Charles Robert Starrett (March 28, 1903 – March 22, 1986) was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the ''Durango Kid'' westerns. Starrett still holds the record for starring in the longest series of theatrical features: 131 westerns, all produced by

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 ...

Early years

Starrett was born in

Athol, Massachusetts Athol (, ) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,945 at the 2020 census. History Originally called Pequoiag when settled by Native Americans, the area was subsequently settled by five families in ...

, where his grandfather had built a prosperous tool works, L. S. Starrett Company. He graduated from the

Worcester Academy Worcester Academy is a co-ed private boarding school in Worcester, Massachusetts serving grades 6-12. It is the oldest school founded in Worcester, Massachusetts, and one of the oldest day-boarding schools in the United States. A coeducation ...

in Massachusetts in 1922, then from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

Career

While Starrett was on the Dartmouth

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team he was hired to play a football extra in the film ''The Quarterback'' (1926). Bitten by the acting bug, Starrett played minor roles in films and leading roles in stage plays. In 1928, he was a member of the Walker Company, a

repertory theatre A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...

troupe headed by Stuart Walker. He was signed by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

to a movie contract, and played the romantic lead in his first picture, '' Fast and Loose'' (1930), starring

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous sound ...

, Miriam Hopkins, and

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard ...

. Starrett starred in the Canadian production '' The Viking'' (1931), a rugged outdoor adventure filmed on location in Newfoundland, which had begun as a Paramount project. Starrett was very active for the next two years, playing juvenile leads for both major and minor studios. He was featured in '' Our Betters'' (1933), '' Murder on the Campus'' (1933), and as a young doctor named Orion in "Along Came Love", opposite Irene Hervey. Of Starrett's early character appearances, today's viewers may be most familiar with the

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...

picture '' Mr. Skitch'' (1933), featuring Starrett as the romantic lead. Offscreen, Charles Starrett helped organize the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

. He held membership card #10.

Cowboy star

In 1935, Columbia Pictures wanted to replace its incumbent western star

Tim McCoy Tim McCoy (April 10, 1891 – January 29, 1978) was an American actor, military officer, and expert on Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American Indian life. McCoy is most noted for his roles in B-grade Western films. As a popular cowboy ...

with a younger actor. Starrett heard about this and interviewed with Columbia producers. Starrett recalled that studio chief

Harry Cohn Harry Cohn (July 23, 1891 – February 27, 1958) was a co-founder, president, and production director of Columbia Pictures, Columbia Pictures Corporation. Life and career Cohn was born to a working-class Jewish family in New York City. His fath ...

was indifferent, caring about only one thing: "Can he ride a horse?" Starrett could, and got the job. His first western was '' Gallant Defender'' (1935). Starrett ultimately signed four contracts with Columbia, becoming the studio's number-one cowboy star. He cast an appealing figure with his tall stature (6' 2"), strong jawline, confident voice, and air of quiet authority. Starrett hadn't planned on making an entire career out of westerns, and agreed to make them for two years, with the understanding that his bosses would then cast him in plainclothes roles. When they didn't, he walked out on his contract after the two years. "I sat out the waltz one year, thinking I'd like to make a change from westerns. That waltz cost me $60,000 he dollar value of his original agreement But you know when you're raising a family -- I had two young boys, twins -- you can't always do what you want to do... And I think an actor's life is very much like an athlete's. It's youth. You've got to make it while you can. So after that year, I went back and went along with it." Theater exhibitors around the world were attracting big crowds with Charles Starrett westerns, so Columbia gave him a new contract with the actor insisting on appearing in a non-western. He finally got his chance—once—in 1937, for the collegiate musical comedy '' Start Cheering'' (released 1938). In a curious reflection of his own situation, Starrett played a disenchanted movie hero who wanted to do something different with his life. But Starrett's success in westerns established him firmly in outdoor fare and sealed his fate professionally. For the rest of his career he made Columbia westerns exclusively. The musical westerns of

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

inspired every Hollywood studio to have its cowboy personalities use their musical talents—but not Charles Starrett. He could carry a tune but left the songs to professional vocalists (his vocals in '' Start Cheering'' were dubbed by

Robert Paige Robert Paige (born John Arthur Paige, December 2, 1911 – December 21, 1987) was an American actor and a TV newscaster and political correspondent and Universal Pictures leading man who made 65 films in his lifetime. Early life Born in Ind ...

