Known For
Acting
Known Credits
208
Gender
Male
Birthday
October 16, 1904 (121 years old)
Place of Birth
Pattonsburg, Missouri, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wild Bill Elliott (October 16, 1904 – November 26, 1965) was an American film actor. He specialized in playing the rugged heroes of B Westerns, particularly the Red Ryder series of films. By 1925, he was getting occasional extra work in films. He took classes at the Pasadena Playhouse and appeared in a few stage roles there. By 1927, he had made his first Western, The Arizona Wildcat, playing his first featured role. Several co-starring roles followed, and he renamed himself Gordon Elliott. But as the studios made the transition to sound films, he slipped back into roles as an extra and bit parts, as in Broadway Scandals, in 1929. For the next eight years, he appeared in over a hundred films for various studios, but almost always in unbilled parts as an extra.
Elliott began to be noticed in some minor B Westerns, enough so that Columbia Pictures offered him the title role in a serial, The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1938). The serial was so successful, and Elliott so personable, that Columbia promoted him to starring in his own series of Western features, replacing Columbia's number-two cowboy star Robert "Tex" Allen. Henceforth Gordon Elliott would be known as Bill Elliott. Within two years, he was among the Motion Picture Herald's Top Ten Western Stars, where he would remain for the next 15 years.
In 1943, Elliott signed with Republic Pictures, which cast him in a series of Westerns alongside George "Gabby" Hayes. The first of these, Calling Wild Bill Elliott, gave Elliott the name by which he would be best known and by which he would be billed almost exclusively for the rest of his career.
Following several films in which both actor and character shared the name Wild Bill Elliott, he took the role for which he would be best remembered, that of Red Ryder in a series of sixteen movies about the famous comic strip cowboy and his young Indian companion, Little Beaver (played in Elliott's films by Bobby Blake). Elliott played the role for only two years but would forever be associated with it. Elliott's trademark was a pair of six guns worn butt-forward in their holsters.
Elliott's career thrived during and after the Red Ryder films, and he continued making B Westerns into the early 1950s. He also had his own radio show during the late 1940s. His final contract as a Western star was with Monogram Pictures, where budgets declined as the B Western lost its audience to television. When Monogram became Allied Artists Pictures Corporation in 1953, it phased out its Western productions, and Elliott finished out his contract playing a homicide detective in a series of five modern police dramas, his first non-Westerns since 1938.
Elliott retired from films (except for a couple of TV Western pilots which were not picked up). He worked for a time as a spokesman for Viceroy cigarettes and hosted a local TV program in Las Vegas, Nevada, which featured many of his Western films.
| 1976 | Meanwhile, Back at the Ranchas (archive footage) | |
| 1976 | It's Showtimeas Self (archive footage) | |
| 1975 | Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?as Self (archive footage) | |
| 1968 | Adam-12as Officer Grant | |
| 1957 | Footsteps in the Nightas Andy Doyle | |
| 1957 | Chain of Evidenceas Andy Doyle | |
| 1956 | Calling Homicideas Andy Doyle | |
| 1955 | Sudden Dangeras Andy Doyle | |
| 1955 | Dial Red Oas Andy Flynn / Andy Doyle | |
| 1954 | The Forty-Ninersas Sam Nelson | |
| 1954 | Bitter Creekas Clay Tyndall | |
| 1953 | Vigilante Terroras Tack Hamlin | |
| 1953 | Topekaas Jim Levering | |
| 1953 | Rebel Cityas Frank Graham | |
| 1953 | The Homesteadersas Mace Corbin | |
| 1952 | The Maverickas Pete Devlin | |
