Paramount, 1935) with Buster Crabbe and another with Scott, ROCKY MOUNTAIN MYSTERY (Paramount, 1935).

In the mid 1930s, Trem Carr's Monogram Pictures was one of several companies that merged to form Republic Pictures. And two more John Wayne oaters were filmed and released under the Republic brand name. But Carr wasn't happy with his status and responsibilties in the Republic organization and exited the company. Carr found a new home at Universal ... and tagging along with him were Malvern, Stout, and Wayne. At Universal, Wayne had the lead in six non-westerns, and Archie filmed two, THE SEA SPOILERS (Universal, 1936) and CONFLICT (Universal, 1936).

Another Paramount connection was producer Harry 'Pop' Sherman. Archie became camera department head for Sherman and shot the first ten Hopalong Cassidys which were released in 1935 - 1937. There's some great films with William Boyd as Hoppy, and sidekicks James Ellison, George Hayes, and Russell Hayden. Lots of great Kernville and Lone Pine scenery and locations. And Morris Ankrum does his wonderful villainy in four of the ten.



1937 org chart for Hopalong Cassidy producer Harry
Sherman with Archie Stout as Camera Department Head.


Archie's camera work and reputation continued to grow and allowed him to escape B films and concentrate on higher grade features. His first for director John Ford was THE HURRICANE (Samuel Goldwyn, 1937) with Dorothy Lamour and Jon Hall. Another big film was BEAU GESTE (Paramount, 1939) which was directed by William Wellman and starred Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, and Robert Preston.

In the 1940s and 1950s, he was often second unit cameraman shooting the exteriors. He was among many cameramen on Alfred Hitchcock's REBECCA (Selznick/United Artists, 1940), which starred Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. He even filmed a couple Johnny Weissmuller jungle adventures, TARZAN AND THE AMAZONS (Sol Lesser/RKO, 1945) and TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS (Sol Lesser/RKO, 1947). But his most important work in those later years was re-uniting with John Wayne and director John Ford on FORT APACHE, SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON, THE QUIET MAN, more.

As noted earlier, Winton C. Hoch and second unit cameraman Archie Stout received Academy Awards for their Technicolor cinematography on THE QUIET MAN (Republic, 1952) which starred Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. John Ford also received an Oscar for directing THE QUIET MAN. Stout was about 66 years old when he won this Academy Award.

There's many books about John Ford - author Tag Gallagher had a good summation of Ford and his cinematographers in John Ford: The Man and His Films (University of California Press, 1984):

"Ford's favorite cameramen - Joseph August, Arthur Miller, Gregg Toland, George Schneiderman, Bert Glennon, Archie Stout - each had recognizable styles of their own, yet their work for Ford also looks Fordian. A Ford movie, it cannot be overstressed, is first of all an aesthetic pleasure visually; it demanded beautiful images."

Suffering from heart problems and advancing age, Stout retired after shooting Wayne's THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY (Wayne-Fellows Prod./Warners, 1954) which was directed by William Wellman.

As to his personal life, Ancestry.com has several family trees and Archie was married three times. His first was Laura Grace Fuller and son Junius Job Stout was born April 16, 1910. Wife number two was Minnie E. Arbios. And number three was Bernice Viola Weston.

During World War II, John Ford was a Commander in the U. S. Navy Reserve and head of a photographic unit which filmed Navy operations for the Office of Strategic Services. Archie's son Junius Stout was a Navy Photographer Mate First Class, a member of Ford's team, and participated in the D Day invasion. Junius died October 30, 1944 while being transported on a C-47 that was shot down and ditched at sea off the French coast.

86 year old Archie Stout passed away March 10, 1973 and is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California.

And several "Gee whiz!" stats:

If you check Archie's IMDb filmography, you'll find that his westerns were with a small group of cowboy heroes. Stout did NOT do westerns with Autry, Rogers, Rocky Lane, Wild Bill Elliott, Charles Starrett, Range Busters, Three Mesquiteers, Tim McCoy, Buck Jones, Ken Maynard, Lash LaRue, Eddie Dean, Jimmy Wakely, more.

He did NOT film any serials.

As mentioned, Winton C. Hoch and second unit cameraman Archie Stout received Academy Awards for their Technicolor cinematography on THE QUIET MAN. That was the only time in which Oscars were given to two photographers on a film.

Above is a crop from a 1928 full page trade publication ad for the De Vry movie camera. Archie Stout was pictured as one of De Vry's users and his photo caption reads "Paramount Cameraman on 'Way of All Flesh' ". FLESH was released in 1927, starred Emil Jannings, and was directed by Victor Fleming.



(Courtesy of the Motion
Picture & Television Fund)
 Left is producer Paul Malvern (1902 - 1993) at the 1989 Golden Boot ceremony where he was presented with a Golden Boot award.

