Walter Darwin Coy (January 31, 1909 – December 11, 1974) was an American stage,

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

, and, principally,

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

actor, arguably most well known as

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 ...

's character's brother in ''

The Searchers ''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American Technicolor VistaVision epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas-Native American wars, and stars John W ...

'' (1956).

Early years

Originally from

Great Falls, Montana Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of and is the principal city of the Great Falls, M ...

, Coy was the son of Theodore Coy, who had a furniture store. The family moved to Seattle, Washington, around 1923. He played varsity football at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seatt ...

and majored in dramatics. Before Coy became an actor, he worked at salmon canneries in Alaska. In 1929, he moved to New York. During World War II, he served in the Army.

Career

Coy performed on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

from 1930 to 1948. He appeared in several early Group Theatre productions. He was the first actor to play Lone Wolf on the radio series of the same name.

Broadway roles

* '' The House of Connelly'' (1931) - Charlie and as Seranader * '' Night Over Taos'' (1932) - Felipe * '' Men in White'' (1933) - Dr. Bradley * '' Gold Eagle Guy'' (1934) - Adam Keane * ''

Till the Day I Die ''Till the Day I Die'' is a play by Clifford Odets performed on Broadway in 1935. Description The play is a seven-scene drama written by Clifford Odets. It was originally written as a piece to accompany ''Waiting for Lefty''. Productions It w ...

'' (1935) - Karl Taussig * '' Waiting For Lefty'' (1935) - Irv * ''Paradise Lost'' (1935) - Ben * ''Case of Clyde Griffiths'' (1936) - Gilbert Griffiths * ''Many Mansions'' (1937) - George Graham * ''Lady in the Dark'' (1941) - Charley Johnson (replacement) * ''Hamlet'' (1945) - Horatio

Western programs

Of the 31 ''Frontier'' episodes, 16 are narrated by Coy: # "Paper Gunman" (September 25, 1955) # "Tomas and the Widow" (October 2) # "A Stillness in Wyoming" (October 16) # "The Shame of a Nation" (October 23) # "In Nebraska" (October 30) # "The Suspects" (November 6) # "King of the Dakotas" (2 parts, November 8 and 20) # "Cattle Drive to Casper" (November 27) # "The Texicans" (January 8, 1956) # "Mother of the Brave" (January 15) # "The Ten Days of John Leslie" (January 22) # "The Devil and Dr. O'Hara" (February 5) # "Assassin" (March 4) # "The Hanging at Thunder Butte Creek (March 18) # "The Hostage" (September 9, 1956) Coy also appeared on Jim Davis' western anthology series, '' Stories of the Century'' in the role of Sam Clayton in the 1954 episode entitled "Tom Horn," an account of the western lawman-turned outlaw

Tom Horn Thomas Horn Jr., (November 21, 1860 – November 20, 1903) was an American scout, cowboy, soldier, range detective, and Pinkerton agent in the 19th-century and early 20th-century American Old West. Believed to have committed 17 killings as a ...

. He appeared on many other western television programs, including ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...

'', ''

Bronco A bucking horse is any breed or either gender of horse with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for rod ...

'', '' Cimarron City'', ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'', ''

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 ...

'' (one episode as Ben Thompson), ''

Shotgun Slade ''Shotgun Slade'' is an American western mystery television series starring Scott Brady that aired seventy-eight episodes in syndication from 1959 to 1961 Created by Frank Gruber, the stories were written by John Berardino, Charissa Hughes, an ...

'', '' The Deputy'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'', ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'', '' The Adventures of Jim Bowie'', '' Trackdown'', ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded t ...

'', '' Yancy Derringer'', '' Laramie'', ''Two Faces West'', '' Lawman'', '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'', '' The Restless Gun'', '' The Rough Riders'', '' Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'', ''

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pike ...

'', '' Rawhide'', ''

Mackenzie's Raiders ''Mackenzie's Raiders'' is an American Western television series starring Richard Carlson that aired thirty-nine episodes in syndication between 1958 and 1959. The series is narrated by Art Gilmore, and was produced by Ziv Television Programs. ...

'', ''

Have Gun – Will Travel ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' is an American Western series that was produced and originally broadcast by CBS on both television and radio from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Richard Boone was rated number t ...

'', '' The Texan'', '' The Man from Blackhawk'', '' Hotel de Paree'', ''

Overland Trail The Overland Trail (also known as the Overland Stage Line) was a stagecoach and wagon trail in the American West during the 19th century. While portions of the route had been used by explorers and trappers since the 1820s, the Overland Trail was ...

'', ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bure ...

'', '' The Virginian'', ''

The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour ...

'', ''

'', '' Laredo'', '' The Outcasts'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'' (five times), and

Robert Conrad Robert Conrad (born Conrad Robert Falk; March 1, 1935 – February 8, 2020) was an American film and television actor, singer, and stuntman. He is best known for his role in the 1965–1969 television series '' The Wild Wild West'', playi ...

's ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels ...

''.

Other television roles

Coy portrayed Jason Farrel in the ABC soap opera ''Flame in the Wind'' (1965), King Zorvac in the syndicated science fiction series ''

Rocky Jones, Space Ranger ''Rocky Jones, Space Ranger'' is an American science fiction television serial originally broadcast in syndication from February to November 1954. The show lasted for only two seasons and, though syndicated sporadically, dropped into obscurity. ...

'' (1954) and Jason in the ABC serial ''A Time for Us''. Other guest-starring roles in drama include ''Crusader'', '' The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse'', ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'', '' Whirlybirds'', '' U.S. Marshal'', ''

Rescue 8 ''Rescue 8'' is a syndicated American action adventure crime drama series about Los Angeles County Fire Department Rescue Squad 8. It premiered in 1958 and originally ran for two seasons with syndicated reruns continuing for almost a decade th ...

'', '' The Lineup'', '' East Side/West Side'', ''

Mr. Adams and Eve ''Mr. Adams and Eve'' is an American situation comedy television series about a married couple who are both movie stars. It stars Howard Duff and Ida Lupino (who were actually married at the time) and aired on CBS from January 4, 1957, to July 8, ...

'', '' Mike Hammer'', '' The Defenders'', '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', ''

Navy Log ''Navy Log'' is an American drama anthology series created by Samuel Gallu that presented stories from the history of the United States Navy. This series ran on CBS from September 20, 1955, until September 25, 1956.On October 17, 1956, it moved ...

'', ''

Tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

'', '' Lock-Up'', ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another ...

'', '' Ironside'', '' M Squad'', and ''

I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...

''. Coy also appeared in two comedies, ''

McKeever and the Colonel ''McKeever and the Colonel'' is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from September 23, 1962 to June 16, 1963 on Sunday nights at 6:30 P.M. Eastern Time. Its setting was a fictional military academy known as Westfield. Dick Powell's Four St ...

'' and ''

Hazel The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...

''. Coy's last television role was as

Chief Blackfish Blackfish (c. 1729–1779) ( sjw, Cot-ta-wa-ma-go or ), was a Native American leader, war chief of the Chillicothe band of the Shawnee tribe. Biography Little is known about him, since he only appears in written historical records during the la ...

on the NBC series ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'' in the 1970 episode "How to Become a Goddess".

Selected filmography

* ''Love Letters of a Star'' (1936) - Charley Warren * ''

Barricade Barricade (from the French ''barrique'' - 'barrel') is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction. Adopted as a military term, a barricade denot ...

'' (1950) - Benson * '' Colt .45'' (1950) - Carl (uncredited) * '' Saddle Tramp'' (1950) - Mr Phillips * ''

Under Mexicali Stars ''Under Mexicali Stars'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by George Blair, written by Robert Creighton Williams and starring Rex Allen, Dorothy Patrick, Roy Barcroft, Buddy Ebsen, Percy Helton and Walter Coy. It was released on Novembe ...

'' (1950) - Giles Starkey * '' FBI Girl'' (1951) - Priest * '' Bugles in the Afternoon'' (1952) - Capt. Benteen (uncredited) * '' The Lusty Men'' (1952) - Buster Burgess * '' Flat Top'' (1952) - Air Group Commander * '' So Big'' (1953) - Roelf Pool * ''

All the Brothers Were Valiant ''All the Brothers Were Valiant'' is a 1953 Technicolor adventure drama film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Richard Thorpe. The film's screenplay was written by Harry Brown and based on the 1919 novel '' All the Brothers Were Va ...

'' (1953) - Noah Shore (uncredited) * '' Phantom of the Rue Morgue'' (1954) - Gendarme Arnot (uncredited) * '' Them!'' (1954) - Reporter (uncredited) * ''

Sign of the Pagan ''Sign of the Pagan'' is a 1954 American historical drama film directed by Douglas Sirk, shot in CinemaScope (color by Technicolor), and released by Universal Pictures. The film stars Jeff Chandler, Jack Palance, Ludmilla Tchérina, and Rita Ga ...

