Acting
Hoot Gibson
Hoot Gibson was a colorful figure, a light-hearted, fun-loving personality on screen and off. Hoot’s cheerful westerns included a significant amount of comedy. His mild, peaceful character rarely carried a gun. As an expert horseman, Hoot was always impressive on a galloping horse. Gibson’s film career began in 1910 with a few films for the Biograph Company interspersed among rodeo competitions. In 1914 he was a stuntman for the serial The Hazards of Helen, doubling the serial’s star Helen Holmes. His stunts included fights on trains and transfers from a train to a horse. He had supporting roles in numerous Western short films, including playing the villain in A Knight of the Range (1916) opposite popular western star Harry Carey. He appeared in three of the Westerns made by Carey and director John Ford in 1917: Straight Shooting, The Secret Man, and A Marked Man. Hoot’s starring career at Universal Studios was launched in two films directed by Ford, Action (1921) and Sure Fire (1921). In these films, Hoot plays a wandering cowboy who rescues the pretty young co-star from outlaws. Hoot became a popular western star for Universal. Film titles such as Ridin’ Wild (1922), Thrill Chaser (1923), Hit and Run (1924), Hurricane Kid (1925), and Galloping Fury (1927) guaranteed Hoot’s fans five reels of action and fun. Hoot’s easygoing approach gave his films a lighthearted tone. A deft comedian, he featured as much comedy as drama. As talkies arrived, Hoot continued as a Western star, but with lower budget producers such as M.H. Hoffman Inc. (distributed on a state rights basis by Allied Pictures Corporation) and Walker Futter Productions (Diversion Pictures). In 1935, Hoot co-starred with Harry Carey in Powdersmoke Range, advertised by RKO as the "Barnum and Bailey of Westerns" (whatever that means). The cast list of this "all star" (B western stars) film included Bob Steele, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Tom Tyler, William Farnum, and other Westerners from the silent era. In 1937 at Republic, he made a serial, The Painted Stallion, in support of new cowboy star Ray Corrigan. An aging Hoot retained his fine horsemanship and comic flair, but fan interest had moved to the new singing cowboys, especially Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Hoot’s Westerns had lost their appeal. In the late thirties, out of movies, Hoot toured with circuses and appeared at rodeos and fairs. In 1943, after seven years off the screen, Hoot returned in the Trail Blazer series at Monogram Studios. In these Westerns, Marshall Hoot Gibson, initially co-starred with Ken Maynard and later with Bob Steele and Chief Thundercloud, upholds the law and captures outlaws and crooked businessmen threatening the lives and property of innocent citizens. Hoot made eleven Trail Blazer films; the last was Trigger Law (1944). John Ford brought Hoot back for a cameo role in The Horse Soldiers (1959). His last screen appearance was as a sheriff’s deputy in Ocean’s Eleven (1960), another cameo.
