GABBY HAYES, Part I: B-Western Sidekick

"Ya dur-r-r-n tootin, ya flea-bitten varmint"

CHARACTER ACTOR.
He was born George Francis Hayes (1885-1969) in the little town of Stannards, near Wellsville, New York. In fact, the third of seven children was born in a hotel, the Hayes Hotel, which was owned by his father.  In 1902, at the age of seventeen, he ran away from home and joined a touring acting company. In 1914 he married Olive Ireland and the couple toured as a song and dance team on the vaudeville circuit.

In the late '20s the couple moved to California where Hayes hooked up with a film producer named Trem Carr, one of the co-founders of Monogram Pictures, which led to steady employment as an onscreen character actor.  Since Monogram specialized in B-westerns, Hayes, despite his eastern background, found himself acting primarily in films starring a number of cowboy stars, but especially Bob Steele and John Wayne.  Already in his forties, one of the first things he had to learn was how to ride a horse.  Over the years, to his credit, he became a competent horseman. 

In these films he was usually cast as a sympathetic character and despite being only in his forties, he often portrayed old-timers who befriended the hero.  In these roles he was given colorful names such as Walrus, Squint, Slack, Altooney, Shamrock, Stingaree and -- well, you get the idea.  But he wasn't always a good guy.  

In RIDERS OF THE DESERT (World Wide, 1932) he is Hashknife Brooks, the leader of a notorious outlaw gang.  In the final reel he and Bob Steele engage in fisticuffs, with Hayes being shot and killed by Steele's sidekick, portrayed by Al St. John, who would later become a prolific sidekick, particularly in series starring Buster Crabbe and Lash LaRue.

He was a ubiquitous presence in the cast of the John Wayne Lone Star/Monogram westerns that were made in 1934-35 under the supervision of Carr and Paul Malvern.  In these films he continued to sharpen and refine the old-timer comedic character that would later make him famous -- but, again, not always.         

(L-R) Three future legends: John Wayne, George Hayes, and Yakima Canutt in RANDY RIDES ALONE

In RANDY RIDES ALONE (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934), Hayes is Matt the Mute, a businessman who communicates by writing out his comments. Secretly, however, he is Marvin Black, who always dresses in black and is the leader of an outlaw gang.  Yakima Canutt, stunt man extraordinaire, is Black's chief henchman, Spike.

In the very next entry, THE STAR PACKER (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934), to the public he is prominent citizen Matt Matlock, but behind the scenes he is a mysterious outlaw known as "The Shadow."


WINDY.
In 1935, Hayes began a profitable association with producer Harry Sherman. Sherman was in the process of launching an independently produced B-western series that would be financed and distributed by Paramount.  The association with a major studio ensured that the series would be far superior to the output of most of the Poverty Row studios that specialized in the genre.

It was the good fortune of Hayes to be cast as Hopalong Cassidy's (William Boyd) old-timer sidekick, Windy Halliday, in the long-running series.  There were some false starts, however.

Uncle Ben looks a lot like Windy and Gabby.

In the first entry he portrayed Uncle Ben, who, unfortunately, was killed off at the end.  In the second film he is a bartender named Spike who is a less sympathetic character, but who also doesn't live to the end of the film. In the third film, THE BAR 20 RIDES AGAIN (1935), he finally portrays a character named Windy (no last name), who makes it through the entire film and is invited to join the Bar 20 ranch. However, in the next release, CALL OF THE PRAIRIE (1936), he is the same old timer, but one who is known as Shanghai.

Despite being only fifty-years old at the time, from the outset the crotchety old-timer"Windy" (later 'Gabby') characterization appeared full blown.  However, it wasn't a characterization that was created on the run, but one that he introduced and refined in earlier films, especially those starring John Wayne and Bob Steele.

Finally, with THREE ON THE TRAIL (1936), Hayes was cast as Windy Halliday, a continuing role that would consist of seventeen more Hoppy features.  Finally, he had the role that in a sense he had been auditioning for ever since his association with Trem Carr began at the beginning of the sound era.  He was on his way to becoming the definitive B-western sidekick.

