James Shorttel Bannon (April 9, 1911 – July 28, 1984) was an American actor and radio announcer known for his work on the ''

I Love a Mystery ''I Love a Mystery'' is an American radio drama series that aired 1939–44, about three friends who ran a detective agency and traveled the world in search of adventure. Written by Carlton E. Morse, the program was the polar opposite of Morse's ...

'' and '' Red Ryder'' series during the 1940s and 1950s.

Early life

Born in 1911 in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, Bannon attended Rockhurst High School and Rockhurst University, where he played football, baseball, and polo. In 1944, he was ineligible (classified 4-F) for World War II service, owing to an ulcer, so served as a civilian flight instructor.

Career

Bannon began his broadcasting career on local radio station KCKN, then briefly at KMOX in St. Louis. He moved to Los Angeles in 1937, beginning his show-business career in radio as an announcer on '' The Great Gildersleeve'', '' The Chase and Sanborn Hour'', and ''

Stars over Hollywood ''Stars over Hollywood'' is a radio anthology in the United States. It was broadcast on CBS from May 31, 1941, to September 25, 1954, sponsored first by Dari-Rich, Carnation Milk and later by Armour and Company. (Note: This program should not be ...

'', among others, with his most prominent acting role being that of Detective Jack Packard in the serial ''I Love a Mystery''. A motion-picture adaptation of the show, with Bannon reprising his radio character, was released by Columbia Pictures in 1945 in hopes of launching a franchise, but only two additional pictures were produced; he later described the original film as "a weakened product" in his 1975 autobiography. Bannon left radio in 1946 to sign with Columbia as a contract player in his attempt to become a Western movie star, but then left the next year for

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

. He first served as a

stuntman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

and double before being cast as the lead in his first picture with the company, the 1948 serial ''

Dangers of the Canadian Mounted ''Dangers of the Canadian Mounted'' is a 1948 Northern Republic film serial. Plot A criminal gang discovers a Genghis Khan treasure ship on the Canada-Alaska border. However, the treasure itself is hidden on land. In their efforts to find the h ...

''. While filming '' The Man from Colorado'' (1949), Bannon punched director

Charles Vidor Charles Vidor (born Károly Vidor; July 27, 1900June 4, 1959) was a Hungarian film director. Among his film successes are ''The Bridge'' (1929), ''The Tuttles of Tahiti'' (1942), ''The Desperadoes'' (1943), ''Cover Girl'' (1944), '' Together A ...

during an on-set altercation.Bannon, Jim.
The Son that Rose in the West
'. Devil's Hole Printery (1975). . Vidor was later fired from the production because of conflicts with star William Holden and replaced by Henry Levin, who had directed Bannon in the ''I Love a Mystery'' film adaptation. Bannon teamed with Whip Wilson and Fuzzy Knight in five low-budget Westerns for

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

, all released in 1951. Bannon is best known for being the last of four actors to portray the fictional cowboy Red Ryder in the long-running

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

series, completing between 1949 and 1950 what would be the final four pictures in the franchise that were distributed by Eagle-Lion Films, after Republic had let its series rights expire. Bannon openly campaigned for the part by outfitting his car with a Texas Longhorn hood ornament and a Colt 45-style gearshift knob while dressing in Western attire. Upon being cast, he dyed his salt-and-pepper hair red and regularly visited a hairstylist in Louisville, Kentucky, to keep it maintained. Bannon said in 1965 that it was the "toughest part of" playing Red Ryder, "since the pictures were in color." His offscreen requirements in portraying the character included making personal appearances in costume across the country, in addition to a stint with the Tom Packs Circus in 1950. Following the end of the ''Red Ryder'' series, Bannon appeared in films of varying genres before transitioning to Western roles on television. He had a starring role in Flying A Productions' 1955 series '' The Adventures of Champion'', which lasted for one 26-episode season. He then filmed two guest appearances on another Flying A show, '' Annie Oakley'', the next year. Meanwhile, fellow ''Red Ryder'' actor Allan "Rocky" Lane and he shot separate pilots for a proposed television series in 1951 and 1955, respectively, but both failed to sell. Bannon relocated to Chicago in 1955 to film one season of soap opera '' Hawkins Falls, Population 6200''. Bannon worked sporadically in the 1960s with bit parts on programs such as '' Sea Hunt'', '' Wagon Train'', and ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called ''Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another fic ...