'' (1954) - Emperor Valentinian * ''

Cult of the Cobra ''Cult of the Cobra'' is a 1955 American black-and-white horror film from Universal-International Pictures, produced by Howard Pine, directed by Francis D. Lyon, that stars Faith Domergue, Richard Long, Kathleen Hughes, Marshall Thompson, J ...

'' (1955) - Police Inspector * '' Wichita'' (1955) - Sam McCoy * '' Running Wild'' (1955) - Lt. Ed Newpole * ''

'' (1956) - Aaron Edwards * ''

On the Threshold of Space ''On the Threshold of Space'' (aka ''Threshold of Space'') is a 1956 drama directed by Robert D. Webb, starring Guy Madison, Virginia Leith and John Hodiak. It was Hodiak's final film; he died six months before it was released. ''On the Threshol ...

'' (1956) - Lt. Col. Dick Masters * ''

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 ...

'' (1956) - Clint Fallon (uncredited) * '' The Young Guns'' (1956) - Sheriff Jim Peyton * ''

Pillars of the Sky ''Pillars of the Sky'' is a 1956 American CinemaScope Western film directed by George Marshall and starring Jeff Chandler and Dorothy Malone. Plot Oregon Country 1868: Indians of many tribes trust Sgt. Emmett Bell, who rides into Dr. Joseph ...

'' (1956) - Maj. Donahue * '' Hot Summer Night'' (1957) - Pete Wayne (uncredited) * ''

Johnny Tremain ''Johnny Tremain'' is a work of historical fiction written in 1943 by Esther Forbes that is set in Boston prior to and during the outbreak of the American Revolution. Intended for teen-aged readers, the novel's themes include apprenticeship, co ...

'' (1957) - Dr. Joseph Warren * ''

Juvenile Jungle , also known as ''Juvenile Jungle'', is a 1956 Japanese Sun Tribe film directed by Kō Nakahira. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Shintaro Ishihara, the older brother of cast member Yujiro Ishihara,Marc Moha"Crazed Fruit: Th ...

'' (1958) - John Elliot * ''

South Seas Adventure South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sun� ...

'' (1958) - Supplemental Narration (voice) * '' The Restless Gun'' (1959) - Episode "Dead Ringer" * '' The Trap'' (1959) - Second Fake Policeman (uncredited) * '' Gunmen from Laredo'' (1959) - Ben Keefer * ''

Warlock A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft. Etymology and terminology The most commonly accepted etymology derives '' warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver" and was given special applicati ...

'' (1959) - Deputy Sheriff Ray Thomson (uncredited) * ''

The Gunfight at Dodge City ''The Gunfight at Dodge City'' is a 1959 DeLuxe Color Western (genre), Western CinemaScope film. It was produced by the Mirisch Company, directed by Joseph M. Newman, co-written by Martin Goldsmith (screenwriter), Martin Goldsmith and Daniel B. ...

'' (1959) - Ben Townsend * ''

North by Northwest ''North by Northwest'' is a 1959 American spy thriller film, produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. The screenplay was by Ernest Lehman, who wanted to write "the Hitchcock picture ...

'' (1959) - U.S. Intelligence Agency official (uncredited) * '' Cash McCall'' (1960) - Reporter (uncredited) * ''

Five Guns to Tombstone ''Five Guns to Tombstone'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring James Brown, John Wilder, Walter Coy, Robert Karnes and Della Sharman. Plot Young outlaw Billy Wade, determined to reform, is roped into a rob ...

'' (1960) - Ike Garvey * '' Gun Fight'' (1961) - Sheriff * ''

Catlow ''Catlow'' is a 1971 American Western film, based on a 1963 novel of the same name by Louis L'Amour. It stars Yul Brynner as a renegade outlaw determined to pull off a Confederate gold heist. It co-stars Richard Crenna and Leonard Nimoy. Nimo ...

'' (1971) - Parkman * '' I Eat Your Skin'' (1971) - Charles Bentley * ''

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa (, Orozco rebelled in March 1912, both for Madero's continuing failure to enact land reform and because he felt insufficiently rewarded for his role in bringing the new president to power. At the request of Madero's c ...

'' (1972) - Gen. Pershing * ''Hay que matar a B.'' (1974) - (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coy, Walter 1909 births 1974 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors People from Great Falls, Montana Male actors from Montana Male actors from Greater Los Angeles People from Santa Maria, California American male stage actors American soap opera actors Male Western (genre) film actors Western (genre) television actors