The poster is for an obvious re-release of the film since Hayes was not billed as 'Gabby' until after he left the Hoppy series

a rather pensive Gabby

GABBY.
Gabby Hayes was ... the measuring stick by which to judge all of the other cowboy sidekicks.  He was the quintessential sidekick before anyone got around to really understanding what a sidekick's role and function were to be in western films. -- David Rothel, Those Great Cowboy Sidekicks


Due to a contract disagreement with producer Harry Sherman, in 1939 Hayes left the series after appearing in the first twenty-two (eighteen as Windy Halliday) Hoppy films, and rode over to Republic.  It might have been considered a comedown from Paramount except for the fact that Republic Studios was a specialist, one that specialized in B-westerns while consistently producing a superior product.

He would remain there for a decade, eventually surpassing Smiley Burnette as the screen's most popular western sidekick.  Not only that, his popularity even eclipsed most of the six-gun heroes of the day.

Of course it must be said that his popularity was greatly enhanced by the fact that the studio placed Hayes in a co-starring role with a young actor named Roy Rogers who was on his way to becoming the most popular B-western star in the business.  The pairing of the "King of the Cowboys" and the "King of the Sidekicks" was a fortuitous development for star, co-star, and studio.  It created a western movie combo that no other studio could hope to match, much less surpass.

First up was SOUTHWARD HO! (Republic, 1939) in which his character was called Gabby Whitaker, which would become the name of his character in most of the Rogers films. From that day forward George Francis Hayes would be forever known as Gabby Hayes. 

"ya flop-eared jug head mule"

SOUTHWARD HO! finds Roy and Gabby as two Confederate Civil War veterans returning to Texas after the war. Gabby has inherited a half interest in a ranch and that is their destination with the goal of settling down to a peaceful existence.

But in a plot involving carpetbaggers and corrupt military officers, one that has seen much service in westerns, the two are not allowed to settle down. Instead they must rally the local ranchers in order to oppose the corrupt military government that has been established.

Were they successful in their efforts?  Well, of course.  Did Roy and Gabby ever fail?

Gabby giving advice to "young whippersnapper" Little Beaver (Bobby Blake) in a scene from MARSHAL OF RENO, the first Red Ryder feature (starring Wild Bill Elliott)

Bill Elliott is Red Ryder and Bobby Blake is Little Beaver

Gabby co-starred with Roy in forty-one films between 1939 and 1946. However, in 1943 Bill Elliott left Columbia and joined the Republic stable of western stars. In order to help guarantee the success of the Wild Bill Elliott series, the studio decided to give him the best possible comic sidekick. Therefore, Gabby supported Elliott in his eight films in 1943-44.  In 1944, Republic launched a new series about the adventures of the comic book hero, Red Ryder. Elliott was chosen to play the lead, with Bobby Blake as Little Beaver, and Gabby as the comic sidekick.  But after two films Gabby was transferred back to the Roy Rogers series.

It was in that return that Gabby was given his best roles in the series. And he delivered by proving once again that he could not only provide comedy, but that he was also a fine actor.

In DON'T FENCE ME IN (1945) Gabby steals the show by giving a memorable performance as a famous ex-outlaw known as Wildcat Kelly.  The film turned out to be one of the most popular entries in the entire series, partly because of the hit title song, but also as a result of Gabby's strong performance.

In MY PAL TRIGGER (1946), Gabby was afforded the opportunity to do some serious acting when he played the owner of a ranch that raised palomino horses. Yes, he did provide some comic touches, but in other scenes he expressed anger and grief.  It was a touching performance.

Gabby could be very funny, but he was never the buffoon, like Smiley Burnette, for example, who hindered the hero more than he helped him. When the chips were down Gabby could be counted on to help the hero out of a tough spot.       


SUNSET CARSON: "He wasn't just a comedian, but he had the ability to turn in some mighty fine acting when needed. Gabby could make you cry as well as make you laugh." -- quoted by David Rothel, Those Great Cowboy Sidekicks

UTAH (1945)

"durn persnickety female"

   

 
















In 1946, Gabby parted ways with Republic Pictures.  HELDORADO (1946) turned out to be Gabby's last film with Roy. But Gabby wasn't through acting, no siree, bob.  He went on to co-star with the likes of John Wayne and, especially, Randolph Scott in a number of A-westerns.

But that's another story.  Stay tuned. 








Not --- 

No siree, bob!

BOB STEELE -- Part 4: Near the Rainbow's End

YOU CAN READ PART 1 HERE; PART 2 HERE; AND PART 3 HERE.


