George Glenn Strange (August 16, 1899 – September 20, 1973) was an American actor who mostly appeared in

Western films Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

and was billed as Glenn Strange. He is best remembered for playing

Frankenstein's monster Frankenstein's monster or Frankenstein's creature, often referred to as simply "Frankenstein", is a fictional character who first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''. Shelley's title thus compar ...

in three

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

films during the 1940s and for his role as Sam Noonan, the bartender on CBS's ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'' television series.

Early life

Strange was born in Weed, New Mexico Territory,Raw, Laurence (2012)
"Glenn Strange"
''Character Actors in Horror and Science Fiction Films, 1930–1960'' (Jefferson, North Carolina:

McFarland & Company McFarland & Company, Inc., is an American independent book publisher based in Jefferson, North Carolina, that specializes in academic and reference works, as well as general-interest adult nonfiction. Its president is Rhonda Herman. Its forme ...

, 2012), p. 175. Retrieved October 29, 2017. 13 years prior to

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

gaining statehood. Strange grew up in the

West Texas West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio. No consensus exists on the boundary betw ...

town of Cross Cut. His father was a bartender and later a rancher. Strange learned by ear how to play the fiddle and guitar. By the time he was 12, he was performing at cowboy dances. By 1928, he was on radio in

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the ...

. He was a young rancher, but in 1930, he came to Hollywood as a member of the radio singing group Arizona Wranglers. Strange joined the singers after having appeared at a rodeo in Prescott, Arizona.

Career

In 1932, Strange had a minor role as part of the Wrecker's gang in a 12-part serial, '' The Hurricane Express'', starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

. He gained his first motion picture role in 1932, and appeared in hundreds of films during his lifetime. He played numerous small parts in Paramount's popular ''Hopalong Cassidy'' film series, usually cast as a member of an outlaw's gang and occasionally as a local sheriff. In 1943, he played a badman in the Hopalong Cassidy movie '' False Colors''. Beginning in 1949, he portrayed Butch Cavendish, the villain responsible for killing all of the Texas Rangers except one in the long-running television series '' The Lone Ranger''. Strange appeared twice as Jim Wade on Bill Williams's syndicated Western series geared to juvenile audiences '' The Adventures of Kit Carson''. He also appeared twice as Blake in the syndicated Western '' The Cisco Kid''. In 1952, he was cast in the role of Chief Black Cloud in the episode "Indian War Party" of the syndicated '' The Range Rider''. In 1954, Strange played Sheriff Billy Rowland in Jim Davis's syndicated Western series '' Stories of the Century''. Strange appeared six times in 1956 in multiple roles on Edgar Buchanan's syndicated '' Judge Roy Bean''. That same year, Strange appeared in an uncredited role as the sheriff in Silver Rapids in the Western movie ''

The Fastest Gun Alive ''The Fastest Gun Alive'' is a 1956 MGM Western film starring Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain, and Broderick Crawford directed by Russell Rouse. Plot Son of a notorious fast-drawing sheriff, George Kelby Jr. (Ford) and his wife Dora (Jeanne Crain) s ...

'' starring Glenn Ford. In 1958, he had a minor part in an episode of John Payne's '' The Restless Gun'', and had an important role in the 1958 episode "Chain Gang" of the Western series '' 26 Men'', true stories about the

Arizona Rangers The Arizona Rangers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, noncommissioned civilian auxiliary that supports law enforcement in the US, state of Arizona. In 2002, the modern-day Arizona Rangers were officially recognized by the State of Arizona when the Le ...

. That same year, he played rancher Pat Cafferty, who faces the threat of

anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The s ...

, in the episode "Queen of the Cimarron" of the syndicated Western series, '' Frontier Doctor''. Strange appeared in six episodes of ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The sho ...

