George Hayes is an American character actor, the most famous of Western-movie sidekicks of the 1930s and 1940s. He worked in a circus and played semi-pro baseball while a teenager. In 1914, he married Olive Ireland and the pair became successful on the vaudeville circuit. Retired in his forties, he lost much of his money in the 1929 stock market crash and was forced to return to work. He played scores of roles in Westerns and non-Westerns alike, finally in the mid-1930s settling in to an almost exclusively Western career. He gained fame as Hopalong Cassidy's sidekick Windy Halliday in films between 1936 and 1939. Leaving the Cassidy films in a salary dispute, he was legally precluded from using the Windy nickname, and so took on the sobriquet Gabby, and was so billed from about 1940. In his early films, he alternated between whiskered comic-relief sidekicks and clean-shaven bad guys, but by the later 1930s, he worked almost exclusively as a Western sidekick to stars such as John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Randolph Scott. After his last film in 1950, he starred as the host of The Gabby Hayes Show. He died on February 9, 1969.
Known For
Tall in the Saddle
(1944)
Dave
Blue Steel
(1934)
Sheriff Jake Withers
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1936)
Farmer's Spokesman (uncredited)
Dark Command
(1940)
Andrew 'Doc' Grunch
Love Me Tonight
(1932)
Grocer (uncredited)
Riders of Destiny
(1933)
Charlie Denton
Mystery Liner
(1934)
Joe, the Watchman
Full Filmography
Acting
Big News
(1929)
Hoffman
Rainbow Man
(1929)
Bill
For the Defense
(1930)
Ben (the waiter)
Playing Around
(1930)
Railroad Ticket-Seller (uncredited)
Top Speed
(1930)
Western Union Clerk
She Who Gets Slapped
(1930)
Poker Player
The Nevada Buckaroo
(1931)
Cherokee Williams
Dragnet Patrol
(1931)
Private Detective
Cavalier of the West
(1931)
Sheriff Bill Ryan
Dirigible
(1931)
Parade Official (uncredited)
The Stolen Jools
(1931)
Projectionist
Big Business Girl
(1931)
Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
God's Country and the Man
(1931)
Stingaree Kelly
Oklahoma Jim
(1931)
Crooked Gambler
The Night Rider
(1932)
Altoonie
Klondike
(1932)
Tom Ross
Riders of the Desert
(1932)
Hashknife Brooks
A Slip at the Switch
(1932)
Deputy Smoot
The Man from Hell's Edges
(1932)
Shamrock Cassidy
Sally of the Subway
(1932)
Police Lieutenant Paxton
The Fighting Champ
(1932)
Pete
Winner Take All
(1932)
Interne at Rosario Ranch (uncredited)
Wild Horse Mesa
(1932)
Slack
Play Girl
(1932)
Dance Hall Tobacconist (uncredited)
Texas Buddies
(1932)
Si Haller
Love Me Tonight
(1932)
Grocer (uncredited)
Hidden Valley
(1932)
Gavin Henchman - Dark Hat
Broadway to Cheyenne
(1932)
Walrus
Self Defense
(1932)
Jury Foreman
Border Devils
(1932)
Squint Sanders
The Boiling Point
(1932)
George Duncan
Riders of Destiny
(1933)
Charlie Denton
Galloping Romeo
(1933)
Grizzly
The Return of Casey Jones
(1933)
Timothy Shine
Skyway
(1933)
George Taylor
Trailing North
(1933)
Flash Ryan
Ranger's Code
(1933)
Baxter (as George Hayes)
The Gallant Fool
(1933)
Dad Denton
Ship of Wanted Men
(1933)
Crewman
The Sphinx
(1933)
Detective Casey