NEAR THE RAINBOW'S END (1930)  was a title in Bob Steele's Tiffany series, but it is also an apt description of the cowboy's acting career after The Trail Blazers series was terminated in 1944.  In 1945-46, he starred in two specials filmed in color -- unfortunately, not Technicolor, not even Trucolor, but Cinecolor.  The first was WILDFIRE (Lippert,1945), a story about crooks engaging in horse rustling but blaming it all on a wild horse, which is a plot that has been used in practically every movie ever made about a wild horse.  Bob Steele as Happy Haye, and sidekick Sterling Holloway as Alkali Jones, are the good guys and Eddie Dean, as Johnny Deal, is the local law.  Eddie also gets to sing a couple of songs.

The poster was much more exciting than the movie.

Eddie Dean had been around for years playing bit roles and/or singing a tune or two in B-Westerns.  After this film, he would become PRC's new lead cowboy.  The first three in his series were filmed in Cinecolor and the first introduced Al "Lash" LaRue to movie audiences.  PRC and Cinecolor was not a good combination.    

Next up for Steele was NORTHWEST TRAIL (Lippert, 1946), a rather disappointing Royal Canadian Mounted Police yarn.  The garishly tinted tones could not obscure the shoddiness of the production -- and in many ways emphasized its shortcomings.  The color gave the film an air of pretension that wasn't supported by the poor locations (which looked more like the Ozarks than the Canadian Northwest), routine story, poor acting, lack of extras, and weak direction.  Steele, looking uncomfortable in his Mountie uniform, appeared to be going through the motions.

Also in 1946, Steele completed his starring days by appearing in four films at PRC.  Syd Saylor was featured as his sidekick in all four productions.  In what was thought at the time to be a dramatic break with tradition Steele, in the final two films, sported a mustache, which had traditionally been an indication of villainy, and most uncharacteristic of B-Western heroes.

That same year, as earlier noted, he appeared as a gangster in THE BIG SLEEP.  Furthermore, since he was running out of starring roles, he took roles in four B-Westerns at Republic, supporting Bill Elliott, Gene Autry, Allan Lane, and Sunset Carson.  In the last film, he portrayed Carson's brother in a bit of ironic casting since Sunset towered over him by a foot.  After these four, Steele's efforts were confined almost exclusively to supporting roles in A-Westerns.

In his second talkie, filmed in 1930, Bob Steele whipped Charlie King for the first time.  Down through the years they fought many other times, with Charlie losing each time, including the last two Bob Steele Westerns.  

Among other films, Steele had supporting roles in:

CHEYENNE (WB, 1947, starring Dennis Morgan) Tom Tyler gave a good performance as a villain in what is a rather routine film.

SOUTH OF ST. LOUIS (WB, 1949, starring Joel McCrea)

THE SAVAGE HORDE (Republic, 1950, starring William Elliott) Steele portrays a coldhearted villain in this one.

 CATTLE DRIVE (Universal, 1951, starring Joel McCrea)

FORT WORTH (WB, 1951, starring Randolph Scott)

THE OUTCAST (Republic, 1954, starring John Derek) Steele is very good as Derek's hired gun who owes no loyalty to anyone and shows no mercy toward those who oppose him.

GUN FOR A COWARD (Universal, 1957, Fred MacMurray)

DECISION AT SUNDOWN (Columbia, 1957, starring Randolph Scott)

RIO BRAVO (WB, 1961, starring John Wayne)

CHEYENNE AUTUMN (WB, 1964, starring Richard Widmark)

MAJOR DUNDEE (Columbia, 1965, starring Charlton Heston)

SHENANDOAH (Universal, 1965, starring James Stewart)

HANG 'EM HIGH (Universal, 1968, starring Clint Eastwood)

RIO LOBO (NG, 1970, starring John Wayne)

SOMETHING BIG (NG, 1971, starring Dean Martin)

HANG 'EM HIGH

Earlier, in 1965, Steele was featured in two nostalgic delights, REQUIEM FOR A GUNFIGHTER (Embassy) and THE BOUNTY HUNTER (Embassy).  Both were produced by Alex Gordon and directed by veteran serial and B-Western director, Spencer G. Bennet.  The cast of the first film included other former B-Western luminaries such as Rod Cameron, Tim McCoy, Johnny Mack Brown, Lane Chandler, Raymond Hatton, Dick Jones, Rand Brooks, and Edmund Cobb.  The second featured Dan Duryea, Cameron, Mack Brown, Cobb, and a cameo performance by the man who began it all, Max Aronson, better known as Bronco Billy Anderson.

