Faron Young's Birthday

Faron Young was one of the most popular honky-tonk country singers during the 1950s and his career lasted well into the 1980s. His colorful personality endeared him to everyone he met, and even his wild and sometimes crude habits didn't stop people from loving him.

He was born February 25, 1932, to Harlan and Doris Young, in Shreveport, LA, and he grew up working on a dairy farm. Faron's father mistreated and neglected him, inflicting invisible scars that Faron would carry his entire life.

Just a little over a month before his 20th birthday, Faron signed a recording contract with Capitol Records, and his first Capitol record was released in April of 1952.

A contest was held for fans to chose a nickname for Faron, as many country music singers during that time got special titles. The winning name was "The Young Sheriff," which later changed to "The Singing Sheriff." Even friends and family called him "Sheriff."

Faron starred in three western movies: Hidden Guns (1956), Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer (1956), and Raiders of Old California (1957). He learned to do tricks with guns and would often include spinning his six-shooters in his personal appearances. After developing hepatitis while filming Hidden Guns in Mexico, Faron nearly died and took several months of rest to recover, but then started touring again.

The second film he appeared in starred Bruce Bennett as the title character, and Lon Chaney Jr.—Faron, with a blonde wig (why they decided to do that, we'll never know!), played the boy courting Boone's daughter. And for his last western, Raiders of Old California, Faron gets the main hero role, although the bad guys get plenty of screen time, too.

Some of his best-known songs are "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young," "Hello Walls," "Wine Me Up," and "Four in the Morning."

He recorded an entire album of Western songs in 1963, featuring "Rawhide," "High Noon," "Ballad of Paladin," "Streets of Laredo," "The Yellow Bandanna," "Don't Take Your Guns to Town," "Bonanza," "A Dead Man Ago," "Johnny Yuma," "The Lillies Grown High," "Reverend Mr. Black," and "New Mexico."

Faron Young died on December 10, 1996, at the age of 64.

Dick Jones' Birthday

Dick Jones was born February 25, 1927, and was thrust into show business at an early age. Billed as "The World's Youngest Trick Rider and Trick Roper" at age four, it wasn't long before he was appearing in movies. His most famous role is the voice of Pinocchio in the 1940 Disney film.

Even as an adult, Jones mostly played juvenile roles, as he did in The Strawberry Roan (1948) which starred Gene Autry. After that, Dick worked a lot for Autry. In 1951, Dick and Jock Mahoney began starring in a series called The Range Rider (1951 - 1953, 78 episodes), produced by Autry's company, Flying A Productions. Dick played Dick West, a girl-crazy sidekick to Mahoney's strong, smart, and nameless (aside from "The Range Rider," that is) character. Both stars were outstanding athletes, and they got to show off lots of stunts in each and every episode.

After Range Rider ended, Autry put Dick in another series, Buffalo Bill Jr (1955 - 1956). This time, Dick was the main hero, although he still played a teenager. Harry Cheshire and Nancy Gilbert co-starred with him, and Buffalo Bill Jr. was a popular show during its short run. The chemistry between the three main characters, paired with Dick's trick riding and stunts, makes this kiddie western worth watching.

According to Dick, Buffalo Bill Jr. was to be renewed for another season, but the network wanted too much of the profits for Autry (ever the businessman) to agree to produce another season.

Dick continued appearing in movies and guest starring on TV shows into the mid-1960s, when he finally retired from show business. He had never chosen it in the first place, and he was far from being enchanted with it. Although he would appear at film festivals in his later years, he always kept his private life private. He and his wife, Betty, were married for 66 years, and had four children.

Since Dick passed away on July 7, 2014, a friend of his and Betty's published two books about him, but they contain little information that is very personal, instead focusing on all of his film work and stories about what went on behind the scenes. Still the books are worth reading if you want to know more about Dick Jones, a man well-liked and respected by his peers.


