Riley Hill (born Roy Lawrence Harris, March 20, 1914 – September 16, 1993) was an American actor who appeared in both film and television. Over the span of his career he appeared in 71 feature films and over a dozen television series.

Biography

Born Roy Lawrence Harris on March 20, 1914, in Fort Worth, Texas, his parents were Charlie Morris Harris and Mary Irene Bowers. He began acting under his real name with a small role in the 1937 film, '' The Firefly''. By the beginning of the next decade he was getting significant roles in Hollywood westerns such as '' Law of the Range'' (1941), ''

Men of the Timberland ''Men of the Timberland'' is a 1941 American film starring Richard Arlen and Andy Devine. It was part of their Aces of Action series at Universal. Paul Jarrico worked on the script. He later said the film "dealt with the fight Richard Arlen, And ...

'' (1941), ''

Rawhide Rangers ''Rawhide Rangers'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor and written by Ed Earl Repp. The film stars Johnny Mack Brown, Fuzzy Knight, Kathryn Adams Doty, Nell O'Day, Riley Hill and Harry Cording. The film was released on Jul ...

'' (1941), '' Texas Trouble Shooters'' (1942), and '' Arizona Stage Coach'' (1942). ''Arizona Stage Coach'' would be the last picture he appeared in before, in 1942, his film career was interrupted by

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. It would also be the last film he would use his real name in. After being released from military service he took up the stage name of Riley Hill, and had a significant role in 1944's '' Ghost Guns''. During the remainder of the 1940s he had significant roles in numerous films, including '' Flame of the West'' (1945), '' Sheriff of Cimarron'' (1945), '' Gun Smoke'' (1945), '' Border Bandits'' (1946), ''

Under Arizona Skies ''Under Arizona Skies'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by J. Benton Cheney. The film stars Johnny Mack Brown, Reno Browne, Raymond Hatton, Riley Hill, Tris Coffin and Reed Howes. The film was released o ...

'' (1946), ''

The Haunted Mine ''The Haunted Mine'' is a 1946 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by Frank H. Young. This is the twentieth and final film in the "Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie" series, and stars Johnny Mack Brown as J ...

'' (1946), '' Trigger Fingers'' (1946), '' Flashing Guns'' (1947), ''

Code of the Saddle ''Code of the Saddle'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Thomas Carr and written by Eliot Gibbons. The film stars Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, Riley Hill, Kay Morley, William Bailey and Zon Murray. The film was released on Jun ...

'' (1947), '' Range Renegades'' (1948), and ''

The Rangers Ride ''The Rangers Ride'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by Basil Dickey. The film stars Jimmy Wakely, Dub Taylor, Virginia Belmont, Riley Hill, Marshall Reed and Steve Clark. The film was released on April ...

'' (1948). He finished the decade with featured roles in seven films in 1949, including '' Shadows of the West'', '' Across the Rio Grande'', '' Range Justice'', '' Law of the West'', and '' Lawless Code''. The 1950s saw Hill continue in major supporting roles, along with the occasional starring role in B westerns, as well as lesser roles. He had one of the starring roles in 1950's '' Law of the Panhandle'', and significant roles that same year in '' Six Gun Mesa'' and '' Fence Riders''. After 1951 his roles began to diminish, although he did have a significant supporting role in the 1952 western, ''

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

'', and 1953's '' White Lightning''. With the advent of television, Hill began to transition to that medium. He appeared in ''

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 ...

'', ''

Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (character), Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''De ...

'', ''

The Gene Autry Show ''The Gene Autry Show'' is an American western/ cowboy television series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956, originally sponsored by Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum. Overview Series star Gene Autry had ...

'', and ''

The Range Rider ''The Range Rider'' is an American Western television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaki ...

'' during the early 1950s. He had the significant role of the apostle

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Seco ...

in the 1952 series, '' The Living Bible''. The remainder of the decade saw him continue to appear on television, mostly in westerns such as ''

The Roy Rogers Show ''The Roy Rogers Show'' is an American western television series starring Roy Rogers. 100 episodes were broadcast on NBC for six seasons between December 30, 1951 and June 9, 1957. The episodes were set in the prevailing times (1950s) in the st ...

