The phrase Wonder Horses refers to the
equine
Equinae is a subfamily of the family Equidae, which have lived worldwide (except Indonesia and Australia) from the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene (16 million years ago) onwards. They are thought to be a monophyletic grouping.B. J. MacFa ...
companions of
cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...
heroes in early
Western films
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
. What makes these horses different from others that have appeared on the silver screen is their rise from trusty steed to a genuine screen personality. A number of horses have enjoyed such fame, often receiving equal or second
billing with their human costars.
Heroic horses of the silver screen
Though the first heroic horses emerged from the
silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
era, they were prominently featured in the
B-Westerns
The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...
of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. During the early decades of
sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
, cowboy movies targeted a juvenile demographic. The film's heroes were generally one-dimensional,
stock characters
A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a fictional character in a work of art such as a novel, play, or a film whom audiences recognize from frequent recurrences in a particular literary tradition. There is a wide range of st ...
, who represented and promoted truth and goodness to their young audience. More popular with adolescent viewers than a human
sidekick
A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany.
Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
, the Wonder Horse could not only outrun the mounts of the villains, but could also perform a series of feats and tricks to ensure that the cowboy hero would triumph.
The bond between a cowboy and his horse is an important part of the
cowboy mythology created by
dime novels
The dime novel is a form of late 19th-century and early 20th-century U.S. popular fiction issued in series of inexpensive paperbound editions. The term ''dime novel'' has been used as a catchall term for several different but related forms, r ...
,
pulp fiction
''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhame ...
stories, and Western cinema. Movies featuring Wonder Horses embellish this relationship between man and beast while heightening the exceptional and heroic qualities of the cowboy by his association with a remarkable animal.
Fritz
Fritz was the first horse to be named in the credits as a costar to his rider,
William S. Hart
William Surrey Hart (December 6, 1864 – June 23, 1946) was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is remembered as a foremost Western star of the silent era who "imbued all of his characters with honor and integ ...
, appearing in at least eight silent films: ''Pinto Ben'' (1915), ''
Hell’s Hinges'' (1916), ''The Narrow Trail'' (1917), ''Blue Blazes Rawden'' (1918), ''The Toll Gate'' (1920), ''
Sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...
'' (1920), ''
Three Word Brand'' (1921), and ''Singer Jim McKee'' (1924). He received his own fan mail, which often included sugar cubes from admirers.
During his career, Fritz was much beloved by his costar, actor William Hart. The horse belonged to film producer
Thomas Ince, but during a raise negotiation with Ince, Hart was able to acquire ownership of Fritz. Fritz was known for his ability to do unique and risky stunts. He could jump into moving rivers, through windows, over fire, and "allow himself to be thrown to the ground after a sudden stop." In his autobiography, Hart speaks lovingly of Fritz, and describes some of their stunts together. One in particular illustrates the danger of the stunts Fritz performed and the love Hart felt for his "pinto pony". While filming a scene for the 1920 film ''The Toll Gate'', Hart and Fritz were caught in a whirlpool:
After his retirement from film, Fritz lived out the rest of his 31 years at Hart's California ranch. His grave is marked by a cobblestone monument that reads: “Bill Hart's Pinto Pony Fritz—Aged 31 Years—A Loyal Comrade”.
Tony
The first horse to bear the name “The Wonder Horse”, Tony was the companion of actor
Tom Mix
Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...
. He starred in over two dozen silent and sound films during his career, becoming a celebrity in his own right. When Mix placed his handprints in the concrete outside
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre (branded as TCL Chinese Theatre for naming rights reasons) is a movie palace on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.
The original Chines ...
in 1927, Tony’s hoofprints were placed alongside them. He was the first horse to be given equal billing with his human costar, and was featured in the title of three movies: ''Just Tony'' (1922), ''Oh! You Tony'' (1924), and ''Tony Runs Wild'' (1926). Tony is listed as appearing in 34 films between 1922 and 1932. ''Just Tony'' is based on a
Max Brand
Frederick Schiller Faust (May 29, 1892 – May 12, 1944) was an American writer known primarily for his Western stories using the pseudonym Max Brand. He (as Max Brand) also created the popular fictional character of young medical intern D ...
novel, ''Alcatraz''. Tony's image appeared on film posters, his name was included in a number of film titles, and he accompanied Mix on international publicity tours. Tony was immortalized in a series of junior novels and comic books, including the 1934 children's book ''Tony and his Pals''.
