February 7 Birthday Wishes

Ann Little [1891 - 1984]

Buster Crabbe [1908 - 1983]

George Barrows [1914 - 1994]

Jock Mahoney [1919 - 1989]

Besides appearing in numerous westerns, George Barrows was a stunt man and also owned a gorilla costume that he used in a number of films, ranging from Gorilla at Large (with Cameron Mitchell, Anne Bancroft, Lee J. Cobb & Raymond Burr) and the low-budget one he would probably not want to be remembered for but what has become a cult classic due to it being so bad, "Robot Monster" with George Nader and an early music score by Elmer Bernstein, and filmed at Bronson Canyon, a location used in many films, including westerns.
Jock Mahoney...although he played Tarzan, Yancy Derringer, the hero in westerns like The Kangaroo Kid (filmed in Australia), Overland Pacific & Day of Fury, Joe Dakota, Showdown at Abilene;although he was one of the top stunt workers (he doubled Charles Starrett in all the Durango Kid movies as well as playing bad guys in them), had some nice bad guy roles in Randolph Scott films (Doolins of Oklahoma, The Nevadan, Santa Fe), played real life outlaw Duke Fisher in George Montgomery's "The Texas Rangers; appeared in a number of Gene Autry films of the 50's; worked in the old serials shown as chapters on Saturday matinees at the theatre, guest-starred on TV westerns like Rawhide, Wagon Train & Laramie.....BUT to me he will always be THE RANGE RIDER. My friend, western badman Terry Frost, once introduced me to Jock Mahoney, and my beard was starting to show signs of some grey....and I said, "I always enjoyed watching you as the Range Rider when I was a kid." He looked at me with a sort of twinkle in his eye and said, "Don't give me any of that when you were a kid sh-t." He was a really nice guy and probably, alongside the likes of Joel McCrea & Ben Johnson, one of the best horsemen in the business. As to his stunt work ability, actress Lois Hall said of working on the Range Rider, that watching "Jocko and Al Wyatt (another actor stuntman) working together was just like poetry."
Don't know who Ann Little was, but Buster Crabbe will always be Flash Gordon and Billy the Kid (not the real one, but his character went by that name in many of his B-westerns). Lois Hall, my actress friend, also worked on a serial with Buster Crabbe, and had sort of the same experience with him that I had with Jock. She told Jim and I on one ocassion "I worked on the serial "Pirates of the High Seas" with him, and I did the unforgiveable. When I met him I said, 'It's wonderful to work with you. As a child I enjoyed Tarzan.' And I thought, 'Oh shoot, did I have to say that."

Hi All,
Jock Mahoney, what can I or anyone say about Jocko he was one of the greatest stuntmen ever
and Tom is right always remembered as The Range Rider with the ever faithful Dickie Jones as his youthful sidekick Dick West in an action packed series that ran for 77 episodes, of which I am glad to say I have many of them in my collection. I also enjoyed his appearances in the Tarzan movies he was in as either the main character or as a villain in the movies or in the Ron Ely tv series. I think his last appearance on the big screen was in Bandelero where he barely spoke a word and was killed by Dean Martin's gang in the opening scenes. Yes Jocko was one of the very best and one of my very favourite western stars. GERARD

Ann Little played in a lot of short films in serials in the silent era, working mostly with directors Broncho billy Anderson and Thomas Ince. In many of then, she was cast as an Indian maiden. I downloaded a copy of the Thomas Ince/Francis Ford directed film The Invaders (1912), in which she plays the chief's daughter. This film is available on YouTube.

Howdy Pards!!

Buster Crabbe must have led an exciting life. He won the gold medal in the 1932 Olympics, in the 400 meter swim, I believe. This, coupled with his blonde wavy hair and his tanned physique, led to his starring in a Tarzan movie and his career skyrocketed. As far as I know, he is the only actor to ever play Tarzan, Flash Gordon AND Buck Rogers in his career!! Then on to the 40's and 50's western films. But, I have to say, I think his 50's t.v. series, Captain Gallant And The Foreign Legion, with his son playin "Cuffy", was his best role.

As for Jock Mahoney, I have to agree with Tom and Saddlepal. Jock Mahoney will always be The Range Rider to me!! The stepfather to Sally Field, a natural equestrian, an excellent actor, tall, handsome, with an easygoing style, Jock was a natural for westerns. Robert Fuller of Laramie fame, admitted patterning his fighting style after him. Jock appeared as a famous "Robin Hood" type of bandit on an episode of Laramie and when he watched Fuller fight, he commented to Fuller ", that reminds me of someone". Fuller replied, " it ought to".

Ed