Anything Wayne knew about the real Earp came to him secondhand from Ford during their 25-year working relationship. That feller Hamlet was a talkative man. Wyatt Earp spent his final years working mining claims in the Mojave Desert during the winters while summering in nearby Los Angeles. Pittman put down roots, serving as a U.S. senator from Nevada for almost 30 years. Years later, Hollywood publicists muddled this event to imply that Mix had been a Rough Rider himself. [4], A small stone memorial marks the site of his death on State Route 79, and the nearby gully is known as "Tom Mix Wash". In 1893 the lawman had a leading role in ending the depredations of the Sontag-Evans gang in California. Marshal Vawter was among the principal figures in the Nome gold claim swindle, a central plot device of The Spoilers. Shortly afterwards, he was covered by the blowing sands, which appeared to have dried his body overnight. However, there is no other character mentioned more often in films or on television than Wyatt Earp. By Dan Krieger In April 1898, during the SpanishAmerican War, Mix enlisted in the Army under the name Thomas E. (Edwin) Mix. Usually, the horses suffered from neglect, abuse and malnourishment. Without him, however, the circus soon failed, and he later excluded her from his will. On leaving Arizona Territory in 1898, restaurateur/hotelier/miner Nellie Cashman spent another quarter century as an entrepreneur, marked by notices in the mining journals as well as The New York Times. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. John Henry "Doc" Holliday (August 14, 1851 - November 8, 1887) was an American gambler, gunfighter, and dentist. He is past President of the California Mission Studies Association, now part of the California Missions Foundation. While with Selig he co-starred in several films with Victoria Forde, and they fell in love. Another notable Earp acquaintance with no known California connection was the Rev. He was born in 1848, in Monmouth, Illinois. He spent his youth carousing, gambling, and visiting brothels - sometimes just one step ahead of the law. Unable to stop in time, his car swerved twice, then overturned in a gully. When an injury caused football player Marion Morrison (later known as John Wayne) to drop out of the University of Southern California, Mix helped him find work moving props in the back lot of Fox Studios. Three were intact, while one was about to collapse. Wyatt Earp was one of the many children born to Nicholas Porter Earp and Virginia Ann Cooksey. Mix and Hart both served as pallbearers at Earps funeral. Mystery surrounds the infamous burning of the Reichstag in 1933. "You gonna do somethin' or just stand there and bleed?" 2. Coincidentally, he was also related to Williamson Dunn Vawter, an influential pioneer of both Pasadena and Santa Monica. Tom Mix was a friend of Wyatt Earp in the 1920s. Another Nadeau holding that would have interested the Earps was the areas largest winery and newest distillery. This column is by Dan Krieger. Mix made more than 160 cowboy films throughout the 1920s. Photographer C.S. Marshal Cornelius L. Vawter and wife Sarah. When we first laid eyes on it, there were several trailers still sitting on the land. After 1900 Brighton served as a policeman and constable in the Sawtelle district of Los Angeles and its Old Soldiers Home, where he resided. She was the last Mrs. Wyatt Earp and the woman who held that title for much longer than her predecessors. My other connection to Mix was living next to Compton. But as family members settled in Colton and San Bernardino, and Wyatt, Virgil and James followed the boxing and horse racing circuit, the brothersand sometimes father Nicholasfound themselves increasingly drawn to Los Angeles. Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was born in Monmouth, Illinois, in 1848, of Scotch-Irish stock. Among those who did attend were John Clum, an old friend from Tombstone days, and the big-screen cowboy stars William S. Hart and Tom Mix. By the mid-1920s, the hero of the gunfight at the O.K. In 1903, when the Hearst newspaper empire opened an office in Los Angeles, it set up in the Bilicke Building, reasserting the old Tombstone connections. Who are the people at Wyatt Earps funeral? How old was Wyatt Earp when he met John Ford? It's in the middle of nowhere but whistling desert loneliness and yet a very nicely kept picnic area and monument. Any discussion of Earp connections should begin with a mention of prolific Western diarist George Whitwell Parsons (at top, second from left), who wrote extensively of his time in Tombstone during the Earp era. In fact, the two of them were so close, that Mix served as a pallbearer at Earp's funeral. A small stone memorial marks the site of his death on State Route 79 between Florence and . I enjoyed reading about him. There is no telling how often these fellows may have met, even in passing, in Los Angeles. Photography by C.J. Will Hunsaker, who practiced law in Tombstone when the Earps were in town, served as mayor of San Diego in 1888 and was a leading figure in California legal circles, eventually becoming president of the California Bar Association. In one episode, Mix was filmed descending from the top of the rock, with boot holes carved into it to assist him in making the descent. Famed L.A. County Sheriffs Capt. Others in the supporting cast included George Gobel, Harold Peary and Willard Waterman. Reply Then Dallas Stoudenmire arrived. Wyatt spent his final years in California. Corral" between Wyatt & his brothers and the Clanton brothers, which took place in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881. Days after the bout Wyatt and brother James encountered Grannan at a local racetrack. