Gabby Hayes

I first want to thank Police Chief Paul Farber for filling in for me the past few weeks. It has given me a chance to further regroup my thoughts--Percival

This week’s column deals with yet another of my onscreen favorites from westerns, Gabby Hayes. He had a character in the movies and on television that has never been copied. It was as unique as the West was large. He was a sidekick to John Wayne and Randolph Scott, and also with Roy Rogers and other huge stars of the motion picture screen.

He sometimes stole the show with his antics and pronunciation of words and sayings. He was hardheaded sometimes in his character, but he always seemed to toe the line when it came to showing the younger generation how things should be handled.

George Hayes was born in Wellsville, New York on May 7, 1885. During his teen years, he joined some traveling shows. