Bill Elliott
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wild Bill Elliott (October 16, 1904 – November 26, 1965) was an American film actor. He specialized in playing the rugged heroes of B Westerns, particularly the Red Ryder series of films. By 1925, he was getting occasional extra work in films. He took classes at the Pasadena Playhouse and appeared in a few stage roles there. By 1927, he had made his first Western, The Arizona Wildcat, playing his first featured role. Several co-starring roles followed, and he renamed himself Gordon Elliott. But as the studios made the transition to sound films, he slipped back into roles as an extra and bit parts, as in Broadway Scandals, in 1929. For the next eight years, he appeared in over a hundred films for various studios, but almost always in unbilled parts as an extra.
Elliott began to be noticed in some minor B Westerns, enough so that Columbia Pictures offered him the title role in a serial, The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1938). The serial was so successful, and Elliott so personable, that Columbia promoted him to starring in his own series of Western features, replacing Columbia's number-two cowboy star Robert "Tex" Allen. Henceforth Gordon Elliott would be known as Bill Elliott. Within two years, he was among the Motion Picture Herald's Top Ten Western Stars, where he would remain for the next 15 years.
In 1943, Elliott signed with Republic Pictures, which cast him in a series of Westerns alongside George "Gabby" Hayes. The first of these, Calling Wild Bill Elliott, gave Elliott the name by which he would be best known and by which he would be billed almost exclusively for the rest of his career.
Following several films in which both actor and character shared the name Wild Bill Elliott, he took the role for which he would be best remembered, that of Red Ryder in a series of sixteen movies about the famous comic strip cowboy and his young Indian companion, Little Beaver (played in Elliott's films by Bobby Blake). Elliott played the role for only two years but would forever be associated with it. Elliott's trademark was a pair of six guns worn butt-forward in their holsters.
Elliott's career thrived during and after the Red Ryder films, and he continued making B Westerns into the early 1950s. He also had his own radio show during the late 1940s. His final contract as a Western star was with Monogram Pictures, where budgets declined as the B Western lost its audience to television. When Monogram became Allied Artists Pictures Corporation in 1953, it phased out its Western productions, and Elliott finished out his contract playing a homicide detective in a series of five modern police dramas, his first non-Westerns since 1938.
Elliott retired from films (except for a couple of TV Western pilots which were not picked up). He worked for a time as a spokesman for Viceroy cigarettes and hosted a local TV program in Las Vegas, Nevada, which featured many of his Western films.
Acted in
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
1976
as (archive footage)
It's Showtime
1976
as Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
Adam-12
1968
as Officer Grant
Footsteps in the Night
1957
as Andy Doyle
Chain of Evidence
1957
as Andy Doyle
Calling Homicide
1956
as Andy Doyle
Sudden Danger
1955
as Andy Doyle
Dial Red O
1955
as Andy Flynn / Andy Doyle
The Forty-Niners
1954
as Sam Nelson
Bitter Creek
1954
as Clay Tyndall (as Wild Bill Elliott)
Vigilante Terror
1953
as Tack Hamlin
Topeka
1953
as Jim Levering
Rebel City
1953
as Frank Graham
The Homesteaders
1953
as Mace Corbin
The Maverick
1952
as Pete Devlin
Fargo
1952
as Bill Martin
Kansas Territory
1952
as Joe Daniels (as Wild Bill Elliott)
Waco
1952
as Matt Boone (as Wild Bill Elliott)
The Longhorn
1951
as Jim Kirk
The Showdown
1950
as Shadrach Jones
The Savage Horde
1950
as Ringo
The Marshall of Trail City
1950
as Wild Bill Elliott
Hellfire
1949
as Zeb Smith
The Last Bandit
1949
as Frank Norris / Frank Plummer (as William Elliott)
The Gallant Legion
1948
as Gary Conway
Old Los Angeles
1948
as Bill Stockton (as William Elliott)
The Fabulous Texan
1947
as Josie Allen
Wyoming
1947
as Charles Alderson
The Plainsman and the Lady
1946
as Sam Colton
Conquest of Cheyenne
1946
as Red Ryder
In Old Sacramento
1946
as Johnny Barrett / Spanish Jack
Sun Valley Cyclone
1946
as Red Ryder