| 1952 | Fargoas Bill Martin | |
| 1952 | Kansas Territoryas Joe Daniels | |
| 1952 | Wacoas Matt Boone | |
| 1951 | The Longhornas Jim Kirk | |
| 1950 | The Showdownas Shadrach Jones | |
| 1950 | The Savage Hordeas Ringo | |
| 1950 | The Marshall of Trail Cityas Wild Bill Elliott | |
| 1949 | Hellfireas Zeb Smith | |
| 1949 | The Last Banditas Frank Norris / Frank Plummer | |
| 1948 | The Gallant Legionas Gary Conway | |
| 1948 | Old Los Angelesas Bill Stockton | |
| 1947 | The Fabulous Texanas Josie Allen | |
| 1947 | Wyomingas Charles Alderson | |
| 1946 | The Plainsman and the Ladyas Sam Colton | |
| 1946 | Conquest of Cheyenneas Red Ryder | |
| 1946 | In Old Sacramentoas Johnny Barrett / Spanish Jack | |
| 1946 | Sun Valley Cycloneas Red Ryder | |
| 1946 | Sheriff of Redwood Valleyas Red Ryder | |
| 1946 | California Gold Rushas Red Ryder | |
| 1945 | Wagon Wheels Westwardas Red Ryder | |
| 1945 | Colorado Pioneersas Red Ryder | |
| 1945 | Marshal of Laredoas Red Ryder | |
| 1945 | Phantom of the Plainsas Red Ryder | |
| 1945 | Bells of Rosaritaas Wild Bill Elliott | |
| 1945 | Lone Texas Rangeras Red Ryder | |
| 1945 | Great Stagecoach Robberyas Red Ryder | |
| 1944 | Sheriff of Las Vegasas Red Ryder | |
| 1944 | Vigilantes of Dodge Cityas Red Ryder | |
| 1944 | Cheyenne Wildcatas Red Ryder | |
| 1944 | San Antonio Kidas Red Ryder | |
| 1944 | Marshal of Renoas Red Ryder | |
| 1944 | Tucson Raidersas Red Ryder | |
| 1944 | Hidden Valley Outlawsas Bill Elliott | |
| 1944 | Mojave Firebrandas Wild Bill Elliott | |
| 1943 | Death Valley Manhuntas Wild Bill Elliott | |
| 1943 | Overland Mail Robberyas Wild Bill Elliott | |
| 1943 | Wagon Tracks Westas Wild Bill Elliott | |
| 1943 | Bordertown Gun Fightersas Wild Bill Elliott | |
| 1943 | The Man from Thunder Riveras Wild Bill Elliott | |
| 1943 | Calling Wild Bill Elliottas Wild Bill Elliott | |
| 1942 | The Valley of Vanishing Menas Wild Bill Tolliver | |
| 1942 | Vengeance of the Westas Joaquin Murietta aka The Black Shadow | |
| 1942 | Prairie Gunsmokeas 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1942 | The Devil's Trailas 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1942 | North of the Rockiesas Sergeant Bill Cameron | |
| 1942 | Bullets for Banditsas 'Wild' Bill Hickok / Prince Katey | |
| 1942 | The Lone Star Vigilantesas 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1941 | Roaring Frontiersas 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1941 | King of Dodge Cityas 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1941 | The Son of Davy Crockettas Dave Crockett | |
| 1941 | Hands Across the Rockiesas 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1941 | Tank Patrolas Bluey | |
| 1941 | The Return of Daniel Booneas Wild Bill Boone | |
| 1941 | North from the Lone Staras 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1941 | Across the Sierrasas 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1940 | The Wildcat of Tucsonas 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1940 | Beyond the Sacramentoas 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1940 | Prairie Schoonersas 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1940 | The Return of Wild Billas Wild Bill Saunders | |
| 1940 | The Man from Tumbleweedsas Wild Bill Saunders | |
| 1940 | Pioneers of the Frontieras Wild Bill Saunders | |
| 1939 | Taming of the Westas Wild Bill Saunders | |
| 1939 | The Roaring Twentiesas Bootlegger (uncredited) | |
| 1939 | Overland with Kit Carsonas Kit Carson | |
| 1939 | The Law Comes to Texasas John Haynes | |
| 1939 | Lone Star Pioneersas Pat Barret | |
| 1939 | Frontiers of '49as John Freeman | |
| 1938 | In Early Arizonaas Whit Gordon | |
| 1938 | Letter of Introductionas Backgammon Man (uncredited) | |
| 1938 | The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickokas 'Wild' Bill Hickok | |
