Unkempt, rough and tough looking members of the gang, or lynch mob, or vigilantes, or posse riders, or cow herders. They had minimal or no dialog, not much screen time, and were generally not listed in the film credits. Some would show up as a face in the crowd, portraying townspeople, barflies, deputies, wagon drivers, ranch hands, etc. We tend to recognize some of their faces, but have no clue as to their real names. |
Prologue: our B western henchmen, riders, etc. were occasionally involved in real life violence including gun and knife battles. Two such individuals are chronicled on this webpage - Tom/Tommy Bay and Jerome 'Black Jack' Ward. Bay was involved in the 1925 death of a western film extra. And in 1933, he was shot to death by his lady friend. 'Black Jack' Ward killed a movie cowboy bit player in a 1940 gunfight ... and he was involved in more violent outbursts. |
Tom/Tommy Bay Full name: William T. Bay 1901 - 1933 | ||
1931 | 1926 |
Hailing from Texas, Tom/Tommy Bay was a henchman, rider, and stuntman in 1920s silent oaters as well as some early talkies.
He may have been the star (or a cast member) of DRIFTING ON (Hollywood Pictures, 1927), a lost/missing western listed in the American Film Institute (AFI) catalog of silent films (link below to more on that film). Whether it was ever made remains a mystery as there's no trace of that title in trade publications or newspaper theater advertisements. Bay did support or bit roles with silent sagebrush heroes Bob Custer (eight films), Buddy Roosevelt (six films), Wally Wales (four films), a few others. In sound westerns, he appeared in six oaters and one serial with Buck Jones. And he did a couple each with Ken Maynard, Tom Keene, Tim McCoy, and John Wayne (at Warners). He also was a double for McCoy. Bay was involved in two shooting incidents. The first occurred in August, 1925, and he was accused - and acquitted - of the death of movie cowboy James 'Yakima Jim' Anson. On October 11, 1933, Tom Bay was shot and killed by his female companion, Mrs. Alta Lessert (1890 - 1951). Both shootings are highlighted below: Excerpts from August-December, 1925 newspapers and tradepapers on the shooting death of James 'Yakima Jim' Anson:
"Tom Bay, a motion picture cowboy, was held to answer ... on a murder charge in connection with the death of James 'Yakima Jim' Anson ... who was killed ... in a Hollywood brawl." In the book Tim McCoy Remembers the West (by Tim McCoy and Ronald McCoy; Doubleday, 1977), Tim mentioned Tom Bay and the Yakima Jim incident on page 233:
"Tom Bay, my double in many pictures, cooled a mean hombre named Yakima Jim with a slug from his pistol when Yakima had the gall to pull a knife on him in a Gower Gulch saloon." Excerpts from October, 1933 - April, 1934 newspapers and tradepapers on the October 11, 1933 shooting death of Tom Bay and the trial of Mrs. Alta Lessert:
"The colorful and daring career of Tom Bay ... was ended last night by a bullet wound. The asserted slayer, Mrs. Alta Lessert, 36, was in the prison ward of the General Hospital ... suffering from two self-inflicted wounds. The shooting ... followed a quarrel between Bay and Mrs. Lessert, both of whom resided in the same house." I have about twenty newspaper articles on the two shootings. If anyone wants copies, send ye Old Corral webmeister an e-mail. |
(Courtesy of Bruce Hickey) Left to right are Buddy Roosevelt, Tom Bay, Charles 'Slim' Whitaker and Al Taylor in a lobby card from Roosevelt's THE BANDIT BUSTER (Lester F. Scott/Action Pictures, 1926). (Courtesy of Bruce Hickey) Left to right are Harry Woods, Buck Jones, George Plues, and Tom Bay in Jones' THE LONE RIDER (Beverly/Columbia, 1930). (Courtesy of Bruce Hickey) Left to right are Buck Jones, Tom Bay, and the guy on the right may be Edwin 'Buck' Moulton. Still from Buck's ONE MAN LAW (Columbia, 1931). (Courtesy of Bruce Hickey) Left to right are Jim Corey, John Wayne, and Tom Bay doing battle in Wayne's HAUNTED GOLD (Warners, 1932). (Courtesy of Bruce Hickey) Left to right are Tom Bay, Jim Corey, John Wayne, and Charles 'Slim' Whitaker in a lobby card from Wayne's HAUNTED GOLD (Warners, 1932). |
More on Tom/Tommy Bay |
Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on: The American Film Institute (AFI) catalog of silent films has Tom Bay in over a dozen silent films: https://catalog.afi.com/Person/147360-Tom-Bay Wes Clark and Mike McDaniel did an article on the Tom Bay homicide. It includes photos of Alta Lessert and the house where Bay was slain: http://wesclark.com/burbank/tom_bay_murder.html The Google Newspaper Archive has an article on the October, 1933 shooting and death of Tom Bay. Will open in a separate window / tab: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1983&dat=19331013&id=0ftKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QSENAAAAIBAJ&pg=1008,1020193
More newspaper clippings. These links will open in a separate window / tab: The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), ProQuest obituaries, and death certificate provide more on Tom Bay:
Find A Grave website confirms that Tom Bay is interred at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/132063188/william-t.-bay |
There's a Vivian Bay that worked in some Bob Custer silents ... and Tom/Tommy Bay was also in the cast. Vivian's mother was Pearl V. Bay. Could she be the "divorced from Pearl Bay" on Tom Bay's death certificate? In the 1930 census info below, Pearl V. Bay was born about 1891 in Canada, and was about ten years older than Tom Bay. And Alta Lester (1890-1951) - the girlfriend that shot and killed Tom Bay - was also about ten years older than he. |
Reviews in 1929-1930 issues of Film Daily and Motion Picture News - as well as the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) - have Tom/Tommy Bay and Vivian Bay (sometimes spelled Ray) in three Bob Custer silents: THE OKLAHOMA KID (Syndicate, 1929), CODE OF THE WEST (Syndicate, 1929) and THE PARTING OF THE TRAILS (Syndicate, 1930). The Family Search website (free) and Ancestry.com (subscription) have info on Pearl V. Bay and daughter Vivian A. Bay:
Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on: |
In search ... of Alta Lessert and Walter Lessert |
In the various newspaper articles on the shooting, Alta Lessert is often referred to as an actress. While I was able to find census and other records on Alta and her husband Walter, there are no mentions of "Alta Lessert" at the Internet Movie Database, in old 1920s casting directories and tradepapers, etc. Good probability is that she used a screen name which is lost in Hollywood history.
