Alfred "Lash" LaRue (June 15, 1917 – May 21, 1996) was a popular western motion picture star of the 1940s and 1950s.

Biography

Early life and education

Born Alfred LaRue in

Gretna, Louisiana Gretna is the second-largest city in, and parish seat of, Jefferson Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. "Gretna, Louisiana (LA) Detailed Profile" (notes), ''City Data'', 2007, webpage: C-Gretna "Census 2000 Data for the State of Lou ...

in 1917, he was reared in various towns throughout Louisiana, but in his teens the family moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, where he attended St. John's Military Academy and the College of the Pacific. Strangely, his California death records reportedly indicate the actor's father's surname was Wilson and that Lash was born in Michigan.

Film career

LaRue was originally

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

ed by Warner Bros. but was rejected because he looked too much like

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

, then one of the studio's contract stars. He began acting in films in 1944 as Al LaRue, appearing in two musicals and a serial before being given a role in a

Western film The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

that would result in his being stereotyped as a cowboy for the remainder of his career. He was given the name "Lash" because of the -long

bullwhip A bullwhip is a single-tailed whip, usually made of braided leather or nylon, designed as a tool for working with livestock or competition. Bullwhips are pastoral tools, traditionally used to control livestock in open country. A bullwhip's leng ...

he used to help bring down the bad guys. After appearing in all three of the Eddie Dean

Cinecolor Cinecolor was an early subtractive color-model two-color motion picture process that was based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor system of the late 1920s and the 1930s. It was developed by William T. Crispinel and ...

singing Westerns in 1945-46, LaRue starred in B-westerns from 1947 to 1951, at first for

Poverty Row Poverty Row is a slang term used to refer to Hollywood films produced from the 1920s to the 1950s by small (and mostly short-lived) B movie studios. Although many of them were based on (or near) today's Gower Street in Hollywood, the term did ...

studio

Producers Releasing Corporation Producers Releasing Corporation was the smallest and least prestigious of the Hollywood film studios of the 1940s. It was considered a prime example of what was called "Poverty Row": a low-rent stretch of Gower Street in Hollywood where shoestr ...

, then for

Eagle-Lion Eagle-Lion Films was a British-American film production company owned by J. Arthur Rank intended to distribute British productions in the United States. In 1947, it acquired Robert R. Young's PRC Pictures, a small American production company, ...

when they took over the studio, and later for producer

Ron Ormond Ron Ormond (born Vittorio Di Naro, August 29, 1910 – May 11, 1981) was an American author, showman, screenwriter, film producer, and film director of Western, musical, and exploitation films. Following his survival of a 1968 plane crash, Ormo ...

. The popularity of LaRue's first appearance as the "Cheyenne Kid" (who appeared initially as a

sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...

of singing cowboy hero Eddie Dean in the 1945 musical ''Song of Old Wyoming''), using a whip expertly to disarm villains, paved the way for LaRue to star in his own 8-film ''Cheyenne Kid'' feature film series in 1947, made by PRC. LaRue inherited from

Buster Crabbe Clarence Linden Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), known professionally as Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimmi ...

a comic sidekick in the form of "Fuzzy Q. Jones" (played by

Al St. John Al St. John (also credited as Al Saint John and "Fuzzy" St. John; September 10, 1892 – January 21, 1963) was an early American motion-picture comedian. He was a nephew of silent film star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, with whom he often performed on ...

). It was at this time that he developed his image as cowboy hero Lash LaRue, dressed all in black. He then starred in his own 11-film "Lash LaRue" series, produced by "Western Adventure Films", in which he played a character actually named "Marshall Lash LaRue". Those 11 films (from 1948 to 1951) are the ones that western movie fans refer to as the "Lash LaRue film series" (see Filmography below). He was different from the usual cowboy hero of the era. Dressed in black, he spoke with a "city tough-guy" accent somewhat like that of

, whom he physically resembled. His use of a bullwhip, however, was what set him apart from contemporary cowboy stars such as

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

and

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

. His influence was felt throughout the dying medium of B-westerns; for example, he had an imitator,

Whip Wilson Whip Wilson (born Roland Charles Meyers, June 16, 1911 – October 22, 1964) was an American cowboy film star of the late 1940s and into the 1950s, known for his roles in B-westerns. He was one of eight children. Wilson had been a moderately ...