| 1938 | The Lady in the Morgueas Chauncey Courtland | |
| 1938 | Boy of the Streetsas Dr. Allan | |
| 1937 | Love Takes Flightas Bill Parker | |
| 1937 | Roll Along, Cowboyas Odie Fenton | |
| 1937 | Boots and Saddlesas Jim Neale | |
| 1937 | Wife, Doctor and Nurseas Bruce Thomas | |
| 1937 | You Can't Have Everythingas Lulu's Bathing Companion (uncredited) | |
| 1937 | Michael O'Halloranas Little Lord Fauntleroy (uncredited) | |
| 1937 | Speed to Spareas Steve Fellows | |
| 1937 | Melody for Twoas Walter Wilson | |
| 1937 | Swing It Professoras Randall | |
| 1937 | Midnight Courtas City Attorney Seabrook | |
| 1936 | Guns of the Pecosas Wellman, a Dude | |
| 1936 | King of Hockeyas 2nd Radio Announcer | |
| 1936 | Fugitive in the Skyas Ramon Duval | |
| 1936 | Polo Joeas Don Trumbeau | |
| 1936 | The Case of the Black Catas Sam Laxter | |
| 1936 | Down the Stretchas Robert Bates | |
| 1936 | Trailin' Westas Jefferson Duane | |
| 1936 | China Clipperas Pilot (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Two Against the Worldas News Commentator (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | The Case of the Velvet Clawsas Carl Griffin | |
| 1936 | The Big Noiseas Sharp, Board of Directors Member (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Murder by an Aristocratas Dave Thatcher | |
| 1936 | Bullets or Ballotsas Hunter - Bank Worker (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Romance in the Airas Announcer | |
| 1936 | The Walking Deadas | |
| 1936 | The Murder of Dr. Harriganas Kenneth Martin | |
| 1935 | Dangerousas | |
| 1935 | Man of Ironas Charlie Fagan | |
| 1935 | Broadway Hostessas Playboy in 'Playboy of Paree' Number (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | Stars Over Broadwayas Minor Role | |
| 1935 | Moonlight on the Prairieas Jeff Holt | |
| 1935 | Personal Maid's Secretas Warren Sherrill | |
| 1935 | Dr. Socratesas Tom Collins - Greer's Associate | |
| 1935 | The Goose and the Ganderas Teddy | |
| 1935 | Page Miss Gloryas Reporter (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | Broadway Gondolieras Reporter | |
| 1935 | Bright Lightsas Backstage Actor | |
| 1935 | The Girl from 10th Avenueas James, Clerk at College Club | |
| 1935 | 'G' Menas Bootlegger Who Gives Eddie the Bottle Outside the Club (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | Go Into Your Danceas Jackson's Secretary / Dorothy's Dance Partner | |
| 1935 | Traveling Salesladyas Freddie | |
| 1935 | A Night at the Ritzas Vincent's Assistant (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | While the Patient Sleptas Bank Teller (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | The Woman in Redas Stuart Wyatt | |
| 1935 | The Right to Liveas Wedding Guest | |
| 1935 | The Payoffas Maxine's Casino Escort (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | The Secret Brideas Governor's Secretary (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | Murder in the Cloudsas Lt. Saunders (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | A Lost Ladyas Polo Match Spectator (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | The Case of the Howling Dogas Reporter in Courtroom (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | Desirableas Party Guest | |
| 1934 | The Merry Frinksas Dancer (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | Smartyas Nightclub Patron (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | Upperworldas Police Photographer (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | Registered Nurseas Male Nurse | |