). Columbia solved the problem by hiring an entire singing group to support Starrett: the

Sons of the Pioneers The Sons of the Pioneers are one of the United States' earliest Western singing groups. Known for their vocal performances, their musicianship, and their songwriting, they produced innovative recordings that have inspired many Western music per ...

. Charles Starrett made two dozen westerns under his new contract, and they tend to resemble each other because the production unit was very close-knit. The same company of technicians and players worked in film after film: almost always

Iris Meredith Iris Meredith (born Iris Shunn; June 3, 1915 – January 22, 1980) was a B-movie actress of the 1930s and 1940s film era. She starred mostly in heroine roles, in westerns. Early years Meredith was born in Sioux City, Iowa, but grew up in ...

as the leading lady,

Dick Curtis Richard Dye (May 11, 1902January 3, 1952), known professionally as Dick Curtis, was an American actor who made over 230 film and television appearances during his career. Early years Curtis was born in Newport, Kentucky, the son of Frank Dye ...

as the villain,

Hank Bell Hank Bell (January 21, 1892 – February 4, 1950) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 370 films between 1920 and 1950. He was born in Los Angeles, California, and died in Hollywood, California, from a heart attack A ...

as the sidekick,

Edward LeSaint Edward LeSaint (January 1, 1871 – September 10, 1940) was an American stage and film actor and Film director, director whose career began in the silent film, silent era. He acted in over 300 films and directed more than 90. He was sometimes ...

as the senior character of father, rancher, marshal, etc., and the Sons of the Pioneers as the chorus. Very occasionally, Columbia reassigned Meredith to other productions, so various contract starlets took the ingenue roles, among them

Lorna Gray Virginia Pound (July 26, 1917 – April 30, 2017), known professionally as Lorna Gray and (after 1945) Adrian Booth, was an American film actress known for her comic roles, and later as a villainess. She is best known for her roles in Colum ...

and

Ann Doran Ann Lee Doran (July 28, 1911 – September 19, 2000) was an American character actress, possibly best known as Carol Stark, the mother of James "Jim" Stark (James Dean) in '' Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955). She was an early member of the Scre ...

. When Starrett's new contract lapsed in July 1940, he withdrew from westerns and Columbia disbanded the unit. Iris Meredith left the studio, and the Sons of the Pioneers moved to

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

, where they reunited with their former lead singer

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...

. Again, exhibitors petitioned Columbia for more Charles Starrett westerns, so the studio came through with a new contract at an increased salary. Starrett finally accepted his permanent cowboy status, and returned to Columbia in March 1941 as "The Medico": Steven Monroe, cowboy doctor. The Medico series lapsed after only three features. Columbia then added former

Hopalong Cassidy Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He wa ...

co-star

Russell Hayden Russell "Lucky" Hayden (born Hayden Michael "Pate" Lucid; June 12, 1912 – June 9, 1981) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his portrayal as Lucky Jenkins in Paramount's popular Hopalong Cassidy film series. Early ...

and comedian-musician

Cliff Edwards Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American pop singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop sta ...

to the Starrett company, following the "trigger trio" format popular at the time: three name stars in a western series, like The Three Mesquiteers, The Rough Riders, and

The Range Busters ''The Range Busters'' is a 1940 American Western (genre), Western film directed by S. Roy Luby and written by John Rathmell. The film is the first in Monogram Pictures' "Range Busters" series, and it stars Ray "Crash" Corrigan as Crash, John 'D ...

. Hayden and Edwards were featured alongside Starrett during the 1941-42 season. Columbia gave Hayden his own starring series in 1942; Edwards left Columbia for

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

to work with

Tim Holt Charles John "Tim" Holt III (February 5, 1919 – February 15, 1973) was an American actor. He was a popular Western star during the 1940s and early 1950s, appearing in forty-six B westerns released by RKO Pictures. In a career spanning more ...