Tony was famous in part because Mix, the film industry, and the media were able to anthropomorphize him. In the films, his horseness was continually reaffirmed; at the same time, so was his ability to understand language, what was going on around him, and why. Animals are not complicit in the process by which they are made to mean something.
Tony is most known for his intelligence and ability to perform remarkable stunts, many of which would not be allowed today due to the danger involved. Tony performed in the years before the
American Humane Association
American Humane (AH) is an organization founded in 1877 committed to ensuring the safety, welfare, and well-being of animals. It was previously called the International Humane Association before changing its name in 1878. In 1940, it became t ...
oversaw the use of animals on American productions. Since animals do not 'agree' to be actors (cannot verbalize agreement), the American Humane Association began to oversee how animal labor was created, filmed, and commercialized in 1940, eight years after Tony's retirement.
Tony was a naturally gaited Tennessee Pacer or Walking horse. he received his initial breaking and gait training from Kentucky trainer Tom Brinley. A later owner Pat Chrisman further trained him for tricks and stunts, then sold him to Tom Mix.
Mix reportedly did not have to train Tony, but simply show him what to do for each feat. Mix could convey any sort of message to the pony by touches of the hand or fingers on Tony's neck, although speculation existed that whips, strong bits, and spurs were used. Such stunts included untying Mix’s hands, opening gates, jumping over high fences, getting tangled in ropes, loosening his reins, rescuing Mix from fire, jumping from one cliff to another, and running after trains.
[Turner, 11.] In the 1926 film ''
The Great K & A Train Robbery
''The Great K & A Train Robbery'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Tom Mix and Dorothy Dwan. The film is based on the actual foiling of a train robbery by Dick Gordon as related by Paul Leicester Fo ...
'' (Fox Film Corporation), Mix jumps Tony through a glass window into a building and rides him alongside a speeding train. In the film ''Trailin'
'' (1921) Mix and Tony have a bridge slashed from under them, and uncut footage shows the pair tipping over to the river below.
Besides film, Tony was also in the
Sells Floto Circus
The Sells Floto Circus was a combination of the Floto Dog & Pony Show and the Sells Brothers Circus that toured with sideshow acts in the United States during the early 1900s.
History
Frederick Gilmer Bonfils and Harry Heye Tammen owned the first ...
with Tom Mix as his rider. A program from the circus in 1931 made a statement about the bond between the pair:
Tony retired from the film industry in 1932 at the age of 22, when he was slightly injured on the set of his last movie, ''
The Fourth Horseman'' (1932). Following Tony's retirement, Tom Mix began featuring another horse of similar color and appearance in his films, Tony, Jr. A third horse, Tony II, was used for public appearances.
Tony outlived Tom Mix, dying in 1942 at the age of 32, two years to the day after Mix was killed in a car accident.
Tony's passing was noted in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. Tony's longevity as a movie horse is remarkable due to the lack of veterinary care available in those years, and because of the strenuous stunts that were not regulated.
Rex
Known as “The Wonder Horse” and “King of the Wild Horses”, Rex was a black
Morgan stallion with a fierce reputation. Despite the fact that over the years he was termed “mean”, “vicious”, “ornery”, “undependable”, “warped”, and “dangerous”, Rex was in the film industry for nearly 15 years, starring in over a dozen films. Few actors were willing to work with the wild horse, so a
double
A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another.
Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to:
Film and television
* Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character
* Th ...
was often used in
close-up
A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium and long s ...
s. He was the first horse to star in his own films.
Rex appeared in such silent and sound films as ''The King of the Wild Horses'' (1924), ''The Devil Horse'' (1926), ''
No Man's Law
''No Man's Law'' is a 1927 American silent Western film starring Rex the King of Wild Horses and featuring Oliver Hardy as a lustful villain.
Plot
Cast
* Rex the King of Wild Horses as Nobody's Horse
*Barbara Kent as Toby Belcher
* James Fi ...
'' (1927), ''King of the Wild Horses'' (1933), ''
The Law of the Wild
''The Law of the Wild'' is a 1934 American western serial film produced by Nat Levine, directed by B. Reeves Eason and Armand Schaefer, distributed by Mascot Pictures, and starring two famous animal stars, Rex the Wonder Horse and Rin Tin Tin J ...