Bronco Billy, the first Western movie star

In 1966-68, Steele gave TV a shot with his recurring role as Trooper Duffy in the Western comic series, F-Troop.  The series underlined the actor's versatility as he displayed a surprisingly deft comedic touch in support of Forrest Tucker, Larry Storch, and Ken Berry.

So what could one say in a final evaluation of the career of our hero?  He certainly can be praised, if for nothing else, for his persistence and longevity, and ability to survive against the almost insurmountable obstacles placed in his trail.  However, he was able to accomplish more than that, though that was no mean accomplishment.

In a career that lasted forty-six years, discounting the early shorts in THE ADVENTURES OF BILL AND BOB series, Steele appeared in nearly 200 Western films, not including unbilled stuntman and extra roles at the beginning.  For twenty years, the little battler was a lead player and starred in 122 Westerns, 102 during the sound era.

For the record, only John Wayne's career as a Western actor (forty-seven years) spanned a longer period of time, and only Charles Starrett (132 films) and Johnny Mack Brown (114 films) starred in more Westerns during the sound era.

In Shoot-'Em-Ups (Arlington House, 1978), Buck Rainey wrote, "Steele was one of the most handsome cowboy stars ever to appear on screen and also one of the smallest physically.  But he was a whirlwind fighter, an excellent rider, an above-average actor, and possessed a pleasant personality and voice."

Well, I ask you, what more could one ask for in a cowboy?

BOB STEELE -- Part 3: Billy the Kid and Two Trigger Trios, 1940-44

You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

As the '30's ended, however, the indestructible little cowpoke began to claw his way out of the abyss.  In 1939, he was given the opportunity in a prestige picture to prove that he could act.  The following year, he was hired to star in a new Western series at PRC and before the end of the year, he left that studio and signed up for a series at Republic.

It is ironic that in the middle of the lowest point in his B-Western career, Steele was chosen for an important role as the sadistic Curley in the film version of John Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN (UA, 1939, directed by Lewis Milestone).  The role called for a little man with curly hair who was extremely jealous of his wife.  I don't know about the jealously part, but Steele fit the bill insofar as the physical characteristics were concerned.  Despite being cast against type, he gave a very good account of himself and more than held his own in a cast that included such talented performers as Burgess Meredith, Betty Field, and Charles Bickford.

To this point in his career, Steele had always played the good guy, the hero, who always saved the day.  Why then did he choose to take on such an unsympathetic role?  Could it have been because he wanted to work with a distinguished director in an important film and prove that he could act?  On the other hand, maybe it was because his career was on a downhill skid and going nowhere fast and he believed that he had nothing to lose, that he could only go up.

At any rate, beginning with OF MICE AND MEN, he was occasionally cast in non-Western character roles, usually cast against type, and admirably acquitted himself by proving that he could do more than shoot, ride, and fight.  The following year, he had an uncredited role as a mean-tempered prizefighter named (well, of course) Kid Callahan in CITY FOR CONQUEST (WB, starring James Cagney).  In 1946, he made a lasting impression in THE BIG SLEEP (WB, directed by Howard Hawks) as the gangster who disposed of Elisha Cook, Jr., before being bumped off by Humphrey Bogart.

from cowboy hero to killer Canino in THE BIG SLEEP

Also in 1940, Steele, in support of Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes, played the chief villain in Republic's THE CARSON CITY KID (only this time Rogers, and not Steele, was the "kid").  It would be the type of role that he would later fill in effective fashion in his character actor days. 

In the same year, PRC launched its long-running Billy the Kid series.  Who better than Bob Steele, with his small physique and history of portraying "kids," was more suited among B-Western stars to portray Billy the Kid?  Unless I have miscounted, including the six Billy the Kid films at PRC, he played some sort of kid in at least fifteen films.