The Durango Kid

After playing assorted rancher, ranger, and sheriff roles, Charles Starrett was cast as The Durango Kid in 1940. The character was an upright citizen known and liked by the townsfolk, but he masqueraded as a notorious, black-garbed horseman to terrorize the local criminals and foil their plans. The film was successful but not much different from some of Starrett's earlier good guy-chasing-bad-guy roles. The character was revived five years later in ''The Return of the Durango Kid'', which caught on very quickly. Starrett played an amiable cowpoke named Steve (the last name varied but he was always Steve to his friends), who would become angered by an injustice and go after the villains as the mysterious, elusive Durango Kid. Steve's paint horse was named "Bullet" and Durango's white horse was "Raider." A follow-up film was made, and then a series. One favorite device became a signature: the masked Durango Kid suddenly materializing like

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

, always catching the villains by surprise. The Durango Kid rejuvenated Charles Starrett's career, winning him a new generation of loyal fans, a new five-year contract, and even a comic-book adaptation, ''Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid'' (1949-1955), published by Magazine Enterprises. The film series was also a useful training ground for novice actresses and fashion models, who would be signed to six-month contracts and cast as cowgirls in Starrett westerns.

Dub Taylor Walter Clarence "Dub" Taylor Jr. (February 26, 1907 – October 3, 1994)Dub Taylor, 87, Actor in Westerns, The New York Times, October 5, 1994, Section B, Page 12 was an American character actor who from the 1940s into the 1990s worked extensiv ...

, as comic sidekick "Cannonball", worked with Starrett until 1946. At that time,

Smiley Burnette Lester Alvin Burnett (March 18, 1911 – February 16, 1967), better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and ...

, who had been a very popular sidekick to

, was brought in to replace Taylor. Burnette, appropriately enough, played a character called "Smiley Burnette." The ''Durango Kid'' films combined vigorous action sequences—often with spectacular stunts performed by

Ted Mapes John Tylor Mapes (November 25, 1901 – September 9, 1984) was an American character actor, who was also a prolific stuntman and body double. Born on November 25, 1901, in St. Edward, Nebraska, he moved to Los Angeles in his mid-20s, and entere ...

and later

Jock Mahoney Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney (February 7, 1919 – December 14, 1989), known professionally as Jock Mahoney, was an American actor and stuntman. He starred in two Action/Adventure television series, '' The Range Rider'' and '' Yancy Derringer''. H ...

—and western music. Each film featured musical specialties by Burnette, and by a guest artist or group from records or radio. In 1947 producer

Colbert Clark Colbert Clark (August 31, 1898 – May 4, 1960) was an American screenwriter, film director and film producer. He particularly specialized in making western films.Tuska p.196 As a producer at Columbia Pictures, Clark was responsible for resumi ...

faced a scheduling problem for the film '' Prairie Raiders'' and had to borrow scenes from older westerns to coax the running time up to the usual length. Thus Starrett's ''

The Lone Hand Texan ''The Lone Hand Texan'' is a 1947 American Western musical film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Charles Starrett, Mustard, Gravy, Smiley Burnette, John Cason, and George Chesebro. The film was released by Columbia Pictures on March 6, 1947 ...

'' (1947) was filmed in nine days, but ''Prairie Raiders'' was finished in four. This emergency measure was only temporary, and the series returned to its standard schedule of six to nine days each until 1949, when the series faced a challenge. Production costs kept rising but the financial return was limited, so the budgets were cut. Now, every all-new Durango Kid adventure alternated with a "cheater" that filmed new scenes for about half the picture, and filled out the hour with old scenes from the film library. Sometimes the scripting and editing were very clever. '' Streets of Ghost Town'' (1950) was built around chunks from the 1946 westerns '' Gunning for Vengeance'' and '' Landrush'', and the new scenes were staged in a deserted town, saving money on supporting actors, extras, stuntmen, sets, and props. In ''Cyclone Fury'' (1951), footage from ''four'' older Starrett westerns is worked into the plot. The final Durango Kid feature was ''

The Kid from Broken Gun ''The Kid from Broken Gun'' is a 1952 American western action film directed by Fred F. Sears, and starring Charles Starrett, Jock Mahoney, Angela Stevens, Tristram Coffin, and Myron Healey. The film was released by Columbia Pictures on August ...

