Hoot Gibson
- Teen actor
Hoot Gibson was a colorful figure, a light-hearted, fun-loving personality on screen and off. Hoot’s cheerful westerns included a significant amount of comedy. His mild, peaceful character rarely carried a gun. As an expert horseman, Hoot was always impressive on a galloping horse. Gibson’s film career began in 1910 with a few films for the Biograph Company interspersed among rodeo competitions. In 1914 he was a stuntman for the serial The Hazards of Helen, doubling the serial’s star Helen Holmes. His stunts included fights on trains and transfers from a train to a horse. He had supporting roles in numerous Western short films, including playing the villain in A Knight of the Range (1916) opposite popular western star Harry Carey. He appeared in three of the Westerns made by Carey and director John Ford in 1917: Straight Shooting, The Secret Man, and A Marked Man. Hoot’s starring career at Universal Studios was launched in two films directed by Ford, Action (1921) and Sure Fire (1921). In these films, Hoot plays a wandering cowboy who rescues the pretty young co-star from outlaws.
Hoot became a popular western star for Universal. Film titles such as Ridin’ Wild (1922), Thrill Chaser (1923), Hit and Run (1924), Hurricane Kid (1925), and Galloping Fury (1927) guaranteed Hoot’s fans five reels of action and fun. Hoot’s easygoing approach gave his films a lighthearted tone. A deft comedian, he featured as much comedy as drama.
As talkies arrived, Hoot continued as a Western star, but with lower budget producers such as M.H. Hoffman Inc. (distributed on a state rights basis by Allied Pictures Corporation) and Walker Futter Productions (Diversion Pictures). In 1935, Hoot co-starred with Harry Carey in Powdersmoke Range, advertised by RKO as the "Barnum and Bailey of Westerns" (whatever that means). The cast list of this "all star" (B western stars) film included Bob Steele, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Tom Tyler, William Farnum, and other Westerners from the silent era. In 1937 at Republic, he made a serial, The Painted Stallion, in support of new cowboy star Ray Corrigan.
An aging Hoot retained his fine horsemanship and comic flair, but fan interest had moved to the new singing cowboys, especially Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Hoot’s Westerns had lost their appeal. In the late thirties, out of movies, Hoot toured with circuses and appeared at rodeos and fairs.
In 1943, after seven years off the screen, Hoot returned in the Trail Blazer series at Monogram Studios. In these Westerns, Marshall Hoot Gibson, initially co-starred with Ken Maynard and later with Bob Steele and Chief Thundercloud, upholds the law and captures outlaws and crooked businessmen threatening the lives and property of innocent citizens. Hoot made eleven Trail Blazer films; the last was Trigger Law (1944). John Ford brought Hoot back for a cameo role in The Horse Soldiers (1959). His last screen appearance was as a sheriff’s deputy in Ocean’s Eleven (1960), another cameo.
Acted in
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
1976
as (archive footage)
Ocean's Eleven
1960
as Roadblock Deputy (uncredited)
The Horse Soldiers
1959
as Sgt. Brown
The Marshal's Daughter
1953
as Marshal Ben Dawson
I Married Joan
1952
as The Cowboy
Flight to Nowhere
1946
as Sheriff Bradley
Trigger Law
1944
as Hoot Gibson
The Utah Kid
1944
as Marshal H.R. Higgins
Marked Trails
1944
as Hoot Parkford
Sonora Stagecoach
1944
as Hoot Gibson
Outlaw Trail
1944
as Hoot
Arizona Whirlwind
1944
as Hoot Gibson
Westward Bound
1944
as Hoot Gibson
Death Valley Rangers
1943
as Hoot Gibson
Blazing Guns
1943
as Marshal Hoot Gibson
The Law Rides Again
1943
as U.S. Marshal Hoot Gibson
Wild Horse Stampede
1943
as Marshal Hoot Gibson
The Painted Stallion
1937
as Walter Jamison
Cavalcade of the West
1936
as Clint Knox
Frontier Justice
1936
as Brent Halston
The Last Outlaw
1936
as Al Goss
The Riding Avenger
1936
as Buck 'The Morning Glory Kid' Bonner
Feud of the West
1936
as 'Whitey' Revel
Lucky Terror
1936
as Lucky 'The Lucky Terror' Carson
Swifty
1935
as Swifty
Powdersmoke Range
1935
as Stony Brooke
Rainbow's End
1935
as Neil Gibson Jr.