'' (1934), ''
The Adventures of Rex and Rinty
''The Adventures of Rex and Rinty'' (1935) is a Mascot film serial directed by Ford Beebe and B. Reeves Eason and starring the equine actor Rex ("The King of Wild Horses") and canine actor Rin Tin Tin, Jr.
Cast
* Rex the king of wild horses as ...
'' (1935), and ''
King of the Sierras
''King of the Sierras'' is a 1938 American western directed by Samuel Diege and Arthur Rosson and distributed by Grand National Pictures.
The film is also known as ''Black Stallion'' (alternative American title) and ''Killers of the Prairie'' ...
'' (1938).
Rex was very often the star of these films, bringing comedy and action to the screen. In one scene from ''No Man's Law'', Rex saves the modesty of a young woman swimming in the nude from a pair of rowdy villains. Chasing one around in circles, rearing and bucking like a wild mustang, until he finally runs him off of a cliff, he sneaks up behind the other and nudges him with his nose over the ledge and into the watering hole. He then nose prods the now clothed young woman back to her father.
Tarzan
Tarzan, the Wonder Horse, was the onscreen companion to silent and sound film star
Ken Maynard
Kenneth Olin Maynard (July 21, 1895 – March 23, 1973) was an American actor and producer. He was mostly active from the 1920s to the 1940s and considered one of the biggest Western stars in Hollywood.
Maynard was also an occasional screenwrit ...
. Together, they starred in over 60 films and
serials from 1925 until Tarzan's death in 1940.
While previous Wonder Horses had been used by their cowboy costars to perform impressive stunts, actor Ken Maynard was the first to take advantage of the merits of a talented horse. While Tarzan could perform stunts like jumping off cliffs, he was known better for his tricks, such as dancing, bowing, nodding his head to answer questions, playing dead, untying ropes, dragging Maynard to safety, or nuzzling him into the arms of the leading lady. Incredibly intelligent, Tarzan performed these stunts in response to word commands from Maynard.
Champion
Champion, the Wonder Horse, was the onscreen companion of the
singing cowboy
A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal cowboy hero of early Western films. It references real-world campfire side ballads in the American frontier, the original cowboys sang of life on the trail with all the challenges, hardships, and d ...
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...
. Originally belonging to Tom Mix, Autry likely purchased Champion after working with him in ''
The Phantom Empire
''The Phantom Empire'' is a 1935 American Western serial film directed by Otto Brower and B. Reeves Eason and starring Gene Autry, Frankie Darro, and Betsy King Ross.Magers 2007, p. 21. This 12-chapter Mascot Pictures serial combined the Wes ...
'' series. Several horses bore the name Champion; the first died while Autry was serving in the
Army Air Force
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Champion was able to perform numerous tricks, including jumping through paper-covered hoops and galloping toward and coming to a stop atop a piano. Gene Autry and Champion (probably Champion II) left their handprints and hoofprints in the cement outside
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre (branded as TCL Chinese Theatre for naming rights reasons) is a movie palace on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.
The original Chines ...
in 1949.
Champion (and his successors) appeared in nearly 100 films and television shows from the 1930s through the 1950s. A star in his own right, Champion was featured in his own television series, ''
The Adventures of Champion
''The Adventures of Champion'' is an American adventure serial radio drama directed by William Burch about screen cowboy Gene Autry's horse Champion. Each 15-minute episode was broadcast weekday afternoons on the Mutual Broadcasting System in 194 ...
'', based on a
radio series
A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode.
Radio networ ...
of the same name. Lyrics from the theme song emphasize his status as Wonder Horse.
Trigger
One of the most well-known Wonder Horses was
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...
'
palomino
Palomino is a genetic color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail; the degree of whiteness can vary from bright white to yellow. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called t ...
stallion, Trigger. He appeared in all 81 of Rogers' films and 101 television shows. He retired from show business in 1957, dying in 1965 at the age of 33; he was stuffed and the taxidermy mount resided at the Roy Rogers Museum in California and then in
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postma ...
, until its closure. On July 14, 2010, Trigger was sold in auction at
Christie's
Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
New York Saleroom to Patrick Gottsch, who plans to display the mount at the corporate headquarters of his network,
RFD-TV
RFD-TV is an American pay television channel owned by Rural Media Group, Inc. The channel features programming devoted to rural issues, concerns and interests. The channel's name is a reference to Rural Free Delivery, the name for the United Sta ...