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. The couples primary Hollywood contact, though, was William S. Hart, the foremost Western star of the silent era. Earp was the fourth of eight children born to Nicholas Earp and his second wife, Virginia Ann Cooksey. A group of lawmen led by Doc Holliday, Virgil Earp, and his brothers Wyatt and Morgan, faced off against a group of outlaws called The Cowboysincluding Billy Claiborne, Ike and Billy Clanton, and Tom and Frank McLaury. Endicott Peabody. There is also a Tom Mix museum in Dewey, Oklahoma. Corral, where he killed three outlaw cowboys. The site was known for its huge sandstone boulders, and one of them later became known as Tom Mix Rock when it was discovered it had been used in The Miracle Rider. In 1913, Mix moved his family to a ranch he purchased in Prescott named Bar Circle A Ranch. "The real story of the Old West can never be told unless Wyatt Earp tells what he knows, and Wyatt will not talk," said perhaps the oldest of those friends, William Barclay "Bat" Masterson. One hundred and twenty-five years ago, on October 26, 1881, John Henry "Doc" Holliday joined the Earp brothers, Virgil, Wyatt and Morgan, on their walk into legend down Tombstone, Arizona Territory's Fremont Street to the fateful encounter remembered as the Gunfight at the O.K. Nearly 50 years after the famous gunfight at the O.K. Robertson became the publisher and close associate of such famed authors as London, Mark Twain, Bret Harte and Robert Louis Stevenson. Hints suggest encounters at the Agricultural Park horse racing grounds. Starting in 1933, the Ralston-Purina Co. sponsored a three-night-a-week radio series called Tom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters. Mix, reportedly because of a bullet wound to his throat, didnt have a voice for radio. Earp was the man who had actually done the things in his life that I was trying to do in a movie. 1 Did Tom Mix attend Wyatt Earps funeral? On June 22, 1880, while living at Bilickes Cosmopolitan Hotel in Tombstone, Leslie shot down Mike Killeen. The gold-plated and deluxe engraved Colt Officer's Model double-action revolvers, serial numbers 532107 and 567346, feature 6 barrels and have "TOM MIX" inscribed on their backstraps. Eventually, John Wayne became one of the most popular film actors of the 20th century, and with the help of the famed lawman, Wyatt Earp, he createdthe model for the iconic hero of the American West. Nick's temperament was an odd mix of Unionist principles and loyalty to the . "Go ahead, skin it! Although some say Call of the Wild author London first knew Wyatt in Alaska, they most likely didnt meet until later in California. He accepted the position of deputy sheriff for eastern Pima County, where the town of Tombstone was located. Still considered one of the definitive books on earp, lake's tome unfortunately suffered somewhat in accuracy due to the demands . In 1985 Blake Edward's released his movie Sunset which told the fictionalized story of Tom Mix and Wyatt Earp in a Hollywood caper together after meeting on the set of a silent movie. On October 12, 1940, after visiting Pima County Sheriff Ed Echols in Tucson, Arizona,[4] Mix headed north towards Phoenix on U.S. Highway 80 (now Arizona State Route 79) About eighteen miles (29km) south of Florence, Mix came upon construction barriers at a bridge washed away by a flash flood. Truth be told, Wayne wasn't a pallbearer at Earp's funeral (though two silent stars, Tom Mix and William S. Hart, were). Corporal Brighton is buried beside wife Mary and not far from Sergeant Nick Earp in the Los Angeles National Cemetery (the former Sawtelle Veterans Cemetery). After my grandfather passed, his nephews branched out in several countries, cities taking the circus acts around the world. In 1910, he appeared as himself in a short documentary film, Ranch Life in the Great Southwest, in which he displayed his skills as a cattle wrangler. Tom Mix served in the Army before heading west to Oklahoma, obtaining work on Miller Brothers 101 Real Wild West Ranch near Bliss, Okla. In July 1890 one of the races was dubbed the Nadeau Handicap, while entered in other races were mounts belonging to both Wyatt Earp and Lou Rickabaugh, a former partner of Wyatts in the gaming concessions at Tombstones Oriental Saloon. [6] In 1920, he took first prize in a bull-riding contest. Wyatt first met George Hearst early in 1882 when Hearst was considering mining properties in and around Tombstone. Local dignitaries, including Tombstone Epitaph editor John Clum, attorney Ben Goodrich and Oriental Saloon owner and local politico Milt Joyce, wined and dined the general at Bilickes hotel. But Was He Drugged Into Confessing? Fall for oil leasing rights, though Fall and Sinclair both served prison terms for their roles. Most of Mix's radio work has been lost over the years; recordings of only approximately 30 scattered episodes, and no complete story arcs, survive. I was on the website to see about him crying. John. Wyatt Earp's actual life story, though, was more complicated than the romantic legend. #BlakeEdwards #Actors #Cowboys #Movies #Film #Illustrated #Art #80s The four Mrs. Wyatt Earps each had a unique view of some of the key events of the Old West as the wives of a legendary lawman-turned-outlaw. Thanks Sis for telling me about him and taking the highway by his monument. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. Tom Mix was a friend of Wyatt Earp in the 1920s. That afternoon, Earp, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and Wyatt's friend John Henry "Doc" Holliday faced off against a rowdy group of outlaws known as the . His marriage to Allin was annulled after one year. Mix went to Oklahoma and lived in Guthrie, working as a bartender and other odd jobs. He called Kennedy a "tight-assed, money-crazy son of a bitch". Tom Mix, among few genuine Western cowboys to have starred in films, was a known companion of the Earps and attended horse races with Wyatt and Josie. I used to babysit for Buster Crabbe's grandkid when I was teen. I'd venture a guess that most people these days have never even heard of Tom Mix. I'm sure 'The King of Cowboys' would enjoy knowing that on the spot he died, there was such a poignant memorial. There was another Compton link for me. Historians have yet to establish any further interaction between him and mining executive Gage, miner/cattleman John Van Vickers or financier John Vosburg, for example. He never appeared on the show. Was John Wayne a pallbearer at Wyatt Earp's funeral? This apparently preserved his body resulting in the mummified form he was found in. It was reported that Tom Mix openly wept. His father, Nicholas, named him after his Mexican-American War Captain. A notable Earp associate with no ties to California was Key Pittman. There is no telling how often these fellows may have met, even in passing, in Los Angeles. But they befriended plenty of others outside that circle, from writer Jack London to film star William S. Hart, boxing promoter Tex Rickard, businessman Lucky Baldwin, mining investor George Hearst and oil man Ed Doheny. By the late 1880s Parsons was well established in Los Angeles, where he became a Chamber of Commerce kingpin, headed several mining information bureaus, was active in church affairs, served as an officer in and president of the Southern California Academy of Sciences and spearheaded a campaign to signpost water sources in the desert. 2 Are there any living relatives of Wyatt Earp? He and Forde divorced in 1931. Nicholas served as justice of the peace and Virgil as chief of police in Colton, while James ran a San Bernardino saloon. The idea is an alluring one: the place is Hollywood and the time, 1929, just as sound is coming in. Tom Mix (Bruce Willis) is going to make a film based around real events in the life of Wyatt Earp (James Garner)and so they wheel earp out to Hollywood as an advisor in the film. Wyatts famous role in the shootout at the O.K. Tom Mix Many of the famous cowboys to follow in his boot steps, admired him.iZombie, I am with you. Some of his movies were filmed in his Prescott home. You could say Virgil Earp knew Corbett up close. Earp described the gunfight at O.K. Peabody became a nationally known figure in education and officiated at the wedding of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (a former pupil of the reverends at Massachusetts prestigious Groton School for Boys, as were cousin Theodore Roosevelts four sons). Matt Dallas portrayed Masterson in the 2012 film Wyatt Earp's Revenge. What did John Wayne say about Wyatt Earp? I'm not sure if he married Victoria but the did have a hot love affair with her.Les, I enjoyed reading about him too. Mix had reportedly made over $6 million (equivalent to $119 million in 2021) during his 26-year film career.[13]. Referee Virgil Earp told Ungentlemanly Jim to desist. I remember his name, but that's about all. Tom Mix was often portrayed in comic books, primarily during the heyday of Western-themed comics, the 1940s and 1950s. In 1889, while serving as a bodyguard for a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice, Neagle killed a former California chief justice amid an assault by the latter. The ranch had its own touring Wild West show in which Mix appeared. Corral, Wyatt Earp dies quietly in Los Angeles at the age of 80. His unit never went overseas, and Mix later failed to return for duty after an extended furlough when he married Grace I. Allin on July 18, 1902. The set also included a simulated desert, a large corral, and (to facilitate interior shots) a ranch house with no roof. The Earps doubtless encountered other prominent Tombstoners in Los Angeles. James R Earp is also a direct descendant of Wyatt Earp, the legendary lawman and deputy town sheriff from Tombstone who took part in the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral. Wyatt Earp was considered the central figure in the shootout in Tombstone, he also took part in a Gunfight at the O.K. Walker Of the many realms of collecting, firearms rank among the [] Senator Hearst and son William Randolph Hearst were running the Examiner, Wyatt renewed their acquaintance. Five years later, John Wayne apparently met Wyatt Earp on a film set. Wonderful story! In the 1920s Wyatt was a minor player in the Kern County, Calif., oilfields, which may have brought him into contact with the oil baron. His father, Nicholas Porter Earp, was a commanding figure, a sometimes frontier judge, whose other occupations included farmer, storekeeper, barrel maker, and still operator. 