1904-09-01 Dothan, Alabama, USA
An All-American halfback while attending the University of Alabama, Johnny Mack Brown chose the silver screen over the green grass of the football field when he graduated. Signed to a contract with MGM in 1926, Brown debuted in Slide, Kelly, Slide (1927) with William Haines in a film about - baseball. This was followed by The Bugle Call (1927), which starred the fading Jackie Coogan. In 1928 he appeared in the last Norma Shearer silent film, A Lady of Chance (1928). After that, he worked with Greta Garbo, Marion Davies and Mary Pickford. His muscular good looks only carried him so far in films, however, and by 1930 he had yet to find his place. At MGM Clark Gable was taking the roles that Brown was up for, so he went into a western for director King Vidor, Billy the Kid (1930). While Vidor did not want him for the part to begin with, the picture was successful; however, Brown's career at MGM soon ended. By 1933 he was still making westerns, but they were for low-rung studios like Mascot. More westerns at even lower-rung Supreme Pictures followed, as well as serials like Wild West Days (1937) at Universal. In 1943 Brown took his boots over to Monogram Pictures, where he made over 60 westerns. He started off as "Nevada Jack McKenzie" in the Rough Riders series, but the name soon changed to Johnny. As with most of the early cowboy stars, he was a hero to millions of young children and consistently among the top ten money-makers in westerns from 1942-50. The bubble burst, though, just as it did for Allan Lane, in 1953, as the days of the "B" western came to an end.
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Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs | (archive footage) | 2000-01-01 |
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Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her | Self (archive footage) | 1994-08-09 |
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Legends of the West | Billy the Kid in 'Billy the Kid' (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1992-09-08 |
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Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch | (archive footage) | 1976-05-01 |
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It's Showtime | Self (archive footage) | 1976-03-31 |
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The Bounty Killer | Sheriff Green | 1965-07-30 |
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Requiem for a Gunfighter | Enkoff | 1965-06-30 |
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Apache Uprising | Sheriff Ben Hall | 1965-12-29 |
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The Marshal's Daughter | Johnny Mack Brown - Poker-Game Player | 1953-06-25 |
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Canyon Ambush | Johnny Mack Brown | 1952-10-12 |
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Texas City | Johnny Mack Brown | 1952-01-27 |
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Man from the Black Hills | Johnny Mack Brown | 1952-03-30 |
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Dead Man's Trail | Johnny Mack Brown | 1952-07-19 |
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Montana Desperado | Johnny Mack Brown | 1951-06-17 |
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Man from Sonora | Johnny Mack Brown | 1951-03-11 |
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Texas Lawmen | Marshal Johnny Mack Brown | 1951-12-02 |
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Whistling Hills | Johnny Mack Brown | 1951-10-06 |
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Oklahoma Justice | Johnny Mack Brown | 1951-08-18 |
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Blazing Bullets | Johnny Mack Brown | 1951-05-05 |
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Colorado Ambush | Johnny Mack Brown | 1951-01-14 |
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Law of the Panhandle | U.S. Marshal Johnny Mack Brown | 1950-09-17 |
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Over the Border | Johnny Mack Brown | 1950-03-12 |
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Six Gun Mesa | Johnny Mack Brown | 1950-04-30 |
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Outlaw Gold | Johnny Mack Brown | 1950-11-26 |
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Short Grass | Sheriff Ord Keown | 1950-12-24 |
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West of Wyoming | Johnny Mack Brown | 1950-02-19 |
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Trails End | Johnny Mack | 1949-04-02 |
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Law of the West | Federal Agent Johnny Mack | 1949-02-20 |
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Range Justice | Johnny Mack Brown | 1949-07-16 |
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Stampede | Sheriff Aaron Ball | 1949-05-01 |
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West of El Dorado | Johnny Mack | 1949-06-04 |
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Western Renegades | Johnny Mack Brown | 1949-10-08 |
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Frontier Agent | Johnny Mack Brown | 1948-05-16 |
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The Fighting Ranger | Johnny Brown | 1948-08-15 |
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Crossed Trails | Johnny Mack | 1948-04-10 |
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Gunning for Justice | Johnny Mack | 1948-11-06 |
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Back Trail | Johnny Mack | 1948-07-18 |
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The Sheriff of Medicine Bow | Johnny Mack Brown | 1948-10-02 |
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Overland Trails | Johnny Murdock | 1948-01-31 |
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Hidden Danger | Johnny Mack | 1948-12-12 |
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Triggerman | Johnny Mack Brown | 1948-06-19 |
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Prairie Express | Johnny Hudson | 1947-10-24 |
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Valley of Fear | Johnny Williams | 1947-09-14 |
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Flashing Guns | Johnny Mack | 1947-07-16 |
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Trailing Danger | Johnny | 1947-05-29 |
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Code of the Saddle | John Macklin | 1947-06-28 |
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Land of the Lawless | Johnny Mack | 1947-04-25 |
