Unkempt, rough and tough looking members of the gang, or lynch mob, or vigilantes, or posse riders, or cow herders. They had minimal or no dialog, not much screen time, and were generally not listed in the film credits. Some would show up as a face in the crowd, portraying townspeople, barflies, deputies, wagon drivers, ranch hands, etc. We tend to recognize some of their faces, but have no clue as to their real names. |
Robert Walker Full name: Robert Donald Walker Robert Walker appeared in at least 87 westerns and 17 serials in the sound era. He also worked in nearly a hundred silent films. |
(Courtesy of Ed Phillips) Above from L-to-R are Robert Walker, Frank Ellis, Dick Rush, Edmund Cobb, Charles Starrett, George Morrell (behind and right of Starrett). In the background on horseback are Steve Clark and Tex Cooper (Buffalo Bill-looking character). Scene from TWO-FISTED SHERIFF (Columbia, 1937). |
Les Adams provides some info on Robert Walker:
The majority of Robert Walker's sound era work was from two sources: Some additional Walker biographical info from Boyd Magers: Robert Donald Walker (1888-1954) was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He entered films with Kalem in 1915. Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Robert Walker: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0908154/ The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), newspapers, the California Death Index, and the death certificate provide more about Walker. Note the three wives mentioned in the census and obituary - Cora, Ruth and Vera.
Find A Grave has a photo of the marker for Robert Donald Walker who is interred at Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/205642640/robert-d-walker |
(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above - Robert Walker waits for hero Wally Wales to enter the saloon in the above lobby card and crop/blowup from the early sound oater, BREED OF THE WEST (Big 4, 1930). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above is a lobby card and crop/blowup from Chapter 10 of THE BLACK COIN (Weiss/Stage & Screen, 1936). From left to right in the crop/blowup are Robert Walker, bartender William Desmond, Robert Frazer, Roger Williams and Carl Mathews. (Image courtesy of Carol Murray and her "Jack Hendricks Photo Album") From left to right are Francis X. Bushman, Jr. (Ralph Bushman) and Jack Hendricks about to be pounced on by the gun-wielding Robert Walker in a still from CARYL OF THE MOUNTAINS (Reliable, 1936), a mountie yarn with Rin Tin Tin Jr. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above top from L-to-R are Frank Yaconelli, Jack Randall and Nelson McDowell getting ready to surprise Bud Osborne (with the Winchester) and Robert Walker in a scene from Randall's PIONEER DAYS (Monogram, 1940). |
Dick Dickinson Full name: Milton Arthur Dickinson The face image on the left is Dick Dickinson as a good guy Ranger who's killed in the Bob Steele RIDERS OF THE DESERT (Sono Art-World Wide, 1932). |
Dick Dickinson was born in Iowa and did mostly uncredited roles in about 85 films during the period 1929 - 1954. About half were westerns and Dickinson was most often a henchman, townsman, or barfly.
Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Dick Dickinson: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0225513/ The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), the California Death Index, and the death certificate provide more information on Dick Dickinson:
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(From Old Corral collection) Above is Dick Dickinson readying his knife to throw at Tim McCoy in TEXAS CYCLONE (Columbia, 1932). (From Old Corral collection) In the above lobby card and crop/blowup from LIGHTNING STRIKES WEST (Colony, 1940), Charlie King has the drop on Ken Maynard. Dick Dickinson is on the far left and Bob Terry and Reed Howes (mustache) are between Maynard and King. |
(Courtesy of Les Adams) Carol Henry Full name: Carol D. Henry Above from left to right are Carol Henry (1918-1987), Johnny Mack Brown and House Peters, Jr. in a scene from GUNNING FOR JUSTICE (Monogram, 1948). Henry was a later member of the B western henchie and stuntman brigade, and his film credits begin around 1943. Les Adams has him in about 50 westerns (and no serials). Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Carol Henry: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0377754 The Family Search website and the California Death Index have information on Carol Henry:
Find A Grave has a photo of the marker for Carol D. Henry who is interred at Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10061606/carol-henry |
(Courtesy of Dale Crawford & Jim Sorensen) | Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, California, Lot 1, Section 4070, Block D. |