, who starred in his own brief series, and even

started using a bullwhip in some of his

Republic Studios Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

Westerns made during the same period. LaRue made frequent personal appearances at small-town movie theaters that were showing his films during his heyday of 1948 to 1951, a common practice for cowboy stars in those days. However, his skillful displays of stunts with his whip, done live on movie theater stages, also convinced young Western fans that there was at least one cowboy hero who could perform in real life the things he did on screen. He continued working in films and television until he retired in 1990.

Personal life

For a time he was married to

Reno Browne Reno Browne was the stage name of Josephine Ruth Clarke (April 20, 1921 – May 15, 1991), an American equestrian and B-movie actress during the late 1940s and into the 1950s, with most of her films being in 1949. She was sometimes billed as ...

, a B-western

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, who together with

Dale Evans Dale Evans Rogers (born Frances Octavia Smith; October 31, 1912 – February 7, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers. Early life Evans was born Frances Octavia Smith on ...

was one of only two Western actresses ever to have their own comic book fashioned after her character. He later married

Barbra Fuller Barbra Fuller (born Barbara Deane Fuller; July 31, 1921) is an American retired film, television, and radio actress. Career The Nahant, Massachusetts-born Barbara Deane FullerDeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical ...

, a radio, film and television actress. Their marriage lasted around 15 months; they wed February 23, 1951 in

Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...

, and divorced June 2, 1952. They had no children but did have a godchild, child actor J.P. Sloane, the son of "Television's Singing Troubadour" Jimmie Jackson and "Television's Hollywood Hostess" Anita Coleman.

Television

In the later 1950s, LaRue was featured in archival footage numerous times on the children's program ''

The Gabby Hayes Show The Gabby Hayes Show was the name given to two early children's television series. Both series were broadcast on NBC, and both were sponsored by the Quaker Oats Company. Gabby Hayes was the host of a series that featured history stories. He al ...

''. He appeared several times on the syndicated television series ''

26 Men ''26 Men'' is a syndicated American Western television series about the Arizona Rangers, a law-enforcement group limited to 26 active members. By March 1958, the program was carried on 158 stations in the United States. The program was also broad ...

'', true stories of 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 ...

. LaRue also appeared on Jimmie Jackson's television show ''Memory Lane''. He appeared seven times in different roles in the 1956 TV western ''

Judge Roy Bean Phantly Roy Bean Jr. (c. 1825 – March 16, 1903) was an American saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Only Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, he held court in his saloon along the ...

''. One of his roles on ''Judge Roy Bean'' was as the

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill th ...

John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin (May 26, 1853 – August 19, 1895) was an American Old West outlaw, gunfighter, and controversial folk icon. Hardin often got into trouble with the law from an early age. He killed his first man at the age of 15, claiming he ...

. He portrayed another real-life criminal,

Doc Barker Arthur R. "Doc" Barker (June 4, 1899 – January 13, 1939) was an American criminal, the son of Ma Barker and a member of the Barker-Karpis gang, founded by his brother Fred Barker and Alvin Karpis. Barker was typically called on for violent ac ...

, in the TV series '' Gangbusters'', which was later recut into the film ''

Guns Don't Argue ''Guns Don't Argue'' is a 1957 low-budget feature film about the early achievements of the FBI in defeating the most notorious criminals of the 1930s. The film involves dramatizations of the crimes and eventual demise of various gangsters, along w ...

''. LaRue and Steve Brodie shared the role (from 1959–1961) of Sheriff Johnny Behan in

Cochise County Cochise County () is a county in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is named after the Native American chief Cochise. The population was 125,447 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Bisbee and the most populous city ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, on ABC's ''

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 ...