, in Omaha, Nebraska.
Trigger was billed as "The Smartest Horse in the Movies". His trainer,
Glen Randall, described him as being "almost human", knowing as many as 60 different tricks. Like Tarzan, many of his tricks were performed by word cue. One of his more exceptional "tricks" was that he was housebroken, allowing Roy Rogers to make public appearances with him. During a trip to New York City, Trigger reportedly delighted audiences by dancing, rearing, pawing, and playing dead on the ballroom floor of the
Hotel Astor
Hotel Astor was a hotel on Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Built in 1905 and expanded in 1909–1910 for the Astor family, the hotel occupied a site bounded by Broadway, Shubert Alley, and 44th and 45th Str ...
.
[Prowse, 62.][Turner, 13.]
Like Tony, more than one horse bore the name Trigger. Little Trigger and Trigger, Jr. were also used for public appearances, film, and television to lessen the strain and stress on the original Trigger. Rogers and Trigger placed their hands and hooves in the concrete at
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre (branded as TCL Chinese Theatre for naming rights reasons) is a movie palace on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.
The original Chines ...
in 1949. His counterpart was
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter in western countries is not made with cultured cream but uncultured sweet cream, most mod ...
, the horse of Roy Roger's wife, actress and singing cowgirl star
Dale Evans
Dale Evans Rogers (born Frances Octavia Smith; October 31, 1912 – February 7, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers.
Early life
Evans was born Frances Octavia Smith on ...
.
Other notable Wonder Horses
* Baron with
Tom Tyler
Tom Tyler (born Vincent Markowski; August 9, 1903 – May 1, 1954) was an American actor known for his leading roles in low-budget Western films in the silent and sound eras, and for his portrayal of superhero Captain Marvel in the 1941 ...
* Black Jack and Feather with
Allan Lane
Allan "Rocky" Lane (born Harry Leonard Albershardt; September 22, 1909 – October 27, 1973) was an American studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows in ...
* Cyclone with
Don Barry
* Duke with
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
* Falcon with
Buster Crabbe
Clarence Linden Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), known professionally as Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimmi ...
* King with
Bill Cody
William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, Bison hunting, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa, Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but ...
* Knight with
Rod Cameron
* Koko "The Miracle Horse of the Movies" with
Rex Allen
Rex Elvie Allen (December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999), known as "the Arizona Cowboy", was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many Disney nature and Western productions. For his contribut ...
* Lightning and Duke with
Tim Holt
Charles John "Tim" Holt III (February 5, 1919 – February 15, 1973) was an American actor. He was a popular Western star during the 1940s and early 1950s, appearing in forty-six B westerns released by RKO Pictures.
In a career spanning mo ...
* Midnight with
Tim McCoy
Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy (April 10, 1891 – January 29, 1978) was an American actor, military officer, and expert on American Indian life. McCoy is most noted for his roles in B-grade Western films. As a popular cowboy film star, he ap ...
* Mike with
George O’Brien
* Mutt with
Hoot Gibson
Edmund Richard "Hoot" Gibson (August 6, 1892 – August 23, 1962) was an American rodeo champion, film actor, film director, and producer. While acting and stunt work began as a sideline to Gibson's focus on rodeo, he successfully transitione ...
* Raider with
Charles Starrett
Charles Robert Starrett (March 28, 1903 – March 22, 1986) was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the ''Durango Kid'' westerns. Starrett still holds the record for starring in the longest series of theatrical features: ...
* Rebel with
Reb Russell
Ewell Albert "Reb" Russell (March 12, 1889 – September 30, 1973) was an American Major League Baseball player for the Chicago White Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Career MLB
Russell was drafted by the White Sox as a pitcher in 1912. In his ...
* Rush with
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 ...
* Scout with
Jack Hoxie
John Hartford Hoxie (January 11, 1885 – March 28, 1965) was an American rodeo performer and motion-picture actor whose career was most prominent in the silent film era of the 1910s through the 1930s. Hoxie is best recalled for his roles in ...
* Shamrock with Bob Livingstone
* Silver with
Buck Jones
Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones.
Early life, milita ...
*
Silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
with the
Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture.
He first appeared in 1933 in ...
