Raised on a cattle ranch in Montana. Educated at Stanford and the University of Nevada as an engineer. Washed out as an Army pilot. Toured the country in rodeos as a saddle bronc rider. Broke his neck in a horsefall in his 20s, but didn't know it until his 40s. Chosen along with Tex Ritter from a rodeo at Madison Square Garden in New York to appear in the Broadway play "Green Grow the Lilacs", the play from which the musical "Oklahoma" was later derived. Drove a cab in New York, then worked on dude ranches as a wrangler and as a guide on the Bright Angel trail of the Grand Canyon. Recommended by Billie Burke to several movie producers. Became friends with John Wayne, Howard Hawks, and later John Ford, all of whom provided him with much work. Survived by adopted daughter Dawn Henry.
Date of Death: 6 December 1992, Los Angeles, California, USA (natural causes)
Known For
The Searchers
(1956)
Mose Harper
True Grit
(1969)
R. Ryan - Undertaker (uncredited)
Stagecoach
(1939)
Cavalryman Extra (uncredited)
Runaway Train
(1985)
Old Con
Rio Lobo
(1970)
Hank, the hotel desk clerk
Fort Apache
(1948)
Southern Recruit
McLintock!
(1963)
Curly Fletcher
Big Jake
(1971)
Hank
Every Which Way but Loose
(1978)
Trailer Court Manager
Cahill: United States Marshal
(1973)
Albert, Valentine Stationmaster
The Alamo
(1960)
Parson
Smokey and the Bandit
(1977)
Trucker (uncredited)
Red River
(1948)
Simms Reeves
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
(1971)
Old Home Guardsman (uncredited)
Bronco Billy
(1980)
Station Mechanic
One-Eyed Jacks
(1961)
Doc
Full Filmography
Acting
Barbary Coast
(1935)
Barfly / Townsman (uncredited)
Come and Get It
(1936)
Lumberjack (uncredited)
For the Service
(1936)
Henchman (uncredited)
Hollywood Round-Up
(1937)
Saloon Set Extra
Sing Cowboy Sing
(1937)
Henchman
Hittin' the Trail
(1937)
Sidekick Hank
The Californian
(1937)
Ruiz Man
The Mystery of the Hooded Horsemen
(1937)
Deputy
Ghost Town Riders
(1938)
Tom 'Cherokee' Walton
The Stranger from Arizona
(1938)
Skeeter
The Cowboy and the Lady
(1938)
Cowhand Leonard (uncredited)
Frontier Town
(1938)
Henchman Buck
Sundown on the Prairie
(1939)
Henchman Hank
The Night Riders
(1939)
Rancher
Oklahoma Frontier
(1939)
Townsman
Stagecoach
(1939)
Cavalryman Extra (uncredited)
Chip of the Flying U
(1939)
Cowhand
Rollin' Westward
(1939)
Slim Regan
Reno
(1939)
Townsman
Riders of Pasco Basin
(1940)
Townsman (uncredited)
Northwest Passage
(1940)
Ranger Tying Oars
Winners of the West
(1940)
Drunk
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride
(1940)
Henry Haggerty
Beyond Tomorrow
(1940)
Hospital Visitor (Uncredited)
Triple Justice
(1940)
Townsman Outside Saloon
The Range Busters
(1940)
Cowhand
Brigham Young
(1940)
Mormon Cheering Porter
Gaucho Serenade
(1940)
Farmer Driving Jalopy
Cross-Country Romance
(1940)
Wedding Witness
Viva Cisco Kid
(1940)
Deputy
Robbers of the Range
(1941)
Stagecoach Attendant (uncredited)
Border Vigilantes
(1941)
Aunt Jennifer's Wagon Driver
Deep in the Heart of Texas
(1942)
Townsman
The Woman of the Town
(1943)
The Barber
A Lady Takes a Chance
(1943)
Waiter
Flesh and Fantasy
(1943)
Circus Spectator (uncredited)
Black Market Rustlers
(1943)
Slim
So Proudly We Hail
(1943)
Soldier on Troop Ship (Uncredited)
The Great Moment
(1944)
Morton's Sign Painter - replaced Roscoe Ates (uncredited)
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood
(1945)
Joe (uncredited)
Lawless Breed
