Ann Jeffreys
Ann Jeffries, singer and actress, was born as Anne Carmichael on Jan. 26, 1923 in Goldsboro, NC. She wanted to be an opera star, but became a model and then got into acting. However, she later performed on occasion with various opera productions.
Ann starred in films at Republic from 1942 through early 1944, then went under contract with RKO.
Ann Jeffreys starred in Cole Porter's Broadway hit, "Kiss Me Kate," for two years ( 887 consecutive performances).
Anne continuously works for many charities. She is Ambassador for Childhelp USA. Anne's list of awards for her humanitarian works are numerous and awesome. Anne Jeffreys serves on many Boards including American Cinema Awards Foundation and Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. She received the 1998 Living Legacy Award from the Women's International Center.
Ann Jeffreys' Western film credits include "Billy the Kid Trapped" (1942), "Border Town Gunfighters" (1943), "Wagon Tracks West" (1943), "Overland Mail Robbery" (1943), "Man from Thunder River" (1943), "Death Valley Manhunt" (1943), "Calling Wild Bill Elliott" (1943), "Mojave Firebrand" (1944), "Hidden Valley Outlaws" (1944), "Nevada" (1944), "Trail Street" (1947) and "Return of the Bad Men" (1948).
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Anne Jeffreys.
Herb Jeffries
Herb Jeffries, cowboy actor and jazz singer, was born on Sept. 24, 1911 in Detroit, MI. He is also known as Herb Jeffreys. He became famous in Black communities through the USA as a jazz singer.
It was during a singing tour of the South that Jeffries saw segregation up close and personal, and he noted its effect on the lives of blacks. He went looking for some way to provide a role model for Black youngsters. And he decided that, like white kids, Black children could use a wholesome singing cowboy hero. A year or so later he finally found producer in Hollywood who agreed to backsome films. So Herb Jeffries starred in them, chose the actors, wrote most of the music and did all his own riding and stunts. He was called "Bob Blake, the Bronze Buckaroo".
He roped in comedians Spencer Williams (later of the Andy of TV's Amos 'n' Andy) as co-star and Mantan Moreland as his sidekick and cast the other roles from the few blacks who were working in Tarzan pictures. His backup singers were the Four Blackbirds, better known as The Four Tones, a sort of African-American version of the Sons Of The Pioneers.
Jeffries had learned how to ride horses during summers on his grandfather's farm. Then, before beginning filming the "Bronze Buckeroo" films, he went to a ranch in Santa Ynez, Calif., for about three months. He took lessons from real wranglers on how to round up cattle, brand, make a running dismount off a horse and back into the saddle, and how to spin a rope.
Jeffries' movies were filmed at N.B. Murray's Dude Ranch. They were "Harlem On The Prairie "(1936), "Two Gun Men from Harlem" (1937), "Harlem Rides The Range" (1937), and "The Bronze Buckaroo" (1938).
"I was like the Pied Piper at personal appearances," says Jeffries, recalling earlier days. "I had a Cadillac with steer horns up front and my name in gold rope on the side and after the picture I'd do rope tricks, spin my gun and sing songs from the movie. Wherever I went kids would follow me down the street. Not only black kids but white kids too, which was unusual to see down South. They'd seen cowboys before but not movie cowboys."
However, these Westerns played only in theaters catering to Black audiences. He was, in fact, a singing Black cowboy who was virtually unknown by white audiences until 1980 or so.
Herb Jeffries only completed four films, but all of them were box office successes. But by then he had to resume work under contract to sing with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1939. And it was during this time that he had big hits with "You, You Darling" and "Flamingo." That last song actually sold over 14 million copies.
A three-part documentary, "The Untold West" ( Turner Network Television), featured Jeffries. He is seen in part two, "The Black West," for which he did narration and provided research. That episode also used excerpts from his cowboy films.
At the age of 83 Herb Jeffries and Michael Martin Murphey teamed with the 108 member San Antonio Symphony Orchestra to record an album of Western Songs.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Herb Jeffries, aka "Herb Jeffreys".
Thomas Jeier
Thomas Jeier is a native German who makes his living as a writer (90 percent) and as an editor (10 percent) for the largest publishing company in Europe. That company supplies books to markets in Sweden, Denmark, East Germany, Ugoslavia, Switzerland and Italy.He has written over 30 juvenile, fiction and non-fiction books. One of his novels was Der Sohn Des Killers, distributed in the U.S. as The Killer's Son. Jeier and Jeffry Wallman co-authored Celluloid Kid (Doubleday, 1984).
In 1974 Thomas Jeier he won the prestigious Friedrich-Gerstacker Award for the best adventure book of the year in Germany. His book was titled, Der Grosse Goldrausch von Alaska. Other of his books include Die Frau Des Siedlers (The Settler's Wife) and Das Versunkene Kanu (a juvenile novel about Tecumseh).
Kenneth Jessen
Kenneth Jessen writes, publishes and sells his own books. He is the author of Railroads of Northern Colorado (Pruett, 1982), Eccentric Colorado and Colorado Gunsmoke (Pruett Publishing). His articles have appeared in True West, Old West, NOLA Quarterly, Frontier Times and several newspapers.
Soledad Jiminez
(Deceased)
Soledad Jiminez, actress, was born on Feb. 28, 1874 in Santander, Spain. She played in 51 films between 1929 and 1952 (sometimes credited as "Solidad Jiminez"). She was in some 22 Western movies, plus TV shows and short features. In her Westerns she played opposite such leads as Rex Bell and Tom Tyler.
Soledad Jiminez died of a stroke on Oct. 17, 1966 in Woodland Hills, CA.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Soledad Jiminez.
John Joerschke
John Joerschke was for many years the editor of both TRUE WEST magazine and OLD WEST magazine(see Roundup, Nov.-Dec., 1987, p.3-5,14).
He was a frequent speaker at writers' conferences across the nation.
This listing is far from complete and may contain errors.
Therefore, all Western entertainers and/or their agents
are requested to submit recommended changes by
contacting Stan Paregien through his e-mail address.
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the
mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
--- Bible: Psalm 36:5-6
© 2003 by Stan Paregien, Sr.