* Silver with
Sunset Carson
Sunset Carson (born Winifred Maurice Harrison or Michael Harrison; November 12, 1920 – May 1, 1990) was an American B-western star of the 1940s.
Early life, acting
Carson was born on November 12, 1920, at Gracemont, Oklahoma, as either ...
* Silver Bullet with
Whip Wilson
Whip Wilson (born Roland Charles Meyers, June 16, 1911 – October 22, 1964) was an American cowboy film actor, film star of the late 1940s and into the 1950s, known for his roles in B movies (Hollywood Golden Age)#Cowboys and dogs, B-westerns. ...
*
Silver King with
Fred Thomson
Frederick Clifton Thomson (February 26, 1890 – December 25, 1928) was an American silent film cowboy who rivaled Tom Mix in popularity before dying at age 38 of tetanus.
Birth and athletic achievement
Born in Pasadena, California to Clara ...
* Sonny and Thunder with
Wild Bill Elliott
Wild Bill Elliott (born Gordon Nance, October 16, 1904 – November 26, 1965) was an American film actor. He specialized in playing the rugged heroes of B Westerns, particularly the Red Ryder series of films.
Early life
Elliott was born Gor ...
* Starlight with
Jack Perrin
Jack Perrin (born Lyman Wakefield Perrin; July 25, 1896 – December 17, 1967) was an American actor specializing in Westerns.
Early life
Perrin was born in Three Rivers, Michigan. His father worked in real estate and relocated the famil ...
* Tarzan with
Ken Maynard
Kenneth Olin Maynard (July 21, 1895 – March 23, 1973) was an American actor and producer. He was mostly active from the 1920s to the 1940s and considered one of the biggest Western stars in Hollywood.
Maynard was also an occasional screenwrit ...
* Topper with
Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He was ...
* White Eagle and Silver with
Buck Jones
Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones.
Early life, milita ...
* White Flash with
Tex Ritter
Woodward Maurice Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of American country music, a popular singer and actor from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (son John, grandsons Jason and ...
Wonder Horse toys
As these Westerns had great appeal to children, toys, clothing, and other accessories were marketed, many of them featuring their favorite cowboy's Wonder Horse. Tony, Trigger, Champion, Rocky Lane's Black Jack, and the Lone Ranger's Silver were some of the Wonder Horses of cinema that were featured in Western
comic books
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
.
Modern Wonder Horses
* Comet with
Bruce Campbell on ''
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
''The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.'', often referred to as just ''Brisco'' or ''Brisco County'', is an American weird western television series created by Jeffrey Boam and Carlton Cuse. It ran for 27 episodes on the Fox network starting i ...
''
References
Further reading
* Buscombe, Edward, ed. ''The BFI Companion to the Western'', London: Deutsch (1996).
*
Cusic, Don.
Gene Autry: His Life and Career', North Carolina: McFarland & Co. (2007).
* Davis, Ronald L.
William S. Hart: Projecting the American West', Norman: University of Oklahoma Press (2003).
* Grace, Erin
"Trigger's happy trails to Omaha."''Omaha World Herald'', July 15, 2010, Metro/Region section.
* Hart, William S.
My Life: East and West', Boston: Houghton Mifflin (1929).
* McGillis, Roderick,
He Was Some Kind of a Man: Masculinities in the B Western', Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press (2009).
* Prowse, Brad.
Screen Horses and their Heroes" ''American Cowboy'' (Jan/Feb 1999), 62.
* Scanlan, Lawrence. ''Wild About Horses: Our Timeless Passion for the Horse'', Canada: Random House of Canada (1999).
* Slatta, Richard W.
The Cowboy Encyclopedia', New York: W. W. Norton & Company (1996).
* Stillman, Deanne.
Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West', Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2008).
* Turner, Lillian. "The Golden Horse on the Silver Screen," ''Montana The Magazine of Western History'' (Autumn 1995), 2-19.
* Wilson, Staci Layne.
Animal Movies Guide', USA: Running Free Press (2007).
* Whitaker, Julie.
The Horse: A Miscellany of Equine Knowledge', UK: Ivy Press (2007).
* Yoggy, Gary A.
Back in the Saddle: Essays on Western Film and Television Actors', North Carolina: McFarland & Company (1998).
External links
{{Commons category, Famous horses
Horses in film and television