Stan Paregien, Editor
Robert Wolders
Robert Wolders, actor, was born on Sept. 28, 1936 in The Netherlands.
Robert Wolders played the part of Ranger Erick Hunter on the Western TV show, "Loredo" (1966-67).
In 1975 he married actress Merle Oberon.
Natalie Wood
(Deceased)
Natalie Wood was born Natasha Nikolaevna Gurdin on July 20, 1938 in San Francisco, CA. Her parents were Russian emigrants, and they spoke virtually no English.
She was in her first movie at the age of four when a company shot part of the film near the family home in Santa Rosa, CA. That was all it took for her mother to move the family to Los Angeles so her beautiful daughter could be it more movies. But her next film did not come for three more years, in 1946.
Then came the career-making role as the little girl, Susan Walker, in "Miracle on 34th Street" in 1947. By the age of eight she was earning $1,000 per week. She made 18 more films as a child star.
Natalie Wood's change from child actress to female star took place in another film which became a classic: Rebel Without a Cause (1955). She received her first Oscar nomination for that work.
The beauty dated some of the biggest names in show biz: James Dean, Elvis Presley, Raymond Burr, and Dennis Hopper, to name a few. But on December 28th, 1957 Natalie married the love of her life, Robert Wagner. They divorced in 1962, only to remarry ten years later.
Wagners' yacht, she disappeared one night. Her body washed ashore the next morning, and the circumstances of her death were never fully discovered. The unfinished Brainstorm languished for two years before being cobbled together and released to mixed reviews and indifferent box office. Though the film was flawed, she lent it a luminous presence. A subsequent book by Wood's younger sister Lana, herself an actress, revealed that, in fact, Natalie's life had been filled with unhappiness and insecurity. Lana played Natalie as a child in The Searchers (1956),
Her Western credits were limited to two films: The Burning Hills (1956) and "The Searchers." In the last movie she played the part of the young woman John Wayne finally rescues from the Indians. Her sister, Lana Wood, played the opening "kidnapping" scenes when Natalie was supposed to be a young child.
Natalie Wood apparently fell off her yacht, anchored just off Catalina Island, and died of drowing on November 29, 1981. Her remains are in Westwood Memorial Park (Section D, #60) in Los Angeles, CA.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Natalie Wood.
Harry Woods
Harry Woods, actor, was born on May 5, 1889 in Cleveland, OH. (Some sources say Hannibal, MO.).Harry Woods was the king of the Western bad guys during most of his 40-year film career. Big-boned and tall, Woods could portray an evil cowboy with a variety of piercing stares and devilish smiles.
Jack Luden and Harry Woods in the 1938
Western movie, "Stagecoach Days."
Harry Woods appeared in nearly 200 films. A sampling of his Western credits includes Don Quickshot of the Rio Grande (1923), Wolves of the North (1924), Cyclone of the Range (1927), The Desert Rider (1929), Ranch House Blues (1930), West of Cheyenne (1931), Texas Gun Fighter (1932), Lawless Riders (1935), The Plainsman (1936), Reckless Ranger (1937), Union Pacific (1939), The Ranger and the Lady (1940), Romance on the Ranger (1942), In Old Oklahoma (1943), Nevada (1944), My Darling Clementine (1946), The Fabulous Texas (1947), Indian Agent (1948), She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949), Law of the Badlands (1950), Lone Star (1951) and The Sheepman (1958).
Harry Woods died on Dec. 18, 1968 in Los Angeles, CA.
Nelson Wolford and Shirley Wolford
Nelson Wolford and Shirley Wolford also write under the name of Colby Wolford. For a list of their books up to 1970, see the Feb., 1970 issue of THE ROUNDUP. See both of their photos in the Sept., 1959 issue.
Morgan Woodward
Thomas Morgan Woodward was born in Fort Worth, Texas, September 16, 1925. He was educated in the public schools of Arlington, Texas, and graduated from High School in 1944.
After graduating, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps Pilot Training Program. This was natural, as he had been flying since the age of sixteen. Following World War II, Woodward entered Arlington State College, where he majored in music and drama. During this period, Woodward began his professional career with the renowned Margo Jones Repertory Theatre in Dallas. His ultimate goal however, was the Metropolitan Opera. Later, the slow emergence of grand opera in America convinced him that this was not a promising career to pursue.
In 1948, Woodward transferred to the University of Texas and changed his major to Business Administration. He majored in Corporate Finance, with a minor in music and drama. In addition to a full course of study, he had his own weekly radio show, a dance band, as well as a barber shop quartet. Some of his classmates during that time were Fess Parker, Jayne Mansfield, Rip Torn, Kathy (Mrs.Bing) Crosby, L.Q. Jones, Pat Hingle, and Barbara Berry.