Filmography
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
Film · 1976
Ocean's Eleven
Film · 1960
The Horse Soldiers
Film · 1959
The Marshal's Daughter
Film · 1953
I Married Joan
Series · 1952
Flight to Nowhere
Film · 1946
Marked Trails
Film · 1944
Outlaw Trail
Film · 1944
Westward Bound
Film · 1944
Arizona Whirlwind
Film · 1944
Trigger Law
Film · 1944
The Utah Kid
Film · 1944
Sonora Stagecoach
Film · 1944
Wild Horse Stampede
Film · 1943
The Law Rides Again
Film · 1943
Blazing Guns
Film · 1943
Death Valley Rangers
Film · 1943
The Painted Stallion
Film · 1937
Cavalcade of the West
Film · 1936
Frontier Justice
Film · 1936
Lucky Terror
Film · 1936
The Riding Avenger
Film · 1936
The Last Outlaw
Film · 1936
Feud of the West
Film · 1936
Sunset Range
Film · 1935
Rainbow's End
Film · 1935
Swifty
Film · 1935
Powdersmoke Range
Film · 1935
The Dude Bandit
Film · 1933
The Fighting Parson
Film · 1933
The Cowboy Counsellor
Film · 1932
A Man's Land
Film · 1932
The Local Bad Man
Film · 1932
The Boiling Point
Film · 1932
The Spirit of the West
Film · 1932
Clearing the Range
Film · 1931
Wild Horse
Film · 1931
The Hard Hombre
Film · 1931
The Gay Buckaroo
Film · 1931
We’re Switching to Hollywood
Film · 1931
Spurs
Film · 1930
Trigger Tricks
Film · 1930
The Mounted Stranger
Film · 1930
Trailing Trouble
Film · 1930
The Concentratin' Kid
Film · 1930
Roaring Ranch
Film · 1930
Burning the Wind
Film · 1929
The Winged Horseman
Film · 1929
Riding for Fame
Film · 1929
Courtin' Wildcats
Film · 1929
Smilin' Guns
Film · 1929
Points West
Film · 1929
The Lariat Kid
Film · 1929
The Long, Long Trail
Film · 1929
King of the Rodeo
Film · 1929
The Flyin' Cowboy
Film · 1928
A Trick of Hearts
Film · 1928
Clearing the Trail
Film · 1928
The Wild West Show
Film · 1928
The Danger Rider
Film · 1928
Hollywood or Bust
Film · 1928
The Rawhide Kid
Film · 1928
The Denver Dude
Film · 1927
The Silent Rider
Film · 1927
Galloping Fury
Film · 1927
Life in Hollywood No. 3
Film · 1927
Painted Ponies
Film · 1927
A Hero on Horseback
Film · 1927
Hey! Hey! Cowboy
Film · 1927
The Prairie King
Film · 1927
The Phantom Bullet
Film · 1926
Chip of the Flying U
Film · 1926
The Buckaroo Kid
Film · 1926
The Flaming Frontier
Film · 1926
The Texas Streak
Film · 1926
Arizona Sweepstakes
Film · 1926
The Man in the Saddle
Film · 1926
Let 'er Buck
Film · 1925
The Hurricane Kid
Film · 1925
The Calgary Stampede
Film · 1925
The Saddle Hawk
Film · 1925
Taming the West
Film · 1925
Spook Ranch
Film · 1925
40-Horse Hawkins
Film · 1924
Ride for Your Life
Film · 1924
Hit and Run
Film · 1924
The Sawdust Trail
Film · 1924
Broadway or Bust
Film · 1924
Hook and Ladder
Film · 1924
The Ridin' Kid from Powder River
Film · 1924
Hello, 'Frisco
Film · 1924
Kindled Courage
Film · 1923
The Gentleman from America
Film · 1923
Single Handed
Film · 1923
Dead Game
Film · 1923
Double Dealing
Film · 1923
Shootin' for Love
Film · 1923
Out of Luck
Film · 1923
Blinky
Film · 1923
The Ramblin' Kid
Film · 1923
The Thrill Chaser
Film · 1923
Ridin' Wild
Film · 1922
The Lone Hand
Film · 1922
Trimmed
Film · 1922
Step on It!
Film · 1922
The Loaded Door
Film · 1922
The Galloping Kid
Film · 1922
Headin' West
Film · 1922
The Bear Cat
Film · 1922
Sure Fire
Film · 1921
The Fire Eater
Film · 1921
The Saddle King
Film · 1921
The Driftin' Kid
Film · 1921
Sweet Revenge
Film · 1921
Double Crossers
Film · 1921
The Fightin' Fury
Film · 1921
The Wild Wild West
Film · 1921
Crossed Clues
Film · 1921
Out o' Luck
Film · 1921
The Cactus Kid
Film · 1921
Who Was the Man?
