The origin of George Hayes' name, "Gabby," is a tale unto itself. George had fully developed an alter-ego character named Windy (a cowboy slang term for talkative) Halliday for the Hopalong Cassidy franchise When he left the franchise, he was stunned when the studio claimed ownership of the character. He simply changed to a synonym for talkative and used his own last name; thus, Gabby Hayes was born.
Hayes was an opera singer who found more money and steady work in movies. In order to further his character actors game he had his teeth removed giving him a unique advantage. Andy Devine ran afoul of the difficult Kon Ford who criticized him bitterly and then asked rhetorically "Why the hell did I ever hire you?" Devine note the insults and firmly answered "I'm the only actor who can drive a full team of horses." Ken Curtis was the lead singer of "The Sons of the Pioneers" and was supposed to be the next Frank Sinatra as a singing star. He eventually joined the John Ford Stock Company. During the filming of THE SEARCHERS he was goofing around entertaining the film crew with an outrageous accent. Ford heard him and ordered him to do it for his character. That accent and variations of it got him many supporting roles for many years.
Come on, Ben Johnson was not Wayne's sidekick. He was a first-rate supporting actor, not only in Duke-starring movies, but also in such fine productions as Shane, One-Eyed Jacks or Breakheart Pass. And The Wild Bunch featured him as one of the stars.
My favourite is probably Strother Martin. He stood out in every Western he was in, whether as a villain or as comic relief. I'd definitely add Hank Worden to this list.
Rooster Cogburn : “You a sailor?” McCoy : “I was once. Shanghai McCoy's my name. Been around the Horn, sailed the seven seas, seen everything, done everything, that's how I know people are rotten. I've seen 'em all.” Strother Martin as McCoy
I think I've mentioned it before in this channel's comments but Hollywood just doesn't know how to write ensemble pieces anymore. They're so obsessed with getting their main character in every frame of every scene that the secondary characters are just there to feed prompts to the main character. It's no wonder people are so obsessed with villains in movies today as they're usually the only one's that get any development.
What a list of luminaries. I can hear most of their voices even now, years after I saw them in the movies or on TV. Another notable role for Ward Bond was as John Palmer Cass in Young Mr. Lincoln, or as Abe preferred to call him, Jack Cass....
And R.G. Armstrong (Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid, Days Of Heaven) and Robert Wilke (Magnificent Seven) and Woody Strode and Lee Van Cleff (before he became a star) and Harry Carey, Jr. and . . .
To add to the list, Burl Ives in the 'Big Country". He won the Oscar for best supporting actor, stealing every scene he was in, while perfectly complimenting the calm, secure protagonist Gregory Peck. Two strong men neither intimidated by the other. Yes, in that movie he was a supporting actor but isn't that, at base the role of a character actor?
I'm 77 & to me, only those that made a career out of being a 'western character actor', should have been included! Of those, George "Gabby" Hayes; Andy Devine & Denver Pyle plus Dub Taylor ;Andy Clyde & Pat Buttram should be on the list, with my favorite being "Gabby Hayes"! (p.s. In 1953, George Hayes came into the 18th Police Pct. NYC, to get his NY state 'pistol permit' registered & my P.O. uncle Mike did the paperwork! Hayes autographed a picture for me!)
Walter Brennan also! Jack Elam, Jay Silverhill. So many great actors in those movies that helped set the stage for the main character of the movie. Had they not been there, those movies and sitcoms wouldn't be the same!
My fsvorite colorful character actir was Akex Karras. In his only western role, he played Mongo in Blazing Saddkes. But i am biased since i earned 2 graduate degrees at Iowa whike Karras played football at Iowa and later for the Detroit Lions.
Watching this compilation, it becomes obvious that there's been as many great character actors as there have been major stars. Impossible to pick one above the others. In fact, a kind of symbiosis was at play, the character actor and the major star played off of each other, a kind of dance between the actors.
