Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular
Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones.
Early life, military service
Jones was born Charles Frederick Gebhart on the outskirts of
Vincennes, Indiana, on December 12, 1891—some sources indicate December 4, 1889, but his marriage license and military records confirm the 1891 date. In 1907 he joined the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
a month after his 16th birthday: his mother had signed a consent form that gave his age as 18. He was assigned to Troop G,
6th Cavalry Regiment, and was deployed to the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
in October 1907, where he served in combat and was wounded during the
Moro Rebellion. Upon his return to the US in December 1909, he was honorably discharged at
Fort McDowell, California.
Jones had an affection for
race cars and the racing industry and became close friends with early driver Harry Stillman. Through his association with Stillman he began working extensively as a test driver for the
Marmon Motor Car Company. Yet by October 1910 he had re-enlisted in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
. Because he wanted to learn to fly, he requested a transfer to the
Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps in 1913, without knowing that only an officer could become a pilot. He received his second
honorable discharge from the Army in October 1913.
Cowboy, stuntman, beginning of film career

Following his military service he began working as a
cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...
on the
101 Ranch near
Bliss, Oklahoma. While attending
equestrian shows he met Odille "Dell" Osborne, who rode horses professionally. The two became involved and married in 1915. Both had very little money, so the producers of a Wild West Show they were working on at the time offered to allow them to marry in an actual show performance, in public, which they accepted.
While in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, and with his wife pregnant, Jones decided to leave the cowboy life behind and get a job in the film industry. He was hired by
Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
for $5 per day as a bit player and
stuntman. He later worked for Canyon Pictures, and then
Fox Film Corporation
The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American independent company that produced motion pictures and was formed in 1914 by the theater "chain" pioneer William Fox (producer), William Fox. It was the corporate successor to ...
, eventually earning $40 per week as a stuntman. With Fox his salary increased to $150 per week, and company owner
William Fox decided to use him as a backup to
Tom Mix. This led to his first starring role, ''
The Last Straw'', released in 1920.
Stardom
In 1925 Jones made three films with a very young
Carole Lombard. He had more than 160 film credits to his name by this time and had joined
Hoot Gibson
Edmund Richard "Hoot" Gibson (August 6, 1892 – August 23, 1962) was an American rodeo champion, film actor, film director, and producer. While acting and stunt work began as a sideline to Gibson's focus on rodeo, he successfully transitioned ...
,
Tom Mix, and
Ken Maynard as the top cowboy actors of the day. By 1928 he formed his own production company, but his independently produced film ''The Big Hop'' (a non-Western) failed. He then organized a touring Wild West show, with himself as a featured attraction, but this expensive venture also failed due to the faltering economy of late 1929.
With the new talking pictures replacing silent films as a national pastime, Westerns fell out of favor—recording soundtracks outdoors was not yet perfected. The major studios weren't interested in hiring Buck Jones. In 1930 he signed with producer
Sol Lesser to star in Westerns for $300 a week, a fraction of his top salary in the silent-film days. His voice—a rugged baritone—recorded well and the films were released by then-minor-league
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
. They were very successful, re-establishing Buck Jones as a major movie name. During the 1930s he starred in Western features and serials for Columbia and
Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
.

His star waned in the late 1930s when singing cowboys became the rage and Jones, then in his late 40s, was uncomfortably cast in conventional leading-man roles.
He rejoined Columbia in the fall of 1940, starring in the serial ''
White Eagle'' (an expansion of his 1932 feature of the same name). The new serial was a hit and Jones was again re-established. His final series of Western features, co-produced by Jones and his manager
Scott R. Dunlap of
Monogram Pictures, featured ''The Rough Riders'' trio: Buck Jones,
Tim McCoy, and
Raymond Hatton.
Radio
In 1937 Jones starred in ''Hoofbeats'', a syndicated 15-minute radio program. The 39 episodes could be broadcast daily, weekly, or multiple times a week by individual radio stations. The stories were narrated by "the Old Wrangler" and told the adventures of Buck Jones and his horse Silver.
The program was produced in the studios of Recordings, Inc., with
Grape Nuts Flakes as sponsor.