Morgan Woodward graduated in 1951 with a BBA Degree. Then he entered the University of Texas Law School. However, his Studies were interrupted when he was recalled to active duty with the Air Force and sent to Korea with the Military Air Transport Command.
Following the Korean War, Woodward came to the attention of the late Walt Disney, who summoned him from Texas late in 1955 to do "The Great Locomotive Chase". Disney was impressed and signed him for two more pictures in 1956. Shortly thereafter in 1957, Woodward signed a four year contract to star with Hugh O'Brian on the top-rated television series, "Wyatt Earp" .
Morgan Woodward has done over 250 TV and Motion picture films. He holds the record for having done more guest starring roles on the series "Gunsmoke" (19) and "Wagon Train" (11) than any other actor. He starred on the MGM TV series "Logan's Run" (1977-1978) and also on the top-rated daytime series, "Days of Our Lives" (1987-1988). Woodward was a regular guest star on the series "Dallas" (1980-1988), the top-rated television series in the world for several years, where he portrayed the character "Punk Anderson".
Woodward was mentioned by many of the nation's top film critics as an outstanding contender for the 1967 Motion Picture Academy Award in a supporting role, for his protrayal of "the man with no eyes" in "Cool Hand Luke" starring Paul Newman.
He made his TV debut in 1955 as Shotgun Gibbs in the TV Western series, "The Life and Times of Wyatt Earp". He also appeared in such notable TV Westerns as "Zane Grey Theater," "Wagon Train," "The Restless Gun," "Broken Arrow," "Frontier Doctor," "Bat Masterson," "Bonanza," "The Virginian," "Rawhide," "Gunsmoke," "The Big Valley," "Branded," "The Iron Horse," "The Monroes," "Cimarron Strip," "The High Chaparral," "How the West Was Won," and "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.".
Morgan Woodward appeared in some 34 movies, either big screen or made-for-TV. His Western movies included "Westward Ho the Wagons!" (1956), "Ride a Crooked Trail" (1958), "The Gun Hawk" (1963), "Firecreek" (1965), "Death of a Gunfighter" (1969), "Yuma" (1970) and "The Wild Country" (1971).
Early in 1969, the three major networks submitted what they considered to be their finest Western film for the Western Heritage Foundation's Cowboy Hall of Fame Award. Woodward guest-starred in two of the three films submitted. One of these, "The Buffalo Soldiers" (an episode of NBC's High Chaparral") won the coveted award.
In 1988, Woodward was presented with the "Golden Lariat Award" at the National Western Film Festival. In August of the same year he received the prestigious "Golden Boot Award" from the Hollywood Motion Picture and Television Fund.
In March 1990, Woodward's star was placed on the "Walk of Western Stars" at the William S. Hart Museum and Park in Santa Clarita, California. In 1994, the Texas Arts Council presented Morgan with it's Lifetime Achievment in the Arts Award in his hometown of Arlington, Texas. The city also named a prominent street "Morgan Woodward Way".
In August of 1995, Woodward received the "Lifetime Achievment Award" for western film acting from the "Wild West FIlm Festival" in Sonora, California. In 1997 Morgan celebrated 50 years in show business and was given the "International Star Award" in Los Angeles.
Woodward's chief hobby is restoring, rebuilding and flying antique airplanes. In aviation circles, he is recognized as an authority on Early American Aircraft and has received numerous awards for his restoration projects.
Woodward is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Screen Actors' Guild, and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and a life member of the Actors' Fund. He is also a member of The Sons of the American Revolution, The Ancient and Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen, The OX-5 Club of America and The Antique Aircraft Association of America.
Morgan Woodward is also a member of the Greek fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha. In 1981, at their annual convention in Washington, D.C. he was awarded the fraternitys' highest honor, the Distinguished Achievment Award, which was presented to him by his fraternity brother, Senator Strom Thurmond. Woodward has also been honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Texas and is listed in Who's Who In America and Who's Who in the World.
Today Morgan Woodward is semi-retired, dividing his time between his home in Los Angeles and his ranch in Paso Robles, California. He is on the Board of Directors for The Golden Boot and has his name affixed to the celebrity room at the Century Plaza Hotel where the annual event is now held.
CLICK HERE to go to the official Morgan Woodward web site.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Morgan Woodward.