''. His final role was a one-time guest spot on '' Death Valley Days'' in 1965. He then moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to join radio station KTAR as a morning news broadcaster and the host of his own afternoon show.

Personal life

Bannon was the first husband of American actress and

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...

Bea Benaderet Beatrice Benaderet ( ; April 4, 1906 – October 13, 1968) was an American actress and comedienne. Born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, she began performing in Bay Area theatre and radio before embarking on a Hollywood career that ...

. They wed in 1938 and had two children, Jack (19402017) and Maggie (born 1947). However, his ''Red Ryder'' contract obligations took a toll on their marriage, and Benaderet filed for divorce in 1950. Their son, Jack Bannon, became an actor like his parents. In 1961, Jim Bannon married Barbara Cork, 23 years his junior; the couple divorced in 1981. Later in his life, Bannon suffered from

emphysema Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alve ...

. He died in Ventura, California, on July 28, 1984, at age 73.

Selected filmography

*'' Riders of the Deadline'' (1943) *'' The Soul of a Monster'' (1944) - Dr. Roger Vance *'' Sergeant Mike'' (1944) - Lt. Patrick Henry *'' The Missing Juror'' (1944) - Joe Keats *''

Tonight and Every Night ''Tonight and Every Night'' is a 1945 American musical film directed by Victor Saville and starring Rita Hayworth, Lee Bowman and Janet Blair. The film portrays wartime romance and tragedy in a London musical show, loosely modelled on the Windmil ...

'' (1945) - Life Photographer *''

'' (1945) - Jack Packard *'' The Gay Senorita'' (1945) - Phil Dolan *''

Out of the Depths ''Out of the Depths'' is a 1921 American silent Western film based on a book by author Robert Ames Bennet and directed by Otis B. Thayer and Frank Reicher, starring Edmund Cobb and Violet Mersereau. The film was shot in Denver, Colorado b ...

'' (1945) - Capt. Faversham *'' The Devil's Mask'' (1946) - Jack Packard *'' Renegades'' (1946) - Cash Dembrow *'' The Unknown'' (1946) - Jack Packard *''

Johnny O'Clock ''Johnny O'Clock'' is a 1947 American film noir crime film starring Dick Powell and Evelyn Keyes, and directed by Robert Rossen. Plot Johnny O'Clock (Dick Powell) is a junior partner in a posh casino with Guido Marchettis (Thomas Gomez). Complic ...

'' (1947) - Chuck Blayden *''

The 13th Hour ''The 13th Hour'' is the sixth studio album by Midnight Syndicate, released June 7, 2005, by Entity Productions. The album took listeners on a journey through a haunted Victorian mansion through the blend of symphonic gothic horror instrumental m ...

'' (1947) - Jerry Mason *'' Framed'' (1947) - Jack Woodworth *'' The Corpse Came C.O.D.'' (1947) - Det. Lt. Mark Wilson *'' T-Men'' (1947) - Agent Lindsay *''

'' (1948, Serial) - Sgt. Chris Royal, RCMP *'' Trail to Laredo'' (1948) - Dan Parks *''

Miraculous Journey ''Miraculous Journey'' is a 1948 film about seven airplane passengers who find themselves stranded in an African jungle after their plane crashes. It was directed by Sam Newfield, under the pseudonym of Peter Stewart. The film stars Rory Calhoun a ...

'' (1948) - Nick Travelli *''

Frontier Revenge ''Frontier Revenge'' is a 1948 American Western film written and directed by Ray Taylor and starring Lash LaRue and Al "Fuzzy" St. John. The film is a remake of Ray Taylor's ''Panamint's Bad Man'' (1938). Filmed at the Corriganville Movie Ranc ...

'' (1948) - Brant - Henchman *'' The Man from Colorado'' (1948) - Nagel * ''

Ride, Ryder, Ride! ''Ride, Ryder, Ride!'' is a 1949 American Cinecolor Western film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Jim Bannon, Don Reynolds and Emmett Lynn. It is based on the '' Red Ryder'' series by Fred Harman, one of four films made by Eagle-Li ...

