Ken Maynard
From Wikipedia Kenneth Olin "Ken" Maynard (July 21, 1895 – March 23, 1973) was an American motion picture stuntman and actor. Maynard served in the United States Army during World War I. After the war, Maynard returned to show business as a circus rider with Ringling Brothers. When the circus was playing in Los Angeles, California, actor Buck Jones encouraged Maynard to try working in the movies. Maynard soon had a contract with Fox Studios. He first appeared in silent motion pictures in 1923. Maynard's work included stunt performance. His horsemanship and rugged good looks made Maynard a cowboy star. He and his white stallion, "Tarzan," became famous. His two recorded songs with Columbia Records, "The Lone Star Trail" and "The Cowboy's Lament," made him one of the first of the singing cowboys. Maynard moved to Universal Studios, where he made his first films with a musical soundtrack. He sang two songs in Sons of the Saddle in 1930. In 1931 and 1932, Maynard worked for Tiffany Productions and Sono Art-World Wide Pictures before moving back to Universal in 1933. Maynard played several musical instruments, and was featured that year on the violin in The Fiddlin' Buckaroo, and on the banjo in The Trail Drive. Maynard moved to Mascot Pictures in 1934. Maynard appeared in more than ninety films in twenty years with his white cowboy hat, fancy shirt, and a pair of six-shooters, but alcoholism so severely affected his life that his acting career ended in 1944. He made appearances at state fairs and rodeos. He owned a small circus operation featuring rodeo riders but eventually lost it to creditors. His substantial wealth had vanished, and he lived a desolate life in a rundown trailer. During these years, Maynard was supported by an unknown benefactor, long thought to be Gene Autry. More than twenty five years after his last starring role, Maynard returned to the screen two small roles, in 1970 and 1972, the more notably in The Marshal of Windy Hollow. Maynard died of stomach cancer in 1973 at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, California. He was interred at Forest Lawn Cypress Cemetery in Cypress, California. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Ken Maynard has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6751 Hollywood Blvd.
Known For
Credits
- 1976 · Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch as (archive footage)
- 1972 · The Marshal of Windy Hollow as Texas Ranger
- 1970 · Bigfoot as Mr. Bennett
- 1944 · Harmony Trail as Marshal Ken Maynard
- 1944 · Arizona Whirlwind as Ken Maynard
- 1944 · Westward Bound as Ken Maynard
- 1943 · Death Valley Rangers as Ken Maynard
- 1943 · Blazing Guns as Marshal Ken Maynard
- 1943 · The Law Rides Again as U.S. Marshal Ken Maynard
- 1943 · Wild Horse Stampede as Marshal Ken Maynard
- 1940 · Lightning Strikes West as Lightning Ken Morgan
- 1940 · Phantom Rancher as Ken Mitchell
- 1939 · Death Rides the Range as Ken Baxter
- 1939 · Flaming Lead as Ken Clark
- 1938 · Six Shootin' Sheriff as Jim 'Trigger' Morton
- 1938 · Whirlwind Horseman as Ken Morton
- 1937 · Trailing Trouble as John 'Friendly' Fields
- 1937 · Boots of Destiny as Ken Crawford
- 1936 · The Fugitive Sheriff as Ken Marshall
- 1936 · The Cattle Thief as Ken
- 1936 · Avenging Waters as Ken Morley
- 1936 · Heroes of the Range as Ken Smith
- 1935 · Heir to Trouble as Ken Armstrong
- 1935 · Lawless Riders as Ken Manley
- 1935 · Western Courage as Ken Baxter
- 1935 · Western Frontier as Ken Masters
- 1934 · Mystery Mountain as Ken Williams
- 1934 · In Old Santa Fe as Ken aka 'Kentucky'
- 1934 · Smoking Guns as Ken Masters
- 1934 · Honor of the Range as Sheriff Ken / Brother Clem
- 1934 · Wheels of Destiny as Ken Manning
- 1933 · Gun Justice as Ken Lance
- 1933 · Fargo Express as Ken Benton
- 1933 · Strawberry Roan as Ken Masters
- 1933 · The Trail Drive as Ken Benton
- 1933 · The Fiddlin' Buckaroo as 'Fiddlin'
- 1933 · King of the Arena as Captain Ken Kenton
- 1933 · The Lone Avenger as Cal Weston
- 1933 · Phantom Thunderbolt as Thunderbolt Kid
- 1933 · Drum Taps as Ken Cartwright
- 1932 · Tombstone Canyon as Ken
- 1932 · Haunted Gold as Tim Kelly (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1932 · Hollywood on Parade No. A-5 as Self
- 1932 · Between Fighting Men as Ken
- 1932 · Come On, Tarzan as Ken Benson
- 1932 · Dynamite Ranch as Blaze Howell
- 1932 · Whistlin' Dan as 'Whistlin' Dan Savage Posing as Ed Black
- 1932 · Hell-Fire Austin as Ken 'Hell-Fire' Austin
- 1932 · Texas Gun Fighter as Bill Dane
- 1932 · The Sunset Trail as Jim Brandon
- 1931 · The Pocatello Kid as The Pocatello Kid / Sheriff Jim Bledsoe
- 1931 · Branded Men as Rod Whitaker
- 1931 · Range Law as Hap Conners
- 1931 · The Arizona Terror as The Arizonian
- 1931 · Alias: The Bad Man as Ranger Ken Neville
- 1931 · The Two Gun Man as 'Blackie' Weed
- 1930 · Fighting Thru as Dan Barton
- 1930 · Sons of the Saddle as Jim Brandon
- 1930 · Song of the Caballero as Juan Posing as El Lobo
- 1930 · Mountain Justice as Ken McTavish
- 1930 · The Fighting Legion as Dave Hayes
- 1930 · Lucky Larkin as 'Lucky' Larkin
- 1930 · Parade of the West as Bud Rand
- 1929 · Señor Americano as Lieutenant Michael Banning
- 1929 · The Wagon Master as The Rambler
- 1929 · The California Mail as Bob Scott
- 1929 · The Lawless Legion as Cal Stanley
- 1929 · The Royal Rider as Dick Scott
- 1929 · Cheyenne as Cal Roberts
- 1928 · The Phantom City as Tim Kelly
- 1928 · The Glorious Trail as Pat O'Leary
- 1928 · The Code of the Scarlet as Bruce Kenton
- 1928 · The Upland Rider as Dan Dailey
- 1928 · The Canyon of Adventure as Steven Bancroft
- 1928 · The Wagon Show as Bob Mason
- 1927 · Gun Gospel as Granger Hume
- 1927 · The Red Raiders as Lieutenant John Scott
- 1927 · The Devil's Saddle as Harry Morrel
- 1927 · The Land Beyond the Law as Jerry Steele
- 1927 · The Overland Stage as Jack Jessup
- 1926 · The Unknown Cavalier as Tom Drury
- 1926 · Senor Daredevil as Don Luis O'Flaherty
- 1926 · Haunted Range as Terry Bladwin
- 1926 · The Grey Vulture as Bart Miller
- 1925 · North Star as Noel Blake
- 1925 · Fighting Courage as Richard Kingsley
- 1925 · The Demon Rider as Billy Dennis
- 1924 · Janice Meredith as Paul Revere
- 1924 · $50,000 Reward as Tex Sherwood
- 1923 · Somebody Lied as
- 1923 · Cameo Kirby as (uncredited)
- 1923 · The Gunfighter as (uncredited)
- 1923 · The Man Who Won as Conroy
- 1923 · Brass Commandments as (uncredited)
- Future · The Voice of Hollywood No. 9 as