Ken Maynard

Acting

Born:July 21, 1895
Died:March 23, 1973(aged 77)
Birthplace:Vevay, Indiana, USA
N/A
Community

Biography

From Wikipedia Kenneth Olin "Ken" Maynard (July 21, 1895 – March 23, 1973) was an American motion picture stuntman and actor. Maynard served in the United States Army during World War I. After the war, Maynard returned to show business as a circus rider with Ringling Brothers. When the circus was playing in Los Angeles, California, actor Buck Jones encouraged Maynard to try working in the movies. Maynard soon had a contract with Fox Studios. He first appeared in silent motion pictures in 1923. Maynard's work included stunt performance. His horsemanship and rugged good looks made Maynard a cowboy star. He and his white stallion, "Tarzan," became famous. His two recorded songs with Columbia Records, "The Lone Star Trail" and "The Cowboy's Lament," made him one of the first of the singing cowboys. Maynard moved to Universal Studios, where he made his first films with a musical soundtrack. He sang two songs in Sons of the Saddle in 1930. In 1931 and 1932, Maynard worked for Tiffany Productions and Sono Art-World Wide Pictures before moving back to Universal in 1933. Maynard played several musical instruments, and was featured that year on the violin in The Fiddlin' Buckaroo, and on the banjo in The Trail Drive. Maynard moved to Mascot Pictures in 1934. Maynard appeared in more than ninety films in twenty years with his white cowboy hat, fancy shirt, and a pair of six-shooters, but alcoholism so severely affected his life that his acting career ended in 1944. He made appearances at state fairs and rodeos. He owned a small circus operation featuring rodeo riders but eventually lost it to creditors. His substantial wealth had vanished, and he lived a desolate life in a rundown trailer. During these years, Maynard was supported by an unknown benefactor, long thought to be Gene Autry. More than twenty five years after his last starring role, Maynard returned to the screen two small roles, in 1970 and 1972, the more notably in The Marshal of Windy Hollow. Maynard died of stomach cancer in 1973 at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, California. He was interred at Forest Lawn Cypress Cemetery in Cypress, California. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Ken Maynard has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6751 Hollywood Blvd.

Filmography (95 movies)

The Sunset Trail movie poster
10.0
10.0

The Sunset Trail

1932

as Jim Brandon

The Red Raiders movie poster
8.0
8.0

The Red Raiders

1927

as Lieutenant John Scott

Death Valley Rangers movie poster
6.7
6.7

Death Valley Rangers

1943

as Ken Maynard

Western Courage movie poster
6.0
6.0

Western Courage

1935

as Ken Baxter

Avenging Waters movie poster
6.0
6.0

Avenging Waters

1936

as Ken Morley

Death Rides the Range movie poster
6.0
6.0

Death Rides the Range

1939

as Ken Baxter

The Law Rides Again movie poster
6.0
6.0

The Law Rides Again

1943

as U.S. Marshal Ken Maynard

North Star movie poster
6.0
6.0

North Star

1925

as Noel Blake

Blazing Guns movie poster
6.0
6.0

Blazing Guns

1943

as Marshal Ken Maynard

Cameo Kirby movie poster
5.8
5.8

Cameo Kirby

1923

as (uncredited)

Six Shootin' Sheriff movie poster
5.7
5.7

Six Shootin' Sheriff

1938

as Jim 'Trigger' Morton

Come On, Tarzan movie poster
5.5
5.5

Come On, Tarzan

1932

as Ken Benson

Dynamite Ranch movie poster
5.5
5.5

Dynamite Ranch

1932

as Blaze Howell

Arizona Whirlwind movie poster
5.5
5.5

Arizona Whirlwind

1944

as Ken Maynard

Strawberry Roan movie poster
5.5
5.5

Strawberry Roan

1933

Producer

The Two Gun Man movie poster
5.5
5.5

The Two Gun Man

1931

as 'Blackie' Weed

Honor of the Range movie poster
5.0
5.0

Honor of the Range

1934

Producer

In Old Santa Fe movie poster
5.0
5.0

In Old Santa Fe

1934

as Ken aka 'Kentucky'

Janice Meredith movie poster
5.0
5.0

Janice Meredith

1924

as Paul Revere

$50,000 Reward movie poster
5.0
5.0

$50,000 Reward

1924

as Tex Sherwood

Between Fighting Men movie poster
5.0
5.0

Between Fighting Men

1932

as Ken

The Pocatello Kid movie poster
5.0
5.0

The Pocatello Kid

1931

as The Pocatello Kid / Sheriff Jim Bledsoe

Branded Men movie poster
5.0
5.0

Branded Men

1931

as Rod Whitaker

The Phantom City movie poster
5.0
5.0

The Phantom City

1928

as Tim Kelly

Mountain Justice movie poster
5.0
5.0

Mountain Justice

1930

Producer

Texas Gun Fighter movie poster
5.0
5.0

Texas Gun Fighter

1932

as Bill Dane

Trailing Trouble movie poster
5.0
5.0

Trailing Trouble

1937

as John 'Friendly' Fields

Haunted Gold movie poster
5.0
5.0

Haunted Gold

1932

as Tim Kelly (archive footage) (uncredited)

