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)
Rio Lobo
(1970)
Hank, the hotel desk clerk
Every Which Way but Loose
(1978)
Trailer Court Manager
Runaway Train
(1985)
Old Con
Stagecoach
(1939)
Cavalryman Extra (uncredited)
Cahill: United States Marshal
(1973)
Albert, Valentine Stationmaster
Red River
(1948)
Simms Reeves
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
(1971)
Old Home Guardsman (uncredited)
Smokey and the Bandit
(1977)
Trucker (uncredited)
The Horse Soldiers
(1959)
Deacon Clump
Big Jake
(1971)
Hank
Duel in the Sun
(1946)
Party Guest (uncredited)
The Alamo
(1960)
Parson
Fort Apache
(1948)
Southern Recruit
McLintock!
(1963)
Curly Fletcher
Full Filmography
Acting
Barbary Coast
(1935)
Barfly / Townsman (uncredited)
Come and Get It
(1936)
Lumberjack (uncredited)
For the Service
(1936)
Henchman (uncredited)
Sing Cowboy Sing
(1937)
Henchman
The Mystery of the Hooded Horsemen
(1937)
Deputy
Hittin' the Trail
(1937)
Sidekick Hank
Hollywood Round-Up
(1937)
Saloon Set Extra
The Californian
(1937)
Ruiz Man
The Cowboy and the Lady
(1938)
Cowhand Leonard (uncredited)
Frontier Town
(1938)
Henchman Buck
The Stranger from Arizona
(1938)
Skeeter
Ghost Town Riders
(1938)
Tom 'Cherokee' Walton
Stagecoach
(1939)
Cavalryman Extra (uncredited)
The Night Riders
(1939)
Rancher
Reno
(1939)
Townsman
Rollin' Westward
(1939)
Slim Regan
Sundown on the Prairie
(1939)
Henchman Hank
Oklahoma Frontier
(1939)
Townsman
Chip of the Flying U
(1939)
Cowhand
The Range Busters
(1940)
Cowhand
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride
(1940)
Henry Haggerty
Viva Cisco Kid
(1940)
Deputy
Triple Justice
(1940)
Townsman Outside Saloon
Gaucho Serenade
(1940)
Farmer Driving Jalopy
Brigham Young
(1940)
Mormon Cheering Porter
Winners of the West
(1940)
Drunk
Northwest Passage
(1940)
Ranger Tying Oars
Beyond Tomorrow
(1940)
Hospital Visitor (Uncredited)
Cross-Country Romance
(1940)
Wedding Witness
Riders of Pasco Basin
(1940)
Townsman (uncredited)
Robbers of the Range
(1941)
Stagecoach Attendant (uncredited)
Border Vigilantes
(1941)
Aunt Jennifer's Wagon Driver
Deep in the Heart of Texas
(1942)
Townsman
Black Market Rustlers
(1943)
Slim
A Lady Takes a Chance
(1943)
Waiter
The Woman of the Town
(1943)
The Barber
Flesh and Fantasy
(1943)
Circus Spectator (uncredited)
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
Duel in the Sun
(1946)
Party Guest (uncredited)
Undercurrent
(1946)
Telegram Delivery Man (uncredited)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
(1947)
Western Character (uncredited)
Angel and the Badman
(1947)
Townsman (uncredited)
Prairie Express
(1947)
Deputy Clint
Red River
(1948)
Simms Reeves
3 Godfathers
(1948)
Deputy Curly
The Man from Texas
(1948)
(uncredited)
The Sainted Sisters
(1948)
Taub Beasley
Fort Apache
(1948)
Southern Recruit
Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'
(1948)
Clem (uncredited)
Yellow Sky
(1948)
Rancher, Bank Customer (uncredited)
Tap Roots
(1948)
Cropper (uncredited)
Whispering Smith
(1948)
Roseanna McCoy
(1949)
Jacob (uncredited)
Cover Up
(1949)
Undertaker
The Fighting Kentuckian
(1949)
Abner Todd
Hellfire
(1949)
Frenchie
(1950)
Mr. Grady (uncredited)
Father Is a Bachelor
(1950)
Finnegan (uncredited)
Wagon Master
(1950)
Luke Clegg
When Willie Comes Marching Home
(1950)
American Legionnaire Band Leader (uncredited)
Comin' Round the Mountain
(1951)
Shooting Match Official
Joe Palooka in Triple Cross
(1951)
Hard-of-Hearing Farmer
Sugarfoot
(1951)
Johnny Behind-the-Stove
The Big Sky
(1952)
Poordevil
Apache War Smoke
(1952)
Amber
Woman of the North Country
(1952)
Tom Gordon
Boots Malone
(1952)
Auto Mechanic
Crime Wave
(1953)
Sweeney (uncredited)
The Indian Fighter
(1955)
Crazy Bear / Guardhouse Keeper
The Searchers
(1956)
Mose Harper
Accused of Murder
(1956)
Les Fuller
Thunder Over Arizona
(1956)
Old Jonas
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
(1956)
Fiddler
Dragoon Wells Massacre
(1957)
Hopi Charlie
Forty Guns
(1957)
Marshal John Chisum
The Buckskin Lady
(1957)
Lon
The Quiet Gun
(1957)
Sampson
Spoilers of the Forest
(1957)
Pat Casey
The Notorious Mr. Monks
(1958)
Pete
The Toughest Gun in Tombstone
(1958)
Liveryman
Bullwhip
(1958)
Tex
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
The President's Analyst
(1967)
Dirty Old Man (uncredited)
Hondo and the Apaches
(1967)
Miner
Big Daddy
(1969)
True Grit
(1969)
R. Ryan - Undertaker (uncredited)
Rio Lobo
(1970)
Hank, the hotel desk clerk
Chisum
(1970)
Stationmaster Elwood
Big Jake
(1971)
Hank
Black Noon
(1971)
Joseph
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
(1971)
Old Home Guardsman (uncredited)
Cahill: United States Marshal
(1973)
Albert, Valentine Stationmaster
The Hanged Man
(1974)
Ab Wickes
The Legend of Frank Woods
(1977)
Slim
Which Way Is Up?
(1977)
The Flunky
Smokey and the Bandit
(1977)
Trucker (uncredited)
Big Wednesday
(1978)
Shopping Cart
Every Which Way but Loose
(1978)
Trailer Court Manager
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(1978)
Old Lonely Hearts Club Band
They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way
(1978)
Butch Collins
Bronco Billy
(1980)
Station Mechanic
Scream
(1981)
John
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.
(1981)
Old Geezer
Hammett
(1982)
Pool Room Attendant
Please Don't Eat the Babies
(1983)
Gramps Jebediah
The Ice Pirates
(1984)
Elderly Jason
UFOria
(1984)
Colonel
Runaway Train
(1985)
Old Con
Space Rage
(1985)
Old Codger
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