| 1934 | Wonder Baras Norman (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Only Yesterdayas New Year's Eve Reveler (Uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Stage Motheras Audience Member / Dexter's Party Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Handlebarsas Bicyclist (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Midnight Maryas Party Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Private Detective 62as Man at Roulette Table (Uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Cocktail Houras Party Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Gold Diggers of 1933as Night Club Patron (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | The Little Giantas Guest at Polly's Party (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Made on Broadwayas Night Club Patron | |
| 1933 | The Keyholeas Partygoer (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | The Mummyas Party Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | Night After Nightas Escort (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | A Successful Calamityas Polo Player (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | Jewel Robberyas Policeman Following Blonde (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | Bachelor's Affairsas Ship's Passenger / Dance Extra (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | Merrily We Go to Hellas Party Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | The Rich Are Always with Usas Gambler (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | Scarfaceas Man Outside Theatre (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | One Hour with Youas Party Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | Vanity Fairas Bit Role | |
| 1932 | Lady with a Pastas Alex Brown (Uncredited) | |
| 1932 | The Greeks Had a Word for Themas Wedding Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1931 | Deliciousas Larry's Friend | |
| 1931 | Working Girlsas Dance Extra / Lobby Extra (uncredited) | |
| 1931 | West of Broadwayas Nightclub Patron (uncredited) | |
| 1931 | Platinum Blondeas Ann's Beau (uncredited) | |
| 1931 | Left Over Ladiesas Escort (uncredited) | |
| 1931 | The Road to Renoas Party Boy | |
| 1931 | Blonde Crazyas Nightclub Patron (uncredited) | |
| 1931 | Traveling Husbandsas Hotel Dining Room Guest | |
| 1931 | Broadmindedas Hotel Guest on Veranda | |
| 1931 | The Public Defenderas Country Club Guest | |
| 1931 | Sweepstakesas Night Club Patron | |
| 1931 | Five and Tenas Wedding Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1931 | Let's Do Thingsas Music Store Customer (uncredited) | |
| 1931 | Party Husbandas Wedding Party Guest | |
| 1931 | Born to Loveas Hotel Dancer (uncredited) | |
| 1931 | God's Gift to Womenas Minor Role (uncredited) | |
| 1930 | Going Wildas Physical Exam Onlooker | |
| 1930 | Part Time Wifeas Golfer (uncredited) | |
| 1930 | Sunnyas One of Tom's War Buddies | |
| 1930 | The Truth About Youthas Nightclub Patron (uncredited) | |
| 1930 | What Men Wantas Party Boy | |
| 1930 | She Who Gets Slappedas Poker Player | |
| 1930 | Born Recklessas Customer at Beretti's | |
| 1930 | The Return of Dr. Fu Manchuas | |
| 1930 | Double Cross Roadsas Party Guest | |
| 1930 | The Girl Said Noas Wedding Guest | |
| 1930 | Lord Byron of Broadwayas Party-Goer | |
| 1930 | She Couldn't Say Noas Gangster | |
| 1929 | Broadway Scandalsas George Halloway | |
| 1929 | Night Paradeas Party Guest | |
| 1929 | The Great Divideas Ruth's Friend (uncredited) | |
| 1928 | Restless Youthas George Baxter | |
| 1928 | The Boy Friendas Gordon Elliot | |
| 1928 | Beyond London Lightsas Colin Drummond | |
| 1927 | The Private Life of Helen of Troyas Telemachus | |
| 1927 | The Arizona Wildcatas Roy Schyler | |
| 1927 | The Drop Kickas Aggressive Student at Dance | |
| 1927 | Children of Divorceas Party Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1926 | Napoleon, Jr.as Flora's Father | |
| 1926 | The Shamrock Handicapas Well-Wishing Villager | |
| 1925 | Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christas Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited) | |
| 1925 | The Plastic Ageas Athlete (uncredited) |