John Wooley
John Wooley, writer and musician and radio show host, was born April 4, 1949, in St. Paul, Minn.. He is the son of John MacFarlane (a high school administrator) and Ruth (a town clerk; maiden name, Seely) Wooley. He grew up in the small town of Chelsea, Oklahoma.
Wooley received a B.S. degree from Oklahoma State University in 1970 and the M.A. in 1977 from Central Oklahoma State University.
As with many folks these days, his career has taken some strange twists and turns. He was a plant sanitarian (I think that means, "janitor") at a Ralston-Purina Co. plant in Edmond, Okla., in 1971. He was associated with Bruce Webster Films, 1974-77, as a script writer. He worked at Oscar Rose Junior College, Midwest City, Okla., as a teacher of English composition and literature (1977-79). Then he was a radio announcer at KWPR-AM in Claremore, Okla.(1980-82). And since 1982 he has been a full-time writer.
He also served in the U.S. Naval Reserve, 1970-76. He was on active duty from 1971-73; serving in the Philippines and Vietnam.
John Wooley was co-host of a western-swing program on KVOO-AM in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from 1990 to 2002. His co-host was Billy Parker, the great Hall of Fame disc jockey and country-music artist. That was the station Bob Wills where he began performing in 1934, after leaving his native Texas.
Wooley now has a program called "Swing on This," heard over Tulsa's KWGS (89.5 FM). It is a full hour of western swing, cowboy jazz, and hot string band music. It can be heard on Saturday nights at 7 p.m., right after “Prairie Home Companion” on this National Public Radio station. Once again, the show airs Saturdays at 7 p.m. on KWGS, 89.5 FM, out of Tulsa.
For many years, now, he has been writing a column for the Tulsa World newspaper on Western swing and its stars. And, largely because of that work and his radio program, in 2003 he was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. He was the first writer to ever be inducted.
John Wooley has also been inducted into the Cowtown Society of Western Music Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. He wrote a documentary film about Western swing music titled, "Still Swingin'."
He is also a published author of several horror novels. And he collabored with Jim Halsey (manager of Roy Clark and many other music stars) to write, How to Make It in the Music Business.
CLICK HERE to go to the official John Wooley web site.
Sheb Wooley
(Deceased)Sheb Wooley was born Shelby F. Wooley near Erick, Oklahoma on April 10, 1921. As a teenager he was a skilled rodeo rider and became quite accustomed to sitting on horses--a skill that later served him well in Hollywood.
But even during those years, he was already drawn to music. By the time her was 15 he had his own band, The Plainview Melody Boys, and they had their own show on a radio station in nearby Elk City, Oklahoma.
In 1945, right after World War II, he left for Nashville with hopes of making his mark as a singer and songwriter. Eventually, Wooley did land a spot as a performer on WLAC Radio in Nashville -- at 4:45 A.M. He also cut four sides at the WSM Radio studios for the Bullet record label. Though two of them were not released until several years later, and the others were never issued, they were none-the-less some of the first records to ever be recorded in Music City. He was later given an additional radio spot at 4:30 p.m. which helped draw crowds to his personal appearances.
Then he moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he landed a fifteen-minute radio show sponsored by Calumet Baking Powder. He also put his own band together, The Calumet Indians. His show was broadcast over a dozen or so different 50,000 watt, clear channel stations throughout the southwestern U.S., and the resulting exposure soon made him and the band much in demand for personal appearances.
In addition to scripting, emceeing, and performing on this popular radio show, in 1974 Wooley also recorded a half-dozen or so sides for the Bluebonnet record label in Dallas, Texas. Some of Wooley's vintage recordings from this era where recently re-issued by the German Bear Family Record label. The reissue LP, Sheb Wooley: Country Boogies Wild Wooley (BFX 150991) is widely available in the U.S.
In 1950, Wooley finally made it to Hollywood, his longtime destination. He was spotted by some talent scouts in a play in which he appeared, and in an amazingly short time he landed a screen test at Warner Brothers Films. As a result, he ended up in his first motion picture, Rocky Mountain starring Errol Flynn.
Despite roles in acclaimed pictures like High Noon and Distant Drums, the next couple of years were pretty rough going. He wasn't making many movies and wasn't writing many songs. But in 1954, things turned around again. A song he had written the year before, called "Too Young To Tango," was a million seller for Theresa Brewer. Then Hank Snow did "When Mexican Joe Met Jole Blon," and it sold about 400,000copies. And Wooley was back in the chips again.
