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Ken Maynard
Actor

Ken Maynard

21 Jul 1895Born
23 Mar 1973Died
77Age at death
95Credits

Biography

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.

Read the full biography

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.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 95 credits.

  1. 1976Meanwhile, Back at the RanchFilm: (archive footage)
  2. 1972The Marshal of Windy HollowFilm: Texas Ranger
  3. 1970BigfootFilm: Mr. Bennett
  4. 1944Harmony TrailFilm: Marshal Ken Maynard
  5. 1944Arizona WhirlwindFilm: Ken Maynard
  6. 1944Westward BoundFilm: Ken Maynard
  7. 1943Death Valley RangersFilm: Ken Maynard
  8. 1943Blazing GunsFilm: Marshal Ken Maynard
  9. 1943The Law Rides AgainFilm: U.S. Marshal Ken Maynard
  10. 1943Wild Horse StampedeFilm: Marshal Ken Maynard
  11. 1940Lightning Strikes WestFilm: Lightning Ken Morgan
  12. 1940Phantom RancherFilm: Ken Mitchell
  13. 1939Death Rides the RangeFilm: Ken Baxter
  14. 1939Flaming LeadFilm: Ken Clark
  15. 1938Six Shootin' SheriffFilm: Jim 'Trigger' Morton
  16. 1938Whirlwind HorsemanFilm: Ken Morton
  17. 1937Trailing TroubleFilm: John 'Friendly' Fields
  18. 1937Boots of DestinyFilm: Ken Crawford
  19. 1936The Fugitive SheriffFilm: Ken Marshall
  20. 1936The Cattle ThiefFilm: Ken
  21. 1936Avenging WatersFilm: Ken Morley
  22. 1936Heroes of the RangeFilm: Ken Smith
  23. 1935Heir to TroubleFilm: Ken Armstrong
  24. 1935Lawless RidersFilm: Ken Manley
  25. 1935Western CourageFilm: Ken Baxter
  26. 1935Western FrontierFilm: Ken Masters
  27. 1934Mystery MountainFilm: Ken Williams
  28. 1934In Old Santa FeFilm: Ken aka 'Kentucky'
  29. 1934Smoking GunsFilm: Ken Masters
  30. 1934Honor of the RangeFilm: Sheriff Ken / Brother Clem
  31. 1934Wheels of DestinyFilm: Ken Manning
  32. 1933Gun JusticeFilm: Ken Lance
  33. 1933Fargo ExpressFilm: Ken Benton
  34. 1933Strawberry RoanFilm: Ken Masters
  35. 1933The Trail DriveFilm: Ken Benton
  36. 1933The Fiddlin' BuckarooFilm: 'Fiddlin', Director
  37. 1933King of the ArenaFilm: Captain Ken Kenton
  38. 1933The Lone AvengerFilm: Cal Weston
  39. 1933Phantom ThunderboltFilm: Thunderbolt Kid
  40. 1933Drum TapsFilm: Ken Cartwright
  41. 1932Tombstone CanyonFilm: Ken
  42. 1932Haunted GoldFilm: Tim Kelly (archive footage) (uncredited)
  43. 1932Between Fighting MenFilm: Ken
  44. 1932Come On, TarzanFilm: Ken Benson
  45. 1932Dynamite RanchFilm: Blaze Howell
  46. 1932Whistlin' DanFilm: 'Whistlin' Dan Savage Posing as Ed Black
  47. 1932Hell-Fire AustinFilm: Ken 'Hell-Fire' Austin
  48. 1932Texas Gun FighterFilm: Bill Dane
  49. 1932The Sunset TrailFilm: Jim Brandon
  50. 1931The Pocatello KidFilm: The Pocatello Kid / Sheriff Jim Bledsoe
  51. 1931Branded MenFilm: Rod Whitaker
  52. 1931Range LawFilm: Hap Conners
  53. 1931The Arizona TerrorFilm: The Arizonian
  54. 1931Alias: The Bad ManFilm: Ranger Ken Neville
  55. 1931The Two Gun ManFilm: 'Blackie' Weed
  56. 1930Fighting ThruFilm: Dan Barton
  57. 1930Sons of the SaddleFilm: Jim Brandon
  58. 1930Song of the CaballeroFilm: Juan Posing as El Lobo
  59. 1930Mountain JusticeFilm: Ken McTavish
  60. 1930The Voice of Hollywood No. 9Film
  61. 1930The Fighting LegionFilm: Dave Hayes
  62. 1930Lucky LarkinFilm: 'Lucky' Larkin
  63. 1930Parade of the WestFilm: Bud Rand
  64. 1929Señor AmericanoFilm: Lieutenant Michael Banning
  65. 1929The Wagon MasterFilm: The Rambler
  66. 1929The California MailFilm: Bob Scott
  67. 1929The Lawless LegionFilm: Cal Stanley
  68. 1929The Royal RiderFilm: Dick Scott
  69. 1929CheyenneFilm: Cal Roberts
  70. 1928The Phantom CityFilm: Tim Kelly
  71. 1928The Glorious TrailFilm: Pat O'Leary
  72. 1928The Code of the ScarletFilm: Bruce Kenton
  73. 1928The Upland RiderFilm: Dan Dailey
  74. 1928The Canyon of AdventureFilm: Steven Bancroft
  75. 1928The Wagon ShowFilm: Bob Mason
  76. 1927Gun GospelFilm: Granger Hume
  77. 1927The Red RaidersFilm: Lieutenant John Scott
  78. 1927The Devil's SaddleFilm: Harry Morrel
  79. 1927The Land Beyond the LawFilm: Jerry Steele
  80. 1927Somewhere in SonoraFilm: Bob Bishop

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.