The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc. |
Nelson McDowell Full name: James Nelson McDowell or Nelson James McDowell 187? - 1947 | 1934 |
Missouri born Nelson McDowell was tall and lanky - and based on e-mails I've received over the years, some people confuse him with Tex Ritter's later sidekick Lloyd 'Arkansas Slim' Andrews. McDowell seemed to specialize in playing undertakers, preachers, lawyers, etc.
He also portrayed an occasional sidekick ... and he did saddle pal duties with Buffalo Bill Jr., Bob Custer, Tex Ritter, Jack Randall, Jack Perrin and Tom Tyler.
In his early years, he was a dentist. His movie career began circa 1917 and over an approximate thirty year period, he appeared in about 200 silent and sound films. Les Adams has McDowell identified in about 106 sound films, of which 68 are westerns and 6 are serials.
Suffering from cancer, McDowell committed suicide, shooting himself on November 3, 1947 at his home.
The Newspaper Archive had articles on McDowell's suicide which were published in the November 3, 1947 Long Beach (California) Press-Telegram and the November 4, 1947 Oakland (California) Tribune. Excerpts: "James Nelson McDowell, 72, one-time movie actor, was found dead today, clutching a frontier .45-caliber pistol he once used as a prop in his pictures."; "James Nelson McDowell, 77, movie bit player committed suicide yesterday, the coroner reported ... "
Rick Albright was able to locate various information on McDowell. Rick adds: although his age jumps around a bit, I think these listings are for the same person. There is no sign of his wife after the travel plans of 1910 and I did not find her in the voter rolls when he appeared there. They may have divorced and he may have been in constant motion looking for acting work/on location and thereby missed by the census takers.
Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Nelson McDowell: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0568316/
Left is a screen capture of McDowell as "preacher David Gamut" from the 1920 silent THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1920) with Wallace Beery as "Magua, War Chief of the Hurons". A dozen years later, McDowell reprised that same role in the serial THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (Mascot, 1932) which starred Harry Carey and featured Bob Kortman as "Magua". McDowell also played the same role in the silent and sound versions of the Charles Dickens novel "Oliver Twist". He was "Sowerberry" in OLIVER TWIST (Coogan Productions, 1922) starring Jackie Coogan and OLIVER TWIST (Monogram, 1933) with Dickie Moore. |
(Courtesy of Joe Tufano) Left to right are William Desmond, Nelson McDowell (with moustache) and an unidentified player in one of Desmond's silent starring westerns or serials for Universal (might be from the lost/missing cliffhanger THE VANISHING RIDER (Universal, 1928)). The unidentified actor reminds me of a youngish Budd Buster. (Image courtesy of Jay Wilsey's granddaughter and daughter, Tamera Mankini and Frances Eldene Wolski) Above are Buffalo Bill Jr. (Jay Wilsey) and his saddle pal Nelson McDowell in LIGHTNING BILL (Superior, 1934). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above top from L-to-R are Frank Yaconelli, Jack Randall and Nelson McDowell getting ready to surprise Bud Osborne (with the Winchester) and Robert Walker in Randall's PIONEER DAYS (Monogram, 1940). |
(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), and 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. |
Above and below - Bill McCall circa 1935 | William "Bill" McCall
1870 - 1938
The Family Search website, California Death Index, ProQuest obituaries, and the death certificate provide more on Bill McCall:
Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on William McCall: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0564691/ |
(From Old Corral image collection) Above from L-to-R are Jack Rockwell, H. B. Warner, Ken Maynard, Evalyn Knapp and Kenneth Thomson. The face between Maynard and H. B. Warner is William (Bill) McCall. Lobby card from IN OLD SANTA FE (Mascot, 1934). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above are Bill Cody, Bill Cody Jr. and Catherine Cotter looking over the prone William 'Bill' McCall in a scene from OUTLAWS OF THE RANGE (Spectrum, 1936) which marked the end of Bill Cody's career as a western leading man. McCall played a kindly ol' rancher and Catherine Cotter was his daughter. Cotter made about a half-dozen mid 1930s oaters with Cody, Bob Steele and Fred Scott ... and then disappeared. |