October 9, Birthday Wishes

Robert Warwick [1878 - 1964]
Hank Patterson [1888 - 1975]
Edward Andrews [1914 - 1985]

Howdy Manco!!

Robert Warwick was a handsome, romantic leading man in silent films. He made his film debut in The Dollar Mark in 1914 and appeared in dozens of silent films, like Hell Hath No Fury, The Heart Of A Hero, The Secret Service and many others. Because of his well modulated voice, he easily made the transition to the " talkies" and through the 30's, 40's, he appeared in a total of over 200 films, including I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang, Sullivan's Travels, The Adventures Of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn and because of his long friendship with Humphrey Bogart, was cast in Bogart's, In A Lonely Place. During the 50's, he turned to the new medium of t.v. and appeared on Colt .45, The Deputy, Broken Arrow, Cheyenne and many of the ole t.v. westerns.

If you don't know who Hank Patterson is, you've got some homework to do. This veteran western character actor started out playing piano in Vaudeville and didn't make his film debut until he was over 50 years old. He first appeared in The Arizona Kid in 1939 and by he 1950's had appeared in over 40 films, including Abilene Town, Bells Of San Angelo, The El Paso Kid, No Name On The Bullet and Day Of The Badman. In 1949, he began appearing in western t.v. series, like The Lone Ranger, The Gene Autry Show, Hopalong Cassidy and The Adventures Of Wild Bill Hickok. He became as familiar to western fans as a six gun and he was just getting started. He took on regular roles as Fred Ziffel on t.v. series like, Petticoat Junction, and continued this role on Green Acres and as Hank, the livery man in 32 episodes of Gunsmoke. Having served in the U.S. Calvery and in WW I, Fred was almost deaf, by the 1950's and had to have a teacher of the deaf, to assist him in learning his lines. With his wrinkled face and graveley voice, Hank became one of the most beloved characters in western films, during a career that spanned 1939-1975.

Edward Andrews is almost as familiar to westerns fans as Hank Patterson. He first showed up in the 1930's and his career spanned nearly 50 years. With his tall physique and his everpresent horn rimmed glasses, he could play authoritive military roles, bankers, jovial, loving grandfathers or even cunning, evil ranchers and vigilante leaders. He has appeared in such films of note as, Tension At Table Rock, Three Brave Men, Tora, Tora, Tora, Elmer Gantry, the original Absent Minded Professor, and the original Son Of Flubber, along with appearing in every t.v. series on from the 50's-80's, including western and other genre. Andrews has played so many roles, both in film and t.v., it is difficult to determine what he will be best remembered for, but when I think of him, I always remember a Bonanza episode, titled Song Of The Dark, in which he plays a psychotic preacher, who kills his wife and other members of his flock and blames it on a singing cowboy, played by Gregory Walcott. The over acting by Adam( Pernell Roberts) in the closing minutes of the episode, in which Adam has to portray a psychotic follower, in order to get the preacher to confess is hilarious. It was also here, that I discovered that Gregory Walcott may have missed his calling, since he has a beautiful baritone singing voice.. I still remember the melody and the haunting lyrics of the song he sang in that episode.
Rim, Rim, Under The Red Rock Rim.

Ed

Gregory Walcott is a friend of ours, known him for about 30 years. Ed, you might not know it, but Greg is a fellow North Carolinian. Tom.