Buck Connors

''Buck Connors'' is an American actor known for his career in Western films during the silent and early sound eras. ^[1] Born George Washington Conner on November 22, 1880, in Streator, Illinois, he appeared in over 100 films, primarily in supporting roles as old-timers, ranchers, parsons, and townsmen. ^[1] Prior to his film career, Connors served in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War and later in the Navy and Army. He also worked in Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Pawnee Bill's Far East Combined Show in 1910 as Superintendent of Ring Stock. ^[2] He began his motion picture work in 1912 by directing two short films and acting, eventually contributing to nearly 30 years of filmmaking, including occasional sidekick roles in early sound Westerns. ^[1] Connors died of a heart attack on February 4, 1947, in Yuma, Arizona, at the age of 66. ^[1] His legacy is commemorated in Quartzsite, Arizona, where he spent time later in life and is now buried in the Hi Jolly Cemetery. ^[3]

Early life

Birth and family background

George Washington Conner, who later became known professionally as Buck Connors, was born on November 22, 1880, in Streator, LaSalle County, Illinois, United States.^[1][4] He was the son of William Lipkey Conner and Leah Bowen Conner.^[5] His mother died in 1882.^[6]

Military and law enforcement service

Buck Connors served in the United States Army during the Spanish-American War in 1898, enlisting on June 26, 1898, as a Musician (Private) in Company M, 2nd Regiment, West Virginia Infantry, and was discharged on April 10, 1899.^[2][4] He subsequently served in the United States Navy as a coxswain from November 21, 1899, to November 20, 1903, assigned to ships including the U.S.S. Dixie, Helena, Pampanga, Buffalo, and Franklin.^[2] Later, he served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps as a Corporal in Company G from November 15, 1904, to November 14, 1907.^[2] These military experiences provided him with firsthand knowledge that later informed his portrayals of Western characters in films.^[2]

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show

Buck Connors became a performer with Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, where he spent several years as part of the troupe.^[4] During his tenure, he advanced to the position of manager for the Indian performers featured in the show.^[4] Connors developed a close personal friendship with Cody himself, which persisted long after Connors left the show.^{[7] [4]} Even years later, Cody referred to him affectionately in correspondence as "one of the old guard."^[4] This period as a Wild West performer provided Connors with experience in frontier-themed entertainment prior to his film career.^[7]

Involvement in the Mexican Revolution

Buck Connors was assigned by one of the first motion picture companies from St. Louis, Missouri, to go south of the border and take movies of the fighting during the Mexican Revolution in the early 1910s.^[4] Though physically small in stature, he was cut from the same cloth as the earlier cowboys of the old west and ended up fighting in the revolution instead of merely taking motion pictures of it.^[4] This experience of actively participating in battle rather than solely documenting the conflict aligned with the rugged, action-oriented persona that would later characterize his work in Western films.^[4]

Film career

Entry into film and directorial credits

Buck Connors transitioned from his earlier career in Wild West shows to the emerging motion picture industry in 1912. ^{[2] [1]} That year, he directed two silent short films under the name George Connor: The Wooing of White Fawn and A Redskin's Appeal. ^{[8] [9]} These one-reel Western-themed shorts marked his initial foray into filmmaking, with A Redskin's Appeal featuring themes of adoption and cultural conflict involving an Indian girl raised by a general. ^[10] These two credits remain his only known directorial efforts in motion pictures. ^{[3] [1]}

Silent-era acting roles

Buck Connors began his acting career during the silent film era, appearing in numerous Western shorts and features primarily between the 1910s and late 1920s. ^[11] His real-life experience as a cowboy, military veteran, and Wild West show performer made him a natural fit for authentic Western roles, often portraying ranchers, sheriffs, miners, or sidekicks. ^[4] Connors appeared in numerous one- and two-reel silent Western shorts from the 1910s, with credits beginning in 1913 including appearances in films such as The Burning Lariat (1913) and The Phantom Riders (1918). ^[11] As the 1920s progressed, he shifted toward supporting character parts in feature-length Westerns produced mainly by Universal Pictures. ^[11] Among his notable credited performances were Taters in The Duke of Chimney Butte (1921) and John Hale in Straight Shootin' (1927). ^[1] Other significant silent-era roles included Pat Casey in Action (1921), Shorty Fuller in Tracked to Earth (1922), and John Pendleton in The Yellow Back (1926). ^[11] He appeared in approximately 55 to 60 silent-era films overall (credits before 1930), the vast majority of which were Westerns showcasing his versatility in genre-specific character work. ^[11] This period represented the most active and prominent phase of his screen career before transitioning to smaller parts in sound films. ^[1]

Sound-era character acting

With the arrival of sound films around 1929, Buck Connors shifted from his earlier silent-era work in Westerns to predominantly small, often uncredited character roles in B-Westerns throughout the 1930s and into 1941. ^[1] These appearances typically cast him as archetypal older frontier figures, such as old-timers, ranchers, townsmen, parsons, hardpans, or codgers, in low-budget productions where he provided atmospheric support without substantial dialogue or billing. ^{[2] [1]} Representative examples of his sound-era work include the uncredited role of Abraham Wilson in The Westerner (1940), the credited portrayal of Whitey (as Buck Conners) in The Law Rides (1936), and the uncredited Old-Timer in Underground Rustlers (1941). ^[1] He also played named character parts like Fuzz, an old-timer sidekick, in No Man's Range (1935), and similar whiskered old-timer figures in other B-Westerns such as Headin' for Trouble (1931). ^[2] Many of his other sound-era credits featured him as uncredited types including ranchers in Henry Goes Arizona (1939), townsmen in The Taming of the West (1939), or parsons in The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1938). ^[1] Connors' overall acting career encompassed 101 credits, the vast majority consisting of these minor, often uncredited Western character parts that defined his later screen presence. ^[1]

Union involvement

No reliable sources document Buck Connors' involvement with the Screen Actors Guild or any other performers' union.

Personal life and death

Marriage and family

Buck Connors married Hazel Violet Powell in 1922 in Los Angeles. ^[2] Their marriage lasted until his death in 1947. ^[7] The couple had two sons. ^{[7] [2]}

Later years and death

In his later years, Buck Connors retired from acting after his final film appearance in 1941. ^[1] He spent this period in Arizona. ^[1] Connors died of a heart attack on February 4, 1947, in Yuma, Arizona, USA. ^[1]