Ken Maynard | WatchedThis
Ken Maynard
Acting
Biography
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.
Filmography Movies
Acting
Somebody Lied
Two reeler served as Jean Arthur's screen debut.
Phantom Rancher
Cowboy puts on a black mask and a black outfit to fight a gang of land-grabbing crooks.
Heroes of the Range
A cowboy G-man joins an outlaw gang out to rob a gold shipment.
Death Rides the Range
A wounded archaeologist crawls into the camp of three kindhearted cowboys. When the cowboys bring him to a nearby trading post, he's murdered after he lets slip a secret about a hidden cave. Investigating his death, Ken and his friends encounter a land dispute between a pair of neighboring ranches, an arrogant German baron and a mysterious shack that houses a great secret.
Lightning Strikes West
When Butch Taggart escapes prison, the Marshal sends Lightning Morgan to find him and his hidden gold. He finds the map to the gold on Taggart's boot. Joe Laikon and his men are also after the gold and they overpower Morgan, get the map, and head for the treasure. But Morgan and Tod Grant are soon on their trail
Whirlwind Horseman
Ken and Happy, looking for their friend Cherokee, run into an outlaw gang led by Ritter who have been terrorizing the ranchers. Ken figures that one of the prominent citizens is the real boss and sets a trap to find him.
Strawberry Roan
Ken Maynard stars as a roving cowboy who tells the tale of taming the stallion that inspired the titular poem.
Harmony Trail
Sent to investigate a payroll robbery, Marshall Rocky meets his old friends Ken, Eddie, and Max. He has the serial numbers and when Pop puts on his medicine show they get one of the bills. This enables Ken to see through Sorrell's scheme that threw the blame on an innocent rancher and he sets out to prove it. Written by Maurice Van Auken
The Lone Avenger
A prominent banker commits suicide. His son thinks otherwise and sets out to prove it.
Honor of the Range
After Sheriff Ken puts money in the safe, his brother Clem gives Rawhide the combination. With the money gone the disgruntled townsmen make Boots Sheriff and lock up Ken. Clem, now a prisoner of Rawhide, has a change of heart and sends Ken a message with the outlaw's location. Ken escapes by impersonating the saloon entertainer and rides for the hangout.
Production
Smoking Guns
Accused of a murder he did not commit, Ken leaves the country. Three years later Evans finds him in the jungle. When Evans dies, Ken seeing the resemblance, assumes his identity and returns to clear his name.
The Wagon Master
Bill Hollister (Jack Hanlon) organizes a wagon train to break the unfair monopoly held by Jake Lynch (Tom Santschi) on food prices in the mining camps. The Rambler (Ken Maynard) joins the train when it leaves for Gold Hill, and takes command when Hollister is killed from ambush. Jacques Frazelle (Al Ferguson) schemes to get rid of The Rambler and win Sue Smith (Edith Roberts). He plots with Lynch to disrupt the train, but The Rambler beats him in a whip-fight...
Lucky Larkin
Colonel Lee, a homesteader, is the object of terrorists who want to drive him off the range so that his horses cannot be entered in the county races, and he refuses an offer of Martin Brierson to buy him out. Pete, Brierson's brother, in hiding because of his criminal record, burns the colonel's barn and injures his horses. Convinced of Brierson's responsibility for the terror tactics, "Lucky" Larkin plans to ride Tarzan, the colonel's pet colt. Brierson does his best to disqualify the horse, but Larkin tricks him and wins the race. Larkin captures Pete and forces him to confess. The Brierson brothers are brought to justice, and Larkin wins Emmy Lou, a homesteader's daughter.
Parade of the West
Bud Rand, a cowboy who is charged with the care of Little Billy Rand, accepts an offer to appear with Copeland's Wild West Show to ride a horse called "Mankiller." Dude, Copeland's righthand man, resents Bud's attentions to Mary, one of the performers, and when they fight it out, Bud is the victor. In revenge Dude loosens the cinch on the horse.....
Señor Americano
A U.S. soldier goes after bandits in California, although it is still owned by Mexico.
The Fighting Legion
After being shot, a dying Marshal Dawson gives Dave Hayes his badge and asks him to finish his job. Dave becomes Marshal but when Bowie, the man that shot Dawson appears, he exposes Dave as an imposter. Dave is then in trouble when Edwards incites the mob to lynch him.
Mountain Justice
In the Kentucky mountains, Ken McTavish comes to Kettle Creek looking for the killer of his father. When he learns that it was Abner Harland, he fakes the killing of his friend Rusty, puts Abner in a coffin, and takes off. Lem Harland, seeing Rusty alive, realizes what happened and the chase is on.
Song of the Caballero
After El Lobo robs Don Jose he gives one of the stolen items to Conchita. Later when he saves Anita in a runaway coach, Don Pedro invites him to the wedding of Anita and his son Don Jose. But Conchita is at the wedding and recognizes him putting his life in danger.
Sons of the Saddle
Jim Brandon, foreman of the Wind River Ranch, owned by Martin Stavnow, is in love with Ronnie, the rancher's daughter, though he is unaware that Harvey, a youthful cowhand, also loves her. Thus, Jim asks the boy, whom he protects like a brother, to speak for him. When he is spurned by Ronnie, Harvey decides to join Red Slade's gang, who are plotting a raid on the Wind River herd. As Jim forcibly attempts to separate him from the gang, Harvey is killed; and through the aid of his horse, Tarzan, Jim foils Slade's attempt to stampede the herd. Slade takes refuge in a wagon where Ronnie is hiding; Jim rescues Ronnie from the wagon just before the runaway team plunges over a cliff with Slade riding to his doom.
King of the Arena
Mysterious deaths have been occurring in the same towns as Miller's Circus and the Governor has sent Ken Kenton to investigate. Ken joins the show but when he realizes that Bargoff is involved, Bargoff has fled and taken Mary Hiller as a hostage. The trail leads to Baron Petroff who concocted the deadly chemical and Ken quickly finds himself the Baron's prisoner.
Gallery
