Ken Maynard
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.
Known For
Somebody Lied
Ken Mitchell
Phantom Rancher
Ken Smith
Heroes of the Range
Ken Baxter
Death Rides the Range
Lightning Ken Morgan
Lightning Strikes West
Ken Morton
Whirlwind Horseman
Ken Masters
Strawberry Roan
Marshal Ken Maynard
Harmony Trail
Cal Weston
The Lone Avenger
Sheriff Ken / Brother Clem
Honor of the Range
Ken Cartwright
Drum Taps
Thunderbolt Kid
Phantom Thunderbolt
Ken
Tombstone Canyon
Ken Williams
Mystery Mountain
Ken aka 'Kentucky'
In Old Santa Fe
The Pocatello Kid / Sheriff Jim Bledsoe
The Pocatello Kid
Rod Whitaker
Branded Men
Tim Kelly
The Phantom City
(archive footage)
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
Dan Barton
Fighting Thru
Ken Masters
Smoking Guns
Marshal Ken Maynard
Wild Horse Stampede
Blaze Howell
Dynamite Ranch
Ken Benson
Come On, Tarzan
Self
Hollywood on Parade No. A-5
Tim Kelly (archive footage) (uncredited)
Haunted Gold
Captain Ken Kenton
King of the Arena
'Fiddlin'
The Fiddlin' Buckaroo
Ken Benton
Fargo Express
Ken Benton
The Trail Drive
Ken Lance
Gun Justice
Ken Manning
Wheels of Destiny
Ken Masters
Western Frontier
Ken Armstrong
Heir to Trouble
Ken Morley
Avenging Waters
Ken Marshall
The Fugitive Sheriff
John 'Friendly' Fields
Trailing Trouble
Ken Crawford
Boots of Destiny
Jim 'Trigger' Morton
Six Shootin' Sheriff
Ken Clark
Flaming Lead
Marshal Ken Maynard
Blazing Guns
U.S. Marshal Ken Maynard
The Law Rides Again
Ken Maynard
Death Valley Rangers
Ken Maynard
Westward Bound
Texas Ranger
The Marshal of Windy Hollow
Mr. Bennett
Bigfoot
Ken Maynard
Arizona Whirlwind
(uncredited)
Brass Commandments
(uncredited)
The Gunfighter
Conroy
The Man Who Won
Harry Morrel
The Devil's Saddle
(uncredited)
Cameo Kirby
Ranger Ken Neville
Alias: The Bad Man
Bob Scott
The California Mail
Terry Bladwin
Haunted Range
Ken Baxter
Western Courage
Ken
The Cattle Thief
Ken Manley
Lawless Riders
Paul Revere
Janice Meredith
Tex Sherwood
$50,000 Reward
Bart Miller
The Grey Vulture
Richard Kingsley
Fighting Courage
Billy Dennis
The Demon Rider
Noel Blake
North Star
Don Luis O'Flaherty
Senor Daredevil
Tom Drury
The Unknown Cavalier
Jack Jessup
The Overland Stage
Jerry Steele
The Land Beyond the Law
Lieutenant John Scott
The Red Raiders
Granger Hume
Gun Gospel
Bob Mason
The Wagon Show
Steven Bancroft
The Canyon of Adventure
Dan Dailey
The Upland Rider
Bruce Kenton
The Code of the Scarlet
Pat O'Leary
The Glorious Trail
Cal Roberts
Cheyenne
Dick Scott
The Royal Rider
The Rambler
The Wagon Master
Cal Stanley
The Lawless Legion
Lieutenant Michael Banning
Señor Americano
'Lucky' Larkin
Lucky Larkin
Bud Rand
Parade of the West
Dave Hayes
The Fighting Legion
Ken McTavish
Mountain Justice
Jim Brandon
Sons of the Saddle
Juan Posing as El Lobo
Song of the Caballero
'Blackie' Weed
The Two Gun Man
Hap Conners
Range Law
Jim Brandon
The Sunset Trail
The Arizonian
The Arizona Terror
Ken 'Hell-Fire' Austin
Hell-Fire Austin
'Whistlin' Dan Savage Posing as Ed Black
Whistlin' Dan
Bill Dane
Texas Gun Fighter
Ken
Between Fighting Men
The Voice of Hollywood No. 9
Bob Bishop
Somewhere in Sonora
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
96
Gender
Male
Birthday
1895-07-21
Place of Birth
Vevay, Indiana, USA
Also Known As
Kenneth Olin Maynard