Sheriff of Redwood Valley
1946
as Red Ryder (as Wild Bill Elliott)
California Gold Rush
1946
as Red Ryder
Wagon Wheels Westward
1945
as Red Ryder (as Wild Bill Elliott)
Colorado Pioneers
1945
as Red Ryder (as Wild Bill Elliott)
Marshal of Laredo
1945
as Red Ryder
Phantom of the Plains
1945
as Red Ryder (as Wild Bill Elliott)
Bells of Rosarita
1945
as Wild Bill Elliott
Lone Texas Ranger
1945
as Red Ryder
Great Stagecoach Robbery
1945
as Red Ryder
Sheriff of Las Vegas
1944
as Red Ryder (as Wild Bill Elliott)
Vigilantes of Dodge City
1944
as Red Ryder
Cheyenne Wildcat
1944
as Red Ryder (as Wild Bill Elliott)
San Antonio Kid
1944
as Red Ryder (as Wild Bill Elliott)
Marshal of Reno
1944
as Red Ryder
Tucson Raiders
1944
as Red Ryder
Hidden Valley Outlaws
1944
as Bill Elliott
Mojave Firebrand
1944
as Wild Bill Elliott (as Wild Bill Elliott)
Death Valley Manhunt
1943
as Marshal Wild Bill Elliott (as Wild Bill Elliott)
Overland Mail Robbery
1943
as Wild Bill Elliott
Wagon Tracks West
1943
as Wild Bill Elliott
Bordertown Gun Fighters
1943
as Wild Bill Elliott
The Man from Thunder River
1943
as Wild Bill Elliott
Calling Wild Bill Elliott
1943
as Wild Bill Elliott
The Valley of Vanishing Men
1942
as Wild Bill Tolliver
Vengeance of the West
1942
as Joaquin Murietta aka The Black Shadow
Prairie Gunsmoke
1942
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
The Devil's Trail
1942
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
North of the Rockies
1942
as Sergeant Bill Cameron
Bullets for Bandits
1942
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok / Prince Katey
The Lone Star Vigilantes
1942
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
Roaring Frontiers
1941
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
King of Dodge City
1941
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
The Son of Davy Crockett
1941
as Dave Crockett
Hands Across the Rockies
1941
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
Tank Patrol
1941
as Bluey
The Return of Daniel Boone
1941
as Wild Bill Boone
North from the Lone Star
1941
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
Across the Sierras
1941
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
The Wildcat of Tucson
1940
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
Beyond the Sacramento
1940
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
Prairie Schooners
1940
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
The Return of Wild Bill
1940
as Wild Bill Saunders
The Man from Tumbleweeds
1940
as Wild Bill Saunders
Pioneers of the Frontier
1940
as Wild Bill Saunders
The Taming of the West
1939
as Wild Bill Saunders
The Roaring Twenties
1939
as Bootlegger (uncredited)
Overland with Kit Carson
1939
as Kit Carson
The Law Comes to Texas
1939
as John Haynes
Frontiers of '49
1939
as John Freeman
In Early Arizona
1938
as Whit Gordon
Letter of Introduction
1938
as Backgammon Man (uncredited)
The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
1938
as 'Wild' Bill Hickok
The Lady in the Morgue
1938
as Chauncey Courtland
Boy of the Streets
1938
as Dr. Allan
Love Takes Flight
1937
as Bill Parker
Roll Along, Cowboy
1937
as Odie Fenton
Boots and Saddles
1937
as Jim Neale
Wife, Doctor and Nurse
1937
as Bruce Thomas
You Can't Have Everything
1937
as Lulu's Bathing Companion (uncredited)
Michael O'Halloran
1937
as Little Lord Fauntleroy (uncredited)
Melody for Two
1937
as Walter Wilson
Swing It Professor
1937
as Randall
Midnight Court
1937
as City Attorney Seabrook
Guns of the Pecos
1936
as Wellman, a Dude
King of Hockey
1936
as 2nd Radio Announcer
Fugitive in the Sky
1936
as Ramon Duval
Polo Joe
1936
as Don Trumbeau
The Case of the Black Cat
1936
as Sam Laxter
Down the Stretch
1936
as Robert Bates
Trailin' West
1936
as Jefferson Duane
China Clipper
1936
as Pilot (uncredited)
Two Against the World
1936
as News Commentator (uncredited)
The Case of the Velvet Claws
1936
as Carl Griffin
The Big Noise
1936
as Sharp, Board of Directors Member (uncredited)
Murder by an Aristocrat
1936
as Dave Thatcher (as Gordon Elliott)
Bullets or Ballots
1936
as Hunter - Bank Worker (uncredited)
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan
1936
as Kenneth Martin
Dangerous
1935
Man of Iron
1935
as Charlie Fagan
Broadway Hostess
1935
as Playboy in 'Playboy of Paree' Number (uncredited)
Stars Over Broadway
1935
as Minor Role
Moonlight on the Prairie
1935
as Jeff Holt
