 | The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc. |
 (Courtesy of Donn & Nancy Moyer) |  | Pierce Lyden Full name: |
| Special thanks to Donn Moyer for the following narrative and background info on Pierce Lyden. We updated the biography in December, 2016 with new information that wasn't available when Donn wrote the original profile on Lyden. |
 (Courtesy of Donn & Nancy Moyer) Above - Pierce's whiskers and grime look. Below - smooth shaven and without his usual 'stache.  (From Old Corral collection) |
Pierce was born January 8, 1908 in Nebraska, on a farm in a sod house. Parents were Albert C. Lyden (1882 - 1983) and Ida Lavina Pearson (1881 - 1968). In a 1978 interview, Pierce mentioned that his dad was a buyer of horses for the Army. However, the census for 1910, 1920 and 1930 and World War I draft registration have father Albert as a farmer.
Pierce was on horseback from boyhood but the magnetism of show business pulled him away from home to the University School of Music at Lincoln, Nebraska. He was able to get stage work which eventually led to roles on radio. After a few years on stage he migrated to sunny California circa 1931 and soon found work in the legitimate theatre where he performed a variety of roles from rogue to leading man. This led to his first movie job and over the years Pierce appeared with about every cowboy star in the business.
The talented gentleman was groomed by Paramount for stardom but the studio bosses decided not to try and promote an unknown into a starring role as the depression years were not a time to try someone new. Pierce, undaunted, did hair raising stunts, specialized in fight scenes and used his excellence in horsemanship to keep from getting killed while stunting. Cast mainly as a villain, the mustached Lyden was awarded the title of "Villain of the Year" in 1944 by the Photo Press Fan Poll.
Pierce worked in about 175 films and many television programs and his movie and TV career spanned 25+ years, from about 1935 - 1962. Following are a few highlights:
In 1962, Pierce called it quits. He was always surprised that in years to come he would receive fan mail and be considered an honored guest at western fan get togethers. Pierce said there was an unwritten law that western stars were not to fraternize with the actors but he found close, lasting friendships with Johnny Mack Brown and others. Pierce was grateful for his friends, fans and life as a cowboy baddie in the movies. What adulation he did receive was his treasure. Although Pierce was finished with the movies, he had a lot to contribute left in him. With the help of the prolific artist and writer Mario De Marco, he authored several books on his life. He also found time to get involved with the "Meals on Wheels" program in 1978 and was on their Advisory Board as its president. Besides being active in the Elks Club, he also was involved in various religious venues.
Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing in the 1980s, Pierce reminisced about his Hollywood years in a semi-regular column titled 'Action Shots' which ran in the Sunday Leisuretime section of the Santa Ana Orange County Register newspaper. In his September 7, 1980 'Action Shots', he wrote about the coin flip which led to his movie career. He's a leading man with a stock company in Des Moines, Iowa, was running low on money, and arrived at the theater to find a notice on the bulletin board - "Company Closing!" A few quotes from that article:
"The end of an era in the theater, of the resident stock company that made up the entertainment life of so many people ..."
"The finest training ground for actors to perfect their craft was no more."
"Everyone was flocking to the theater to hear movie stars talk!"
"It was time to move on. My money was running out. I flipped a coin. Heads I would go to New York, tails to Hollywood."
"Tails ... I buttoned my coat up and headed for the freight yards."
Pierce Lyden was presented with a Golden Boot award at the 1992 awards ceremony. Shortly thereafter, the city of Orange, California declared August 15, 1992 as Pierce Lyden Day. In 1996, he was awarded a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. And the Nebraska State Historical Society notes that Lyden was the 1997 recipient of Nebraska's Buffalo Bill Award for "outstanding contributions to quality family entertainment in the Cody tradition." Pierce was also surprised - and delighted - by the fans and positive response he received as a guest at several 1980s nostalgia/western film conventions.
There was turmoil and sadness in his personal / family life. Pierce's first two marriages ended in divorce. With second wife Helen (nee) Hittson, son Donald Pierce Lyden was born in 1934. Helen passed in 1982 and son Donald in 1988. Pierce tied the knot with Audrey Sears in 1943 and they were together through her death in 1985. Fourth wife Hazel (see photos below) died in 1994.
 (Courtesy of Donn & Nancy Moyer) Above - Dave Twomey (Happy the Clown) with movie bad guy Pierce Lyden and his wife Hazel.  (Courtesy of Ancel Cook) Above from L-to-R are Iron Eyes Cody, movie baddie Pierce Lyden and his wife Hazel Lyden. The photo was taken May, 1992 inside a limo on the way to a parade in Monrovia, California.  (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Johnny Mack Brown, an older Jack Perrin, John Merton and Pierce Lyden in SHADOWS ON THE RANGE (Monogram, 1946).  (From Old Corral collection) From L-to-R are Tom London, Allan Lane with Peggy Stewart in his arms, whiskered Emmett Lynn, Pierce Lyden, and in the front is Bobby Blake as Little Beaver. Lobby card from RUSTLERS OF DEVIL'S CANYON (Republic, 1947), one of the Red Ryder adventures. |
Links
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 Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Pierce Lyden: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0527973/
The Internet Movie Database has a "people working together" search function. Low budget producer Sam Katzman had a stable of regulars in his features and serials. Included were familar villains Jack Ingram, Terry Frost, Gene Roth/Stutenroth ... and Pierce Lyden. Pierce worked for Katzman in about two dozen films and cliffhangers: https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?role=nm0527973,nm0441947 The Nebraska Historical Society has a biography on Lyden (and Nebraska's Buffalo Bill Award in 1997): https://history.nebraska.gov/publications/pierce-lyden Pierce Lyden was a recipient of a Golden Boot award at the 1992 awards program. To view a complete listing of all the Golden Boot award winners, go back to the Old Corral homepage, and then to the Golden Boot Award menu item.
There's 1986 and 1993 articles / interviews with Pierce Lyden at the Los Angeles Times newspaper website: In 1996, Lyden was awarded a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. You can see the complete list of movie personalities at: https://www.palmsprings.com/walk-of-stars/ The University School of Music at Lincoln, Nebraska, was acquired by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1930: http://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/unltoday/article/school-of-music-renamed-to-honor-glenn-korff/ |
On the trail of Pierce Lyden.
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Ye Old Corral webmeister did some further research in the census, marriage records, trade publications, newspapers, etc.
Pierce was married four times:
Margerie Ann Lyden (unknown maiden name) from 1929 - 1931 divorce. College and early stage work:
The Family Search (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), California Death Index, Social Security Death Index (SSDI), Rootsweb, newspaper articles, and the death certificate provide more on Pierce Lyden and family.
The Los Angeles Times newspaper has a death notice / obituary on Lyden: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-13-me-32041-story.html Find A Grave website has a photo of the marker for Pierce Lyden at Fairhaven Memorial Park, Santa Ana, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8525/pierce-lyden Find A Grave has a photo of the marker for Audrey S. Lyden (1921 - 1985) who is interred at Naponee Cemetery, Naponee, Franklin County, Nebraska. The marker also includes Pierce Lyden's name - perhaps the original plan was for Pierce to be interred there: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48223823/audrey-s-lyden Find A Grave has Hazel Gilbert Lyden (1914 - 1994) interred at Westminster Memorial Park, Westminster, Orange County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/108327842/hazel-eloise-gilbert-lyden |