Merchandising
Buck Jones lent his name and likeness to various product endorsements, including
Post Grape-Nuts Flakes (his radio sponsor), the
pulp magazine
Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 until around 1955. The term "pulp" derives from the Pulp (paper), wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed, due to their ...
''Buck Jones Western Stories'' (November 1936 - September 1937) and
Daisy Outdoor Products. His licensing also extended to the
Big Little Book series, for example:
* ''Buck Jones and The Two Gun Kid'' (1937) – Big Little Book #1404. Author:
Gaylord Du Bois
Gaylord McIlvaine Du Bois (; sometimes written DuBois; August 24, 1899 – October 20, 1993) was an American writer of comic book stories and comic strips, as well as Big Little Books and juvenile adventure novels. Du Bois wrote ''Tarzan'' for De ...
.
* ''Buck Jones and The Night Riders'' (1937) – Big Big Book #4069. Author: Gaylord Du Bois. Artist: Hal Arbo.
* ''Buck Jones and The Rock Creek Cattle War'' (1938) – Big Little Book #1461. Author: Gaylord Du Bois.
* ''Buck Jones and The Killers of Crooked Butte'' (1940) – Better Little Book #1451. Author: Gaylord Du Bois
Jones was also a consultant for Daisy, which issued a Daisy "Buck Jones" model pump-action air rifle. Incorporating a compass and a "sundial" into the stock, it was one of Daisy's top-end air rifles and sold well for several years. There was some confusion decades later with the release of the film ''
A Christmas Story'', due to author
Jean Shepherd
Jean Parker "Shep" Shepherd Jr. (July 26, 1921 – October 16, 1999) was an American storytelling, storyteller, humorist, radio and TV personality, writer, and actor. With a career that spanned decades, Shepherd is known for the film ''A Christm ...
's erroneous recollection that the Daisy
Red Ryder BB Gun had a compass and sundial in the stock; the BB gun never had them except for the two specially made for the film.
Death
Jones was one of the 492 victims of the
Cocoanut Grove fire in
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, on November 28, 1942. Some news reports erroneously stated that Jones had escaped the flames, but had gone back into the nightclub to save others. This story was circulated widely; in a 1970 interview with
Merv Griffin
Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. From 1962 to 1986, G ...
,
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
stated that Buck Jones was his hero, and that Jones did go back into the Cocoanut Grove fire to rescue additional victims.
It was really Jones's dinner companion and manager, Scott R. Dunlap of Monogram, who was taken out of the building and treated for his injuries. Jones himself was still trapped inside the nightclub, reported author John C. Esposito, and "was found clinging to life on the terrace where he had been seated all evening. If he had gotten out of the building safely and returned to save others, the likelihood of his falling in the precise spot where he had been seated is extraordinarily small... Those who didn't die on the spot reported afterward that they were immediately overcome by fumes, flames, or the panicked crowd." The details of Jones being rescued were related in
Paul Benzaquin's 1959 account: "
atson of the Coast Guardspotted a body whose feet wore a pair of beautifully tooled leather cowboy boots... 'He's breathing. But he's hurt bad. My God, how he must have taken it!' They lifted the tall figure onto their litter and carried him out. At the curb was a police ambulance that already had one victim inside... A patrolman climbed in and the ambulance pulled away. Buck Jones was taking his last ride." He lingered for two days and then succumbed to his injuries on November 30, at age 50.
[ The story of Jones's heroism was likely reported to the press by Jones's spokesman Dunlap, for publicity value.
]
Family
Buck Jones's daughter, Maxine Jones was married to Noah Beery, Jr. from 1940 to 1966. After her divorce from Beery, she married Nicholas Firfires, a Cowboy Hall of Fame Western Artist, on August 11, 1969. Maxine and Nicholas never had any children but were married until her death in 1990.
References in popular media
On his album '' When I Was a Kid'', Bill Cosby
William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...
performed a routine in which he described seeing Buck Jones movies as a child. He commented on some of the mannerisms displayed by Jones's characters, such as not drinking or smoking, and chewing gum to signal that he was getting angry.
Recognition
In 1997, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...
, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.
In 1960, Jones was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
for his contributions to the motion picture industry. The star is located at 6834 Hollywood Blvd.