'', ''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in ''Everybody's Magaz ...

'', '' Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok'', and ''

The Adventures of Kit Carson ''The Adventures of Kit Carson'' is an American Western that aired from 1951 to 1955. The show ran for four seasons and consisted of 104 episodes over four years. The original air date was Saturday, August 11, 1951. It concluded on January 22, 19 ...

''. His last significant part was in a recurring role in ''

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. ...

'' during 1958–59. At some point in the early 1960s Hill moved to

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive ...

. He only appeared in films which were shot in Arizona after this time. He had a significant role in ''

The Trial of Billy Jack ''The Trial of Billy Jack'' is a 1974 Western action film starring Delores Taylor and Tom Laughlin. It is the sequel to the 1971 film ''Billy Jack'' and the third film overall in the series. Directed by Laughlin, the film has a running time of ...

'' in 1974, and smaller roles in 1976's '' The Last Hard Men'' and several other films in the 1960s and 1970s. His last significant role, and second to last performance, was in ''

When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? ''When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?'' is a play by Mark Medoff. The setting is Foster's Diner, a New Mexico rest stop that lost most of its clientele when a new highway bypass opened. Employees include restless cook Stephen (nicknamed " Red Ry ...

'' (1979).

Filmography

(Per AFI database) * '' The Firefly'' (1937) credited as Roy Harris - Lieutenant * ''

Oklahoma Frontier ''Oklahoma Frontier'' is a 1939 American Western film written and directed by Ford Beebe. The film stars Johnny Mack Brown, Bob Baker, Fuzzy Knight, Anne Gwynne, James Blaine and Bob Kortman. The film was released on October 10, 1939, by ...

'' (1939) credited as Roy Harris - Trooper * '' The Flame of New Orleans'' credited as Roy Harris (1941) * '' Mob Town'' (1941) credited as Roy Harris - Boy * '' San Antonio Rose'' (1941) credited as Roy Harris - Jimmy * ''

'' (1941) credited as Roy Harris - Withers * '' Flying Cadets'' (1941) credited as Roy Harris - Barnes * '' Nice Girl?'' (1941) credited as Roy Harris - Doug * '' Law of the Range'' (1941) credited as Roy Harris - Wolverine Kid * ''

'' (1941) credited as Roy Harris - Steve Calhoun * '' Meet the Chump'' (1941) credited as Roy Harris - Clerk * ''

Bombay Clipper ''Bombay Clipper'' is a 1942 aviation drama film directed by John Rawlins and starring William Gargan and Irene Hervey. The film features Maria Montez in an early role. Turhan Bey also appears. The film was based on the exploits of oceanic f ...

'' (1942) credited as Roy Harris - Steward * '' North to the Klondike'' (1942) credited as Roy Harris - Ben Sloan * '' Top Sergeant'' (1942) credited as Roy Harris - Roy * '' Texas Trouble Shooters'' (1942) credited as Roy Harris - Bret Travis * '' Arizona Stage Coach'' (1942) credited as Roy Harris - Ernie * '' Ghost Guns'' (1944) - Ted Connors * '' What Next, Corporal Hargrove?'' (1945) - Private * '' Flame of the West'' (1945) - Jack Midland * '' Sheriff of Cimarron'' (1945) - Ted Cartwright * '' Gun Smoke'' (1945) - Joel Hinkley * ''

The Navajo Trail ''The Navajo Trail'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Frank H. Young. This is the fourteenth film in the "Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie" series, and stars Johnny Mack Brown as Jack McKenzie and Ray ...

'' (1945) - Paul * ''

The Lost Trail ''The Lost Trail'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by Adele Buffington. This is the seventeenth film in the "Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie" series, and stars Johnny Mack Brown as Jack McKenzie and Raym ...

