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Featured player and support roles in talkies.

(From Old Corral image collection)

Above from left to right are William Desmond, Lucile Browne, Rex Bell and Yakima Canutt in a scene from the serial, BATTLING WITH BUFFALO BILL (Universal, 1931), which starred Tom Tyler. In this, Desmond was the father of heroine Lucile Browne. Ray Taylor directed.



(Courtesy of Ed Tabor)

Lobby card from OKLAHOMA JIM (Monogram, 1931). From left to right are Earl Dwire (Sergeant stripes), Franklyn Farnum, Bill Cody, William Desmond, Iron Eyes Cody (white headdress with the orange/red tipped feathers), Chief White Eagle (blue jacket), Andy Shuford, John Elliott (green jacket) and Bill Hazlett / Chief Many Treaties with the headdress with feathers marked in blue. Note the "A 'BILL and ANDY' Western" billing. This mediocre Bill Cody western has Desmond as the main heavy. Crop/blowups below with closer view of the faces.

Earl Dwire, Franklyn Farnum, Bill Cody and William Desmond.

Iron Eyes Cody, Chief White Eagle, Andy Shuford, John Elliott and Bill Hazlett / Chief Many Treaties.




(Courtesy of Ed Tabor)

Above - hero Rex Lease in the red vest and a cast of thousands in a lobby card and crop/blowup from CYCLONE OF THE SADDLE (Weiss/Superior, 1935). L-to-R in the front row are Milburn Morante (in buckskins), youngster Bobby Nelson, Janet Chandler, Lease is shaking hands with William Desmond, and on the far right in the black suit and top hat is Herman Hack.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from left to right are Miami Alvarez, Noah Beery Jr., Pat Harmon and William Desmond in a still from the lost/missing DEVIL'S CANYON (Sunset Productions, 1935).



(From Old Corral image collection)

THE VIGILANTES ARE COMING (Republic, 1936), 12 chapters, was directed by Mack V. Wright and Ray Taylor. This 'Zorro-like' adventure was Bob Livingston's first starring serial, and it was among the first batch of serials from the newly formed Republic Pictures Corporation. From left to right at the bottom of this Chapter 1 title lobby card are featured players Raymond Hatton, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams and William Desmond.



(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 (in an unbilled role as the cantina barkeep), Robert Frazer, Roger Williams and Carl Mathews.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from left to right are William Desmond (in an uncredited role as a "townsman"), Tom Smith, Charles Starrett and Lew Morphy in DOWN RIO GRANDE WAY (Columbia, 1942).





(Courtesy of Fred D. Pfening, Jr.)
Billed as the "Lone Star Ranger of Hollywood", Desmond (and wife Mary) began a tour with the Barnett Bros. Circus in Spring, 1938.

In July, 1938, he suffered a stroke and returned to California to recuperate.

The next cowboy movie hero to headline the Barnett Bros. show was Lee Powell who had starred in THE LONE RANGER (Republic, 1938) serial.


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