'' (1949) - Red Ryder *'' Daughter of the Jungle'' (1949) - Kenneth Richards * '' Roll, Thunder, Roll!'' (1949) - Red Ryder *'' The Fighting Redhead'' (1949) - Red Ryder *'' Cowboy and the Prizefighter'' (1949) - Red Ryder *''

Jiggs and Maggie Out West ''Jiggs and Maggie Out West'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Joe Yule, Renie Riano and George McManus. It was the final film in the '' Jiggs and Maggie'' film series, featuring the adventures of a bickeri ...

'' (1950) - 'Snake-Bite' Carter *'' Kill the Umpire'' (1950) - Dusty (uncredited) *''

Sierra Passage ''Sierra Passage'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Frank McDonald and written by Warren Douglas, Samuel Roeca and Tom W. Blackburn. The film stars Wayne Morris, Lola Albright, Lloyd Corrigan, Alan Hale Jr., Roland Winters and Jim ...

'' (1950) - Jud Yorke *'' Ridin' the Outlaw Trail'' (1951) - Ace Donley *''Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (1951) - U. S. Marshal Jim Bannon *'' Canyon Raiders'' (1951) - Himself *'' Nevada Badmen'' (1951) - Himself *'' The Texas Rangers'' (1951) - Jeff Barton - Outlaw (uncredited) *''

Stagecoach Driver ''Stagecoach Driver'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Whip Wilson, Fuzzy Knight and Gloria Winters. The film's sets were designed by the art director Harry Reif. Cast * Whip Wilson as Whip Wilson * ...

'' (1951) - Himself *''

Unknown World ''Unknown World'' (a.k.a. ''Night Without Stars'') is a 1951 independently made American black-and-white science fiction adventure film, directed by Terrell O. Morse, and starring Bruce Kellogg, Marilyn Nash, Jim Bannon, and Otto Waldis. D ...

'' (1951) - Andy Ostergaard *'' Lawless Cowboys'' (1951) - Himself *'' The Great Missouri Raid'' (1951) *''

Rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...

'' (1952) - Bat Gorman *'' Phantom from Space'' (1953) - Police Sergeant *'' The Great Jesse James Raid'' (1953) - Bob Ford *'' Jack Slade'' (1953) - Farnsworth *''

War Arrow ''War Arrow'' is a 1954 American Technicolor Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Maureen O'Hara, Jeff Chandler and John McIntire. Filmed by Universal Pictures and based on the Seminole Scouts, the film was shot in Agoura, Calif ...

'' (1953) - Capt. Roger Corwin *'' The Command'' (1954) - Infantryman (uncredited) *'' Chicago Confidential'' (1957) - Pilot (uncredited) *''

Too Much, Too Soon ''Too Much, Too Soon'' is a 1958 biographical film about Diana Barrymore produced by Warner Bros. It was directed by Art Napoleon and produced by Henry Blanke from a screenplay by Art Napoleon and Jo Napoleon, based on the autobiography by D ...

'' (1958) - Actor as Thomas Jefferson in Play (uncredited) *'' Bat Masterson'' (1958) - Town Sheriff *'' Girls on the Loose'' (1958) - Vault Guard (uncredited) *'' The Shaggy Dog'' (1959) - Betz, FBI Stenographer (uncredited) *'' They Came to Cordura'' (1959) - Capt. Paltz *''

Inside the Mafia ''Inside the Mafia'' is a 1959 film noir crime film based on a true incident. It was based on the Albert Anastasia murder and subsequent Apalachin Meeting. Plot The gangster Augie Martello is riddled with bullets in an assassination attempt orga ...

'' (1959) - Louie - Regent Associate (uncredited) *''

40 Pounds of Trouble ''40 Pounds of Trouble'' is a 1962 comedy film directed by Norman Jewison and starring Tony Curtis, Suzanne Pleshette, Larry Storch and Phil Silvers. It is a retelling of Damon Runyon's 1932 short story ''Little Miss Marker''. It marks Jewison's ...

'' (1962) - Western Gambler (uncredited) *''

A Gathering of Eagles ''A Gathering of Eagles'' is a 1963 SuperScope Eastmancolor film about the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War and the pressures of command. The plot is patterned after the World War II film ''Twelve O'Clock High'', which producer-screenwriter S ...

'' (1963) - Col. Morse *'' Man's Favorite Sport?'' (1964) - Forest Ranger (uncredited) *'' Good Neighbor Sam'' (1964) - Policeman (uncredited)

References

External links