'' (1952), with the new footage set in a courtroom and the old footage illustrating the testimony of the various characters. Columbia was beginning to use this same recycling gambit in its action serials and

Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...

comedies. Charles Starrett retired at age 48, when his last Columbia contract lapsed. As Starrett had once taken over Columbia's westerns from Tim McCoy, Jock Mahoney took over the reins from Starrett, co-starring with Smiley Burnette in a new series under the same producer, Colbert Clark. The pilot feature, which began filming on May 6, 1952, was completed but never released; Columbia abandoned its program Westerns one month later, and Columbia's long history of B westerns ended with Charles Starrett. Columbia serviced the still-strong demand for Starrett by reissuing his 1937-1940 westerns with the Sons of the Pioneers. These proved just as popular as the Durango series. At the time the studio was so certain of Charles Starrett's continuing appeal that, as reported by columnist

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...

, Columbia "will keep the recently retired cowboy star on the nation's screens for what is conservatively estimated as the next 15 years." Columbia did keep dozens of the older Starrett features in theaters; they were reprinted in 1952, 1955, and 1958, and they remained available from local Columbia exchanges into the 1960s.

Later years

Although his agent, Sam Jaffe, tried to interest movie and TV producers in hiring Starrett, the actor no longer needed or wanted a show-business career; he was independently wealthy from wise investments and his family fortune. In retirement he traveled widely with his wife, favoring tropical islands.

NBC-TV The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

brought the Charles Starrett westerns to network television in 1956, under the program title ''Cowboy Theater.'' Starrett himself was approached to host the program, and he liked the idea but disapproved of the logistics: he would have to appear live in the studio every Saturday afternoon, and the studio was in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Starrett, long established as a California resident, was understandably reluctant to commute across the country every week, and asked if his segments could be filmed in California. The network said no, because the show was to be broadcast live from New York, along the lines of NBC's popular ''

Howdy Doody ''Howdy Doody'' is an American Children's television series, children's television program (with circus and Western (genre), Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by Victor F. Campbell

'' show under the same producer, Bob Rippen. ''Cowboy Theater'' went on with another host,

Monty Hall Monty Hall (born Monte Halparin; August 25, 1921 – September 30, 2017) was a Canadian-American radio and television show host who moved to the United States in 1955 to pursue a career in broadcasting. After working as a radio newsreade ...

, then a new face on American television. ''Cowboy Theater'' premiered on Saturday, September 15, 1956, at 12 noon Eastern time, and the first episode was a slightly edited version of Starrett's first Columbia feature, ''Gallant Defender'' (1935). The Starrett series ran for almost seven months, through March 9, 1957. Later that year, NBC revived ''Cowboy Theater'' as a Sunday-evening summertime series. This edition of the show did without a live host, presenting only the films; some of them were the 1941-42 theatrical series starring Charles Starrett and featuring Russell Hayden and Cliff Edwards. The revived ''Cowboy Theater'' ran from June 30 to September 15, 1957, at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time. Charles Starrett's fans never forgot him, and corresponded with him in later years. Starrett was pleased by the interest and made guest appearances at a few film conventions and revivals.

Death

Starrett died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

Borrego Springs, California Borrego Springs (''borrego'' is Spanish language, Spanish for "sheep") is a census-designated place (CDP) in northeastern San Diego County, California. It is located within the Low Desert area of Southern California. The population was 3,073 at t ...

, on March 22, 1986, six days short of his 83rd birthday.

Selected filmography

* '' Fast and Loose'' (1930) * '' The Royal Family of Broadway'' (1930) * '' Damaged Love'' (1931) * '' The Viking'' (1931) * ''

Silence Silence is the absence of ambient hearing, audible sound, the emission of sounds of such low sound intensity, intensity that they do not draw attention to themselves, or the state of having ceased to produce sounds; this latter sense can be exten ...