'' (1945) - Ned Turner * '' The Desert Horseman'' (1946) - Eddie * '' Border Bandits'' (1946) - Steve Halliday * ''

'' (1946) - Bill Simpson * ''

'' (1946) - Dan McLeod * '' Trigger Fingers'' (1946) - Jimmy Peters * '' Flashing Guns'' (1947) - Fred Shelby * ''

'' (1947) - Bill Stace * '' Jiggs and Maggie in Court'' (1948) - Dennis Malone * '' Frontier Agent'' (1948) - Joe Farr * '' Range Renegades'' (1948) - Larry Jordan * ''

'' (1948) - Vic Sanders * '' Shadows of the West'' (1949) - Carl Davis * '' Across the Rio Grande'' (1949) - Steven Blaine * '' Range Justice'' (1949) - Glenn Hadley * '' Western Renegades'' (1949) - Joe Gordon * '' Law of the West'' (1949) - Charley Lane * '' Lawless Code'' (1949) - Curly Blake * '' Bride for Sale'' (1949) credited as Roy Harris - Clerk * ''

Gunslingers Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the te ...

'' (1950) - Tim Cramer * '' Radar Secret Service'' (1950) - Blacky * '' Short Grass'' (1950) - Randee Fenton * '' Silver Raiders'' (1950) - Bill * '' Jiggs and Maggie Out West'' (1950) - Bob Carter * '' Six Gun Mesa'' (1950) - Dave Emmett * '' Law of the Panhandle'' (1950) - Tom Stocker * '' Fence Riders'' (1950) - Hutch * '' Valley of Fire'' (1951) - Colorado * '' Canyon Raiders'' (1951) - Lou Banks * '' Nevada Badmen'' (1951) - Jess * '' Navy Bound'' (1951) - Officer * '' The Vanishing Outpost'' (1951) - Walker * '' I Was an American Spy'' (1951) - Thompson * '' Outlaw Women'' (1952) - John Ringo * '' The Raiders'' (1952) - Clarke Leftus * '' Night Stage to Galveston'' (1952) - Police lieutenant * ''

Here Come the Marines ''Here Come the Marines'' is a 1952 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on June 29, 1952 by Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 19 ...

'' (1952) - Captain Harlow * ''

The Lusty Men ''The Lusty Men '' is a 1952 Western film released by Wald-Krasna Productions and RKO Radio Pictures starring Susan Hayward, Robert Mitchum, Arthur Kennedy and Arthur Hunnicutt. The picture was directed by Nicholas Ray and produced by Jerry Wal ...

'' (1952) - Hoag * ''

Wagons West ''Wagons West'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Ford Beebe and starring Rod Cameron, Noah Beery Jr., and Peggie Castle. Plot Cast * Rod Cameron as Jeff Curtis * Noah Beery Jr. as Arch Lawrence * Peggie Castle as Ann Wilkins * ...

'' (1952) - Gaylord Cook * ''

'' (1952) - Foster * ''

Fort Vengeance ''Fort Vengeance'' (aka ''Royal Mounted Police'') is a 1953 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and starring James Craig, Rita Moreno and Keith Larsen.White Lightning'' (1953) - Horwin * ''

Buchanan Rides Alone ''Buchanan Rides Alone'' is a 1958 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott, Craig Stevens, and Barry Kelley. Based on the 1956 novel ''The Name's Buchanan'' by Jonas Ward, the film is about a Texan return ...

'' (1958) - Juror * '' The Threat'' (1960) - Police Sergeant * '' Ma Barker's Killer Brood'' (1960) - Deputy * ''

'' (1974) - Stuart Posner * '' The Last Hard Men'' (1976) - Gus * ''

Wanda Nevada ''Wanda Nevada'' is a 1979 American Western film starring Peter Fonda and Brooke Shields as the title character. (archive) It was also directed by Peter Fonda. Henry Fonda makes a cameo appearance as an Arizona prospector, making it the only fi ...

'' (1979) - Reporter #2 * ''

'' (1979) - Junior Ferguson

References

External links

*
Riley Hill's page on B-Westerns

Riley Hill's page on Western Clippings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Riley 1914 births 1993 deaths Male actors from Fort Worth, Texas Male Western (genre) film actors