Breed of the Border
(1933)
Chuck Wiggins
The Phantom Broadcast
(1933)
Police Lieutenant
Crashing Broadway
(1933)
J. Talbot Thorndyke
Fighting Texans
(1933)
Pop Martin
The Fugitive
(1933)
Judge Tyler
The Devil's Mate
(1933)
Collins
Randy Rides Alone
(1934)
- Marvin Black aka Mat Mathews/Matt the Mute
The Lucky Texan
(1934)
Jake 'Grandy' Benson
West of the Divide
(1934)
'Dusty'
The Star Packer
(1934)
Matt Matlock
The Lawless Frontier
(1934)
Dusty
The Man from Utah
(1934)
Marshal George Higgins
Blue Steel
(1934)
Sheriff Jake Withers
Mystery Liner
(1934)
Joe, the Watchman
In Old Santa Fe
(1934)
Cactus
Monte Carlo Nights
(1934)
Inspector Nick Gunby
The Brand of Hate
(1934)
Bill Larkins
City Limits
(1934)
Charlie Carter
The Man from Hell
(1934)
Banker Colonel Campbell
Bedlam of Beards
(1934)
House of Mystery
(1934)
David Fells
'Neath the Arizona Skies
(1934)
Matt Downing
Beggars in Ermine
(1934)
Joe Wilson
Bandits of the Badlands
(1934)
Sheriff Jake Withers
The Shadow Gang
(1934)
Matt Matlock
Next Of Kin
(1934)
'Dusty'
Texas Terror
(1935)
Sheriff Ed Williams
The Lost City
(1935)
Butterfield
Bar 20 Rides Again
(1935)
Windy Halliday
Hop-a-long Cassidy
(1935)
Uncle Ben
The Eagle's Brood
(1935)
Spike
Rainbow Valley
(1935)
George Hale
Ladies Crave Excitement
(1935)
McCloskey
Tumbling Tumbleweeds
(1935)
Dr. Parker
Honeymoon Limited
(1935)
Pinkham
Death Flies East
(1935)
Wotkyns
Tombstone Terror
(1935)
Soupy Baxter
Smokey Smith
(1935)
Blaze Bart
Swifty
(1935)
Sheriff Dan Hughes (as George F. Hayes)
The Outlaw Tamer
(1935)
Cactus Barnes (as Geo. S. Hayes)
$1,000 a Minute
(1935)
New Deal Watson
Thunder Mountain
(1935)
Foley
The Headline Woman
(1935)
Duffy
The Hoosier Schoolmaster
(1935)
Pearson (as George Hayes)
The Throwback
(1935)
Ford Cruze
Justice of the Range
(1935)
John Coffin, known as Pegleg Sanderson
Hitch Hike Lady
(1935)
Miner
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1936)
Farmer's Spokesman (uncredited)
The Texas Rangers
(1936)
Judge Snow
Three on the Trail
(1936)
Windy Halliday
Call of the Prairie
(1936)
Shanghai McHenry
Heart of the West
(1936)
Windy Jenkins
Hopalong Cassidy Returns
(1936)
Windy Halliday
Trail Dust
(1936)
Windy Halliday
The Lawless Nineties
(1936)
Major Carter
The Plainsman
(1936)
Breezy
Valiant Is the Word for Carrie
(1936)
Bearded Man
Song of the Trail
(1936)
Dan Hobson
Valley of the Lawless
(1936)
Grandpaw Jenkins
I Married a Doctor
(1936)
Train Station Agent
Silver Spurs
(1936)
Drag Harlan
Hills of Old Wyoming
(1937)
Windy Halliday
Rustlers' Valley
(1937)
Windy Halliday
Borderland
(1937)
Windy Halliday
Texas Trail
(1937)
Windy Halliday
Hopalong Rides Again
(1937)
Windy Halliday
North of the Rio Grande
(1937)
Windy Halliday
Mountain Music
(1937)
Granpappy Burnside
Heart of Arizona
(1938)
Windy Halliday
In Old Mexico
(1938)
Windy Halliday
Bar 20 Justice
(1938)
Windy Halliday
Pride of the West
(1938)
Windy Halliday
The Frontiersmen
(1938)
Windy Halliday
Gold Is Where You Find It
(1938)
Enoch
Silver on the Sage
(1939)
Windy Halliday
Sunset Trail
(1939)
Windy Halliday
Renegade Trail
(1939)
Windy Halliday
The Arizona Kid
(1939)
Gabby Whittaker
Southward Ho!