Harmony Trail movie poster
4.8
4.8

Harmony Trail

1944

as Marshal Ken Maynard

Drum Taps movie poster
4.5
4.5

Drum Taps

1933

as Ken Cartwright

Phantom Thunderbolt movie poster
4.3
4.3

Phantom Thunderbolt

1933

as Thunderbolt Kid

Alias: The Bad Man movie poster
4.3
4.3

Alias: The Bad Man

1931

as Ranger Ken Neville

Fighting Thru movie poster
4.0
4.0

Fighting Thru

1930

as Dan Barton

Flaming Lead movie poster
4.0
4.0

Flaming Lead

1939

as Ken Clark

Westward Bound movie poster
4.0
4.0

Westward Bound

1944

as Ken Maynard

Whirlwind Horseman movie poster
4.0
4.0

Whirlwind Horseman

1938

as Ken Morton

Wild Horse Stampede movie poster
3.8
3.8

Wild Horse Stampede

1943

as Marshal Ken Maynard

Whistlin' Dan movie poster
3.6
3.6

Whistlin' Dan

1932

as 'Whistlin' Dan Savage Posing as Ed Black

Tombstone Canyon movie poster
3.5
3.5

Tombstone Canyon

1932

as Ken

Phantom Rancher movie poster
3.5
3.5

Phantom Rancher

1940

as Ken Mitchell

Wheels of Destiny movie poster
3.0
3.0

Wheels of Destiny

1934

Producer

Lightning Strikes West movie poster
3.0
3.0

Lightning Strikes West

1940

as Lightning Ken Morgan

Bigfoot movie poster
3.0
3.0

Bigfoot

1970

as Mr. Bennett

Hell-Fire Austin movie poster
2.5
2.5

Hell-Fire Austin

1932

as Ken 'Hell-Fire' Austin

Mystery Mountain movie poster

Mystery Mountain

1934

as Ken Williams

Heroes of the Range movie poster

Heroes of the Range

1936

as Ken Smith

Somebody Lied movie poster

Somebody Lied

1923

Lawless Riders movie poster

Lawless Riders

1935

as Ken Manley

The Fighting Legion movie poster

The Fighting Legion

1930

Producer

Hollywood on Parade No. A-5 movie poster

Hollywood on Parade No. A-5

1932

as Self

Song of the Caballero movie poster

Song of the Caballero

1930

Producer

Sons of the Saddle movie poster

Sons of the Saddle

1930

Producer

The Arizona Terror movie poster

The Arizona Terror

1931

as The Arizonian

Range Law movie poster

Range Law

1931

as Hap Conners

The Voice of Hollywood No. 9 movie poster

The Voice of Hollywood No. 9

1930

King of the Arena movie poster

King of the Arena

1933

Producer

The Fiddlin' Buckaroo movie poster

The Fiddlin' Buckaroo

1933

Director

The Trail Drive movie poster

The Trail Drive

1933

Producer

Fargo Express movie poster

Fargo Express

1933

as Ken Benton

Gun Justice movie poster

Gun Justice

1933

Producer

Western Frontier movie poster

Western Frontier

1935

as Ken Masters

Heir to Trouble movie poster

Heir to Trouble

1935

as Ken Armstrong

The Fugitive Sheriff movie poster

The Fugitive Sheriff

1936

as Ken Marshall

Boots of Destiny movie poster

Boots of Destiny

1937

as Ken Crawford

Somewhere in Sonora movie poster

Somewhere in Sonora

1927

as Bob Bishop

The Marshal of Windy Hollow movie poster

The Marshal of Windy Hollow

1972

as Texas Ranger

Brass Commandments movie poster

Brass Commandments

1923

as (uncredited)

The Man Who Won movie poster

The Man Who Won

1923

as Conroy

The Gunfighter movie poster

The Gunfighter

1923

as (uncredited)

The Devil's Saddle movie poster

The Devil's Saddle

1927

as Harry Morrel

Haunted Range movie poster

Haunted Range

1926

as Terry Bladwin

Senor Daredevil movie poster

Senor Daredevil

1926

as Don Luis O'Flaherty

The Unknown Cavalier movie poster

The Unknown Cavalier

1926

as Tom Drury

The Overland Stage movie poster

The Overland Stage

1927

as Jack Jessup

The Land Beyond the Law movie poster

The Land Beyond the Law

1927

as Jerry Steele

The Grey Vulture movie poster

The Grey Vulture

1926

as Bart Miller

Gun Gospel movie poster

Gun Gospel

1927

as Granger Hume

The Canyon of Adventure movie poster

The Canyon of Adventure

1928

as Steven Bancroft

The Wagon Show movie poster

The Wagon Show

1928

as Bob Mason

The Upland Rider movie poster

The Upland Rider

1928

as Dan Dailey

The Code of the Scarlet movie poster

The Code of the Scarlet

1928

as Bruce Kenton

The Glorious Trail movie poster

The Glorious Trail

1928

as Pat O'Leary

Cheyenne movie poster

Cheyenne

1929

as Cal Roberts

The Lone Avenger movie poster

The Lone Avenger

1933

as Cal Weston

The Royal Rider movie poster

The Royal Rider

1929

as Dick Scott

The Lawless Legion movie poster

The Lawless Legion

1929

as Cal Stanley

The Wagon Master movie poster

The Wagon Master

1929

Producer

Señor Americano movie poster

Señor Americano

1929

Producer

Parade of the West movie poster

Parade of the West

1930

Producer

Lucky Larkin movie poster

Lucky Larkin

1930

Producer

Fighting Courage movie poster

Fighting Courage

1925

as Richard Kingsley

The Demon Rider movie poster

The Demon Rider

1925

as Billy Dennis

The California Mail movie poster

The California Mail

1929

as Bob Scott

The Cattle Thief movie poster

The Cattle Thief

1936

as Ken

Smoking Guns movie poster

Smoking Guns

1934

as Ken Masters

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