'' (1931) * ''

The Age for Love ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (1931) * ''

Touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

'' (1931) * '' Sky Bride'' (1932) * ''

Lady and Gent ''Lady and Gent'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Stephen Roberts for Paramount, featuring a young Charles ("Durango Kid") Starrett, Syd ("Three Mesquiteers") Saylor and an early supporting role by John Wayne. Plot A young ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Mask of Fu Manchu ''The Mask of Fu Manchu'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code film directed by Charles Brabin. Written by Irene Kuhn, Edgar Allan Woolf and John Willard (playwright), John Willard, it was based on the List of works by Sax Rohmer, 1 ...

'' (1933) * '' Jungle Bride'' (1933) * '' Our Betters'' (1933) * '' The Return of Casey Jones'' (1933) * '' The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi'' (1933) * '' Murder on the Campus'' (1933) * '' Mr. Skitch'' (1933) * '' Stolen Sweets'' (1934) * '' Three on a Honeymoon'' (1934) * '' This Man Is Mine'' (1934) * '' Green Eyes'' (1934) * ''

Call It Luck ''Call It Luck'' is a 1934 American comedy film directed by James Tinling and written by Dudley Nichols and Lamar Trotti. The film stars Pat Paterson, Herbert Mundin and Charles Starrett. The film was released on June 1, 1934, by Fox Film Corpo ...

'' (1934) * '' Desirable'' (1934) * '' Gentlemen Are Born'' (1934) * '' Undercover Men'' (1934) * ''

The Silver Streak ''The Silver Streak'' is a 1934 American black-and-white film drama from RKO, loosely based on the record-setting "dawn-to-dusk" run of the ''Pioneer Zephyr'' on May 26, 1934. The film stars Sally Blane, Charles Starrett, William Farnum, and Ha ...

'' (1934) * '' Sons of Steel'' (1934) * '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1935) * ''

One New York Night ''One New York Night'' (also released as ''The Trunk Mystery'') is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Jack Conway and written by Frank Davis. The film stars Franchot Tone, Una Merkel, Conrad Nagel, Harvey Stephens, Steffi Duna and Charles ...

'' (1935) * '' One in a Million'' (1935) * '' What Price Crime'' (1935) * ''

So Red the Rose ''So Red the Rose'' is the only studio album by the Duran Duran-spinoff group Arcadia, released on 18 November 1985 by Parlophone. It included the singles " Election Day", " The Promise", " Goodbye Is Forever" and " The Flame". The album peake ...

'' (1935) * '' Make a Million'' (1935) * '' Gallant Defender'' (1935) * ''

The Mysterious Avenger ''The Mysterious Avenger'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by David Selman. It features an early appearance by Jon Hall. Cast * Charles Starrett ... Ranny Maitland / Ranny Morgan * Joan Perry ... Alice Lockhart * Wheeler Oakman ... ...

'' (1936) * '' Secret Patrol'' (1936) * ''

Code of the Range ''Code of the Range'' is a 1936 American western film directed by Charles C. Coleman and starring Charles Starrett, Mary Blake and Edward Coxen. Plot A feud breaks out between cattle ranchers and sheepherders who dispute each other's graz ...

'' (1936) * '' Along Came Love'' (1936) * '' The Cowboy Star'' (1936) * ''

Stampede A stampede () is a situation in which a group of large animals suddenly start running in the same direction, especially because they are excited or frightened. Although the term is most often applied to animals, there are cases of humans stamped ...

'' (1936) * '' Dodge City Trail'' (1936) * '' Westbound Mail'' (1937) * '' Trapped'' (1937) * ''

Two Gun Law ''Two Gun Law'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Leon Barsha, starring Charles Starrett and Peggy Stratford. Plot Cast * Charles Starrett as Bob Larson * Peggy Stratford as Mary Hammond * Hank Bell as Cookie * Edward J. Le Saint ...

'' (1937) * '' Two-Fisted Sheriff'' (1937) * '' One Man Justice'' (1937) * '' The Old Wyoming Trail'' (1937) * ''

Outlaws of the Prairie ''Outlaws of the Prairie'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Sam Nelson, starring Charles Starrett, Donald Grayson, and Iris Meredith. Plot Cast * Charles Starrett as Dart Collins * Donald Grayson as Slim Grayson * Iris Meredith as ...

