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Stan Paregien, Editor


George Bancroft


(Deceased)
George Bancroft was born in Philadelphia, Pa., on Sept. 30, 1882. He was the lawman who arrested Johnny Ringo (John Wayne) in the classic John Ford movie, "Stagecoach".


George Bancroft, John Wayne and Claire Trevor
in "Stagecoach" (1939).

George Bancroft started his entertainment career on the Broadway stage in New York City, performing in musicals as well as dramatic productions. He moved to Hollywood in 1921, and had his first movie role in "The Journey's End".

George Bancroft's rugged physique and charismatic personality made him ideal for roles in Westerns and in gangster movies. His credits in Western films include the silent movies "The Code of the West" (1925) and "Pony Express" (1925). Then, starting in 1929, he was featured in "talkies" such as "Texas" (1941), "When the Daltons Rode" (1940), "Northwest Mounted Police" (1940), and "Stagecoach"(1939).

George Bancroft retired from acting in 1942 to become a gentleman rancher. He died on Oct. 2, 1956 at Santa Monica, California

Antonio Banderas

Antonio Banderas, actor, was born on Aug. 10, 1960 in Malaga, Spain. He loved soccer as a youth and dreamed of playing it professionally, but a foot injury ended that idea. And he turned to drama. He attended the Malaga School of Dramatic Art, then formed an acting troupe of his own and performed wherever they could all over Spain.

Banderas moved to Madrid, Spain in 1981, where he became a member of the National Theater of Spain, but still had to work odd jobs to eat. But he did make a few movies and got that proverbial big break in 1988 with the popular movie, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown". He went on to make dozens of Spanish language films.

He came to the U.S. to star in "The Mambo Kings" in 1991. And in 1998 he starred in his first American Western film, "The Mask of Zorro".

At this writing, he is married to his second wife, actress Melanie Griffith.

CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Antonio Banderas.

R. Jeff Banks


R. Jeff Banks was born in Corsicana, Texas in February of 1935. He holds the A.A. degree from Navarro Junior College (Corsicana, Tex.) and the B.A. (1956) and M.A. (1958) from Baylor University. He married Jeanenne Trawick on July 25, 1976. Since 1967 he has taught English in Nacogdoches.

His articles and book reviews have appeared in such magazines as P.I. Magazine, Tales As Like As Not, Twisted, Space & Time, The Mystery Fancier, The Poisoned Pen, The Not So Private Eye, Hardboiled, Shot Scott's Rap Sheet, The Mystery Nook, The Armchair Detective, and many academic journals. He wrote a western novel, Railroaded (1981), under the name of Rufe Jefferson. And he contributed a short story to Joe Lansdale's Western Writers of America anthology, Best of the West (l986).

In addition, he wrote ten critical essays in 20th Century Crime & Mystery Writers (1980) and 15 critical essays in 20th Century Western Writers (1982).

Jim Bannon

Jim Bannon, cowboy actor, was the last to star in a "Red Ryder" movie (Don "Red" Barry and Will Bill Elliott preceeded him in that role).


Jim Bannon with Whip Wilson and Pamela Blake

He played in several Western films, including "Canyon Raiders" (1951), "Wanted: Dead or Alive"(1951), "Roll, Thunder, Roll"(1949), "Ride, Ryder, Ride!" (1949), and "The Gay Senorita" (1945).

Elaine Barbieri


Elaine Barbieri is a highly successful writer of romance novels, most of them with Western settings. Her books include: Captive Ecstasy (1997), Chastity (1998), Dangerous Virtues : Honesty (1996), Mistletoe Marriages (1994),More Precious Than Gold/Audio Cassette (1995), Purity (1997), Tarnished Angel (1998, Dance of the Flame (1995), Race for Tomorrow (Harlequin Superromance, No 177; 1993), Amber Fire (1983), Amber Passion (1985), Amber Treasure (1983), Defiant Mistress (1986), Ecstasy's Trail (1987), Love's Fiery Jewel (1982), and Midnight Rogue (1995).

Other books by Elaine Barbieri include, Mistletoe Marriages/Jingle Bells, Wedding Bells/Box Set (1994), More Precious Than Gold (1992), Only for Love (1994), Passions Dawn (1985), Seasons of Love (Harper Monogram, 1995), Sweet Torment (1984), Tattered Silk (1991), To Love a Stranger (1993), Untamed Captive (1987), Wings of a Dove(1990), Wishes on the Wind (1991).

Roy Barcroft


(Deceased)
Roy Barcroft was born as Howard Clifford Ravenscroft in 1902. He was a fine character actor who usually played the bad guy. He began getting movie parts in about 1935 and quickly established himself as a professional who would show up on time and do what was asked of him. He soon landed a contract with Republic Pictures. And he appeared in some 250 films for Republic Pictures between 1937 and 1957.

Though he often portrayed humorless "bad guys" on screen, he had the reputation of being a really nice guy with a great sense of humor and with no "movie star" hangups. Roy Barcroft died in 1969.

His movie credits included such Western films as "Ghost of Zorro" (1959), "Down Laredo Way" (1953), "Bandits of the West" (1953), Iron Mountain Trail (1953) "El Paso Stampede" (1953), "Pals of the Golden West" (1952), "Border Saddlemates" (1952), "Marshal of Cedar Rock" (1952), "Black Hills Ambush" (1952), "Rodeo King and The Senorita" (1951), "Captive of Billy the Kid" (1951), "Wells Fargo Gunmaster" (1951), "Leadville Gunslinger" (1951), "Fort Dodge Stampede" (1951), "Arizona Manhunt" (1951), "North of the Great Divide" (1950), "The Vanishing Westerner" (1950), "Vigilante Hideout" (1950), "The Far Frontier" (1949), "Outcasts of the Trail" (1949), "Pioneer Marshal" (1949), "Frontier Investigator" (1949), "Eyes of Texas" (1948), "Desperadoes of Dodge City" (1948), "Son of Zorro" (1947), "Stagecoach to Denver" (1947), "Springtime in the Sierras" (1947), "Along the Oregon Trail" (1947), "Last Frontier Uprising" (1947), "The Wild Frontier" (1947), "Alias Billy the Kid" (1946), "Home on the Range" (1946), "Wagon Wheels Westward" (1945), "Sunset in El Dorado" (1945), "Trail of Kit Carson" (1945), "Code of the Prairie" (1944), "Sagebrush Law" (1943), "Pirates of the Prairie" (1942), "The Bandit Trail" (1941), "Trailing Double Trouble" (1940), "Hidden Gold" (1940), "Stage to Chino" (1940), and "The Stranger From Arizona" (1938).

This listing is far from complete and may
contain errors. Therefore, all Westerners and/or their
agents are requested to submit recommended changes
by contacting Stan Paregien

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© 2003 by Stan Paregien, Sr.