Sunset Range
1935
as Reasonin' Bates
The Fighting Parson
1933
as Steve Hartley
The Dude Bandit
1933
as 'Ace' Cooper posing as Tex
The Cowboy Counsellor
1932
as Dan Alton
The Boiling Point
1932
as Jimmy Duncan
A Man's Land
1932
as Tex Mason
The Spirit of the West
1932
as Johnny Ringo - Posing as Ben Bailey
The Local Bad Man
1932
as Jim Bonner
The Gay Buckaroo
1931
as Clint Hale
The Hard Hombre
1931
as William Penn 'Peaceful' Patton
Wild Horse
1931
as Jim Wright
We're switching to Hollywood
1931
as Self (uncredited)
Clearing the Range
1931
as Curt 'El Capitan' Fremont
The Concentratin' Kid
1930
as Bill Evans -Concentratin' Kid
Spurs
1930
as Bob Merril
Trigger Tricks
1930
as Texas Ranger Tim Brennan
Roaring Ranch
1930
as Jim Dailey
Trailing Trouble
1930
as Ed King
The Mounted Stranger
1930
as Pete Ainslee aka The Ridin' Kid
Courtin' Wildcats
1929
as Clarence Butts
The Long, Long Trail
1929
as The Ramblin' Kid
Points West
1929
as Cole Lawson Jr.
Riding for Fame
1929
as Scratch 'Em Hank Scott
The Winged Horseman
1929
as Skyball Smith
The Lariat Kid
1929
as Tom Richards
Smilin' Guns
1929
as Jack Purvin
Burning the Wind
1929
as Richard Gordon Jr
King of the Rodeo
1929
as Chip Jr. - Montana Kid
The Danger Rider
1928
as Hal 'Tucson Joe' Doyle
Clearing the Trail
1928
as Pete Watson
Hollywood or Bust
1928
The Wild West Show
1928
as Rodeo Bill
The Flyin' Cowboy
1928
as Bill Hammond
A Trick of Hearts
1928
as Benjamin Franklin Tully
The Rawhide Kid
1928
as Dennis O'Hara
Galloping Fury
1927
as Billy Halen
Painted Ponies
1927
as Bucky Simms
Life in Hollywood No. 3
1927
as Self
A Hero on Horseback
1927
as Billy Garford
The Prairie King
1927
as Andy Barden
Hey! Hey! Cowboy
1927
as Jimmie Roberts
The Denver Dude
1927
as Rodeo Randall
The Silent Rider
1927
as Jerry Alton
The Buckaroo Kid
1926
as Ed Harley
The Texas Streak
1926
as Chad Pennington
The Flaming Frontier
1926
as Bob Langdon
The Man in the Saddle
1926
as Jeff Morgan Jr.
The Phantom Bullet
1926
as 'Click' Farlane
Chip of the Flying U
1926
as Chip Bennett
Arizona Sweepstakes
1926
as Coot Cadigan
The Calgary Stampede
1925
as Dan Malloy
Spook Ranch
1925
as Bill Bangs
Let 'er Buck
1925
as Bob Carson
The Saddle Hawk
1925
as Ben Johnson
Taming the West
1925
as John Carleton
The Hurricane Kid
1925
as The Hurricane Kid
The Ridin' Kid from Powder River
1924
as Bud Watkins
Hello, 'Frisco
1924
as Hoot Gibson
Hit and Run
1924
as 'Swat' Anderson
The Sawdust Trail
1924
as Clarence Elwood Butts
Broadway or Bust
1924
as Dave Hollis
40-Horse Hawkins
1924
as Luke Hawkins
Ride for Your Life
1924
as Bud Watkins
Hook and Ladder
1924
as Ace Cooper
The Thrill Chaser
1923
as Omar K. Jenkins
The Ramblin' Kid
1923
as The Ramblin' Kid
Blinky
1923
as Geoffrey Arbuthnot 'Blinky' Islip
Out of Luck
1923
as Sam Pertune
Shootin' for Love
1923
as Duke Travis
Double Dealing
1923
as Ben Slowbell
Dead Game
1923
as 'Katy' Didd
Single Handed
1923
as Hector MacKnight
The Gentleman from America
1923
as Dennis O'Shane
Kindled Courage
1923
as Andy Walker
Ridin' Wild
1922
as Cyril Henderson (as Edward 'Hoot' Gibson)
The Lone Hand
1922
as Laramie Lad
The Galloping Kid
1922
as 'Simplex' Cox
The Loaded Door
1922
as Bert Lyons
Trimmed
1922
as Dale Garland
Step on It!
1922
as Vic Collins
The Bear Cat
1922
as The Singin' Kid
Headin' West
1922
as Bill Perkins
The Fire Eater
1921
as Bob Corey
Sure Fire
1921
as Jeff Bransford
Red Courage
1921
as Pinto Peters
Action
1921
as Sandy Brouke
Beating the Game
1921
The Man Who Woke Up
1921
The Movie Trail
1921
Bandits Beware
1921
The Wild Wild West
1921
Double Crossers
1921
Crossed Clues
1921
Out o' Luck
1921
Who Was the Man?