(1937) * '' Cattle Raiders'' (1938) * '' Start Cheering'' (1938) * '' Call of the Rockies'' (1938) * ''

Law of the Plains ''Law of the Plains'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by Sam Nelson, starring Charles Starrett, and Iris Meredith. Plot Cast * Charles Starrett as Chuck Saunders * Iris Meredith as Marion * Bob Nolan as Bob * Robert Warwick as Willa ...

'' (1938) * '' West of Cheyenne'' (1938) * ''

South of Arizona ''South of Arizona'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by Sam Nelson and starring Charles Starrett, Iris Meredith and Bob Nolan.Pitts p.327 Plot Cast * Charles Starrett as Clay Travers * Iris Meredith as Ann Madison * Bob Nolan as Bo ...

'' (1938) * '' The Colorado Trail'' (1938) * '' West of the Santa Fe'' (1938) * ''

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

'' (1938) * ''

The Thundering West ''The Thundering West'', also known as ''Trail of the Tumbleweed'', is a 1939 American Western film directed by Sam Nelson Sam Nelson (1896–1963) was an American film director who worked from the end of the silent era through the early ...

'' (1939) * ''

Texas Stampede ''Texas Stampede'' is a 1939 American western film directed by Sam Nelson and starring Charles Starrett, Iris Meredith and Bob Nolan. It is a remake of the 1930 film '' The Dawn Trail''Pitts p.79 Cast * Charles Starrett as Tom Randall * Iris Mere ...

'' (1939) * '' North of the Yukon'' (1939) * '' Spoilers of the Range'' (1939) * '' Western Caravans'' (1939) * ''

The Man from Sundown ''The Man from Sundown'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Sam Nelson and written by Paul Franklin. The film stars Charles Starrett, Iris Meredith, Richard Fiske, Jack Rockwell, Alan Bridge and Dick Botiller. The film was releas ...

'' (1939) * '' Riders of Black River'' (1939) * '' Outpost of the Mounties'' (1939) * ''

The Stranger from Texas ''The Stranger from Texas'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Sam Nelson and starring Charles Starrett, Lorna Gray and the Sons of the Pioneers. Plot Cast * Charles Starrett as Tom Murdock/Tom Morgan * Lorna Gray as Jean Browning * ...

'' (1939) * '' Two-Fisted Rangers'' (1939) * '' Bullets for Rustlers'' (1940) * '' Blazing Six Shooters'' (1940) * ''

Texas Stagecoach ''Texas Stagecoach'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and written by Fred Myton. The film stars Charles Starrett, Iris Meredith, Bob Nolan, Dick Curtis, Kenneth MacDonald and Pat Brady. The film was released on May ...

'' (1940) * '' The Durango Kid'' (1940) 1st Durango Kid film * '' West of Abilene'' (1940) * '' Thundering Frontier'' (1940) * '' The Pinto Kid'' (1941) * '' Outlaws of the Panhandle'' (1941) * ''

The Medico of Painted Springs ''The Medico of Painted Springs'' (also known as ''Doctor's Alibi'') is a 1941 American Western film produced by Columbia Pictures. Based on the novel of the same name by James Lyon Rubel, the film stars Charles Starrett, Terry Walker, Ben Ta ...

'' (1941) * '' Thunder Over the Prairie'' (1941) * '' Prairie Stranger'' (1941) * '' The Royal Mounted Patrol'' (1941) * ''

Riders of the Badlands ''Riders of the Badlands'' is a 1941 American western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Betty Burbridge. The film stars Charles Starrett, Russell Hayden, Cliff Edwards, Ilene Brewer, Kay Hughes and Roy Barcroft. The film was ...

'' (1941) * '' West of Tombstone'' (1942) * '' Lawless Plainsmen'' (1942) * '' Down Rio Grande Way'' (1942) * '' Riders of the Northland'' (1942) * '' Bad Men of the Hills'' (1942) * '' Overland to Deadwood'' (1942) * '' Riding Through Nevada'' (1942) * '' Pardon My Gun'' (1942) * '' The Fighting Buckaroo'' (1943) * '' Law of the Northwest'' (1943) * '' Frontier Fury'' (1943) * '' Robin Hood of the Range'' (1943) * '' Hail to the Rangers'' (1943) * '' Cowboy in the Clouds'' (1943) * ''

Cowboy Canteen ''Cowboy Canteen'' is a 1944 American musical western film directed by Lew Landers and starring Charles Starrett. Plot Entertainers perform on a dude ranch for soldiers. Cast * Charles Starrett as Steve Bradley * Jane Frazee as Connie Gray * ...

'' (1944) * '' Sundown Valley'' (1944) * ''

Riding West ''Riding West'' is a 1944 American Western film directed by William Berke and starring Charles Starrett. Plot Steve Jordan (Charles Starrett) is hired by Alexander Morton (Steve Clark) as the head man to get the stations, horses and people in ...

'' (1944) * '' Cowboy from Lonesome River'' (1944) * ''

Cyclone Prairie Rangers ''Cyclone Prairie Rangers'' is a 1944 American Western film directed by Benjamin H. Kline and written by Elizabeth Beecher. The film stars Charles Starrett, Dub Taylor, Constance Worth, Jimmie Davis and Jimmy Wakely. The film was released on N ...

'' (1944) * '' Saddle Leather Law'' (1944)
The Durango Kid series
* '' The Return of the Durango Kid'' (1945) sequel to ''The Durango Kid''; from this film forward, Starrett played The Durango Kid exclusively * '' Both Barrels Blazing'' (1945) * '' Sagebrush Heroes'' (1945) * '' Rough Ridin' Justice'' (1945) * ''

Rustlers of the Badlands ''Rustlers of the Badlands'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and starring Charles Starrett, Carla Balenda and Dub Taylor. This was the fourth of 65 films in the ''Durango Kid'' series. Plot Cast * Charles Starrett ...

'' (1945) * '' Outlaws of the Rockies'' (1945) * ''

Blazing the Western Trail ''Blazing the Western Trail'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Vernon Keays and written by J. Benton Cheney. The film stars Charles Starrett, Tex Harding, Dub Taylor, Carole Mathews and Bob Wills. The film was released on September 1 ...

'' (1945) * ''

Lawless Empire ''Lawless Empire'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Vernon Keays and written by Bennett Cohen. The film stars Charles Starrett, Tex Harding, Dub Taylor, Mildred Law and Bob Wills. The film was released on November 15, 1945, by Colum ...

'' (1945) * '' Texas Panhandle'' (1945) * ''

Frontier Gunlaw ''Frontier Gunlaw'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by Bennett Cohen. The film stars Charles Starrett, Tex Harding, Dub Taylor, Jean Stevens, Weldon Heyburn and Jack Rockwell. The film was released on J ...

'' (1946) * '' Roaring Rangers'' (1946) * '' Gunning for Vengeance'' (1946) * '' Galloping Thunder'' (1946) * '' Two-Fisted Stranger'' (1946) * ''

The Desert Horseman ''The Desert Horseman'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Sherman L. Lowe. The film stars Charles Starrett, Adele Roberts, Walt Shrum and Smiley Burnette. The film was released on July 11, 1946, by Columbi ...

'' (1946) * '' Heading West'' (1946) * '' Landrush'' (1946) * '' Terror Trail'' (1946) * ''

The Fighting Frontiersman ''The Fighting Frontiersman'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by Ed Earl Repp. The film stars Charles Starrett, Helen Mowery, Hank Newman and Smiley Burnette. The film was released on December 10, 1946, b ...

'' (1946) * '' South of the Chisholm Trail'' (1947) * ''

'' (1947) * ''

West of Dodge City ''West of Dodge City'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Bert Horswell. The film stars Charles Starrett, Nancy Saunders, Mustard, Gravy and Smiley Burnette. The film was released on March 27, 1947, by Columb ...

