Ken Maynard
Known for: Acting
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
Film
Gun Gospel
Granger Hume
1927
Film
Señor Americano
Lieutenant Michael Banning
1929
Film
The Arizona Terror
The Arizonian
1931
Film
Brass Commandments
(uncredited)
1923
Film
Cheyenne
Cal Roberts
1929
Film
The Red Raiders
Lieutenant John Scott
1927
Somebody Lied
1923
Film
Death Valley Rangers
Ken Maynard
1943
Film
Heroes of the Range
Ken Smith
1936
Film
The Wagon Master
The Rambler
1929
Film
Death Rides the Range
Ken Baxter
1939
Film
Sons of the Saddle
Jim Brandon
1930
Film
The Overland Stage
Jack Jessup
1927
Film
Bigfoot
Mr. Bennett
1970
Film
Phantom Rancher
Ken Mitchell
1940
Film
The Code of the Scarlet
Bruce Kenton
1928
Film
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
(archive footage)
1976
Film
Six Shootin' Sheriff
Jim 'Trigger' Morton
1938
The Voice of Hollywood No. 9
1930
Film
Western Frontier
Ken Masters
1935
Film
Gun Justice
Ken Lance
1933
Film
Haunted Gold
Tim Kelly (archive footage) (uncredited)
1932
Film
Tombstone Canyon
Ken
1932
Film
The Demon Rider
Billy Dennis
1925
Film
Honor of the Range
Sheriff Ken / Brother Clem
1934
Film
Somewhere in Sonora
Bob Bishop
1927
Film
The Grey Vulture
Bart Miller
1926
Film
The Law Rides Again
U.S. Marshal Ken Maynard
1943
Film
The Glorious Trail
Pat O'Leary
1928
Film
In Old Santa Fe
Ken aka 'Kentucky'
1934
Film
The Unknown Cavalier
Tom Drury
1926
Film
Wild Horse Stampede
Marshal Ken Maynard
1943
Film
Arizona Whirlwind
Ken Maynard
1944
Film
Westward Bound
Ken Maynard
1944
Film
The Fugitive Sheriff
Ken Marshall
1936
Film
Drum Taps
Ken Cartwright
1933
Film
North Star
Noel Blake
1925
Film
Harmony Trail
Marshal Ken Maynard
1944
Film
Mystery Mountain
Ken Williams
1934
Film
Cameo Kirby
(uncredited)
1923
Film
King of the Arena
Captain Ken Kenton
1933
Film
The Fiddlin' Buckaroo
'Fiddlin'
1933
Film
Range Law
Hap Conners
1931
Film
Smoking Guns
Ken Masters
1934
Film
The Canyon of Adventure
Steven Bancroft
1928
Film
Alias: The Bad Man
Ranger Ken Neville
1931
Film
Senor Daredevil
Don Luis O'Flaherty
1926
Film
The Royal Rider
Dick Scott
1929
Film
Phantom Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt Kid
1933
Film
Branded Men
Rod Whitaker
1931
Film
Wheels of Destiny
Ken Manning
1934
Film
The Two Gun Man
'Blackie' Weed
1931
Film
Avenging Waters
Ken Morley
1936
Film
Lucky Larkin
'Lucky' Larkin
1930
Film
The Trail Drive
Ken Benton
1933
Film
Flaming Lead
Ken Clark
1939
Film
The Gunfighter
(uncredited)
1923
Film
The Fighting Legion
Dave Hayes
1930
Film
Fighting Thru
Dan Barton
1930
Film
Come On, Tarzan
Ken Benson
1932
Film
Western Courage
Ken Baxter
1935
Film
Texas Gun Fighter
Bill Dane
1932
Film
Lightning Strikes West
Lightning Ken Morgan
1940
Film
Blazing Guns
Marshal Ken Maynard
1943
Film
The California Mail
Bob Scott
1929
Film
The Wagon Show
Bob Mason
1928
Film
Parade of the West
Bud Rand
1930
Film
Fargo Express
Ken Benton
1933
Film
The Cattle Thief
Ken
1936
Film
The Pocatello Kid
The Pocatello Kid / Sheriff Jim Bledsoe
1931
Film
Boots of Destiny
Ken Crawford
1937
Film
Heir to Trouble
Ken Armstrong
1935
Film
Whirlwind Horseman
Ken Morton
1938
Film
Mountain Justice
Ken McTavish
1930
Film
The Upland Rider
Dan Dailey
1928
Film
The Lone Avenger
Cal Weston
1933
Film
$50,000 Reward
Tex Sherwood
1924
Film
Between Fighting Men
Ken
1932
Film
The Phantom City
Tim Kelly
1928
Film
Janice Meredith
Paul Revere
1924
Film
Strawberry Roan
Ken Masters
1933
Film
The Lawless Legion
Cal Stanley
1929
Film
The Devil's Saddle
Harry Morrel
1927
Film
Trailing Trouble
John 'Friendly' Fields
1937
Film
The Man Who Won
Conroy
1923
Film
The Marshal of Windy Hollow
Texas Ranger
1972
Film
Dynamite Ranch
Blaze Howell
1932
Film
Hell-Fire Austin
Ken 'Hell-Fire' Austin
1932
Film
Whistlin' Dan
'Whistlin' Dan Savage Posing as Ed Black
1932
Film
Lawless Riders
Ken Manley
1935
Film
Haunted Range
Terry Bladwin
1926
Film
Song of the Caballero
Juan Posing as El Lobo
1930
Film
The Sunset Trail
Jim Brandon
1932
Film
The Land Beyond the Law
Jerry Steele
1927
Fighting Courage
Richard Kingsley
1925
Film
Hollywood on Parade No. A-5
Self
1932