Dick Jones—Where the Action Was by Ann Snuggs (2015, BearManor Media publishers)

No Strings—In Search of Dickie Jones  by Ann Snuggs (2016, BearManor Media publishers)

    Dick Jones      

  February 25, 1927 - July 7, 2014  

                                                                                      

  

Gloria Talbott Bio/Credits

Wikimedia Commons

Gloria Talbott
Born: February 7, 1931 (in Glendale, CA)
Died:  September  19, 2000
Spouse(s): Gene Parrish (married 1948-1953, divorced)
                   Grover Sandy Sanders (married 1956-1965, divorced)
                   Dr. Steven J. Capabianco (married 1967-1969, divorced)
                   Dr. Patrick Mullally (married 1970-2000, her death)
Children: Mark Charles Parrish (born 1950)
                  Mea M. Mullally (born 1967)
Movies: 
    1937
         Maytime (uncredited)

    1944
         Sweet and Low-Down (uncredited)

    1945
         A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (uncredited)
     1952
         We're Not Married! (uncredited)

         Desert Pursuit (uncredited)
    1953
         The Backbone of America
         Northern Patrol
    1954
         Tales of a Wayward Inn
    1955
         Crashout
         Lucy Gallant
         All That Heaven Allows
         We're No Angels
    1956
         The Young Guns
         Strange Intruder

    1957
         Taming Sutton's Gal
         Daughter of Dr. Jekyll
         The Cyclops
         The Oklahoman
         The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm
    1958
         I Married a Monster from Outer Space
         Cattle Empire
    1959
         Girls Town
         The Oregon Trail
         Alias Jesse James

    1960
         The Leech Woman
         Oklahoma Territory
    1965
         Arizona Raiders

    1966
          An Eye for an Eye

TV Shows:
    The Abbott and Costello Show
         - The Politician (1953) (uncredited)
    Alcoa Theatre
         - Souvenir (1957)
    Annie Oakley
         - Ambush Canyon (1954)
    Bat Masterson
         - Trail Pirate (1958)
         - Barbary Castle (1960)
    The Bob Hope Show
         - Episode #6.1 (1955)
    Bonanza
         - Escape to Ponderosa (1960)
    Boston Blackie
         - The Motorcycle Kid (1953)
    Bringing Up Buddy
         - Buddy's Wife (1961)
    Bronco
         - Rendezvous with a Miracle (1962)
    The Brothers Brannagan
         - Terror in the Afternoon (1961)
    Cain's Hundred
         - Crime and Commitment: Part 1 (1961)
         - Crime and Commitment: Part 2 (1961)
    Cavalcade of America
         - Moonlight School (1954)
         - A Time for Courage (1955)
         - The Prison Within (1956)
    Chevron Hall of Stars
         - Eminent Domain (1956)
    Chevron Theatre
         - The Dear Departed (1953)
    Cimarron City
         - Have Sword - Will Duel (1959)
    The Cisco Kid
         - Pancho and the Wolf Dog (1953)
         - The Faded General (1953)
    Climax!
         - The Gioconda Smile (1954)
         - The Deliverance of Sister Cecilia (1955)
         - Locked in Fear (1957)
         - Four Hours in White (1958)
    Conflict
         - Man from 1997 (1956)
    Cowboy G-Men
         - Ghost Bushwacker (1952)
    Craig Kennedy, Criminologist
         - The Kid Brother
    Crossroads
         - The Singing Preacher (1956)
    Death Valley Days
         - Queen of Spades (1961)
         - The Bigger They Are (1964)
         - Kate Melville and the Law (1965)
    Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal
         - The Diana Story (1956)
    Dr. Kildare
         - Admitting Service (1961)
    87th Precinct
         - Killer's Choice (1962)
    Fireside Theatre
         - We'll Never Have a Nickel (1953)
         - Joe Giordano and Mr. Lincoln (1954)
         - Touch the Earth (1954)
         - Member of the Jury (1954)
    The Forsaken Westerns
         - The Traveling Salesman (2017)
    Four Star Playhouse
         - Breakfast in Bed (1955)
    Frontier
         - The 10 Days of John Leslie (1956)
    Frontier Circus
         - Never Won Fair Lady (1962)
    Front Row Center
         - Winter Dreams (1956)
    Gang Busters
         - The Rocco Case (1952)
         - The Rocco Trapani Case (1955)
    The Gene Autry Show
         - Gypsy Wagon (1953)
    General Electric Theater
         - The Crime of Daphne Rutledge (1954)
         - The Wall Between (1962)
    The Gray Ghost
         - Sealed Orders (1957)
    Gunsmoke
         - Home Surgery (1955)
         - Cody's Code (1962)
         - The Cousin (1963)
    Hopalong Cassidy
         - Twisted Trails (1953)
    The Islanders
         - The Twenty-Six Paper (1961)
    Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre
         - A Place on the Bay (1956)
    The Johnny Carson Show
         - Episode dated 25 August (1955)
    Laramie
         - Hour After Dawn (1960)
         - The Passing of Kuba Smith (1961)
         - Ladies' Day (1961)
         - Naked Steel (1963)
    Lassie
         - Lassie and the Girl in the Canyon (1965)
    Law of the Plainsman
         - Stella (1960)
    The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
         - Mr. Earp Meets a Lady (1955)
         - Hiding Behind a Star (1961)
    The Littlest Hobo
         - Lady in Fear (1964)
    Lux Video Theatre
         - The Eyes of Father Tomasino (1955)
    The Man Behind the Badge
         - The Case of the Part-Time Cop (1955)
    Markham
         - A Coffin for Cinderella (1960)
    Matinee Theatre
         - Eye of the Storm (1956)
         - Dark of the Moon (1957)
    Mike Hammer
         - Stay Out of Town (1958)
    The Millionaire
         - The Story of Tod Burke (1956)
         - The Jonathan Bookman Story (1958)
    Mr. Adams and Eve
         - The Young Actress (1957)
    Mr. & Mrs. North
         - The Frightened Bride (1953)
    M Squad
         - The Healer (1958)
    My Little Margie
         - Margie Plays Detective (1952)
    My Three Sons
         - The Coffee House Set (1964)
    100 Years of Horror
         - Giants (1996)
         - Scream Queens (1996)
         - Sorcerers (1996)
         - Aliens (1996)
         - Girl Ghouls (1996)
         - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1996)
    The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
         - Otto and the Coat (1955)
    Perry Mason
         - The Case of the Angry Dead Man (1961)
         - The Case of the Crying Comedian (1961)
         - The Case of the Elusive Element (1963)
         - The Case of the Unwelcome Well (1966)
    Playhouse 90
         - Out of Dust (1959)
    Public Defender
         - Pauper's Gold (1954)
    The Range Rider
         - Gold Hill (1952)
    Rawhide
         - Incident of the Calico Gun (1959)
         - Incident of the Broken Word (1961)
         - The Prairie Elephant (1961)
    The Rebel
         - Absolution (1960)
    The Restless Gun
         - Hang and Be Damned (1958)
         - The Outlander (1958)
         - Mercyday (1958)
    Richard Diamond, Private Detective
         - A Cup of Black Coffee (1958)

