Oklahoma Stars on the Screen

From the March 1925 issue of the 101 Magazine

Many Popular Movie Stars Began Their Careers Here At Marland With the Miller Brothers' 101 Ranch. Perhaps You Knew Some of 'em--Anyway. You Know 'em Now.

The brightly lithographed posters which tease Mr. and Mrs. Public into walking up to the box-office and laying their money on the marble carry the smiling faces of many film celebrities who made their picture debut on the 101 Ranch.

Tom Mix

Tom Mix, the cowboy idol is an Oklahoman whose early career carried him to many parts of the state, joined the 101 Wild West show and, for several seasons, he lent his lusty whoops and his fine horsemanship to the show arena. Col. Wm. Selig, an early producer, came to 101 Ranch to produce an historical drama and Mix, who was chief of the cowboys, attracted his attention. Mix later went to Selig in Chicago, where several westerns were produced. Following this he was given a handful of cowboys and sent to California, where he made a great many one and two reel thrillers. He gradually came more and more into the public eye and William Fox grabbed him on a long term contract. Today the salary of the former $20-a-month cowboy is said to be four times as large as that received by the President of the United States.

 

 

 

Charles Jones

Charles (Buck) Jones, whose real name is Charles Gebhart, is another film luminary whose career began on the 101. Several years ago the 101 show was playing at Galveston. A backward country boy, just discharged from the army, approached Col. Joe Miller and asked for a job. He was given the only opening - the task of currying horses for the cowboys. Soon an opening occurred in the cowboy 'string' and Jones was given an outfit and a horse. He made a splendid arena performer and he was held over during the winter for the next season's tour. Following the close of his first season, he married a dainty cowgirl (and, by the way, he still has the same wife) and they took a tiny cabin at ranch headquarters, down on the Salt Fork River.

A picture company drafted him into several mob scenes and he awakened to the possibilities. A line of small parts followed until he was again taken on the road by the 101 show. Intermittent snatches of picture work followed, but the real opportunity never seemed to come along. Then the war came along and Buck was soon a doughboy with the A. E. F. After the armistice he was sent with the army of occupation into Coblenz, Germany. Here, one holiday, an American wild west show was staged for visiting royalty and high officials. It was in this show, before King Albert of Belgium, Lloyd George of England and other celebrities, that Jones' superb horsemanship brought him considerable attention and publicity. The William Fox organization heard of the matter and, upon his discharge, a Fox representative stood before him with a five year contract in his hand. That contract recently expired and it is no secret that the renewal mentioned dollars in quantities that would take an average person's breath. One of the best things about Buck Jones is that he is just - well, just "Buck" Jones; and any of his friends who visit Hollywood find the old latchstring on the outside, with himself and the pleasant little wife glad to prove that success hasn't spoiled them.

It hardly seems fair to mention Will Rogers at any place except at the head of this article, but Will is not a temperamental actor and his consarned modesty makes him happier if he is not given too prominent a place. (The truth is, Bill is pretty much pleased if folks will just give him plenty of elbow room and time to count his daily earnings). Rogers, always a bashful soul, was with the 101 show at Madison Square Garden, New York City. A great roan steer, new to the show business, broke thru the barricades and was wildly charging toward a packed and jammed crowd. Screams rent the air, mothers gathered up their children and endeavored to move in the tightly wedged mob. The animal was bearing down upon them in fearful lunges. Suddenly a cowboy's whoop rang out, a pony sat on his haunches, and the roan steer lunged into a dust heap, groaning and bawling. The taut rope held the animal until he could be driven back into the herd in the arena. Will Rogers may be slow of speech, but he certainly was not slow of action when a crisis demanded quick thinking and a skillful toss of the rope. That same quickness of wit has since been the envy of many slow thinking politicians who have been the objects of Rogers' good-natured satire.

Following the steer episode, Rogers came into the arena to do his usual roper-spinning stunt. The crowd cheered until it was hoarse, and every novel twist of his rope brought a barrage of hand-clapping. A late arriving vaudeville agent, believing the applause to be entirely due to the crowd's approval of the rope-spinning, made the decision to employ this popular cowboy.

Next day Rogers received an offer and he came doubtfully to Col. Zack Miller for advice. It seemed that that darned fool vaudeville agent had offered him fifty dollars a week and he doubted the sincerity and squareness of the offer. Col. Miller investigated and found the offer to be legitimate. A few days later Rogers made his first vaudeville appearance. The entire 101 Ranch show roster walked up to the box-office and laid down their money just so they could clap for Bill. Their patronage and applause convinced the agent that he had made a real find but later he became discouraged. Rogers' act seemed mediocre. It never improved until one day by accident the cowboy spun his rope in a great circle and tangled it hopelessly around his legs. The crowd laughed. Rogers looked up sheepishly and said, "Well, I'd a heap rather have a rope around my laigs than t', have it around my neck." The crowd roared. From that humble beginning his extemporaneous monologs were developed and today Will Rogers is one of the most quoted men in the world.

Neal Hart, Hoot Gibson, Jack Hoxie, Tommy Grimes and Art Acord all admit that the first round on their ladders of fame would have to be named "101."

Art Acord as featured as the star of the 'Riding Rascal' from the 1920's.

Art Acord in western costume. More than being a scripted hero on the big screen, he was a war hero during World War I. Prior to enlisting, he appeared in one reel movies produced by Bison Film Company and returned to movie making after the war.