Buck Jones

“Buck Jones”, voted best-liked western star in the early days of “B” westerns, embodied the spirit of a true hero: a good guy who played fair and clean, showed kindness to the elderly, animals, and who seldom shot to kill.

Charles Gebhart was born in Indiana (1891) learning to ride, rope and shoot at his family ranch. After being thrown more often than not, his nickname stuck and he eventually began using “Buck” Jones as a stage name. His cowboy experience enabled him to became a bronc rider and trick roper in the Miller’s 101 Ranch Wild West Show where he met his female rodeo counterpart and future wife, Odille (Dell) Osborne.

They were married on horseback at the Julian Allen Wild West Show in 1915 and promptly headed to Hollywood where they both stunt-doubled for various cowboy stars including May McAvoy, Wm S Hart, Tom Mix and the Farnum Bros. Dell’s career took a hiatus with the birth of their only child, Maxine, while Buck went on to become a full-fledged cowboy star in the 1920s.

Over the next quarter-century Buck made over 150 films for virtually every major studio, starring alongside his popular horse, Silver.

In 1942 Buck went on his 3rd US tour selling and autographing War Bonds for the US Government. On the last night of his tour, at a dinner given in his honor at the Coconut Grove in Boston, fire broke out. On Buck’s third gallant rescue trip back into the burning building, he was overcome by smoke and died 2 days later. He was the only celluloid cowboy star to both portray and die a hero!

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