The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), California Death Index, and the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) have information on Alta Lessert and her husband Walter Lessert:
Find A Grave website has Alta Lessert (1890-1951) interred at Glen Haven Memorial Park, Sylmar, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/97457500/alta-otella-lessert
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Black Jack Ward's Hollywood career began at the tail end of silents. In sound films, he was typecast as a gang member, rustler, ranch hand, etc. Most of his work was uncredited.
In February, 1940, Ward was involved in a real gunfight with western movie bit player John Tyke (sometimes spelled Tyacke). Newspaper reports indicate that 45 year old western bit player John Tyke was shot and killed in Los Angeles by Jerome B. "Blackjack" Ward, age 49 or 50. The shooting occurred on or near Sunset Boulevard close to Columbia studios and bystanders initially thought that a movie was being filmed. Ward said that Tyke had been threatening him for many months. At the time, police said they were hunting for Tyke for questioning in a recent gas station robbery. After the shooting, Ward drove away in his car, but was apprehended by police. Police said that he "fanned" the hammer of his gun at them, but it was empty and Ward was captured. Ward was a resident of the Los Angeles County jail when the 1940 census was taken. A bunch of Ward's movie buddies organized to provide support and funds for his defense, and their effort was described in a UP syndicated newspaper article from February 29, 1940 - excerpts:
Headline: "Movie Cowpunchers To Aid Jerome Ward"
Harry Sherman produced many of the William Boyd / Hopalong Cassidy films. And Noah Beery Sr.'s involvement was probably due to Ward's wife Madeline (Mickey). In the 1930s, she was housekeeper at Beery's home.
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(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Black Jack Ward, John Alexander, Blackie Whiteford and youngster Bobby Nelson in THE GHOST RIDER (Argosy/Superior, 1935) which starred Rex Lease. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above - Fuzzy Knight (left) has a banana on Black Jack Ward (right) in this scene from THE MAN FROM MONTANA (Universal, 1941), one of the Johnny Mack Brown series. In the left background is the bearded Tex Phelps in one of his many barfly roles. The other two background players are unidentified. (Image courtesy of Jay Wilsey's granddaughter and daughter, Tamera Mankini and Frances Eldene Wolski) Above is a cast and crew shot from LIGHTNING BILL (Superior, 1934), one of the ultra low budget oaters churned out by Victor Adamson/Denver Dixon. In the background is the National Recording Co. sound truck. Most of the crew members are unidentified, but the performers include Nelson McDowell, Eva McKenzie, William 'Bill' McCall, heroine Alma Rayford, Jay Wilsey (Buffalo Bill Jr.), Denver Dixon (Victor Adamson), Bud Osborne and Black Jack Ward, Below is a crop/blowup from that cast and crew shot with names added on some of the faces. Tidbit about Eva McKenzie (upper left in the photo): her husband Bob McKenzie did a bunch of westerns, and their pretty daughter Fay McKenzie was a heroine to Bob Baker, Ken Maynard, others. To western film fans, Fay is probably best remembered as the female lead in five 1941 - 1942 Gene Autry Republic oaters. |
Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Blackjack Ward: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0911413/
Los Angeles Library Digital Collections has many newspaper photos of Ward during his 1940 trial for the death of John Tyke (sometimes spelled Tyacke). He was found not guilty. A bunch of movie cowboys and production people went to the trial in support of Ward: Los Angeles Library Digital Collections has a photo of Ward who was booked on assault with a deadly weapon in a December, 1941 altercation with bit player Henry Isabell / Isabelle at the Roundup Cafe: https://tessa.lapl.org/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/19774
The University of Southern California (USC) Digital Library has newspaper photos of an old and well worn Jerome Bonaparte Ward being booked as a suspect in a meat cleaver assault in August, 1951: Los Angeles Library Digital Collections has a circa 1955 photo of a wild looking Ward under arrest for assault and disturbing the peace: https://tessa.lapl.org/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/19292 |