PRC wasn't Republic by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn't Metropolitan either, and the Billy the Kid series helped re-establish Steele as a popular cowboy with mass appeal.  The studio's stated policy was a maximization of action and a minimization of dialogue.  For the most part, the dual goals were attained.  Steele, in his early thirties, was certainly able to deliver the action (and the dialogue the rare times he was asked to) and he found himself supported by an old friend.

Al St. John, a nephew of Fatty Arbuckle and a former member of Mack Sennett's Keystone Kops, had been in films since 1913 and, in fact, the veteran comedian had often, as previously noted, supported Steele in many films in the '30's.  He was also the first actor to portray William Colt MacDonald's Stony character (THE LAW OF THE .45'S, Normandy, 1935).  (This film is not considered to be the first Three Mesquiteers film since it did not include the Lullaby character.  Furthermore, Stony's last name in this film was Martin and not Brooke as it was in MacDonald's stories and in the later Three Mesquiteers films.)

However, he did not develop into an established performer until he was teamed with Steele at PRC.  In that series, he continued the Fuzzy Q. Jones characterization that he had developed in the Fred Scott series at Spectrum during the late '30's.  He became "Fuzzy" because Scott's sidekick role had been slated for Fuzzy Knight, who instead signed with Universal to co-star with Bob Baker.  Consequently, the Fuzzy tag was retained for the sidekick role and St. John adopted it permanently.

Fuzzy Q. Jones

When Steele left PRC, he was replaced by Buster Crabbe, but St. John continued as his sidekick for the duration of the series.  While working in that series, St. John simultaneously supported George Houston (and later Robert Livingston) in PRC's Lone Rider series, as well as portraying Don "Red" Barry's pard at Republic in several films.  After these three series ended, St. John co-starred with Al "Lash" LaRue in another PRC series that concluded in 1951.  In all, with the exception of the Barry films, he portrayed the same character -- Fuzzy Q. Jones.
 
All one had to do to understand why Steele jumped at the chance to leave PRC and join Republic is to view his last film in the PRC series,  BILLY THE KID IN SANTA FE (filmed in 1940, but not released until 1941), followed by his first for Republic, UNDER TEXAS SKIES (1940).  Although Steele gave it his best in the PRC film, it wasn't enough.  The whole thing was filmed around Newhall, California which didn't look a bit like the desert southwest.  The plot has Billy fighting to bring truth and justice to the wide-open town of Santa Fe, but all that fighting takes place in the countryside with the town nowhere in sight.  The film is simply a cobbled together series of action scenes, with a minimum of dialogue, and a seriously flawed plot.  Oh well, it was PRC.

There is also something disconcerting about a misunderstood and mistreated Billy the Kid nevertheless giving it his all to tame a Western town.  Buster Crabbe replaced Steele in the role in 1941, but in 1943, the character's name was changed to Billy Carson for the remaining films in the series that concluded in 1946.

At Republic, Bob Steele joined Robert Livingston and Rufe Davis to form yet another Three Mesquiteers combo.  Steele would go on to appear in the last twenty features in the series.

The Three Mesquiteers, based on characters created by Western novelist William Colt MacDonald, was launched as a Republic B-Western series in 1936 and was discontinued in 1943.  Fifty-one films were produced during those years, utilizing twelve actors (including John Wayne) in nine different combinations.  In the three years Steele co-starred in the series, he was a member of three of those combinations.

(top down) -- the last Mesquiteers: Tom Tyler (Stony Brooke), Jimmie Dodd (Lullaby Joslin), Bob Steele (Tucson Smith)

  

Tom Tyler was taller, wore a taller hat, rode a taller horse, which was also white, but it never seemed to bother Bob Steele.  Why should it?  He never lost a fight and he received top billing.  Dodd would go from third Mesquiteer to Chief Mouseketeer on Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club in the '50's.

A year after Steele was cast in the role of Tucson Smith, he was joined by Tom Tyler, also on the comeback trail, who replaced Livingston in the Stony Brooke role.  In 1943, Jimmie Dodd replaced Rufe Davis as Lullaby Joslin in the final six entries in the series.  Steele received second billing in the films with Livingston, but moved up to number one after Tyler replaced Livingston.  It was the last B-Western series for Tyler and it is only fitting that it was while co-starring with Steele, since the two cowboys had crossed trails so many times in the past.