3 What did John Wayne say about Wyatt Earp? Due in part to his tenacious efforts, San Pedro wound up with the port facilities. This book on Wyatt Earp cuts through the false legends, myths, and stories that have abounded for years like never before. His son Jesse succeeded him as district attorney and later served on the California Supreme Court. By the mid-1920s, the hero of "the gunfight at the O.K.. Not all former fellow Tombstoners in greater Los Angeles fawned over Earp, though. You could say Fly knew the Earps up close, as his studio abutted the vacant lot behind the O.K. the story of how he came to officiate and then ruin the Tom Sharkey and Bob Fitzsimmons fight on 2 December 1896 is . Congressional gridlock The Gibbs & Pitt shotgun was the first commercially sucessful breech loading shotgun patented in 1873. Where did Wyatt Earp live in Los Angeles? Wyatt Earp knew what went down in Kansas. Professor of History, Emeritus at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo. Sid Grauman and Alexander Pantages of movie theater fame were there at the outset of their working lives, trying to make a buck by entertaining miners, and at best saw Wyatt dispensing drinks or sitting at a faro table in Nome. This relationship is not . The Earps and Curtises dont appear to have been social intimates in San Bernardino County, but they moved in similar circles. [8] Near the back of the lot an Indian village of lodges was ringed by miniature plaster mountains. And to think the Earps would reconnect with many of them for one last hurrah in the early decades of the 1900s. They Say He Burned Down the Reichstag. "The following story is almost true give or take a lie or two," proclaimed Blake Edwards' 1988 low-key comedy that pairs Hollywood silent film superstar Tom Mix (Bruce Willis) with Earp played, for the second go around, by James Garner. The highway patrol found $6,000 in cash, $1,500 in traveler checks and a sack of diamonds worth a fortune in the wreckage. Joe Curley Bradley played Mix through most of the later years of the show. It was first known as the Milky Way Ranch in the 1940s with its big white show barn which housed many Hereford cattle. In later years he heaped praise on the Earp brothers for their roles in law enforcement. The Illustrated Life and Times of Wyatt Earp is illustrated with over 80 original illustrations along with maps and photos, many of which have not been previously published. The Baldwin-Earp affiliation spanned virtually the entire Pacific Coast. So he's not just a movie legend, he was a real person! Bill Pickett invented the rodeo art of bulldogging, and Herb Jeffries, the first black singing cowboy, was also a lead singer for Duke Ellingtons orchestra. One of the greatest directors in film history, John Ford, also met Earp who often visited Fords film sets. Mix threatened to move to Argentina to make films or to join the circus, but eventually he signed with FBO, which he then left for Universal after salary disputes with FBO studio head Joseph P. Kennedy. Read another story from us:The Hole-in-the-Wall hideout was the favorite hiding place for the Old West outlaw gangs. He was an admirer of Wyatt Earp from their Tombstone days and remained so when the famed lawman moved to Los Angeles with common-law wife Josie. He was long gone from TV when I was born. He acted in nine films for Universal, but because of injuries he received while filming, he was reluctant to do any more. It is astonishing how many individuals destined for fame Wyatt and Josie met in Alaska amid the Klondike Gold Rush. Most mentions of Wyatt in the two decades after Tombstone originate from San Diego and San Francisco, where he engaged in his usual pursuitsgambling, mining, horse racing and the sporting life in general. Skin that smoke wagon and see what happens." William S. Hart was a pallbearer and Tom Mix was there. In the tense wake of the O.K. These 7 Foreigners Helped Win the American Revolution. His first appearance was in a short film, The Cowboy Millionaire, released on October 21, 1909. A young 21 year old man by the name of Marion Morrison formerly of Winterset, Iowa, who went by the nickname "Duke" was working on a John Ford movie. The long list of fellow sophisticates includes such notable gunfighters/lawmen as Bat Masterson and brothers, Doc Holliday, Bill Tilghman, Fred Dodge, Luke Short, Buckskin Frank Leslie, Rawhide Jake Brighton, Bob Paul, Jim Leavy, John Behan, Clay Allison and John Ringo.