'', starring

Hugh O'Brian Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the ABC Western television series ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' (1955–1 ...

. LaRue appeared five times; Brodie, nine times. A role as the villain in a

pornographic Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

western, ''Hard on the Trail'', in 1972, led him to repentance as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

for ten years, as he had not been informed of the adult nature of the film and would not have consented to appear in the film. He did not actually appear in any of the pornographic scenes. The film was later released without the pornographic scenes and re-titled ''Hard Trail'' in an attempt to eliminate the

double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...

. Hardy, Phil (editor). '' The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: The Western'', Aurum Press, 1983;

Musician

LaRue often returned to Louisiana and East Texas, where he grew up. He became a regular at the

jam session A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without ...

s at the

Dew Drop Inn Dew Drop Inn may refer to: *Dew Drop Inn (New Orleans, Louisiana) *Dew Drop Inn (Mountain View, Arkansas) *Dew Drop Inn (musical), 1923 Broadway musical {{disambiguation ...

in New Orleans and clubs in the Dallas area under the name Lucky LaRue. In his

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

, ''

Backbeat In music and music theory, the beat is the basic unit of time, the pulse (regularly repeating event), of the ''mensural level'' (or ''beat level''). The beat is often defined as the rhythm listeners would tap their toes to when listening to a p ...

'', drummer

Earl Palmer Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of a ...

recalled:

Lots of white people wanted to come to the Dew Drop. Most were turned away, but they let a few in. Every time the cowboy actor Lash LaRue came in town, he came by. He played a hell of a
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
and was a regular guy that people liked.

Faith

He was a

born-again Christian Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sep ...

who was

baptized Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost i ...

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is ...

's Baptist Tabernacle by pastor Jimmy G. Tharpe. Tharpe initially met LaRue in

Alexandria, Louisiana Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in the state of Louisiana and is the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the prin ...

, when LaRue was visiting the home of his daughter. He and another minister, Don Chelette of Alexandria, were

proselytizing Proselytism () is the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Proselytism is illegal in some countries. Some draw distinctions between ''evangelism'' or '' Da‘wah'' and proselytism regarding proselytism as invol ...

door-to-door when they met LaRue and his daughter. Tharpe thereafter declared a "Lash LaRue Day" at his church at which LaRue gave his Christian testimony: "He came, and we had a wonderful service in our gymnasium. There were thirty-seven people saved in the gym that day. He cut paper from the mouth of Debbye, my daughter, with his whip. We all rejoiced over Lash LaRue and his testimony. I introduced Lash to others, and several churches invited him to give his testimony, and he accepted." LaRue later was an evangelist who worked with alcoholics in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was one of several people injured by a tornado while in attendance at the Missouri State Fair in

Sedalia, Missouri Sedalia is a city located approximately south of the Missouri River and, as the county seat of Pettis County, Missouri, United States, it is the principal city of the Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had ...

, on August 20, 1952.

Death

LaRue died of

emphysema Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alv ...

in 1996 at

Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center is a Catholic hospital in Burbank, California. The hospital has 446 beds, and is part of Providence Health & Services. Its address is 501 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California 91505. On the oppo ...

in Burbank, California. He had recently undergone triple-bypass surgery and suffered from

. He was cremated at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California. He was survived by his wife, Frances Bramlett LaRue, three sons and three daughters. He had reportedly been married at least ten times.

In popular culture

His name was mentioned in the 1973 song "Childhood - 1949", which was written and recorded by

Bobby Goldsboro Robert Charles Goldsboro (born January 18, 1941) is an American pop and country singer and songwriter. He had a string of pop and country hits in the 1960s and 1970s, including his signature No. 1 hit "Honey", which sold over 1 million copies in ...

as the B-side to his hit single "Summer (The First Time)". One of many classic western stars mentioned in the 1974 Statler Brothers song "Whatever Happened to

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

?" Writer/singer/producer Bruce Blackman of the pop group Starbuck wrote and recorded the tribute song "Lash LaRue," included on their 1976 album ''

Moonlight Feels Right "Moonlight Feels Right" is the debut single recorded by the American band Starbuck. Written and produced by Bruce Blackman, the song was released in December 1975 but did not chart until April 1976. Background On the ''American Top 40'' radio pr ...

