Fred Thomson and His Wonderful Horse Silver King -- April 11, 2024

Motion Picture News, 26-April-1924

Fred Thomson (no relation) had a diverse career. While attending the Princeton Theological Seminary, he earned the Amateur Athletic Union's All-Around Champion trophy in 1910, 1911 and 1913. After being ordained as a Presbyterian minister, he joined the Army and served as a chaplain during World War One. He went into the movie business after he married director and screenwriter Frances Marion. In time, he became a major western star. Sadly, he died of tetanus in 1928.

FBO announced plans to release six movies starring Thomson. Number One was The Mask of Lopez. Number Three was Galloping Gallagher (great title). Number Two must have been North of Nevada, but I haven't found an ad that calls it Number Two. 

Motion Picture News, 12-April-1924

Silver King is a good name for a cowboy star's horse. 

Photoplay, April, 1924

"Boyish, lovable, with a sense of humor. Hoot Gibson, whose pictures are consistently good." That is a nice description of Old Hoot. 

Motion Picture News, 19-April-1924

Forty-Horse Hawkins is a good title. Eddie Sedgewick directed. Hoot winds up in New York City. We see him driving a cab in the middle image. 

Motion Picture News, 12-April-1924

Universal purchased a western novel for Hoot's next production. I was surprised to learn that they kept the title: The Ridin' Kid from Powder River. 

Photoplay, April, 1924

Art Acord and Hoot Gibson were friends. 

Film Daily, 28-April-1924

You might expect that "Buddy Roosevelt" was not this actor's real name. Kenneth Sanderson had a long career as an actor and a stuntman. He starred in a series of silent westerns and played small parts in many talkies. 

Film Daily, 29-April-1924

And you might question whether this guy's real name was Buffalo Bill, Jr. Jay Wilsey starred in a series of silent and early sound westerns. 

Photoplay, April, 1924

Jack Hoxie was a real cowboy and rodeo performer who became a star in the early 1920s.

Motion Picture News, 12-April-1924

Universal must have liked his work. They gave him a five-year contract.

Stockton Daily Evening Record, 30-April-1924

Stockton Daily Evening Record, 30-April-1924

Film Daily, 13-April-1924

I thought it was interesting that an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease in Southern California wreaked havoc on production schedules. 

Fred Thomson -- The Screen's Newest and Biggest Western Star -- February 23, 2023

Motion Picture News, 02-February-1924

Fred Thomson (no relation) had a diverse career. While attending the Princeton Theological Seminary, he earned the Amateur Athletic Union's All-Around Champion trophy in 1910, 1911 and 1913. After being ordained as a Presbyterian minister, he joined the Army and served as a chaplain during World War One. He went into the movie business after he married director and screenwriter Frances Marion. In time, he became a major western star. Sadly, he died of tetanus in 1928.

The Mask of Lopez was directed by Albert S Rogell. 

Film Daily, 24-February-1924

Art Acord was a cowboy star who appeared in many silent films but did not make the transition to talkies. 

Supreme Pathé Serials -- August 29, 2022

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Pathé boasted that in the coming year they would have four serials starring three of the biggest stars in that genre, Ruth Roland, Charles Hutchison and Pearl White. Pearl White was returning to serials after a hiatus.

Motion Picture News, 19-August-1922

Ruth Roland, who was born in San Francisco, was one of the great Serial Queens. Note in this trade ad for The Timber Queen that Ruth Roland, on a horse, is saving a man, who may have been Bruce Gordon. Fred Jackman directed.

Moving Picture World, 19-August-1922

The exhibitors seemed to like it.

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Ruth Roland's next serial would be The Riddle of the Range. 

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Charles Hutchison wrote, directed, acted and performed stunts in many Pathé serials (Pathéserials). He was best known for motorcycle stunts, but S P E E D also had trains and airplanes. 

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Other studios produced serials. Elinor Field played the Jungle Goddess in Selig's serial of the same name. "Col. Wm. N. Selig's greatest 15 episode serial."

Motion Picture News, 19-August-1922

Universal jumped on the latest American fad and produced a serial called The Radio King. Roy Stewart and Louise Lorraine starred. Robert F. Hill directed.

Motion Picture News, 12-August-1922

Art Acord was a cowboy star who appeared in many silent films but did not make the transition to talkies. In the Days of Buffalo Bill was "A spectacular chronicle of events and adventures in the of America's greatest scout." Duke Lee played the great scout. It was directed by Edward Laemmle, one of Uncle Carl's many nephews. It was a big Universal production.

Buck Jones -- A Western Melodrama Featuring a Real Cowboy Actor -- July 16, 2022

Moving Picture World, 22-July-1922

In this trade ad, Fox touted the stars to be featured in its season of 1922-1923, including Tom Mix and Buck Jones. Fox was trying to change his name to Charles Jones.

    

Moving Picture World, 22-July-1922

A detail from the ad above. "No star has more quickly forged to the front than the nationally popular Charles Jones..."

Hot Springs New Era, 18-July-1922

Western Speed sounds like fun. Note that this newspaper ad call him "Buck Jones." 

Film Daily, 02-July-1922

Art Acord was a contemporary of Tom Mix and Buck Jones, who appeared in many silent films, but did not make the transition to talkies. In the Days of Buffalo Bill was his second starring western serial, after Winners of the West. Both serials are probably lost.