'' playing the same role in different variations: Cole, the stagecoach driver, in "Duel of Honor"; a stagecoach shotgun guard in "The Dead-eye Kid"; Joey, a stagecoach driver in "The Woman"; and an unnamed stagecoach driver in "The Blowout", "The Spiked Rifle", and "Miss Bertie". Strange was cast in five episodes of the ABC Western ''

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults, premiering four days before '' Gunsmoke'' on September 6, 1955. Two weeks later came the Clint Walker western ''Cheyenne''. The series is loosely ...

'' and three segments of the syndicated '' Annie Oakley''. In 1959, he appeared in another Western syndicated series, '' Mackenzie's Raiders'', in the episode entitled "Apache Boy". Strange was cast twice on Kirby Grant's Western aviation adventure series, '' Sky King'', as Rip Owen in ''Stage Coach Robbers'' (1952), and as Link in ''Dead Giveaway'' (1958). He first appeared on ''Gunsmoke'' in 1959 and assumed several roles on the long-running program before he was permanently cast as stolid bartender Sam Noonan, a role he played from 1961 until 1973.

Frankenstein's monster

In 1942, he appeared in ''

The Mad Monster ''The Mad Monster'' is a 1942 American black and white horror film, produced and distributed by "Poverty Row" studio Producers Releasing Corporation. The melodrama was produced by Sigmund Neufeld, directed by Sam Newfield, written by Fred Myton, a ...

'' for PRC, a poverty row studio. In 1944, while Strange was being made up for an action film at Universal, make-up artist Jack Pierce noticed that Strange's facial features and 6'5" height would be appropriate for the role of

. Strange was cast in 1944 film '' House of Frankenstein'' in the role created by

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...

in ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ...

'' (1931), coached by Karloff personally after hours. Strange recounted a personal anecdote in Ted Newsom's documentary, ''100 Years of Horror'' (1996). On the set of '' House of Dracula'' (1945), Lon Chaney, Jr., got him extremely inebriated. In the scene in which the monster is discovered in a cave, Strange lay immersed for hours in "faked quicksand" (actually cold mud) waiting for the cameras to roll. As Glenn began to get a serious chill, Chaney recommended that alcohol would keep Strange warm. Strange could barely walk straight after the day's shooting. Strange played the monster a third time in '' Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein'' (1948), with Chaney, Jr. as the

Wolf Man In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...

and Bela Lugosi in his second screen appearance as Count Dracula. Strange also appeared in character with Lou Costello in a haunted house skit on '' The Colgate Comedy Hour'' and made a gag publicity appearance as a masked flagpole-sitter for a local Los Angeles TV show in the 1950s. After weeks of the station teasing the public about the sitter's identity, Strange removed his mask and revealed himself as Frankenstein's monster (actually, yet another mask.) Strange also played a monster in the Bowery Boys horror-comedy '' Master Minds'' in 1949, mimicking the brain-transplanted Huntz Hall's frantic comedy movements, with Hall providing his own dubbed voice. During the wave of monster-related merchandising in the late 1950s and 1960s, Glenn Strange's iconic image often was used for the monster on toys, games, and paraphernalia, most often from his appearance in the Abbott and Costello film. In 1969, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' mistakenly published Boris Karloff's obituary with Glenn Strange's picture as the Frankenstein monster.

Personal life

Strange was 6 ft 5 in tall and weighed 220 lbs. His first wife was Flora Hooper of Duncan, Oklahoma. They had two daughters, Wynema and Juanita. Strange was married from 1937 to his death in 1973 to his second wife, Minnie Thompson (1911–2004). The couple had one child, Janine Laraine Strange (born 1939). He had Irish and

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

descent through his father. In addition, Strange was an eighth-generation great-grandson of John Rolfe and Pocahontas through his maternal grandfather.

Death

On September 20, 1973, at age 74, Strange died of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, mali ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

."Glenn Strange, Actor, Dies; Was 'Gunsmoke' Bartender"
digital archives of ''The New York Times'', September 22, 1973. Retrieved February 23, 2019. Singer Eddie Dean, with whom Strange had collaborated on various songs and opening themes for films, sang at Strange's funeral service as a final tribute. Strange is interred at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery. In 1975, two years after Strange's death, his ''Gunsmoke'' costar Buck Taylor named his third son Cooper Glenn Taylor after Strange.

