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. |
Wes Warner Full name: John Wesley Warner 1887 - 1960 |
John Wesley Warner was born August 27, 1887 in Blair, Nebraska.
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has him in about thirty acting jobs scattered over the years 1932-1937. It looks like his Hollywood career was more extensive as his occupations on his 1917 marriage license, World War I draft registration, 1920 and 1930 census were "Moving Pictures", "Motion Picture Work", "Asst director - Moving pictures", and "Horse trainer - Motion pictures". Warner served in the U. S. Navy during World War I. Examples of Wes Warner in B westerns and serials:
In the 1940s, Wes's movie career ended, perhaps due to injury, illness ... or lack of jobs. When he registered for the World War II draft in 1942, he was working in Oakland, California for the Nucleus Building and Loan of San Jose, California.
The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription) and the California Death Index provide more on Wes Warner:
Find A Grave website has a photo of the grave marker for John Wesley Warner and second wife Dorothy Marie Housel Warner who are interred together at Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, San Mateo County, California. They share the same headstone: Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Wes Warner: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0912611/ |
Bud Pope Full name: William Emerson Pope 188? - 1967 | ||
Bud Pope's fifteen year movie career ran from about 1925 - 1939. He acted in about a hundred movies in mostly uncredited roles as a henchman, lawman, townsman, barfly, rider, etc. He picked up paydays at Columbia, Monogram, and Republic as well as Poverty Row companies Reliable, Willis Kent, Spectrum, Resolute, others. He also did stuntwork in several dozen films, most of which were fisticuffs when playing a henchman.
When Bud registered for the World War II draft, he was an employee of Ken Maynard in Reseda, California. There were several marriages - to Katherine Carpi in 1923; then to Elsie Fanny Hannam in 1934; and in the 1940 census, he has a 29 year old wife named Lucretia who was born in Florida. And when Bud registered for the World War II draft in 1942, his contact was Jacqueline Pope and they lived together in Burbank, California. Unsure if Jacqueline was his wife, sister or daughter. William Emerson 'Bud' Pope passed away May 30, 1967 in the Los Angeles area.
Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Bud Pope: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0691090/
Find A Grave website has a photo of the grave marker for William Emerson Pope who is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, California. The marker has his birth year as 1888: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85928472/william-emerson-pope |
(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above - a crop/blowup from a still from Bill Cody's SIX GUN JUSTICE (Spectrum, 1935). L to R are Bill Cody, Bud Pope (as the sheriff) and leading lady Ethel Jackson. This must have been filmed back-to-back with Cody's THE VANISHING RIDERS (Spectrum, 1935) as Pope and Ethel Jackson had identical roles. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are lawmen Barney Beasley and Bill Cody about to meet up with Bud Pope, Buck Morgan (moustache) and an unidentified baddie in a still from Cody's THE CYCLONE RANGER (Spectrum, 1935). |
Art Felix Real name: Arthur Louis Feliz 1900 or 1901 - 1980 |
The Internet Movie Database has Art Felix in about 150 films and TV shows and his thirty five year career ran from 1930 - 1965. Most were uncredited roles as a henchman, townsman, barfly, cowhand, etc. A June, 1940 newspaper column on Hollywood happenings mentioned Art along with several others:
"Making a good living playing dead are four Hollywood cowboys, Cliff Parkinson, Art Felix, Clem Fuller and Dean Spencer. They are the ones who always 'dead fall' from their horses in chases at $25 a fall."
Searching Ancestry.com, Family Search, and newspapers didn't yield much info. And there were no family trees on Ancestry.com. In the 1920 census and a 1923 marriage license, Arthur L. Feliz is employed in the movie business.
Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Art Felix: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0271294/ The Family Search website (free), Social Security Death Index (SSDI), and California Death Index have information on Arthur Feliz / Felix:
|
(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from left to right are Joan Barclay (billed as Geraine Greear), Art Felix, Tom Tyler, Buck Morgan, Francis Walker, Jack Evans (moustache), John Elliott, unidentified bearded player, and on the ground is Roger Williams. Scene from Tyler's RIDIN' ON (Reliable, 1936). |