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Roger Grimes Williams (February 8, 1898 – December 18, 1964) was an American actor of the 1930s. Born on February 8, 1898, in
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
,
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
, his family moved to the
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 wor ...
area during the early 1900s. He served in the U.S. Army during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, being awarded several decorations. Married several times, he entered the film industry in the early 1930s, where he worked for several years. Married three times, he had a short film career during the 1930s, after which not much is known of his life, until his death in Los Angeles in 1964.


Early life

Williams was born in Denver, Colorado, on February 8, 1898, to Charles H. Williams and Evangeline Lloyd. He was the oldest of seven children. By 1910 the family had moved to California, and were living Belvedere, which was in Los Angeles County. He enlisted in the army during the mid-1910s, lying about his age, which later caused some confusion about his true date of birth, which several sources still incorrectly report. Press releases during his film career claim that he was awarded the
Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...
and the
Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...
during World War I. He was married for the first time on June 6, 1916, to Vera Paloma Bennett of Utah. At the time, he claimed to be a motion picture actor, however no records can be found of his involvement in the film industry at this time. By the time he registered for the draft for World War I, he was already divorced from his first wife. In 1920 he married his second wife, Ruby B. Noe, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on February 7, 1920. By 1930, he had divorced and remarried for the third and final time, to his wife, Ellen, by which point the couple had two children. During the 1920s he worked as a tradesman in Los Angeles.


Film career

Williams made his film debut in 1933, in a supporting role in '' Trouble Busters''. During his time in films, he was given roles across the gamut of acting, from bit roles as in 1935's '' Saddle Aces'', to supporting parts, as in ''
Riders of the Whistling Skull ''Riders of the Whistling Skull'' is a 1937 "Three Mesquiteers" Western B-movie of the weird western genre starring Bob Livingston, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, and ventriloquist Max Terhune with his dummy Elmer. It was directed by Mack V. Wrigh ...
'', to starring roles as in '' Heroes of the Alamo''. During his short 7-year career he appeared in over 100 films, the vast majority of them westerns.


Personal life

Williams and his third wife, Ellen, had four children, two daughters (Waneta and Delores) and two sons (Roger and Arthur); he remained married to Ellen until his death in 1964. After leaving the film industry, he spent some time as an engineer for Douglas Aircraft. Williams died on December 18, 1964, in Los Angeles, California.


Partial filmography

* '' Trouble Busters'' (1933) * '' Range Warfare'' (1934) * ''
The Pecos Kid ''The Pecos Kid'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser. Plot summary Land Baron James Grayson and his gang steal the Pecos' family Rancho and kill the male adults, leaving young Donald still alive. Years later, Donal ...
'' (1935) * ''
Wagon Trail A wagon or waggon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people. Wagons are immediately distinguished from ...
'' (1935) * ''
Kentucky Blue Streak ''Kentucky Blue Streak'' is a 1935 American film directed by Raymond K. Johnson and starring Edward J. Nugent, Frank Coghlan Jr. and Cornelius Keefe.Pitts p.290 The film's sets were designed by the art director Vin Taylor. It was released in the ...
'' (1935) * '' Rustler's Paradise'' (1935) * '' Toll of the Desert'' (1935) * '' Code of the Mounted'' (1935) * '' Gun Play'' (1935) * '' The Cheyenne Tornado'' (1935) * '' Branded a Coward'' (1935) * '' The Vanishing Riders'' (1935) * '' No Man's Range'' (1935) * '' Alias John Law'' (1935) * '' The Reckless Buckaroo'' (1935) * '' Trails of the Wild'' (1935) * '' Saddle Aces'' (1935) * '' Fighting Pioneers'' (1935) * '' Frontier Justice'' (1935) * '' Gun Smoke'' (1936) * '' Timber War'' (1935) * '' Step on It'' (1936) * '' Feud of the West'' (1936) * '' Desert Justice'' (1936) * '' Gun Grit'' (1936) * '' The Traitor'' (1936) * '' Phantom Patrol'' (1936) * '' Song of the Trail'' (1936) * ''
Aces Wild ''Aces Wild'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and starring Harry Carey, Gertrude Messinger and Theodore Lorch.Pitts, p. 130. Main cast * Harry Carey as Cheyenne Harry Morgan * Gertrude Messinger as Martha Worth * ...
'' (1936) * ''
Vengeance of Rannah ''Vengeance of Rannah'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Bernard B. Ray, produced by Ray and Harry S. Webb for Reliable Pictures, and starring Bob Custer and Rin Tin Tin, Jr. Plot Insurance investigator Ted Sanders is assigned to ...
'' (1936) * '' Law and Lead'' (1936) * '' Wildcat Trooper'' (1936) * '' Men of the Plains'' (1936) * '' Wild Horse Round-Up'' (1936) * '' Cheyenne Rides Again'' (1937) * ''
Riders of the Whistling Skull ''Riders of the Whistling Skull'' is a 1937 "Three Mesquiteers" Western B-movie of the weird western genre starring Bob Livingston, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, and ventriloquist Max Terhune with his dummy Elmer. It was directed by Mack V. Wrigh ...
'' (1937) * '' The Singing Buckaroo'' (1937) * '' Santa Fe Rides'' (1937) * '' The Silver Trail'' (1937) * ''
The Roaming Cowboy ''The Roaming Cowboy'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Robert F. Hill and written by Fred Myton. The film stars Fred Scott, Al St. John, Lois January, Forrest Taylor, Roger Williams, Richard Cramer, Buddy Cox and Art Miles. T ...
'' (1937) * '' Bill Cracks Down'' (1937) * '' Guns in the Dark'' (1937) * ''
Come On, Cowboys ''Come On, Cowboys'' is a 1937 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by Joseph Kane. Cast * Robert Livingston as Stony Brooke *Ray Corrigan as Tucson Smith *Max Terhune as Lullaby Joslin *Maxine Doyle as Ellen Reed *Willie F ...
'' (1937) * ''
Brothers of the West ''Brothers of the West'' is a 1937 American Western film produced and directed by Sam Katzman filmed at the Brandeis Ranch at Chatsworth, Los Angeles.p. 125 England, Jerry ''Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas'' ECHO Press 24 June 2008 Plot In ...
'' (1937) * '' Lost Ranch'' (1937) * '' Heroes of the Alamo'' (1937) * '' Trailin' Trouble'' (1937) * ''
Sky Racket Sky Racket may refer to: * ''Sky Racket'' (1937 film) * ''Sky Racket'' (video game) {{Disambiguation ...
'' (1937) * '' Nation Aflame'' (1937) * '' Zorro Rides Again'' (1937) * '' Valley of Terror'' (1937) * '' Call the Mesquiteers'' (1938) * '' The Feud Maker'' (1938) * '' Gang Bullets'' (1938) * '' Red River Range'' (1938) * ''
Wolf Call The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
'' (1939)


References


External links

* ''Note that this record has incorrect biographical details including birth and death dates and places'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Roger 20th-century American male actors American male film actors Male actors from Denver 1898 births 1964 deaths Male Western (genre) film actors