Partial filmography
* '' Western Blood'' (1918)
* '' The Rainbow Trail'' (1918)
* '' The Speed Maniac'' (1919)
* '' The Coming of the Law'' (1919)
* '' The Feud'' (1919)
* '' The Cyclone'' (1920)
* '' The Last Straw'' (1920)
* '' The Spirit of Good'' (1920)
* '' Just Pals'' (1920)
* '' Two Moons'' (1920)
* '' The Big Punch'' (1921)
* '' Bar Nothing'' (1921)
* '' Get Your Man'' (1921)
* '' Trooper O'Neill'' (1922)
* '' West of Chicago'' (1922)
* '' Bells of San Juan'' (1922)
* '' The Boss of Camp 4'' (1922)
* '' Roughshod'' (1922)
* '' Second Hand Love'' (1923)
* '' Cupid's Fireman'' (1923)
* '' Not a Drum Was Heard'' (1924)
* '' The Vagabond Trail'' (1924)
* '' The Circus Cowboy'' (1924)
* '' Against All Odds'' (1924)
* '' Winner Take All'' (1924)
* '' Dick Turpin'' (1925)
* '' Lazybones'' (1925)
* '' The Arizona Romeo'' (1925)
* '' The Timber Wolf'' (1925)
* '' The Fighting Buckaroo'' (1926)
* '' The Gentle Cyclone'' (1926)
* '' A Man Four-Square'' (1926)
* '' The Cowboy and the Countess'' (1926)
* '' Hills of Peril'' (1927)
* '' Whispering Smith'' (1927)
* '' The Big Hop'' (1928)
* '' The Lone Rider'' (1930)
* '' Shadow Ranch'' (1930)
* '' Men Without Law'' (1930)
* '' The Dawn Trail'' (1930)
* '' The Texas Ranger'' (1931)
* '' Branded'' (1931)
* '' Desert Vengeance'' (1931)
* '' The Fighting Sheriff'' (1931)
* '' Range Feud'' (1931)
* '' Ridin' For Justice'' (1932)
* '' South of the Rio Grande'' (1932)
* '' High Speed'' (1932)
* '' One Man Law'' (1932)
* '' White Eagle'' (1932) remade as a 1941 Serial
* '' Hello Trouble'' (1932)
* '' McKenna of the Mounted'' (1932)
* ''Forbidden Trail
''Forbidden Trail'' is a 1932 American pre-Code
Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement o ...
'' (1932)
* '' The California Trail'' (1933)
* '' Unknown Valley'' (1933)
* '' The Man Trailer'' (1934)
* '' The Red Rider'' (1934) 15-chapter serial[Cline, William C. (1984). "2. In Search of Ammunition". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 10. .]
* '' Stone of Silver Creek'' (1935)
* '' Border Brigands'' (1935)
* '' Empty Saddles'' (1936)
* '' The Boss Rider of Gun Creek'' (1936)
* '' Hollywood Round-Up'' (1937)
* '' Headin' East'' (1937)
* '' Sandflow'' (1937)
* '' Boss of Lonely Valley'' (1937)
* '' Smoke Tree Range'' (1937)
* '' California Frontier'' (1938)
* '' Unmarried'' (1939)
* '' Forbidden Trails'' (1941)
* '' White Eagle'' (1941) Columbia serial; remake of 1932 feature film
* '' Riders of Death Valley'' (1941) Universal serial
* '' Below the Border'' (1942)
* '' Dawn on the Great Divide'' (1942, released posthumously)
References
Bibliography
* Jordan, Joan, "A Rodeo Romeo," ''Photoplay
''Photoplay'' was one of the first American film fan magazines, its title another word for screenplay. It was founded in Chicago in 1911. Under early editors Julian Johnson and James R. Quirk, in style and reach it became a pacesetter for fan m ...
'', October 1921, p. 42.
External links
*
Article on Buck Jones and his role, if any, in rescuing victims from the fire
The Colt Revolver in the American West – Buck Jones' Single Action Army
Buck Jones
at Virtual History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Buck
1891 births
1942 deaths
American male film actors
American male silent film actors
American male radio actors
Male actors from Indiana
Male Western (genre) film actors
People from Vincennes, Indiana
United States Army soldiers
Deaths from fire in the United States
20th-century American male actors
20th Century Studios contract players
Accidental deaths in Massachusetts
Columbia Pictures contract players