    Riverboat
         - Landlubbers (1960)
         - Devil in Skirts (1960)

    The Roaring 20's
         - The Velvet Frame (1960) 

    The Roy Rogers Show
         - Land Swindle (1954)
    The Sheriff of Cochise
         - Lynching Party (1957)
    Sneak Preview
         - One Minute from Broadway (1956)
    Stage 7
         - The Traveling Salesman (1955)
    The Star and the Story
         - The Whizzer (1956)
    Sugarfoot
         - Reluctant Hero (1957)
    Adventures of Superman
         - The Girl Who Hired Superman (1956)
    Surfside 6
         - The Old School Tie (1961)
    Tales of Wells Fargo
         - Showdown Trail (1959)
         - Defiant at the Gate (1961)
    Treasury Men in Action
         - The Case of the Steady Hand (1955)
         - The Case of the Betrayed Artist (1955)
    TV Reader's Digest
         - America's First Great Lady (1955)

    The Untouchables
         - The Contract (1962)
    Wagon Train
         - The Frank Carter Story (1962)
    Wanted: Dead or Alive
         - Fatal Memory (1958)
         - Tolliver Bender (1960)
         - Three for One (1960)
    West Point
         - The Right to Choose (1956)
         - Pressure (1957)

    Whispering Smith
         - The Grudge (1961)

    Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
         - Border City (1951)
    Wire Service
         - Rehearsal for Sabotage (1957)
    You Are There
         - The Last Day of an English Queen (Lady Jane Grey, executed February 12, 1554) (1955)
    Your Favorite Story
         - The Crime of Sylvester Bonnard (1953)
         - High Seas (1953)
         - Conflict (1954)
    Zane Grey Theater
         - Star Over Texas (1956)
    Zorro
         - The Man from Spain (1959)
         - Treasure for the King (1959)
         - Exposing the Tyrant (1959)
         - Zorro Takes a Dare (1959)




Other Film Work:
    1952
         Inside Harvester (Short)

    1956
         Engagement Party (Short)

    1996
         100 Years of Horror: The Double Demons (Video documentary)








****************************

Movie/TV credit information is taken from Internet Movie Database, unless otherwise noted, and is updated and corrected if needed.