Personal Maid's Secret
1935
as Warren Sherrill
Dr. Socrates
1935
as Tom Collins - Greer's Associate
The Goose and the Gander
1935
as Teddy
Page Miss Glory
1935
as Reporter (uncredited)
Broadway Gondolier
1935
as Reporter
Bright Lights
1935
as Backstage Actor
The Girl from 10th Avenue
1935
as James, Clerk at College Club
'G' Men
1935
as Bootlegger Who Gives Eddie the Bottle Outside the Club (uncredited)
Go Into Your Dance
1935
as Jackson's Secretary / Dorothy's Dance Partner
Traveling Saleslady
1935
as Freddie
A Night at the Ritz
1935
as Vincent's Assistant (uncredited)
While the Patient Slept
1935
as Bank Teller (uncredited)
The Woman in Red
1935
as Stuart Wyatt
The Right to Live
1935
as Wedding Guest
The Payoff
1935
as Maxine's Casino Escort (uncredited)
The Secret Bride
1934
as Governor's Secretary (uncredited)
Murder in the Clouds
1934
as Lt. Saunders
A Lost Lady
1934
as Polo Match Spectator (uncredited)
The Case of the Howling Dog
1934
as Reporter in Courtroom (uncredited)
Desirable
1934
as Party Guest
The Merry Frinks
1934
as Dancer (uncredited)
Smarty
1934
as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Registered Nurse
1934
as Male Nurse
Wonder Bar
1934
as Norman (uncredited)
Only Yesterday
1933
as New Year's Eve Reveler (Uncredited)
Stage Mother
1933
as Audience Member / Dexter's Party Guest
Handlebars
1933
as Bicyclist (uncredited)
Midnight Mary
1933
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Private Detective 62
1933
as Man at Roulette Table (Uncredited)
Cocktail Hour
1933
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Gold Diggers of 1933
1933
as Night Club Patron (uncredited)
The Little Giant
1933
as Guest at Polly's Party (uncredited)
Made on Broadway
1933
as Night Club Patron
The Keyhole
1933
as Partygoer (uncredited)
The Mummy
1932
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Night After Night
1932
as Escort (uncredited)
A Successful Calamity
1932
as Polo Player (uncredited)
Jewel Robbery
1932
as Policeman Following Blonde (uncredited)
Bachelor's Affairs
1932
as Ship's Passenger / Dance Extra (uncredited)
Merrily We Go to Hell
1932
as Party Guest (uncredited)
The Rich Are Always with Us
1932
as Gambler (uncredited)
Scarface
1932
as Man Outside Theatre (uncredited)
One Hour with You
1932
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Vanity Fair
1932
as Bit Role
Lady with a Past
1932
as Alex Brown (Uncredited)
The Greeks Had a Word for Them
1932
as Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Delicious
1931
as Larry's Friend
Working Girls
1931
as Dance Extra / Lobby Extra (uncredited)
Platinum Blonde
1931
as Ann's Beau (uncredited)
Left Over Ladies
1931
as Escort (uncredited)
The Road to Reno
1931
as Party Boy
Blonde Crazy
1931
as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Traveling Husbands
1931
as Hotel Dining Room Guest
Broadminded
1931
as Hotel Guest on Veranda
The Public Defender
1931
as Country Club Guest
Sweepstakes
1931
as Night Club Patron
Five and Ten
1931
as Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Let's Do Things
1931
as Music Store Customer (uncredited)
Party Husband
1931
as Wedding Party Guest
Born to Love
1931
as Hotel Dancer (uncredited)
God's Gift to Women
1931
as Minor Role (uncredited)
Going Wild
1930
as Physical Exam Onlooker
Part Time Wife
1930
as Golfer (uncredited)
Sunny
1930
as One of Tom's War Buddies
The Truth About Youth
1930
as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
What Men Want
1930
as Party Boy
She Who Gets Slapped
1930
as Poker Player
The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu
1930
The Girl Said No
1930
as Wedding Guest
Lord Byron of Broadway
1930
as Party-Goer
She Couldn't Say No
1930
as Gangster
Broadway Scandals
1929
as George Halloway
Night Parade
1929
as Party Guest
The Great Divide
1929
as Ruth's Friend (uncredited)
Restless Youth
1928
as George Baxter
The Boy Friend
1928
as Gordon Elliot
The Private Life of Helen of Troy
1927
as Telemachus
The Arizona Wildcat
1927
as Roy Schyler (as Gordon Elliott)
The Drop Kick
1927
as Aggressive Student at Dance
Children of Divorce
1927
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Napoleon, Jr.
1926
as Flora's Father
The Shamrock Handicap
1926
as Well-Wishing Villager
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
1925
as Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)
The Plastic Age
1925
as Athlete (uncredited)