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, barflys, deputies, wagon drivers, ranch hands, etc. We tend to recognize some of their faces, but have no clue as to their real names. |
Herman Hack Real name: Herman H. Hackenjos 1899 - 1967
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In 2004, I connected with Dorothy Hack Burnette Babcock, Herman Hack's daughter. And special thanks to Dorothy for info and photos of her family. She and hubby Robert Babcock live in California. |
(Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above is a 1920s photo of Herman with his brothers Ben and Andrew at home in Indiana. That's Herman on the right wearing the glasses. (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above - 2002 photo of Dorothy (left) and her sister Kay (right). |
Herman Hackenjos was born June 15, 1899. Some biographies have his birth location as Panola, Illinois. However, Herman reported Gridley, Illinois on his World War II draft registration. Not a major issue - the driving distance between Gridley and Panola is about eleven miles.
Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Herman Hack: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0352368/ The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), Fold3 Military records, California Death Index, and newspapers have information on Herman Hack and family:
Find A Grave website has photos of the grave markers for Herman and Signe Hackenjos at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, California: |
(Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above are Merrill McCormick (on the left) and Herman Hack on their way to work circa mid 1930s. The street intersection may be Hollywood and Western. (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Members of the Santa Monica Mounted Police unit circa 1939-1940. The men in the photo include three western film veterans - from L-to-R are unidentified, Bob Card, Ralph 'Buck' Bucko, unidentified, unidentified, and Herman Hack. |
(Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above are Herman and wife Signe and daughters Dorothy (left) and Dolly Kay (right) circa 1943. (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above is the Hack Family circa 1956 - Herman and wife Signe in the center with and daughters Dorothy (right) and Kay (left). | (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Herman and wife Signe and daughters Kay (left) and Dorothy (right) circa 1947. |
(Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Mid 1959 - above are Signe, Herman and daughter Dorothy working on the TV series, THE NINE LIVES OF ELFEGO BACA which starred Robert Loggia. Ten films in the Elfego Baca series were made by Disney and were initially broadcast during 1958-1960. | (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above are Herman and daughter Dorothy working on THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST (Disney/Buena Vista, 1958) which starred Fess Parker. |
(Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above from L-to-R are Smiley Burnette, Herman Hack and Rufe Davis circa mid 1950s during one of the get-togethers of the "Chuck Wagon Trailers", a bunch of veteran western film performers who met and did an annual barbecue event. For a time, Hack was the leader/coordinator of the Trailers. Both Smiley and Herman passed away in 1967. (Courtesy of Dorothy Hack) Above - Herman is at home in his Santa Claus suit along with his grandchildren Elizabeth and John Burnette. This photo is probably from Christmas, 1966, about a year before Herman passed away. |