The Mesquiteers series was still popular in its final season and, in fact, ranked in the top ten of the Motion Picture Herald's popularity poll of B-Western stars during the three years of Steele's tenure.   However, Republic evidently believed that there wasn't much more that could be done with the series.  Instead the studio chose to concentrate on its two established series with Roy Rogers and Don Barry, and was also in the process of inaugurating new ones with Bill Elliott (Red Ryder) and Eddie Dew (John Paul Revere), and had Sunset Carson and Allan Lane waiting in the wings.

Bob Steele starred in two more series, though each was of short duration.  At Monogram, a step down from Republic (but still higher on the B-Western ladder than PRC), he teamed with veteran cowboys Ken Maynard and Hoot Gibson in the Trail Blazers series.  Originally, the series starred Maynard and Gibson as a duo and it represented an effort by the studio to duplicate its earlier success with its Rough Riders films that had starred three other elderly luminaries: Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, and Raymond Hatton.  Unfortunately, Maynard and Gibson, both around the half-century mark in age, looked older than their ages while Jones and McCoy, who were actually older, looked younger than their ages.

Gibson's wrinkle-lined visage reflected many years of hard, fast living and Maynard's waist was expanding at an accelerating rate.  Consequently, Steele, who was much younger (mid-thirties) and in much better physical condition, was added after the first three films in order to handle the more strenuous action and the romantic angle.

The ornery and cantankerous Ken Maynard had earlier forced former Universal cowboy Bob Baker out of the series and reportedly was unhappy about the addition of Bob Steele.  That probably explains the billing in the poster.  However, it wasn't long before Maynard was out, while Steele was still in.

 
After the trio had completed three films the cantankerous and unpredictable Maynard, who was said to be angered by the addition of Steele, dropped out or was forced out, and was replaced in the next two entries by the screen's original Tonto, Chief Thundercloud (Victor Daniels).  After one more film, this time without Thundercloud, the Trail Blazers appellation was dropped and Steele (the last Tucson Smith) and Gibson (the first Stony Brooke) rode as a duo in two final films.

   

BOB STEELE -- Part 2: Ridin' Down Poverty Row, 1930-40

You can read Part 1 here.

 

In this scene from THE OKLAHOMA CYCLONE (Tiffany, 1930), Bob Steele serenades Rita Rey with three songs, with hardly a break in between.  Rita then returns the favor with a song of her own.

Western movies experienced much difficulty in making the transition from the silent era to talkies.  Bob Steele, however, experienced little trouble in making the transition.  

First, he was young, handsome, and possessed an acceptable, though somewhat thin, speaking voice; second, he was a good rider, stuntman, and an excellent brawler; and third, he was an adequate actor -- and he would get better -- much better.

Unfortunately, the young cowboy was unable to make the transition with a major studio, but had to do so by starring in independent productions, whose cost-cutting measures were plain for everyone to see on the screen. 

Most Western stars, however, had to make the transition to talkies with independents, for only Universal, among the major studios, continued two Western series with Ken Maynard and Hoot Gibson uninterruptedly into the sound era.  Eventually, however, even that studio terminated its Westerns and Maynard and Gibson joined the other cowboys making films for independents on Poverty Row.

In 1930, Steele entered into an association with independent producer Trem Car for a series distributed by Tiffany.  The eight picture series was filmed in 1930-31 and included the little cowpoke's all-talking debut, NEAR THE RAINBOW'S END.  The director was J.P. McGowan, who was frequently at the helm of Steele Westerns and had directed several of his silent features.  The next six in the series were directed by J.P. McCarthy.  Wallace Fox directed the final entry.  He had directed many of Steele's silent Westerns.  

Two of the screen's most prominent future Western comedy sidekicks, namely George (later 'Gabby') Hayes and Al (later 'Fuzzy') St. John appeared in a number of the Tiffanys.  

Si Jenks also appeared in several of the films.  He was an active performer in Westerns and non-Westerns, but never co-starred in a continuing series and is not as familiar a name as Hayes and St. John.  However, there is some evidence that both actors in developing their screen characterizations were influenced to some degree by the acting and comedic style of Jenks.

 

George "Gabby" Hayes

Si Jenks

Al "Fuzzy" St. John

It was in the Tiffanys that Steele made his debut, unfortunately, as a singing cowboy -- four full years before Gene Autry, usually credited as the first singing cowboy, made his motion picture debut in the Ken Maynard serial, IN OLD SANTA FE (Mascot).  