(1946)
The Deputy
Undercurrent
(1946)
Telegram Delivery Man (uncredited)
Duel in the Sun
(1946)
Party Guest (uncredited)
Angel and the Badman
(1947)
Townsman (uncredited)
Prairie Express
(1947)
Deputy Clint
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
(1947)
Western Character (uncredited)
Tap Roots
(1948)
Cropper (uncredited)
Fort Apache
(1948)
Southern Recruit
The Man from Texas
(1948)
(uncredited)
Whispering Smith
(1948)
3 Godfathers
(1948)
Deputy Curly
The Sainted Sisters
(1948)
Taub Beasley
Red River
(1948)
Simms Reeves
Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'
(1948)
Clem (uncredited)
Yellow Sky
(1948)
Rancher, Bank Customer (uncredited)
Roseanna McCoy
(1949)
Jacob (uncredited)
Hellfire
(1949)
The Fighting Kentuckian
(1949)
Abner Todd
Cover Up
(1949)
Undertaker
Wagon Master
(1950)
Luke Clegg
Father Is a Bachelor
(1950)
Finnegan (uncredited)
Frenchie
(1950)
Mr. Grady (uncredited)
When Willie Comes Marching Home
(1950)
American Legionnaire Band Leader (uncredited)
Sugarfoot
(1951)
Johnny Behind-the-Stove
Comin' Round the Mountain
(1951)
Shooting Match Official
Joe Palooka in Triple Cross
(1951)
Hard-of-Hearing Farmer
Woman of the North Country
(1952)
Tom Gordon
Apache War Smoke
(1952)
Amber
The Big Sky
(1952)
Poordevil
Boots Malone
(1952)
Auto Mechanic
Crime Wave
(1953)
Sweeney (uncredited)
The Indian Fighter
(1955)
Crazy Bear / Guardhouse Keeper
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
(1956)
Fiddler
Thunder Over Arizona
(1956)
Old Jonas
The Searchers
(1956)
Mose Harper
Accused of Murder
(1956)
Les Fuller
The Quiet Gun
(1957)
Sampson
The Buckskin Lady
(1957)
Lon
Forty Guns
(1957)
Marshal John Chisum
Dragoon Wells Massacre
(1957)
Hopi Charlie
Spoilers of the Forest
(1957)
Pat Casey
Bullwhip
(1958)
Tex
The Toughest Gun in Tombstone
(1958)
Liveryman
The Notorious Mr. Monks
(1958)
Pete
The Horse Soldiers
(1959)
Deacon Clump
The Alamo
(1960)
Parson
Sergeant Rutledge
(1960)
Laredo (uncredited)
One-Eyed Jacks
(1961)
Doc
The Music Man
(1962)
Undertaker
McLintock!
(1963)
Curly Fletcher
Hondo and the Apaches
(1967)
Miner
The President's Analyst
(1967)
Dirty Old Man (uncredited)
Big Daddy
(1969)
True Grit
(1969)
R. Ryan - Undertaker (uncredited)
Chisum
(1970)
Stationmaster Elwood
Rio Lobo
(1970)
Hank, the hotel desk clerk
Big Jake
(1971)
Hank
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
(1971)
Old Home Guardsman (uncredited)
Black Noon
(1971)
Joseph
Cahill: United States Marshal
(1973)
Albert, Valentine Stationmaster
The Hanged Man
(1974)
Ab Wickes
Which Way Is Up?
(1977)
The Flunky
The Legend of Frank Woods
(1977)
Slim
Smokey and the Bandit
(1977)
Trucker (uncredited)
Big Wednesday
(1978)
Shopping Cart
They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way
(1978)
Butch Collins
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(1978)
Old Lonely Hearts Club Band
Every Which Way but Loose
(1978)
Trailer Court Manager
Bronco Billy
(1980)
Station Mechanic
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.
(1981)
Old Geezer
Scream
(1981)
John
Hammett
(1982)
Pool Room Attendant
Please Don't Eat the Babies
(1983)
Gramps Jebediah
UFOria
(1984)
Colonel
The Ice Pirates
(1984)
Elderly Jason
Space Rage
(1985)
Old Codger
Runaway Train
(1985)
Old Con
Once Upon a Texas Train
(1988)
Old Timer
Almost an Angel
(1990)
Pop
Big Bad John
(1990)
Good Ole Boy
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
(1992)
Self