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The Law Comes to Gunsight | Johnny Mackey | 1947-05-24 |
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Raiders of the South | Captain Brownell posing Johnny Langdon | 1947-01-18 |
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Gun Talk | Johnny McVey | 1947-12-20 |
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Drifting Along | Steve Garner | 1946-01-26 |
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Under Arizona Skies | Dusty Smith | 1946-05-27 |
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The Gentleman from Texas | Johnny Macklin | 1946-06-08 |
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The Haunted Mine | Nevada Jack McKenzie | 1946-03-02 |
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Trigger Fingers | Sam Hurricane Benton | 1946-09-20 |
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Shadows on the Range | Steve Mason posing as Steve Saunders | 1946-10-15 |
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Silver Range | Johnny Bronton | 1946-11-16 |
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Border Bandits | Marshal Nevada | 1946-01-12 |
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The Lost Trail | Marshal 'Nevada Jack' McKenzie | 1945-10-19 |
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Forever Yours | Maj. Tex O'Connor | 1945-01-26 |
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Gun Smoke | Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie | 1945-02-16 |
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The Navajo Trail | Marshal Nevada McKenzie | 1945-01-15 |
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Frontier Feud | Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie | 1945-11-24 |
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Flame of the West | Dr. John Poore | 1945-06-25 |
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Stranger from Santa Fe | U.S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie, posing as Roy Ferris | 1945-05-14 |
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Law Men | U.S. Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie | 1944-04-25 |
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Ghost Guns | Marshal Nevada McKenzie | 1944-11-17 |
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Raiders of the Border | Nevada Jack McKenzie | 1944-01-31 |
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West of the Rio Grande | U.S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie | 1944-08-05 |
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Range Law | U. S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie | 1944-06-24 |
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Law of the Valley | Marshal Nevada McKenzie | 1944-11-04 |
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Land of the Outlaws | Marshal Nevada McKenzie | 1944-09-16 |
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Partners of the Trail | Jack McKenzie | 1944-04-28 |
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Outlaws of Stampede Pass | Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie | 1943-10-15 |
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Cheyenne Roundup | Buck Brandon & Gils Brandon | 1943-04-12 |
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Raiders of San Joaquin | Rocky Morgan aka The Black Rider | 1943-05-01 |
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Six Gun Gospel | Marshal Jack McKenzie | 1943-08-03 |
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The Stranger From Pecos | Nevada Jack McKenzie | 1943-07-10 |
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Crazy House | Johnny Mack Brown | 1943-10-08 |
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The Ghost Rider | Nevada Jack McKenzie | 1943-04-02 |
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The Lone Star Trail | Blaze Barker | 1943-08-06 |
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The Texas Kid | Jack McKenzie | 1943-11-26 |
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Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground | Wade Benson | 1943-02-05 |
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The Old Chisholm Trail | Dusty Gardner | 1942-12-11 |
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The Silver Bullet | Silver Jim Donovan | 1942-08-05 |
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Stagecoach Buckaroo | Steve Hardin | 1942-02-13 |
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Deep in the Heart of Texas | Jim Mallory | 1942-09-25 |
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Boss of Hangtown Mesa | Steve Collins | 1942-08-21 |
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Little Joe, the Wrangler | Neal Wallace | 1942-11-13 |
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Man from Montana | Sheriff Bob Dawson | 1941-09-05 |
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The Masked Rider | Larry Prescott | 1941-10-24 |
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Arizona Cyclone | Tom Baxter | 1941-11-14 |
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Rawhide Rangers | Brand Calhoun | 1941-07-18 |
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Fighting Bill Fargo | Bill Fargo | 1941-12-09 |
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Ride 'Em Cowboy | Alabam' Brewster | 1941-11-17 |
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Law of the Range | Steve Howard | 1941-06-20 |
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Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie | Joe Henderson | 1941-03-21 |
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Pony Post | Cal Sheridan | 1940-12-01 |
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Son of Roaring Dan | Jim Reardon (Posing as Horace McPhail) | 1940-07-25 |
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Boss of Bullion City | Tom Bryant | 1940-03-01 |
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Bad Man from Red Butte | Gils Brady / Buck Halliday | 1940-06-01 |
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Law and Order | Bill Ralston | 1940-11-28 |
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Ragtime Cowboy Joe | Steve Logan | 1940-09-19 |
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Riders of Pasco Basin | Lee Jamison | 1940-04-04 |
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West of Carson City | Jim Bannister | 1940-01-19 |
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Chip of the Flying U | 'Chip' Bennett | 1939-11-29 |
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Land of Liberty | Billy the Kid (edited from 'Billy the Kid') | 1939-06-15 |