I'd have been hard-pressed to name some of these actors. Let me add Pat Brady (side to Roy Rogers), and Andy Clyde (vaudeville carry over to short comedies and Western genre). A couple more escape my memories. KUDOS for this video
“Well, boys, I reckon this is it. New-q-lure combat, toe-to-toe with the Rooskies.” Major T.J. Kong Commander of “The Leper Colony” B-52 Dr. Strangelove Film
Why did you show Strother Martin acting alongside Denver Pyle in John Wayne's "The Horse Soldiers", while attributing L.Q. Jones as Martin's lifelong friend? I'm sure you have many younger viewers believing that Pyle is Jones. Both actors were great in their own right and should accurately receive their just accolades. Perhaps you could edit this posting to show Pyle working with Jones in Sam Peckinpaugh's "The Wild Bunch"?
The origin of George Hayes' name, "Gabby," is a tale unto itself. George had fully developed an alter-ego character named Windy (a cowboy slang term for talkative) Halliday for the Hopalong Cassidy franchise
When he left the franchise, he was stunned when the studio claimed ownership of the character. He simply changed to a synonym for talkative and used his own last name; thus, Gabby Hayes was born.
Sounds exactly like Hollywood or any corporation. Stealing.
Hayes was an opera singer who found more money and steady work in movies. In order to further his character actors game he had his teeth removed giving him a unique advantage. Andy Devine ran afoul of the difficult Kon Ford who criticized him bitterly and then asked rhetorically "Why the hell did I ever hire you?" Devine note the insults and firmly answered "I'm the only actor who can drive a full team of horses." Ken Curtis was the lead singer of "The Sons of the Pioneers" and was supposed to be the next Frank Sinatra as a singing star. He eventually joined the John Ford Stock Company. During the filming of THE SEARCHERS he was goofing around entertaining the film crew with an outrageous accent. Ford heard him and ordered him to do it for his character. That accent and variations of it got him many supporting roles for many years.
Thank you for my trip down memory lane. All great actors who made the westerns more realistic.
I absolutely loved Gabby Hayes
They forgot Ben Johnson. Sidekick to the Duke in several movies. Part of John Ford's "stock company"
Ben Johnson was also an original cowboy.
Harry Carey Jr. was also a real cowboy was a character actor in many of John Wayne and John Ford moview.
Yes indeed, Trooper Tyree!
Come on, Ben Johnson was not Wayne's sidekick. He was a first-rate supporting actor, not only in Duke-starring movies, but also in such fine productions as Shane, One-Eyed Jacks or Breakheart Pass. And The Wild Bunch featured him as one of the stars.
My favourite is probably Strother Martin. He stood out in every Western he was in, whether as a villain or as comic relief. I'd definitely add Hank Worden to this list.
Don't forget Strother Martin's host role in Saturday Night Live. He spoofed his role in "Cool Hand Luke" as the camp boss of a French camp.
Rooster Cogburn : “You a sailor?”
McCoy : “I was once. Shanghai McCoy's my name. Been around the Horn, sailed the seven seas, seen everything, done everything, that's how I know people are rotten. I've seen 'em all.”
Strother Martin as McCoy
A great list of the greatest character actors. With their performances they could make a poor film fair, a fair film good, and a good film excellent.
I think I've mentioned it before in this channel's comments but Hollywood just doesn't know how to write ensemble pieces anymore. They're so obsessed with getting their main character in every frame of every scene that the secondary characters are just there to feed prompts to the main character. It's no wonder people are so obsessed with villains in movies today as they're usually the only one's that get any development.
What a list of luminaries. I can hear most of their voices even now, years after I saw them in the movies or on TV.
Another notable role for Ward Bond was as John Palmer Cass in Young Mr. Lincoln, or as Abe preferred to call him, Jack Cass....
And R.G. Armstrong (Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid, Days Of Heaven) and Robert Wilke (Magnificent Seven) and Woody Strode and Lee Van Cleff (before he became a star) and Harry Carey, Jr. and . . .
An excellent collection. And they sure don't make them like these any more. I sure miss them.
A good beginning, but there are so many notables in this category you would need a series of videos.
Indeed, yes
Excellent list of exceptional actors.
To add to the list, Burl Ives in the 'Big Country". He won the Oscar for best supporting actor, stealing every scene he was in, while perfectly complimenting the calm, secure protagonist Gregory Peck. Two strong men neither intimidated by the other. Yes, in that movie he was a supporting actor but isn't that, at base the role of a character actor?
He also did a superb job in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" playing Big Daddy to Paul Newman's character.
Some of my favorite actors!