1921
as The Texas Ranger
The Cactus Kid
1921
as Dick Harris
The Fightin' Fury
1921
Kickaroo
1921
Sweet Revenge
1921
The Driftin' Kid
1921
as The Driftin' Kid
The Saddle King
1921
The Winning Track
1921
The Trail of the Hound
1920
The Man With The Punch
1920
as The Stranger
Fight It Out
1920
as Sandy Adams
The Brand Blotter
1920
The Stranger
1920
Superstition
1920
as Dave Bodie
Tipped Off
1920
as Billy Steele
The Two-Fisted Lover
1920
as Scot McHale
Double Danger
1920
as Jim Marvin / Jerry Marvin (Twin Brothers)
Cinders
1920
as Bing Davidson
'in Wrong' Wright
1920
as 'In Wrong' Wright
The Shootin' Fool
1920
One Law for All
1920
The Grinning Granger
1920
A Gamblin' Fool
1920
The Big Catch
1920
as Billy Reeves - the Foreman of the Ranch
The Champion Liar
1920
The Smilin' Kid
1920
The Shootin' Kid
1920
The Fightin' Terror
1920
The Broncho Kid
1920
Thieves' Clothes
1920
Masked
1920
Wolf Tracks
1920
The Texas Kid
1920
The Rattler's Hiss
1920
Held Up for the Makin's
1920
Runnin' Straight
1920
Hair Trigger Stuff
1920
The Sheriff's Oath
1920
Roarin' Dan
1920
as Roarin' Dan
West Is Best
1920
The Jay Bird
1920
as Tom Jackson
Winning a Home
1920
The Double Hold-Up
1919
as The Broncho Kid
The Lone Hand
1919
as Jeffrey Halley
The Trail of the Holdup Man
1919
as Bob Watson
The Tell-Tale Wire
1919
as Steve Larmon
The Face in the Watch
1919
The Crow
1919
as Tim McKenzie - the Crow
The Jack of Hearts
1919
as The Prairie Dog
The Four-Bit Man
1919
The Fighting Heart
1919
Kingdom Come
1919
Ace High
1919
The Gun Packer
1919
as Gang Leader
By Indian Post
1919
as Chub -Jode's Helpful Cowboy Friend
Gun Law
1919
as Bart 'Smoke Gublen' Stevens
The Rustlers
1919
as The Deputy
His Buddy
1919
The Black Horse Bandit
1919
The Fighting Brothers
1919
as Lonnie Larkin
Danger, Go Slow
1918
The Midnight Flyer
1918
as Danny Morgan
Play Straight or Fight
1918
as Dick Rankin
The Branded Man
1918
as Sheriff
The Woman in the Web
1918
as Vassily - Ivan's Brother
Headin' South
1918
A Marked Man
1917
as Undetermined Role
The Secret Man
1917
as Chuck Fadden
Straight Shooting
1917
as Danny Morgan
Cheyenne's Pal
1917
as Cowboy
The Soul Herder
1917
as Chuck Rafferty
The Wrong Man
1917
as Chip's Pal
The Golden Bullet
1917
as 'Red' Johnson
A 44-Calibre Mystery
1917
as Joe
The Voice on the Wire
1917
The Hazards of Helen
1917
as Messenger / Etzer
The Mysterious Cipher
1916
as Blanding
The Wedding Guest
1916
The Capture of Red Stanley
1916
as Stanley's Henchman
The Passing of Hell's Crown
1916
as The Cowboy
The Governor's Special
1916
as 2nd Nash Henchman (as Ed Gibson)
The Night Riders
1916
Stampede in the Night
1916
as Jack Harding
A Knight of the Range
1916
as Bob Graham
The Ring of Destiny
1915
as Jack
Judge Not; or The Woman of Mona Diggings
1915
The Hazards of Helen Ep33: In Danger's Path
1915
as Train Crew (uncredited)
The Pay Train
1915
as Orturo
The Hazards of Helen Ep26: The Wild Engine
1915
as Messenger on Motorcycle
The Death Train
1915
as Etzer - Doyle's Pal
The Man from Texas
1915
as Deputy (uncredited)
Buckshot John
1915
as Medicine Show Crowd Member (uncredited)
The Man from the East
1914
as Butler
The Telltale Knife
1914
Shotgun Jones
1914
as Tom Lattier - the Son
Kid Pink and the Maharajah
1914
In the Secret Service
1913
Cowboy Sports and Pastimes
1913
A Four-Footed Hero
1912
as Broncho Rider (uncredited)
His Only Son
1912
The New Superintendent
1911
The Two Brothers
1910