As most Western film buffs know, Maynard, Steele, and John Wayne, in that order, predated Autry as singing cowboys.  Wayne's voice, however, was dubbed and frankly ol' Ken's and Bob's should have been.  

Steele's inability to vocalize was demonstrably proved in the second entry of the Tiffany series.  In THE OKLAHOMA CYCLONE (1930), he warbled not one -- not two -- but three songs in rapid succession followed immediately by, without even a pause for a little action, a tune by the heroine.  J.P. McCarthy, who was not only responsible for directing the film, but also provided the story, should have known better.  

The film was made in 1930, however, so one must remember that the sound equipment of the day was still quite crude and had to remain stationary which discouraged action and led to many scenes of people standing around talking or, in this case, singing.

However, there was action in the opening scenes in which we see a lone rider fleeing from a sheriff's posse.  In making his escape, he takes a chance and rides his horse down a precipitous hill that the posse chooses not to try.  But the sheriff has a plan, he yells, I kid you not, "Go around!  Head him off at the pass!"

Of course, the rider making his escape is played by Steele.  In a nifty little scene, with his horse in a gallop, he removes the bit and bridle, loosens the cinch on the saddle, and with the horse still running he dismounts and hits the ground running while holding the saddle and bridle, allowing him to quickly gain a hiding place in the barn.  

It appears that the stunt was performed by Steele, though it may have been a double.  It isn't very realistic, but is still fun to watch.  Unfortunately, after such a rousing start everything soon comes to a screeching halt with over ten minutes of musical, if it can be called that, interlude.

On the other hand, the little guy did whip big old Slim Whitaker in one fight and Charlie King in another.  I don't know if it was the first time that he beat up Charlie, but I do know that it wasn't the last.  They fought many, many times over the years and as far as I know, Charlie lost every time.

Another interesting sidelight to this modest little film is the appearance of the Mexican actor Emilio Fernandez in a brief scene.  He portrays a Mexican bandito who is backed down by Charlie King and his henchmen.  It was his second film role and his first in an American production.  From that humble beginning, he went on to become Mexico's most famous actor, director, and screenwriter.  He is best known to American film audiences for his role as General Mapache in THE WILD BUNCH (WB, 1969).

General Mapache

In 1932, Steele and producer Carr terminated their affiliation with Tiffany, which was in dire financial straits and soon faded from the scene, and began to distribute their product through World Wide.  

The six World Wide vehicles were a great improvement over the Tiffanys.  The sound had improved, so had the acting, and there was a lot more action and a lot less singing.  

Another explanation for the improvement is that Steele's father, Robert North Bradbury, directed five of them, and also provided three of the stories and screenplays.  George Hayes appeared in three and Earl Dwire, a familiar face in future Steele Westerns, had roles in two. 

The third entry, RIDERS OF THE DESERT (1932), directed by Bradbury, is notable for the presence of both Hayes and Al St. John in supporting roles.  However, in this one Hayes is Hashknife Brooks, the leader of an outlaw gang.  In addition, it is Hayes that Steele whips up on at the end of the film.  Poor Gabby, he didn't have any more luck than Charlie King.

Earl Dwire, always with the long face

The association with World Wide, which lasted but one year, might have lasted longer were it not for the company's declaration of bankruptcy that brought production to an abrupt halt.  

The problems of Tiffany and World Wide were indicative of what was occurring on Poverty Row.  There were just too many companies, operating on shoestring budgets, churning out too many Westerns.  The winnowing process eventually took its toll and conditions did become more stable as the major studios re-entered the Western sweepstakes.  In addition, two new studios, Monogram and Republic, came onto the scene to specialize in better quality B-Westerns.

After World Wide disintegrated, Trem Carr formed a partnership with W. Ray Johnston at Monogram, bringing Steele with him.  Actually, Steele's stint at Monogram represented a homecoming of sorts for him since, as earlier mentioned, the new Monogram was the old Syndicate where he had starred in his last silent films.

The eight Monogram Steeles represented his best series since his silent days at FBO.  To the benefit of the series, father Bradbury and son continued their off-and-on association that had resumed with the World Wide features.  Bradbury directed five of the eight Monograms

father and son

It was in this series that George Hayes, appearing in seven of the eight films, began to develop and refine the "Windy" and "Gabby" type characterizations that later made him immensely popular in the Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers series, respectively.  