These are all my favoites,great actors to the man
No Chill Wills
I'm 77 & to me, only those that made a career out of being a 'western character actor', should have been included!
Of those, George "Gabby" Hayes; Andy Devine & Denver Pyle plus Dub Taylor ;Andy Clyde & Pat Buttram should be on
the list, with my favorite being "Gabby Hayes"! (p.s. In 1953, George Hayes came into the 18th Police Pct. NYC, to get
his NY state 'pistol permit' registered & my P.O. uncle Mike did the paperwork! Hayes autographed a picture for me!)
Walter Brennan also! Jack Elam, Jay Silverhill. So many great actors in those movies that helped set the stage for the main character of the movie. Had they not been there, those movies and sitcoms wouldn't be the same!
Let's not forget the animals either. Silver, Trigger, Lassie, Whiskey, and the horse on Cat Baloo.
All were great and still are, years later. Festus on Gun Smoke. Ever so many. Still great shows to watch!
Surprised Ben Johnson wasn't on your list
Andy Divine? Dennis Weaver, Pat Butram? Andy Divine had a cameo appearance in Its A Mad Mad Mad Mad World as a sheriff.
He included Andy.
My fsvorite colorful character actir was Akex Karras. In his only western role, he played Mongo in Blazing Saddkes. But i am biased since i earned 2 graduate degrees at Iowa whike Karras played football at Iowa and later for the Detroit Lions.
Watching this compilation, it becomes obvious that there's been as many great character actors as there have been major stars. Impossible to pick one above the others. In fact, a kind of symbiosis was at play, the character actor and the major star played off of each other, a kind of dance between the actors.
Please do a series just on the bwestern stars and sidekicks.
GABBY”WINDY” HAYES#1
What are great list man good videos
Appreciate it!
How do you choose among this wonderful bunch? But no Burl Ives?
Arthur Hunnicutt
Jack Elam
Swiftly Morgan
Oops! Forgot Walter Brennan. Shame on me.
I was born in los Animos, Colorado myself
I'd have been hard-pressed to name some of these actors. Let me add Pat Brady (side to Roy Rogers), and Andy Clyde (vaudeville carry over to short comedies and Western genre). A couple more escape my memories. KUDOS for this video
For the most part the western sidekicks migrated to hooterville. Pat Butram, Smiley Burnette,Rufe davis and of course Edgar Buchanan.
Shug Fisher - a fellow Oklahoman from my original neck of the woods.
No Dub Taylor? Otherwise a great and interesting list.
You went to fast on Gabby Hayes He out acted John Wayne in Tall in the saddle, Plus Paul Fix had a great role in it.
A great character and actor
Miss Kitty, Amanda Blake.
“Well, boys, I reckon this is it. New-q-lure combat, toe-to-toe with the Rooskies.”
Major T.J. Kong
Commander of “The Leper Colony” B-52
Dr. Strangelove Film
Great 👍👍❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸
Ken Curtis born in Lamar,Colorado
Great show, but could have been better … u forgot Chill Wills!
See my videos on him in my channel.
No mention of Strother Martin or Dub Taylor.
Strother is there
Sorry, my mistake.@@famouspeople63
Your last clip of Jack Elam is one of John Ireland.
That's Elam standing next to Ireland.
@@jeromepudwill I see now. He's standing next to the other guy on the left.
Mr. Edwards if we are talking tv.
James Best Chill Wills
Fuzzy St. John
Where was David Niven and Hugh Grant?
I'll stick with Jack Elam. After all, he's the most handsome and that doesn't make me gay, just envious. 😅
Why did you show Strother Martin acting alongside Denver Pyle in John Wayne's "The Horse Soldiers", while attributing L.Q. Jones as Martin's lifelong friend? I'm sure you have many younger viewers believing that Pyle is Jones. Both actors were great in their own right and should accurately receive their just accolades. Perhaps you could edit this posting to show Pyle working with Jones in Sam Peckinpaugh's "The Wild Bunch"?
IDK
Gabby ...
gabby hayes was the best
Gabby Hayes you darn tooting
Lost me at the 5th sizzling sounds seqway.
Tabby Hayes the best!!
Tabby Hayes? Is he a friend of Miss Kitty's?
no slim pickens?
Yes he is in the video
@@famouspeople63 ty....i missed him