Jack Buetel (September 5, 1915 – June 27, 1989) was an American film and television actor.

Life

Born John Alexander Beutel in Dallas, Texas, he moved to Los Angeles, California in the late 1930s with the intention of establishing a film career, changing his name to read Buetel. Unable to find such work, he was employed as an insurance clerk when he was noticed by an agent who was impressed by his looks. Introduced to

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

, who was about to begin filming ''

The Outlaw ''The Outlaw'' is a 1943 American Western film, directed by Howard Hughes and starring Jack Buetel, Jane Russell, Thomas Mitchell, and Walter Huston. Hughes also produced the film, while Howard Hawks served as an uncredited co-director. The f ...

'', Buetel was signed to play the lead role as

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...

, with the previously signed David Bacon being dropped from the film. Hughes also signed another newcomer,

Jane Russell Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011) was an American actress, singer, and model. She was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s. She starred in more than 20 films. Russell moved from th ...

, for the female lead, and realizing the inexperience of his two stars, also signed veteran actors Thomas Mitchell and

Walter Huston Walter Thomas Huston ( ;According to the Province of Ontario. ''Ontario, C ...

. Buetel was signed to a standard seven-year contract at $150 per week and was assured by Hughes that he would become a major star. Filmed in late 1940 and early 1941, ''The Outlaw'' officially premiered in 1943 but was not widely seen until 1946. It was notable for suggesting the act of

sexual intercourse Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetrat ...

, uncommon in mainstream movies of the era, and for allowing characters to "sin on film", without a suitable punishment also being depicted, in violation of the

Production Code The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the ...

. Much of the publicity surrounding the release of the film focused on Jane Russell, and she established a solid film career, despite critics giving her performance in ''The Outlaw'' poor reviews. Buetel's performance was also highly criticised, and he languished with Hughes refusing to allow him to work. The director

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A v ...

tried to secure his services for the film '' Red River'' (1948), but after Hughes refused to allow Buetel to take part,

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered ...

was chosen and Clift went on to an active film career. In 1951, Buetel appeared in ''

Best of the Badmen ''Best of the Badmen'' is a 1951 Western film directed by William D. Russell that is set in Missouri during the post-American Civil War period. It stars Robert Ryan, Claire Trevor and Robert Preston. It was a loose follow-up to ''Return of th ...

'', his first film appearance in 8 years. Over the next few years he appeared in five more films and made infrequent appearances on television. In 1956, he landed the role of Jeff Taggert in

Edgar Buchanan William Edgar Buchanan II (March 20, 1903 – April 4, 1979) was an American actor with a long career in both film and television. He is most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the ''Petticoat Junction'', ''Green Acres'', and ''The ...

's syndicated western series, ''

Judge Roy Bean Phantly Roy Bean Jr. (c. 1825 – March 16, 1903) was an American saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Only Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, he held court in his saloon along the ...

''. Others who appeared regularly in the 39-episode

color Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

series, set in Langtry,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, were

Jackie Loughery Jacqueline V. "Jackie" Loughery (sometimes credited as Evelyn Avery, is a retired American actress and former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned "Miss Rockaway Point" in 1949 before becoming crowned Miss New York USA 1952 and later, was ...

X Brands X Brands (July 24, 1927 – May 8, 2000), sometimes credited as "Jay X. Brands", was an American actor of German ancestry known for his roles on various television series and in some films between 1956 and the late 1970s. His best-known recurring ...

, Tristram Coffin,

Glenn Strange George Glenn Strange (August 16, 1899 – September 20, 1973) was an American actor who mostly appeared in Western films and was billed as Glenn Strange. He is best remembered for playing Frankenstein's monster in three Universal films d ...

, and

Lash LaRue Alfred "Lash" LaRue (June 15, 1917 – May 21, 1996) was a popular western motion picture star of the 1940s and 1950s. Biography Early life and education Born Alfred LaRue in Gretna, Louisiana in 1917, he was reared in various towns th ...

. Buetel's last acting role was in a 1961 episode of ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...

''. He also appeared as himself in the 1982 ''

Night of 100 Stars ''Night of 100 Stars'' is an all-star variety television special celebrating the centennial of the Actors' Fund of America, airing in 1982. It won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program at the 34th Primetime Emmy Awards ...

'' television special.

Personal life

Buetel was married to Cereatha Browning, and later Joann Jensen Crawford. He relocated to

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

sometime in the 1970s.

Death

Buetel died in Portland, Oregon, and was buried at Portland Memorial Mausoleum.

Filmography

References

* Higham, Charles : ''Howard Hughes - The Secret Life''. Putnam Berkeley Group, 1993.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Buetel, Jack 1915 births 1989 deaths American male film actors Male Western (genre) film actors American male television actors People from Dallas Male actors from Portland, Oregon 20th-century American male actors Burials at Portland Memorial Mausoleum