Selected filmography

*''

Shotgun Pass ''Shotgun Pass'' is a 1931 American Western (genre), Western film directed by J.P. McGowan and starring Tim McCoy, Virginia Lee Corbin and Monte Vandergrift. Plot Brothers Jake and Spider Mitchell conflict with Walker over access to land that h ...

'' (1931) – Pee Wee (uncredited) *''Cavalier of the West'' (1931) – Trooper (uncredited) *''

The Gay Buckaroo ''The Gay Buckaroo'' is a 1932 American pre-Code Western film, directed by Phil Rosen. It stars Hoot Gibson, Merna Kennedy, and Roy D'Arcy, and was released on January 17, 1932. Plot Cowboy Hale and gambler Dumont are both in love with Field. ...

'' (1931) – Barfly (uncredited) *'' Single-Handed Sanders'' (1932) – Gang Leader (uncredited) *'' The Texas Tornado'' (1932) – Rustler (uncredited) *''Riders of the Desert'' (1932) – Singing Ranger (uncredited) *''

Cowboy Counsellor ''Cowboy Counsellor'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code Western film starring Hoot Gibson and directed by George Melford. It mixed in strong elements of comedy with courtroom drama. One reviewer deemed it "the best of Gibson's films for Allied. ...

'' (1932) – Stage Driver (uncredited) *''

Five Bad Men ''Five Bad Men'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Clifford S. Smith, starring Noah Beery Jr., Bill Patton, and Jay Wilsey. Cast * Noah Beery Jr. as Gene Taggart * Bill Patton as Bad man * Jay Wilsey (credited as Buffalo Bill Jr ...

'' (1935) – Radio Buckaroo (uncredited) *'' Cyclone of the Saddle'' (1935) – Singer / Fiddler / Townsman (uncredited) *''

His Fighting Blood ''His Fighting Blood'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by John English and starring Kermit Maynard, Polly Ann Young and Paul Fix.Goble p.102 It was produced on Poverty Row as a second feature. The film's sets were designed by the art ...

'' (1935) – Singing Constable (uncredited) *'' Suicide Squad'' (1935) – Singing Fireman (uncredited) *''

Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established '' Buck Rogers'' adv ...

'' (1936) – Robot / Ming's Soldier / Gocko (uncredited) *''

Trailin' West ''Trailin' West'' (UK title: ''On Secret Service'') is a 1936 American Western film directed by Noel M. Smith and written by Anthony Coldeway and starring Dick Foran, Paula Stone, and Wild Bill Elliott. Plot In 1864, President Abraham Linco ...

'' (1936) – Tim – Henchman / Trooper (uncredited) *''A Tenderfoot Goes West'' (1936) – Cowhand Butch *''

Song of the Gringo ''Song of the Gringo'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by John P. McCarthy. The film is also known as ''The Old Corral'' in the United Kingdom. The film was the debut of singing cowboy Tex Ritter. It was co-written by former outlaw and ...

'' (1936) – Henchman Blackie (uncredited) *'' Guns of the Pecos'' (1937) – Wedding Groom / Rustler (uncredited) *'' Arizona Days'' (1937) – Henchman Pete *''

Trouble in Texas ''Trouble in Texas'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury (as R.N. Bradbury) and starring Tex Ritter, his horse White Flash, Rita Hayworth (billed as "Rita Cansino") and Yakima Canutt. The supporting cast features Earl ...

'' (1937) – Middleton Sheriff *''

The Cherokee Strip ''The Cherokee Strip'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Noel M. Smith and written by Luci Ward and Joseph K. Watson. The film stars Dick Foran, Jane Bryan, Robert Paige, Joan Valerie, Edmund Cobb and Joseph Crehan. The film was re ...