Sheb Wooley starred in "Rawhide," starting in 1958, in the role of "Pete Nolan". also proved adept and featured prominently until 1962 when he left to purse his music career. He was sorely missed and did return for a short while during the 1964-65 season as well as an appearance or two in between years. In addition he also wrote several scripts for the series in which Clint Eastwood also got his real start in the film business.
Sheb Wooley, Erick Fleming and Clint Eastwood
in the TV Western series, "Rawhide".He also had a big-time hit in 1958 with his novelty song, "Purple People Eater". It was based on a joke that he had heard. After he recorded it, MGM didn't want to release it. They said it wasn't something they wanted to be identified with. But then an acetate of it found its way to the company's New York offices, and people up there would start gathering around listening to it. Pretty soon, it got to where, every lunchtime, there'd be forty or fifty of 'em up there, playing the thing over and over. Finally someone in MGM's front office saw what was going on and they reconsidered and released it. It took off and just went crazy.
"Purple People Eater" was the #1 Billboard Pop Hit on June 4, 1958. The record sold over 3 million copies and was certified Gold for a million sales after it was released just 3 weeks. By 1997 it had sold 100 million copies.
He made comic recordings under the name "Ben Colder". He was the winner of the Country Music Association's 1968, "Comedian Of The Year Award."
In 1969 Wooley was also one of the original members of the cast of "Hee-Haw" the long running country comedy series. He also wrote the "Hee Haw" theme song . He filmed the first 13 segments of "Hee-Haw" before backing out due to other professional demands.
Wooley moved from California to Nashville, Tenn., in 1979. To country fans he has perhaps best been known for his million dollar selling novelty tunes like "Don't Go Near The Eskimos," "Harper Valley P.T.A. #2" and "Fifteen Beers Ago," which were recorded under the pseudonym "Ben Colder." He is also known for his more serious country hits like "That's My Pa," a #1 Hit in 1962.
The late entertainer Roger Miller was his brother-in-law (his wife's younger brother).
Sheb Wooley says, "I believe success lies in three things," he concludes, "dreams, hard work, and faith. You've got to dream the dream, do the work, and have the faith. Success can't resist that kind of formula."
Wooley was diagnosed with lukemia in 1996. He entered Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday, Sept. 15, 2003. He died the next day, September 16, 2003.
CLICK HERE to visit the official home web page of Sheb Wooley, the Purple People Eater, and his alter ego, Ben Colder.
Bryan Woolley
Bryan Woolley was born in Gorman, Tex. on Aug. 22, 1937 and grew up in Fort Davis. He earned his A.B. at the University of Texas at El Paso in 1958, his B.D. at Texas Christian University in 1963, and the Th.M. at Harvard University in 1966. He completed all requirements for a Ph.D. except for his thesis.
He taught high school English in El Paso, Tex. during the 1958-59 school year. He served as a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) from 1963 to 1967, and spent part of that time as a magazine editor with the Christian Board of Publication in St. Louis, Mo.
He worked as the night editor for the Associated Press in Tulsa, Okla. from 1967-68. From 1968-69, he was the editor of a newspaper in Anniston, Ala. From 1969 to 1976 he was a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal and Times in Louisville, Ken. He was an editorial writer and columnist for the Dallas Times Herald from 1976-1978.
Bryan Woolley is the author of two nonfiction books, We Be Here When the Morning Comes (University Press of Kentucky, 1975) and Where Texas Meets the Sea (Pressworks Publications).Woolley's fiction books include Time and Place (TCU Press, 1985), Sam Bass: A Novel (Corona Publishing, 1983), Some Sweet Day (1973, 1981), November 22 and Time of My Life (Shearer Publishing, 1984). His articles have appeared in Texas Monthly and Christian Century.
In 1984, he walked away from the Western Writers of America convention in Branson, Mo. with a Spur Award for his novel, Sam Bass. And that was in competition with Louis L'Amour and his novel, The Lonesome Gods. In 1989, he won his third "Texas Headliner Award", this time for an article which he wrote on Tex Schramm for the Dallas Times-Herald. And in May, 1989, he was inducted into the "Writers of the Pass" by the El Paso Herald-Post.
In an interview with WWA-er Dale Walker, Bryan Woolley said, "I am a novelist who earns a living at newspapering. Writing is something you have to learn to live with once it takes hold of you. I've thought about quitting bookwriting and concentrating on becoming the world's greatest journalist but, really, the greatest thrill in the world is holding in your hands a book you wrote" (Nora, Dec., 1983, University of Texas at El Paso).
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
--- Bible: Hebrews 13:15-16
© 2003 by Stan Paregien, Sr.