''. In the season 5 ''

Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator ...

'' episode entitled "A Material Difference", Rockford confronts his notorious sidekick Angel Martin at an outdoor restaurant, asking the leather jacket-clad Angel, "What are you, a clone of Lash LaRue?" LaRue is seen on the 1986

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his c ...

and

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

duet album '' Heroes''. On the back cover, LaRue is standing with Jennings and Cash. In the 1994 film ''

Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...

'', Winston Wolfe (

Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association with ...

) jokingly refers to Vincent Vega (

John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...

) as "Lash LaRue."

Professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

Mark LeRoux borrowed his

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or project ...

from LaRue, dubbing himself "Lash LeRoux" in 1999. He was mentioned in the Shel Silverstein song "The Great Conch Train Robbery" in Shel's 1980 album of the same name.

Filmography

Universal Pictures films

* '' The Master Key'' (1945, Serial) - Migsy (billed as Alfred LaRue) * ''

Lady on a Train ''Lady on a Train'' is a 1945 American film noir crime film directed by Charles David and starring Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, and David Bruce. Based on a story by Leslie Charteris, the film is about a woman who witnesses a murder in a near ...

'' (1945) - Circus Club Waiter

PRC films

* ''

Song of Old Wyoming ''Song of Old Wyoming'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Robert Emmett Tansey. It was shot in Cinecolor and released by Producers Releasing Corporation. Western star Lash LaRue debuted in this film playing the Cheyenne Kid (Eddie ...

'' (1945) - The Cheyenne Kid * '' The Caravan Trail'' (1946) - Cherokee * ''Wild West'' (aka ''Prairie Outlaws'') (1946) - Stormy Day * ''

Law of the Lash ''Law of the Lash'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor. The screenplay concerns a U.S. marshal who attempts to clean up a town that has been taken over by crooks. It was the first lead role of Lash LaRue who had previously ...

'' (1947) - Cheyenne Davis (LaRue's 1st starring role) * ''

Border Feud ''Border Feud'' is a 1947 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Ray Taylor (director), Ray Taylor and written by Patricia Harper (screenwriter), Patricia Harper. The film stars Lash LaRue, Al St. John, Ian Keith, Gloria Marlen, Ken ...

'' (1947) - Cheyenne Davis * ''

Pioneer Justice ''Pioneer Justice'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor and starring Lash La Rue, Al St. John, and Jennifer Holt. The film was released by Producers Releasing Corporation on June 28, 1947. The film was shot at the Iverson ...

'' (1947) - Cheyenne Davis * '' Heartaches'' (1947) - DeLong aka Trigger Malone (crime drama) * ''Ghost Town Renegades'' (1947) - Cheyenne Davis * ''

Stage to Mesa City ''Stage to Mesa City'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor and starring Lash La Rue, Al St. John, Jennifer Holt, George Chesebro, Buster Slaven, and Marshall Reed. The film was released by Producers Releasing Corporation o ...

'' (1947) - Cheyenne Davis * ''Return of the Lash'' (1947) - Cheyenne Davis * '' The Fighting Vigilantes'' (1947) - Cheyenne Davis * ''Cheyenne Takes Over'' (1947) - Cheyenne Davis * ''

The Enchanted Valley ''The Enchanted Valley'' is a 1948 American Cinecolor drama film directed by Robert Emmett Tansey and written by Frances Kavanaugh. The film stars Alan Curtis, Anne Gwynne, Charley Grapewin, Donn Gift, Joseph Crehan, Lash LaRue and Joe Devlin. ...