'' (1947) * ''

Law of the Canyon ''Law of the Canyon'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Eileen Gary. The film stars Charles Starrett, Nancy Saunders, Robert 'Buzz' Henry, Texas Jim Lewis and Smiley Burnette. The film was released on April ...

'' (1947) * '' Prairie Raiders'' (1947) * '' The Stranger from Ponca City'' (1947) * '' Riders of the Lone Star'' (1947) * '' Buckaroo from Powder River'' (1947) * ''

Last Days of Boot Hill ''Last Days of Boot Hill'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Charles Starrett, Virginia Hunter, Paul Campbell, Mary Newton and Smiley Burnette. The film was released on Novem ...

'' (1947) * '' Six-Gun Law'' (1948) * '' Phantom Valley'' (1948) * '' West of Sonora'' (1948) * '' Whirlwind Raiders'' (1948) * ''

Blazing Across the Pecos ''Blazing Across the Pecos'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Charles Starrett, Patricia Barry, Paul Campbell, Charles C. Wilson, Thomas E. Jackson, Red Arnall and Smiley ...

'' (1948) * '' Trail to Laredo'' (1948) * '' El Dorado Pass'' (1948) * '' Quick on the Trigger'' (1948) * ''

Challenge of the Range ''Challenge of the Range'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Ed Earl Repp. The film stars Charles Starrett, Paula Raymond, Billy Halop, Steve Darrell, Henry Hall, Robert Filmer and Smiley Burnette. The fi ...

'' (1949) * '' Desert Vigilante'' (1949) * '' Laramie'' (1949) * '' The Blazing Trail'' (1949) * ''

South of Death Valley ''South of Death Valley'' is a 1949 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Earle Snell. The film stars Charles Starrett, Gail Davis, Fred F. Sears, Lee Roberts (actor), Lee Roberts, Richard Emory, Clayton ...

'' (1949) * '' Bandits of El Dorado'' (1949) * '' Horsemen of the Sierras'' (1949) * '' Renegades of the Sage'' (1949) * '' Trail of the Rustlers'' (1950) * '' Outcast of Black Mesa'' (1950) * '' Texas Dynamo'' (1950) * '' Streets of Ghost Town'' (1950) * '' Across the Badlands'' (1950) * '' Raiders of Tomahawk Creek'' (1950) * '' Frontier Outpost'' (1950) * '' Lightning Guns'' (1950) * '' Prairie Roundup'' (1951) * ''

Pecos River The Pecos River ( ; ) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexico, at an elev ...

'' (1951) * '' Ridin' the Outlaw Trail'' (1951) * '' Fort Savage Raiders'' (1951) * '' Snake River Desperadoes'' (1951) * '' Bonanza Town'' (1951) * '' Cyclone Fury'' (1951) * ''

The Kid from Amarillo ''The Kid from Amarillo'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette and Harry Lauter. It is part of the Durango Kid series. In Britain it was released under the alternative title ''Sil ...

'' (1951) * ''

Smoky Canyon ''Smoky Canyon'' is a 1952 American Western musical film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Charles Starrett, Jock Mahoney, Danni Sue Nolan, Tris Coffin, and Larry Hudson. The film was released by Columbia Pictures on January 31, 1952. Thi ...

'' (1952) * '' The Hawk of Wild River'' (1952) * ''

Laramie Mountains The Laramie Mountains are a range of moderately high peaks on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S states of Wyoming and Colorado. The range is the northernmost extension of the line of the ranges along the eastern side of the Rock ...

'' (1952) * ''

The Rough, Tough West ''The Rough, Tough West'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Charles Starrett, Jock Mahoney and Carolina Cotton. This was the sixty-third of 65 films in the ''Durango Kid'' series. At this late date the series ...

'' (1952) * '' Junction City'' (1952) * ''

'' (1952)

References

External links

B-Western.com

*
Charles Starrett - One Fan's Journey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Starrett, Charles American male film actors Male Western (genre) film actors Worcester Academy alumni 1903 births 1986 deaths Deaths from cancer in California People from Athol, Massachusetts Male actors from Massachusetts Dartmouth Big Green football players 20th-century American male actors Columbia Pictures contract players