Stout filmed about 70 features produced by Malvern during 1930 - 1939. Most were westerns with Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, Bob Custer, Bill Cody, Rex Bell, and John Wayne.

Malvern remained busy and was involved with the "Tailspin Tommy" air adventures for Monogram. At Universal, he was producer or associate producer on several films and series, including the Bob Baker westerns as well as horror flicks, HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (Universal, 1944) and HOUSE OF DRACULA (Universal, 1945).

  Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Paul Malvern: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0540862


Some memorable scenes filmed by Archie Stout in John Wayne's 1933 - 1935 "Lone Star" westerns from Monogram Pictures.


One of my favorite screen moments occurs at the tail end of THE TRAIL BEYOND (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934). Yakima Canutt (doubling John Wayne) gallops after a wagon driven by baddie Robert Frazer. Yak appears to get his foot caught in a stirrup, misses the horse to wagon transfer, and falls onto the dusty trail. He remounts, renews the chase, and successfully makes the jump to the speeding wagon. Archie Stout filmed it all - including Canutt's miss - and the entire chase is in the film. You can view the chase on YouTube and this link will open in a separate window / tab. Note the use of a stationary camera ... a camera truck following the wagon ... and lots of close-ups of Wayne and Frazer brawling in the wagon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L5rjogXy-w&t=2760s


In LAWLESS FRONTIER (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934), John Wayne is after Earl Dwire. Wayne winds up on foot ... finds a piece of wood ... and rides the wood plank down a water drainage chute. That water drain chute is also in Wayne's THE LUCKY TEXAN (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934) but in that oater, Wayne rides a broken tree limb during his chase of Eddie Parker. TRAIL OF TERROR (A. W. Hackel/Supreme, 1935) was another western with that drain chute. But Bob Steele was the hero in that. Common thread in all three of these was director Robert North Bradbury, Bob Steele's father.

Wonder how difficult it was for Archie to get his camera and equipment in the chute ... and have some decent lighting.


In THE TRAIL BEYOND (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934), no-goods are after John Wayne and pal Noah Beery Jr., and they escape by riding their horses off a cliff in to a lake. Above are screen captures of Yakima Canutt doing that "horse off the cliff" stunt.


Cameraman Archie Stout did lots of westerns ... and
many films with John Wayne and director John Ford.

Archie and Tom Tyler


1. GOD'S COUNTRY AND THE MAN (Syndicate, 1931)
2. RIDER OF THE PLAINS (Syndicate, 1931)
3. PARTNERS OF THE TRAIL (Monogram, 1931)
4. THE MAN FROM DEATH VALLEY (Monogram, 1931)
5. TWO FISTED JUSTICE (Monogram, 1931)
6. GALLOPING THRU (Monogram, 1931)
7. SINGLE-HANDED SANDERS (Monogram, 1932)
8. VANISHING MEN (Monogram, 1932)
9. HONOR OF THE MOUNTED (Monogram, 1932)

Archie and Bob Custer


1. A SON OF THE PLAINS (Syndicate, 1931)

Archie and Bill Cody


1. THE MONTANA KID (Monogram, 1931)
2. LAW OF THE NORTH (Monogram, 1932)
3. OKLAHOMA JIM (Monogram, 1931)
4. MASON OF THE MOUNTED (Monogram, 1932)
5. GHOST CITY (Monogram, 1932)
6. LAND OF WANTED MEN (Monogram, 1931)
7. DUGAN OF THE BADLANDS (Monogram, 1931)

Archie and Bob Steele


1. HEADIN' NORTH (Tiffany, 1930)
2. THE SUNRISE TRAIL (Tiffany, 1931)
3. THE RIDIN' FOOL (Tiffany, 1931)
4. NEAR THE TRAIL'S END (Tiffany, 1931)
5. SOUTH OF SANTA FE (Sono-Art/World Wide, 1932)
6. LAW OF THE WEST (Sono-Art/World Wide, 1932)
7. RIDERS OF THE DESERT (Sono-Art/World Wide, 1932)
8. SON OF OKLAHOMA (Sono-Art/World Wide, 1932)
9. TEXAS BUDDIES (Sono-Art/World Wide, 1932)
10. HIDDEN VALLEY (Monogram, 1932)
11. YOUNG BLOOD (Monogram, 1932)
12. THE FIGHTING CHAMP (Monogram, 1932)
13. GALLOPING ROMEO (Monogram, 1933)
14. RANGER'S CODE (Monogram, 1933)