Moving Picture World, 08-July-1922

Jack Hoxie was a real cowboy and rodeo performer who became a big star in the early 1920s.

Hoot Gibson To Do New Western If He Doesn't Break Neck -- May 14, 2022

Richmond Palladium and Sun-Telegram, 06-May-1922

Buck Jones was Fox's number two western star, after Tom Mix. Here he gets billed after Harold Lloyd, who was appearing in a rerelease of a 1918 short comedy.

Austin American Statesman, 07-May-1922

Moving Picture Weekly, 13-May-1922

Hoot Gibson always added some comedy to his westerns.

Moving Picture Weekly, 20-May-1922

Sounds about right for old Hoot. 

Moving Picture Weekly, 27-May-1922

Moving Picture World, 13-May-1922

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams was a tall, muscular guy who had worked as a cowboy and played professional baseball. Will Rogers helped to get him into the movies and gave him the nickname. Big Boy had been an Army officer during World War One. He remained active during the talkie era.

Moving Picture Weekly, 06-May-1922

Tom Santschi and Art Acord each made a series of two-reel westerns for Universal.

Moving Picture World, 27-May-1922

James B (JB) Warner appeared in five-reel westerns. Some sources say he was HB Warner's brother, but he was not. JB Warner died in 1924.

Buck Jones -- The Greatest of All Western Character Portrayers -- February 15, 2022

Grand Forks Herald, 20-February-1922

I like the name of the Foto Theater in Grand Rapids, Michigan. According to the IMDB, The Big Punch and The Freeze-Out were both directed by John Ford.

San Diego News-Pilot, 02-February-1922

Seattle Star, 24-February-1922

Hoot Gibson was a contemporary of Tom Mix and Buck Jones. His movies tended to emphasize humor. I like the caricature.

Seattle Star, 23-February-1922

"HOOT" GIBSON

Meet Ed "Hoot" Gibson, rodeo champion cowboy motion picture star, auto race driver and all round good fellow.

By Daisy Henry

Edward ("Hoot") Gibson. popular Universal cowboy actor, is having the time of his life in Seattle this week. Gibson is just Ilke a great, big kid, and is forever doing things that will make other people happy. Every day this week at the Columbia, where he is appearing in person as well as in "Headin' West," a Western thriller, Gibson has played host to some local organization. Tuesday afternoon it was Mother Ryther's day, and the young star made friends with every child at the big home. He brought them all down to the show and treated them to choice candies. Wednesday Gibson entertained the war veterans and Thursday and Friday he has similar plans.

This is not Mr. Gibson's first visit to Seattle -- in fact, he has spent a good deal of his time here renewing his acquaintance with R. H. Gray, or "Bob," as Gibson affectionately calls him. Rob and Hoot became associated together in California when Gibson was a cowboy. Both went into pictures together In 1912, with "Broncho Billy" Anderson's Essanay company. Tiring of this life, the pals drifted up to Seattle and Gray went into the garage business, at 1413 Broadway. with his brother. P. Gray. "Hoot" worked for them as a mechanic for two years and here got his first touch of auto racing.

Then came the big Pendleton roundup of l9l4. The Gray brothers persuaded "Hoot" to enter the rodeo, and it was at this world's event that the young cowboy-mechanic won the world's championship as best all-around cowboy in relay, pony, roping, bareback and Roman riding, a title which he still holds.

Gibson came by the monicker "Hoot" several years ago, when, as a cowboy on the ranch, he was always the last to turn in. "Gibson, you're a regular night owl," said one of his pals, and from that day on the boys called him "Hoot."

Gibson's rise in the picture world has been rapid. He joined the Universal film company a few years ago and has appeared in Western features ever since. He was recently elevated to stardom.

Seattle Star, 11-May-1916

Olive Ryther was a Seattle lady who devoted her life to helping orphans and widows and anyone who was hungry. In 1885, she took in the four children of a neighbor who had died. She took care of the needy until she died in 1934. The Ryther Child Center now helps troubled kids and their families.

Motion Picture News, 25-February-1921

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams was a tall, muscular guy who had worked as a cowboy and played professional baseball. Will Rogers helped to get him into the movies and gave him the nickname. Big Boy had been an Army officer during World War One. He remained active during the talkie era.

Morning Tulsa Daily World, 25-February-1922

Art Acord was another contemporary of Mix and Jones, who appeared in many silent films, but did not make the transition to talkies. Tom Santschi (hard name to spell) had a long career, but mostly worked in small character parts after the mid-1920s.

Buck Jones is in Town -- January 15, 2022

Great Falls Tribune, 07-January-1922

Just as I could not find much Tom Mix material for this month, I could not find much Buck Jones either.

They must have really liked Buck Jones in Newark. Click to see a larger version and count how many times his name is printed. 

Moving Picture Weekly, 28-January-1922

Hoot Gibson was a contemporary of Tom Mix and Buck Jones. His movies tended to emphasize humor. Look at that smile.

Albuquerque Evening Herald, 08-January-1922

This double bill included a movie with cowboy star Art Acord.

William Farnum appeared in many westerns. In Samoa, his name became an eponym for a fight.