May 4 Birthday Wishes

Howard Da Silva [1909 - 1986]

James Ellison [1910 - 1993]

Curt Conway [1915 - 1974]

Randy Travis [1959 - ]

Howdy Manco!!

Howard Da Sylva was one of about 350 actors blacklisted by the McCarthy investigation into what they called Un American Activities. Robert Taylor named Da Sylva and it cost Da Sylva about 10 years out of his career. He appeared in both the 1949 and the 1974 films, The Great Gatsby, along with The Lost Weekend and Sergeant York.

James Ellison was a leading man, primarily in westerns from 1932-1962. He will probably be best remembered as Buffalo Bill, opposite Gary Cooper in Cecil.B.DeMill's, The Plainsman.

Curt Conway was an American character actor, active between the years 1947-1974. He appeared in Hud with Paul Newman, and Invitation To A Gunfighter, with Yul Brenner. He did mostly t.v. from 1960, until his death at the age of 59.

Randy Travis is primarily known as a country music singer, who came out of Fayetteville N.C. back in the mid 1980's. He has recorded such hits as, Digging Up Bones, On The Other Hand and Three Wooden Crosses. He has also appeared in films like Frank And Jesse with Rob Lowe, Fire Down Below with Steven Seagal and a couple of other good westerns.

Ed

The western "Slaughter Trail" was in production when word came down from the top of the studio to stop the filming while they re-cast Brian Donlevy in the role that Howard DaSilva was playing and then they had to restart the movie filming all his scenes over again because of the blacklist terror that was going on.
James Ellison worked in many westerns...both as Hopalong Cassidy's sidekick and in his own series of westerns at Lippert that were released about a year or two ago by VCI on DVD.

Randy Travis is really good as the bad guy in the 1997 direct to video movie The Shooter. He was also good as Cole younger in Frank and Jesse, and as Ranger Frank Bones in Texas Rangers.