Archie and Rex Bell


1. FORGOTTEN WOMEN (Monogram, 1931) (non-western)
2. THE LAW OF THE SEA (Monogram, 1931) (non-western)
3. THE ARM OF THE LAW (Monogram, 1932) (non-western)
4. BROADWAY TO CHEYENNE (Monogram, 1932)
5. THE MAN FROM ARIZONA (Monogram, 1932)
6. LUCKY LARRIGAN (Monogram, 1932)
7. FIGHTING TEXANS (Monogram, 1933)
8. THE FUGITIVE (Monogram, 1933)
9. RAINBOW RANCH (Monogram, 1933)

Archie and John Wayne


1. RIDERS OF DESTINY (Monogram, 1933)
2. SAGEBRUSH TRAIL (Monogram, 1933)
3. THE LUCKY TEXAN (Monogram, 1934)
4. WEST OF THE DIVIDE (Monogram, 1934)
5. BLUE STEEL (Monogram, 1934)
6. THE MAN FROM UTAH (Monogram, 1934)
7. RANDY RIDES ALONE (Monogram, 1934)
8. THE STAR PACKER (Monogram, 1934)
9. THE TRAIL BEYOND (Monogram, 1934)
10. THE LAWLESS FRONTIER (Monogram, 1934)
11. 'NEATH THE ARIZONA SKIES (Monogram, 1934)
12. TEXAS TERROR (Monogram, 1935)
13. THE DESERT TRAIL (Monogram, 1935)
14. THE DAWN RIDER (Monogram, 1935)
15. PARADISE CANYON (Monogram, 1935)
16. WESTWARD HO (Republic, 1935)
17. LAWLESS RANGE (Republic, 1935)
18. THE SEA SPOILERS (Universal, 1936) (non-western)
19. CONFLICT (Universal, 1936) (non-western)

Then came a break in films with Wayne.

20. ANGEL AND THE BADMAN (John Wayne Prod./Republic, 1947)
21. FORT APACHE (Argosy/RKO, 1948)
22. SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (Argosy/RKO, 1949)
23. RIO GRANDE (Argosy/Republic, 1950)
24. THE QUIET MAN (Argosy/Republic, 1952) (non-western) 
25. BIG JIM MCLAIN (Wayne-Fellows Prod./Warners, 1952) (non-western)
26. TROUBLE ALONG THE WAY (Warners, 1953) (non-western)
27. ISLAND IN THE SKY (Wayne-Fellows Prod./Warners, 1953) (non-western)
28. HONDO (Wayne-Fellows Prod./Warners, 1953)
29. THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY (Wayne-Fellows Prod./Warners, 1954) (non-western)

 In 1953, Winton C. Hoch and Archie Stout received Academy Awards for their Technicolor filming of THE QUIET MAN (Argosy/Republic, 1952). John Ford received an Oscar for directing that film.

Argosy Pictures was the production company created by John Ford and Merian C. Cooper.

Circa 1952, Wayne and Robert M. Fellows founded the Wayne-Fellows Production company. After Fellows exited, Wayne re-named the company to "Batjac".

Archie and William Boyd in Hoppy films


1. HOP-A-LONG CASSIDY (Paramount, 1935)
2. THE EAGLE'S BROOD (Paramount, 1935)
3. BAR 20 RIDES AGAIN (Paramount, 1935)
4. HEART OF THE WEST (Paramount, 1936)
5. CALL OF THE PRAIRIE (Paramount, 1936)
6. THREE ON THE TRAIL (Paramount, 1936)
7. HOPALONG CASSIDY RETURNS (Paramount, 1936)
8. TRAIL DUST (Paramount, 1936)
9. BORDERLAND (Paramount, 1937)
10. HILLS OF OLD WYOMING (Paramount, 1937)

Archie and Randolph Scott. And several were based on Zane Grey novels.


Above are Randolph Scott and Charlie Stevens in HERITAGE OF THE DESERT (Paramount, 1932). The above lobby card is from 1951 when the film was re-released as WHEN THE WEST WAS YOUNG.

1. HERITAGE OF THE DESERT (Paramount, 1932) (Zane Grey)
2. SUNSET PASS (Paramount, 1933) (Zane Grey)
3. THE LAST ROUND-UP (Paramount, 1934) (Zane Grey)
4. ROCKY MOUNTAIN MYSTERY (Paramount, 1935) (Zane Grey)
5. CAPTAIN KIDD (Lippert, 1945) (non-western)
6. ABILENE TOWN (United Artists, 1946)

Archie filmed other silent and sound oaters for Paramount and some were based on Zane Grey novels.