'' (1948 released by Eagle-Lion Films) - Pretty Boy * ''

Son of Billy the Kid ''Son of Billy the Kid'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor starring Lash LaRue. Produced by Ron Ormond, the film was co-written by Ormond's wife June Carr who also plays a lead role in the film. This film was not part of th ...

'' (1949) - LaRue played a character named Jack Garrett (this film was produced by ''Western Adventure Productions'', not PRC)

Western Adventure Productions, Inc. films

This is a chronological list of the eleven films in which he actually played the character named "Marshal Lash LaRue". They are all available on a single box set of DVDs (along with a bonus film called ''

''). * ''

Dead Man's Gold ''Dead Man's Gold'' is a 1948 American Western film starring Lash LaRue and Al "Fuzzy" St. John, the first of his Westerns for producer Ron Ormond. Plot When rancher Jim Thornton discovers gold in Gold Valley he sends for Lash and Fuzzy to pro ...

'' (1948) - Himself * ''

Mark of the Lash ''Mark of the Lash'' is a 1948 American Western film starring Lash LaRue and Al "Fuzzy" St. John and directed by Ray Taylor. Produced and co-written by Ron Ormond, the film was shot at the Jack Ingram Movie Ranch.http://www.movielocationsplu ...

'' (1948) - Himself * '' Frontier Revenge'' (1948) - Himself * '' Outlaw Country'' (1949) - Himself * '' Son of a Bad Man'' (1949) - Himself * '' The Daltons' Women'' (1950) - Himself * '' King of the Bullwhip'' (1950) - Himself * '' The Thundering Trail'' (1951) - Himself * '' The Vanishing Outpost'' (1951) - Himself * '' The Black Lash'' (1952) - Himself * '' The Frontier Phantom'' (1952) - Himself

''Lash LaRue Western'' Comic Book

''Lash LaRue Western''

comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are oft ...

were published first by

Fawcett Comics Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s. Its most popular character was Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Captain Marvel, the alter ego of ...

(issues #1 through 46) and later by

Charlton Comics Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T.W.O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line was a division of Charlton ...

(issues #47 through 84), between 1949 and 1961. The first issue alone is worth close to a thousand dollars today in near mint condition. They were among the most popular Western-themed comics of the era. Initially LaRue and the other Western stars weren't paid royalties by Fawcett Comics; they were satisfied with just the publicity. (AC Comics later published 2 reprint editions in 1990.) Lash LaRue comic books sold well with a total of 12 million copies sold in 1952 alone. Many of the comics featured his godson, J.P. Sloane.

Later films

* ''Please Don't Touch Me'' (1963) - Bill * ''

Lanton Mills ''Lanton Mills'' is an American comedy short film written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Malick, Warren Oates, Harry Dean Stanton (in a leading role), and Paula Mandel. The film was Malick's thesis project for the American Film Insti ...

'' (1969, Short) - Phantom * ''Hard on the Trail'' (1972, pornographic film) - Slade * ''

Chain Gang A chain gang or road gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include repairing buildings, building roads, or clearing land. The system was not ...

'' (1984) * ''The Dark Power'' (1985) - Ranger Girard * ''Alien Outlaw'' (1985) - Alex Thompson * ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are dra ...

'' (1986, TV Movie) - Lash * ''Escape'' (1989) - Gas Station Owner * ''Pair of Aces'' (1990, TV Movie) - Henry (final film role)

References

Bibliography

* ''Lash LaRue, the King of the Bullwhip'', by Chuck Thornton and David Rothel (Empire Publishing, NC, 1988). . * ''The King of the Bullwhip: Lash LaRue, the Man, not the Legend'', by Charles M. Sharpe (Sharpeco, NC, 1996). ASIN B0006QS5T6.

External links

*
Lash LaRue-bio
on (re)Search my Trash {{DEFAULTSORT:LaRue, Lash 1917 births 1996 deaths People from Gretna, Louisiana Baptists from Louisiana Cajun people American male film actors Male Western (genre) film actors Deaths from emphysema Male actors from Louisiana Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Baptists