In the Steele films, Hayes alternated between villain and crusty codger roles, which he continued in the Monogram films of Steele's eventual replacement at the studio, John Wayne.  In the ensuing years, Bradbury would direct many of his son's films, but he also continued to work frequently at Monogram as Wayne's principal director.

In the midst of his Monogram series, Steele paused to make his sole appearance in a serial when he starred in Mascot's MYSTERY SQUADRON (1933).  Supporting Steele in the serial were three other cowboys, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Jack Perrin, and Wally Wales.

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams and Bob "Little Boy" Steele

When John Wayne, Steele's former high school classmate, rode onto the scene at Monogram, Steele signed with yet another independent producer. 

The association with A.W. Hackel was a beneficial and profitable relationship for both.  In 1934-38, they were responsible for thirty-two films -- the first sixteen produced and distributed by Hackel's Supreme Pictures -- and the last sixteen produced by Supreme, but released through and distributed by Republic Pictures, which had been created in 1935.  Concurrent with the Steele series, Hackel produced a good one with Johnny Mack Brown (his initial series) that was also first released through Supreme and then Republic.

 

Most of Steele's films during the Republic period were directed by his father, who also directed several of the Mack Browns, while at the same time being busily engaged in directing and supplying stories and screenplays for the Wayne vehicles at Monogram.

In 1935, Steele on vacation from the Supreme series was cast in a featured supporting role in POWDERSMOKE RANGE (RKO). which was billed, because of its truly all-star cast, as "the Barnum and Bailey of Westerns." The film, directed by Wallace Fox, was the first in which all three of William Colt MacDonald's Three Mesquiteers were brought to the screen.  It starred veterans Harry Carey as Tucson Smith and Hoot Gibson as Stony Brooke, with Big Boy Wiliams rounding out the trio as Lullaby Joslin.

Tom Tyler, in his best performance to that point in his career and one of his best ever, was featured in the role of a reformed gunman by the name of Sundown Saunders, while Steele portrayed yet another "kid" -- this time the Guadalupe Kid.  Ironically, later Republic would team Tyler and Steele in its Three Mesquiteers series as Stony Brooke and Tucson Smith, respectively. 

The Steele films of 1936-38 were technically not Republic productions, but did benefit from somewhat larger budgets and thus were superior to the previous sixteen released through Supreme.  They were also more popular as a result of Republic's more aggressive distribution process.  

The record indicates that Steele ranked number seven the first two years of the Motion Picture Herald's poll of top ten cowboy stars in '37 and '38 while starring in the Republic films.  It is no coincidence that his only other two years in the top ten were in later years when he was co-starring in Republic's Three Mesquiteers series.

In 1939-40, after reaching the peak of his popularity in the sound era during the two previous years, Steele's career hit the skids and he descended to the lowest depths of his film career.  

It was at this point that he was forced to go to work for an outfit that made Tiffany and World Wide look like MGM in comparison.  It was Metropolitan Pictures, which was headed by Bernard B. Ray and Harry S. Webb.  Webb and Ray, in association with John R. Freuler, had earlier created a company by the name of Big 4.  After it failed, Webb and Ray established Reliable Pictures.  Reliable's principal star was Tom Tyler; it almost destroyed his career.

Out of the ashes of Reliable, Webb and Ray created Metropolitan in 1939 -- and it lasted one year -- and its sole asset was Bob Steele.  

Don Miller wrote in Hollywood Corral,  "When even the most unassuming Western series was showing signs of improving, the Metropolitan Steeles were a regression to the past, and conceivably could have harmed the future of the most indestructible cowpoke."

Why was Steele forced into the ignominious position of working for Metropolitan during the closing years of the decade -- especially since they were peak years for B-Western production and a time when the A-Western came of age?  One explanation would be the singing cowboy phenomena initiated by Gene Autry and in full swing by the late '30's.  And Steele had already proved conclusively that he was no candidate in the singing sweepstakes.

Studios and independent producers, on the lookout for another Autry, began to cut loose non-singing cowboys such as Tom Tyler and Bob Steele.  As a result, they found themselves reduced to working for outfits headed by the likes of Webb and Ray.  It is to the credit of both Tyler and Steele that they were able to survive the experience.