Film · 1921
The Movie Trail
Film · 1921
Kickaroo
Film · 1921
Bandits Beware
Film · 1921
The Man Who Woke Up
Film · 1921
Beating the Game
Film · 1921
The Winning Track
Film · 1921
Action
Film · 1921
Red Courage
Film · 1921
Roarin' Dan
Film · 1920
West Is Best
Film · 1920
The Sheriff's Oath
Film · 1920
Runnin' Straight
Film · 1920
Hair Trigger Stuff
Film · 1920
The Texas Kid
Film · 1920
Held Up for the Makin's
Film · 1920
Masked
Film · 1920
The Shootin' Kid
Film · 1920
Wolf Tracks
Film · 1920
The Broncho Kid
Film · 1920
The Champion Liar
Film · 1920
Thieves' Clothes
Film · 1920
The Smilin' Kid
Film · 1920
The Big Catch
Film · 1920
The Shootin' Fool
Film · 1920
A Gamblin' Fool
Film · 1920
The Fightin' Terror
Film · 1920
The Jay Bird
Film · 1920
The Grinning Granger
Film · 1920
One Law for All
Film · 1920
'in Wrong' Wright
Film · 1920
Cinders
Film · 1920
Double Danger
Film · 1920
The Two-Fisted Lover
Film · 1920
Tipped Off
Film · 1920
The Stranger
Film · 1920
Superstition
Film · 1920
The Man with a Punch
Film · 1920
Fight It Out
Film · 1920
The Brand Blotter
Film · 1920
The Trail of the Hound
Film · 1920
Winning a Home
Film · 1920
The Rattler's Hiss
Film · 1920
The Tell-Tale Wire
Film · 1919
His Buddy
Film · 1919
The Four-Bit Man
Film · 1919
The Lone Hand
Film · 1919
The Black Horse Bandit
Film · 1919
The Fighting Heart
Film · 1919
The Jack of Hearts
Film · 1919
Kingdom Come
Film · 1919
Ace High
Film · 1919
The Crow
Film · 1919
The Trail of the Holdup Man
Film · 1919
The Face in the Watch
Film · 1919
The Double Hold-Up
Film · 1919
By Indian Post
Film · 1919
The Fighting Brothers
Film · 1919
Gun Law
Film · 1919
The Gun Packer
Film · 1919
The Rustlers
Film · 1919
Play Straight or Fight
Film · 1918
The Midnight Flyer
Film · 1918
The Branded Man
Film · 1918
Danger, Go Slow
Film · 1918
The Woman in the Web
Film · 1918
Headin' South
Film · 1918
The Hazards of Helen
Film · 1917
The Voice on the Wire
Film · 1917
A 44-Calibre Mystery
Film · 1917
The Golden Bullet
Film · 1917
The Wrong Man
Film · 1917
Straight Shooting
Film · 1917
Cheyenne's Pal
Film · 1917
The Secret Man
Film · 1917
A Marked Man
Film · 1917
The Soul Herder
Film · 1917
A Knight of the Range
Film · 1916
The Passing of Hell's Crown
Film · 1916
The Wedding Guest
Film · 1916
Stampede in the Night
Film · 1916
The Capture of Red Stanley
Film · 1916
The Mysterious Cipher
Film · 1916
The Night Riders
Film · 1916
The Governor's Special
Film · 1916
Judge Not; or The Woman of Mona Diggings
Film · 1915
Buckshot John
Film · 1915
The Death Train
Film · 1915
In Danger's Path
Film · 1915
The Hazards of Helen Ep26: The Wild Engine
Film · 1915
The Ring of Destiny
Film · 1915
The Pay Train
Film · 1915
The Man from Texas
Film · 1915
The Man from the East
Film · 1914
The Telltale Knife
Film · 1914
Kid Pink and the Maharajah
Film · 1914
Shotgun Jones
Film · 1914
Cowboy Sports and Pastimes
Film · 1913
In the Secret Service
Film · 1913
His Only Son
Film · 1912
A Four-Footed Hero
Film · 1912
The New Superintendent
Film · 1911
The Two Brothers
Film · 1910
Pride Of The Range
Film · 1910