Jack Holt:
THE THUNDERING HERD (Paramount, 1925) (Zane Grey)
WILD HORSE MESA (Paramount, 1925) (Zane Grey)

Richard Arlen:
THE CONQUERING HORDE (Paramount, 1931)
GUN SMOKE (Paramount, 1931)

Stuart Erwin:
UNDER THE TONTO RIM (Paramount, 1933) (Zane Grey)

Kent Taylor:
THE MYSTERIOUS RIDER (Paramount, 1933) (Zane Grey)

Buster Crabbe:
NEVADA (Paramount, 1935) (Zane Grey)

Fred MacMurray:
THE TEXAS RANGERS (Paramount, 1936)

John Howard:
TEXAS RANGERS RIDE AGAIN (Paramount, 1940)

Archie and director John Ford


1. THE HURRICANE (Samuel Goldwyn, 1937) (non-western)
2. FORT APACHE (Argosy/RKO, 1948)
3. SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (Argosy/RKO, 1949)
4. WAGON MASTER (Argosy/Warners, 1950)
5. RIO GRANDE (Argosy/Republic, 1950)
6. THE QUIET MAN (Argosy/Republic, 1952) (non-western) 
7. THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT (Argosy/Republic, 1953) (non-western)

 In 1953, Winton C. Hoch and Archie Stout received Academy Awards for their Technicolor filming of THE QUIET MAN (Argosy/Republic, 1952). John Ford received an Oscar for directing that film.

Argosy Pictures was the production company created by John Ford and Merian C. Cooper.


Links to more about Archie Stout

  Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Archie Stout: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005887/

At the 25th Oscars ceremony in 1953, Winton C. Hoch and Archie Stout received Academy Awards for their filming of John Ford's THE QUIET MAN (Republic, 1952).
This link is for the Oscars search - enter Archie Stout in the "Nominee" box: https://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/
Video of the award presentation from the 1953 Oscars telecast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAfixdXUvSE

Archie Stout photo and bio from August, 1945 American Cinematographer magazine at the Internet Archive. Mentions his early career as a California game warden.
Page 1: https://archive.org/details/americancinemato26unse/page/259/mode/1up?view=theater
Page 2: https://archive.org/details/americancinemato26unse/page/283/mode/1up?view=theater

Photo of John Wayne with director James Edward Grant and cinematographer Archie Stout on the set of ANGEL AND THE BADMAN (John Wayne Prod./Republic, 1947): https://x.com/tcm/status/1819878458828169296/photo/2

March, 1937 issue of The International Photographer magazine at the Internet Archive has an article on Stout and his work on the Hoppy films for Harry Sherman. Lots of praise on the wonderful exterior locations used in the Cassidy adventures: https://archive.org/details/internationalpho09holl/page/n79/mode/2up?view=theater

Stout did filming on about 70 features produced by Paul Malvern during 1930 - 1939. Most were low budget westerns with Steele, Tyler, Cody, Custer, Bell, and Wayne: https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?role=nm0005887,nm0540862&sort=release_date,asc

Archie worked with John Wayne in 29 A and B grade films scattered over the years 1933 - 1954. These were the Malvern "Lone Star" oaters and later films such as HONDO and THE QUIET MAN: https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?role=nm0000078,nm0005887&sort=release_date,asc

In 1931 - 1935, Archie filmed 22 westerns directed by Robert North Bradbury (Bob Steele's father). There were a few with Bill Cody and Bob Custer. But most starred John Wayne and Bob Steele: https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?role=nm0005887,nm0102908&sort=release_date,asc


On the trail of Archie Stout

Ancestry.com has several family trees on Archie and he was married three times: his first was Laura Grace Fuller and son Junius Job Stout was born April 16, 1910. Wife number two was Minnie E. Arbios. And number three was Bernice Viola Weston.

Find A Grave has more on son Junius (1910 - 1944) - Photographer Mate First Class Junius Stout died October 30, 1944 while being transported on a C-47 which was shot down and ditched at sea off the coast of France. He is interred at Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, Colleville-sur-Mer, Departement du Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56650467/junius-job-stout

Ancestry.com had World War II Navy Casualties and son Junius is listed: "Junius Job Stout, Photographer's Mate 1C, USNR. Parents, Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Job Stout, 1236 N. Flores St., Hollywood."

May 31, 1947 Los Angeles Evening Citizen News reported on the service award ceremony for John Ford's WW2 Photographic Unit. Awards were given to Ford and Archie Stout's son Junius who was killed during the invasion of France. There is an error in the article - Junius is incorrectly listed as a Pharmacist Mate - should be Photographer Mate: https://www.newspapers.com/article/los-angeles-evening-citizen-news/153367729/

There's a lengthy interview with director John Ford in the June, 1964 American Legion magazine available at the Internet Archive. Ford comments about his photographic unit filming the D Day Invasion, etc. And Archie Stout's son Junius (1910 - 1944) was a member of his organization ... and killed in action: https://archive.org/details/americanlegionma766amer/page/44/mode/2up?view=theater&q=archie+stout


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