(1939)
Gabby
Man of Conquest
(1939)
Lannie Upchurch
Days of Jesse James
(1939)
Gabby
Let Freedom Ring
(1939)
Pop Wilkie
Saga of Death Valley
(1939)
Gabby
In Old Monterey
(1939)
Gabby Whittaker
Wall Street Cowboy
(1939)
Gabby
In Old Caliente
(1939)
Gabby
Fighting Thoroughbreds
(1939)
Gramps Montrose
Dark Command
(1940)
Andrew 'Doc' Grunch
The Carson City Kid
(1940)
Gabby Whittaker
Colorado
(1940)
Gabby
The Border Legion
(1940)
Honest John Whittaker
Young Bill Hickok
(1940)
'Gabby' Whitaker
Young Buffalo Bill
(1940)
Gabby Whittaker
The Ranger and the Lady
(1940)
Gabby Whittaker
Wagons Westward
(1940)
Hardtack
Melody Ranch
(1940)
Pop Laramie
Bad Man of Deadwood
(1941)
Prof. Mortimer 'Gabby' Blackstone
Sheriff of Tombstone
(1941)
Gabby
In Old Cheyenne
(1941)
Arapaho Brown
Red River Valley
(1941)
Gabby Whittaker
Robin Hood of the Pecos
(1941)
Gabriel Gabby Hornaday
Nevada City
(1941)
Gabby Chapman
Jesse James at Bay
(1941)
Sheriff Gabby Whitaker
Sunset Serenade
(1942)
Gabby
Ridin' Down the Canyon
(1942)
Gabby
Man from Cheyenne
(1942)
Gabby Whittaker
Heart of the Golden West
(1942)
Gabby
Sunset on the Desert
(1942)
Gabby Whittaker
South of Santa Fe
(1942)
Gabby Whittaker
Romance on the Range
(1942)
Gabby
Sons of the Pioneers
(1942)
Gabby Whittaker
In Old Oklahoma
(1943)
Despirit Dean
Bordertown Gun Fighters
(1943)
Gabby Hayes
Death Valley Manhunt
(1943)
Gabby Hayes
The Man from Thunder River
(1943)
Gabby Whittaker
Wagon Tracks West
(1943)
Gabby
Calling Wild Bill Elliott
(1943)
Gabby Hayes
Overland Mail Robbery
(1943)
Gabby
Tall in the Saddle
(1944)
Dave
Lights of Old Santa Fe
(1944)
Gabby Whittaker
The Big Bonanza
(1944)
Hap Selby
Marshal of Reno
(1944)
Gabby
Tucson Raiders
(1944)
'Gabby' Hopkins
Hidden Valley Outlaws
(1944)
Gabby Hayes
Mojave Firebrand
(1944)
Gabby Hayes
Bells of Rosarita
(1945)
Gabby Whittake
Sunset in El Dorado
(1945)
Gabby
Utah
(1945)
Gabby Whittaker
Along the Navajo Trail
(1945)
Gabby Whittaker
Man from Oklahoma
(1945)
Gabby Whittaker
Don't Fence Me In
(1945)
Gabby Whittaker
My Pal Trigger
(1946)
Gabby Kendrick
Badman's Territory
(1946)
Honest Jim Badger / The Coyote Kid
Home in Oklahoma
(1946)
Gabby Whittaker
Heldorado
(1946)
Gabby Whittaker
Roll on Texas Moon
(1946)
Gabby Whittaker
Under Nevada Skies
(1946)
Gabby Whittaker
Rainbow Over Texas
(1946)
Sheriff 'Gabby' Whittaker
Song of Arizona
(1946)
Gabby Whittaker
Trail Street
(1947)
Billy Jones
Wyoming
(1947)
Windy Gibson
Albuquerque
(1948)
Juke
Return of the Bad Men
(1948)
John Pettit
The Untamed Breed
(1948)
Windy Lucas
El Paso
(1949)
Pesky Tees
The Cariboo Trail
(1950)
Grizzly
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
(1975)
Self (archive footage)
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
(1976)
(archive footage)