Skip to content
Join free
Bob Steele
Actor

Bob Steele

23 Jan 1907Born
21 Dec 1988Died
81Age at death
234Credits

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.                    

                    

Bob Steele (January 23, 1907 - December 21, 1988) was an American actor. He was born Robert Adrian Bradbury in Portland, Oregon, into a vaudeville family. After years of touring, the family settled down in Hollywood in the late 1910s, where his father, Robert N.

Read the full biography

Bradbury, soon found work in the movies, first as an actor, later as a director, and by 1920, he hired Bob and his twin brother Bill (1907–1971) as juvenile leads for a series of adventure movies entitled "The Adventures of Bob and Bill".

Bob's career began to take off for good in 1927, when he was hired by production company Film Booking Offices of America (FBO) to star in a series of Westerns. Bob—who was rechristened Bob Steele at FBO—soon made a name for himself, and in the late 1920s, 1930s and 1940s starred in B-Westerns for almost every minor film studio, including Monogram, Supreme, Tiffany, Syndicate, Republic (including several films of the Three Mesquiteers series) and Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) (including the initial films of their "Billy the Kid" series), plus he had the occasional role in an A-movie, as in the adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men from 1939.

In the 1940s, Bob's career as a cowboy hero was on the decline, but he kept himself working by accepting supporting roles in many big movies like Howard Hawks' The Big Sleep, or the John Wayne vehicles Island in the Sky, Rio Bravo and Rio Lobo. Besides these he also made occasional appearances in science fiction films like Atomic Submarine and Giant from the Unknown and did lots of television work, culminating in a regular supporting role in the army comedy F Troop (1965–1967), which allowed him to show his comic talent. Steele played the character of Trooper Duffy who claimed to have been "shoulder to shoulder with Davy Crockett at the Alamo"-in fact Steele played in With Davy Crockett at the Fall of the Alamo in 1926.

Bob Steele died on December 21, 1988 from emphysema after a long sickness.

Bob Steele is said to have been the inspiration for the character "Cowboy Bob" in the Dennis The Menace comic strip.        

                    

Description above from the Wikipedia article Bob Steele (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.                    

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 234 credits.

  1. 1976The ShootistFilm: Books' Victim in Flashback (archive footage / uncredited)
  2. 1976Meanwhile, Back at the RanchFilm: (archive footage)
  3. 1974Nightmare HoneymoonFilm: Charlie
  4. 1973Charley VarrickFilm: Bank Guard (uncredited)
  5. 1971Something BigFilm: Teamster #3
  6. 1971Skin GameFilm: Bidder (uncredited)
  7. 1970Rio LoboFilm: Rio Lobo Deputy (uncredited)
  8. 1969Then Came BronsonSeries: Clay Turner (1 episode)
  9. 1969DocFilm: Toby
  10. 1969The Great Bank RobberyFilm: First Guard
  11. 1968Hang 'em HighFilm: Jenkins
  12. 1966Family AffairSeries (1 episode)
  13. 1965F TroopSeries: Trooper Duffy (65 episodes)
  14. 1965The Bounty KillerFilm: Red - Henchman
  15. 1965Town TamerFilm: Ken
  16. 1965Requiem for a GunfighterFilm: Max Smith
  17. 1965ShenandoahFilm: Union Train Guard
  18. 1965TaggartFilm: Earl (uncredited)
  19. 1964Bullet for a BadmanFilm: Sheriff (uncredited)
  20. 19634 for TexasFilm: Bank Board Member
  21. 1963McLintock!Film: Train Engineer
  22. 1963Wall of NoiseFilm: Trainer
  23. 1962The Wild WesternersFilm: Casey Banner
  24. 1962Six Black HorsesFilm: Puncher
  25. 1961The ComancherosFilm: Pa Schofield (uncredited)
  26. 1960National VelvetSeries: Clive (1 episode)
  27. 1960Texas John Slaughter: Geronimo's RevengeFilm: Ben
  28. 1960Hell Bent for LeatherFilm: Jared
  29. 1959The Atomic SubmarineFilm: "Grif" Griffin
  30. 1959The RebelSeries: Will Randall, Jess Kirby (1 episode)
  31. 1959Pork Chop HillFilm: Col. Kern
  32. 1959Rio BravoFilm: Matt Harris (uncredited)
  33. 1959No Name on the BulletFilm: Poker Player (uncredited)
  34. 1959RawhideSeries: Deputy Art Gray (1 episode)
  35. 1958Ride a Crooked TrailFilm: Jud Blunt (uncredited)
  36. 1958LawmanSeries: Telegraph Operator (uncredited) (1 episode)
  37. 1958The TexanSeries: Luke Short (1 episode)
  38. 1958Once Upon a Horse...Film: Bob Steele
  39. 1958The Bonnie Parker StoryFilm: Armored Truck Guard (uncredited)
  40. 1958Giant from the UnknownFilm: Sheriff Parker
  41. 1957Decision at SundownFilm: Irv (uncredited)
  42. 1957The Parson and the OutlawFilm: Ace Jardine
  43. 1957MaverickSeries: Walter Jackson, Wells, Jailed Cowhand Billy (uncredited) (1 episode)
  44. 1957SugarfootSeries: Sam Shoulders (1 episode)
  45. 1957Have Gun, Will TravelSeries: Jockey (1 episode)
  46. 1957Duel at Apache WellsFilm: Joe Dunn
  47. 1956Gun for a CowardFilm: Durkee
  48. 1956PardnersFilm: Shorty
  49. 1956The Steel JungleFilm: Dan Bucci
  50. 1955The SpoilersFilm: Miner
  51. 1955The Fighting ChanceFilm: Curly
  52. 1955Last of the DesperadosFilm: Charlie Bowdre
  53. 1955Screen Director's PlayhouseSeries: Deputy Sheriff Dodd (1 episode)
  54. 1955CheyenneSeries: Dugan (1 episode)
  55. 1955GunsmokeSeries: Sam Gordon, Coe (1 episode)
  56. 1955The Life and Legend of Wyatt EarpSeries: Deputy Marshal Sam (uncredited) (2 episodes)
  57. 1954The Wonderful World of DisneySeries: Ben, Soto Man (uncredited), Rebel Arsonist (uncredited) (1 episode)
  58. 1954The OutcastFilm: Dude Rankin
  59. 1954Drums Across the RiverFilm: Billy Costa
  60. 1953Island in the SkyFilm: Wilson
  61. 1953Column SouthFilm: McAfee
  62. 1953Savage FrontierFilm: Sam Webb
  63. 1953San AntoneFilm: Bob Coolidge
  64. 1952The Lion and the HorseFilm: Matt Jennings
  65. 1952Bugles in the AfternoonFilm: Rider Who Announces Custer Is Dead
  66. 1952Rose of CimarronFilm: Rio
  67. 1951Cattle DriveFilm: Charlie "Careless" Morgan
  68. 1951Fort WorthFilm: Shorty
  69. 1951Silver CanyonFilm: Walt Middler
  70. 1951The EnforcerFilm: Herman
  71. 1950The Savage HordeFilm: Dancer
  72. 1949South of St. LouisFilm: Slim Hansen
  73. 1947Bandits of Dark CanyonFilm: Ed Archer
  74. 1947Killer McCoyFilm: Sailor Graves
  75. 1947ExposedFilm: Chicago
  76. 1947CheyenneFilm: Bucky
  77. 1947Twilight on the Rio GrandeFilm: Dusty Morgan
  78. 1946Rio Grande RaidersFilm: Jeff Carson
  79. 1946The Big SleepFilm: Lash Canino
  80. 1946Thunder TownFilm: Jim Brandon

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