'' (1937) – Harry, Fiddle Player and Band Leader (uncredited) *''The Fighting Texan'' (1937) – Brand-Changing Henchman (uncredited) *'' Blazing Sixes'' (1937) – Peewee Jones *'' Mountain Music'' (1937) – Singing Hillbilly (uncredited) *'' Empty Holsters'' (1937) – Tex Roberts *''Riders of the Dawn'' (1937) – Posse Member (uncredited) *'' The Devil's Saddle Legion'' (1937) – Peewee *'' God's Country and the Man'' (1937) – Sheriff Joe (uncredited) *'' Stars Over Arizona'' (1937) – Bruce Cole (uncredited) *'' Danger Valley'' (1937) – Marshal Dale (uncredited) *'' The Painted Trail'' (1938) – Sheriff Ed *'' The Last Stand'' (1938) – Henchman Joe *''

Whirlwind Horseman ''Whirlwind Horseman'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by Robert F. Hill and written by George H. Plympton. The film stars Ken Maynard, Joan Barclay, Billy Griffith, Kenneth Harlan, Joseph W. Girard and Kenny Dix. The film was relea ...

'' (1938) – Bull – Henchman *'' Six Shootin' Sheriff'' (1938) – Kendal Henchman (uncredited) *'' Black Bandit'' (1938) – Luke Johnson *''

Guilty Trails ''Guilty Trails'' is a 1938 American Western film written and directed by George Waggner. The film stars Bob Baker, Marjorie Reynolds, Wally Wales, Georgia O'Dell, Jack Rockwell and Carleton Young. The film was released on October 21, 1938, by ...

'' (1938) – New Sheriff *''

Prairie Justice ''Prairie Justice'' is a 1938 American Western "B" movie directed by George Waggner and starring Bob Baker as a singing cowboy. Plot Baker plays an undercover marshall investigating a series of stage coach robberies. After his father is killed ...

'' (1938) – Hank Haynes – Express Agent *''Gun Packer'' (1938) – Sheriff *'' The Phantom Stage'' (1939) – Sheriff *'' The Night Riders'' (1939) – Angry Riverboat Gambler (uncredited) *''

Blue Montana Skies ''Blue Montana Skies'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by B. Reeves Eason and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and June Storey. Based on a story by Norman S. Hall and Paul Franklin, the film is about a singing cowboy who goes up a ...

'' (1939) – Bob Causer *'' Across the Plains'' (1939) – Jeff Masters *'' Oklahoma Terror'' (1939) – Ross Haddon * ''

Overland Mail Butterfield Overland Mail (officially the Overland Mail Company)Waterman L. Ormsby, edited by Lyle H. Wright and Josephine M. Bynum, "The Butterfield Overland Mail", The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, 1991. was a stagecoach service i ...

'' (1939) – Sheriff Dawson * '' Pioneer Days'' (1940) – Sheriff *'' Rhythm of the Rio Grande'' (1940) – Sheriff Hays *''

Covered Wagon Trails ''Covered Wagon Trails'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Raymond K. Johnson, starring Jack Randall, Sally Cairns and Lafe McKee. Cast * Jack Randall as Jack Cameron * Sally Cairns as Carol Bradford * Lafe McKee as John Bradfo ...

'' (1940) – Henchman Fletcher *'' Pals of the Silver Sage'' (1940) – Vic Insley *''

The Cowboy from Sundown ''The Cowboy from Sundown'' is a 1940 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and written by Roland Lynch and Robert Emmett Tansey. The film stars Tex Ritter, Roscoe Ates, Carleton Young, George Pembroke, Patsy M ...

'' (1940) – Bret Stockton *''

Land of the Six Guns ''Land of the Six Guns'' is a 1940 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Raymond K. Johnson and written by Carl Krusada. The film stars Jack Randall (actor), Jack Randall, Louise Stanley, Frank LaRue, Glenn Strange, Bud Osborne and ...

'' (1940) – Manny *''

Three Men from Texas ''Three Men from Texas'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander, written by Norton S. Parker, and starring William Boyd, Russell Hayden, Andy Clyde, Morris Ankrum, Morgan Wallace, Thornton Edwards and Esther Estrella. It ...