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Oklahoma Frontier | Jeff McLeod | 1939-10-09 |
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The Oregon Trail | Jeff Scott | 1939-07-04 |
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Desperate Trails | Steve Hayden | 1939-09-30 |
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Flaming Frontiers | Tex Houston | 1938-07-05 |
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A Lawman Is Born | Tom Mitchell | 1937-06-21 |
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Wild West Days | Kentucky Wade | 1937-07-05 |
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Guns in the Dark | Johnny Darrel | 1937-05-13 |
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The Gambling Terror | Jeff Hayes | 1937-02-15 |
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Wells Fargo | Talbot Carter | 1937-12-31 |
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Bar-Z Bad Men | Jim Waters | 1937-04-21 |
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Trail of Vengeance | Dude Ramsay | 1937-03-28 |
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Lawless Land | Ranger Jeff Hayden | 1937-04-06 |
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Born to the West | Tom Fillmore | 1937-12-10 |
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Hell Town | Tom Fillmore | 1937-12-10 |
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Boothill Brigade | Lon Cardigan | 1937-08-02 |
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Valley of the Lawless | Bruce Reynolds | 1936-01-25 |
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Undercover Man | Steve McLain | 1936-09-23 |
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The Crooked Trail | Jim Blake | 1936-07-25 |
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Desert Phantom | Billy Donovan | 1936-03-09 |
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Rogue of the Range | Dan Doran | 1936-04-24 |
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Everyman's Law | Johnny- aka The Dog Town Kid | 1936-06-10 |
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Starlit Days at the Lido | Self | 1935-09-28 |
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The Courageous Avenger | Kirk Baxter | 1935-12-12 |
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Rustlers of Red Dog | Jack Wood | 1935-01-01 |
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Branded a Coward | Johnny Hume | 1935-07-01 |
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Between Men | Johnny Wellington Jr. | 1935-10-29 |
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Cross Streets | Adam Blythe | 1934-07-05 |
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Three on a Honeymoon | Chuck Wells | 1934-03-22 |
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Marrying Widows | The Husband | 1934-05-18 |
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Against the Law | Steve Wayne | 1934-10-25 |
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Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove | Self | 1934-12-01 |
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St. Louis Woman | Jim Warren | 1934-04-14 |
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Belle of the Nineties | Brooks Clayburn | 1934-09-21 |
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Son of a Sailor | 'Duke' | 1933-11-29 |
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Female | George P. Cooper | 1933-11-11 |
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Fighting With Kit Carson | Kit Carson | 1933-07-01 |
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Saturday's Millions | Alan Barry | 1933-09-30 |
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The Vanishing Frontier | Kirby Tornell | 1933-03-13 |
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Malay Nights | Jim Wilson | 1932-11-03 |
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70,000 Witnesses | Wally Clark | 1932-09-09 |
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Flames | Charlie | 1932-05-29 |
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Hollywood Halfbacks | 1931-12-23 | |
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The Great Meadow | Berk Jarvis (as John Mack Brown) | 1931-01-24 |
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Lasca of the Rio Grande | Miles Kincaid | 1931-12-01 |
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The Secret Six | Hank Rogers | 1931-04-18 |
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The Last Flight | Bill Talbot | 1931-08-29 |
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Montana Moon | Larry | 1930-03-20 |
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Undertow | Paul Whalen | 1930-02-23 |
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Billy the Kid | Billy the Kid | 1930-10-16 |
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Hurricane | Dan | 1929-09-30 |
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The Single Standard | Tommy Hewlett | 1929-07-27 |
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Jazz Heaven | Barry Holmes | 1929-11-03 |
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The Valiant | Robert Ward | 1929-05-19 |
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Coquette | Michael Jeffery | 1929-03-30 |
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The Divine Woman | Jean Lery | 1928-01-13 |
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Our Dancing Daughters | Ben Blaine | 1928-09-01 |
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A Woman of Affairs | David Furness | 1928-12-15 |
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Square Crooks | Larry Scott | 1928-03-04 |
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The Play Girl | Bradley Lane | 1928-04-22 |
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Annapolis | Bill | 1928-11-18 |
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Soft Living | Stockney Webb | 1928-02-05 |
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A Lady of Chance | Steve Crandall | 1928-12-01 |
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After Midnight | Party Boy (uncredited) | 1927-08-20 |
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Mockery | Russian Officer (uncredited) | 1927-08-13 |
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The Fair Co-Ed | Bob | 1927-10-22 |
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Slide, Kelly, Slide | Johnny Mack Brown | 1927-03-12 |
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The Bugle Call | Bit (uncredited) | 1927-08-06 |