'' (1940) – Ben Stokes *'' The San Francisco Docks'' (1940) – Mike *'' The Bandit Trail'' (1941) – gang member (uncredited) *''

The Kid's Last Ride ''The Kid's Last Ride'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by S. Roy Luby and written by Earle Snell. The film is the fifth in Monogram Pictures' "Range Busters" series, and it stars Ray "Crash" Corrigan as Crash, John "Dusty" King as Du ...

'' (1941) – Bart Gill, aka Ike Breeden *''

Fugitive Valley ''Fugitive Valley'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by S. Roy Luby. The film is the eighth in Monogram Pictures' "Range Busters" series, and it stars Ray "Crash" Corrigan as Crash, John "Dusty" King as Dusty and Max "Alibi" Terhune as ...

'' (1941) – Gray *''

Billy the Kid Wanted ''Billy the Kid Wanted'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield. This film is the seventh in the "Billy the Kid" film series produced by PRC from 1940 to 1946, and the first starring Buster Crabbe as Billy the Kid, replacing ...

'' (1941) – Matt Brawley *'' The Driftin' Kid'' (1941) – Jeff Payson *'' Lone Star Law Men'' (1941) – Marshal Scott *''

Billy the Kid's Round-Up ''Billy the Kid's Round-Up'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Fred Myton. The film stars Buster Crabbe, Al St. John, Carleton Young, Joan Barclay, Glenn Strange and Charles King. The film was released on ...

'' (1941) – Vic Landreau *'' The Lone Rider and the Bandit'' (1942) – Luke Miller * '' Overland Stagecoach'' (1942) – Harlen Kent *'' Western Mail'' (1942) – Sheriff Big Bill Collins *'' Stagecoach Buckaroo'' (1942) – Breck Braddock *''Raiders of the West'' (1942) – Hank Reynolds *'' Sundown Jim'' (1942) – Henchman (uncredited) *'' Sunset on the Desert'' (1942) – Deputy Louie Meade *'' Rolling Down the Great Divide'' (1942) – Joe Duncan *'' Boot Hill Bandits'' (1942) – The Maverick *'' Romance on the Range'' (1942) – Stokes *'' Texas Trouble Shooters'' (1942) – Roger Denby *'' Overland Stagecoach'' (1942) – Harlen Kent * '' Billy the Kid Trapped'' (1942) – Boss Stanton *''Army Surgeon'' (1942) – Soldier Having Discussion with Brooklyn (uncredited) *''Little Joe, the Wrangler'' (1942) – Jeff Corey * ''The Kid Rides Again'' (1943) – Henchman Tom Slade * ''Haunted Ranch'' (1943) – Rance Austin * ''Black Market Rustlers'' (1943) – Corbin * ''Cattle Stampede'' (1943) – Stone * ''Bullets and Saddles'' (1943) – Jack Hammond * ''Western Cyclone'' (1943) – Dirk Randall * ''Valley of Vengeance'' (1944) – Marshal Barker * ''Harmony Trail'' (1944) – Marshal Taylor * '' House of Frankenstein'' (1944) – Frankenstein Monster * '' House of Dracula'' (1945) – Frankenstein Monster * ''The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap'' (1947) – Lefty * '' Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein'' (1948) – Frankenstein Monster * ''Comin' Round the Mountain'' (1951) – Devil Dan Winfield

References

External links

*
''Glenn Strange, the B western villain''

* "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JT41-TQ9 : 19 May 2014), Glenn Strange, Sep 1973; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
Glenn Strange appears on Abbott and Costello's television program
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strange, Glenn 1899 births 1973 deaths Male Western (genre) film actors American male film actors Ranchers from New Mexico American male television actors People from Otero County, New Mexico Male actors from New Mexico People from Brown County, Texas Male actors from Texas 20th-century American male actors Western (genre) television actors Deaths from lung cancer in California Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers American people of Cherokee descent American people of Irish descent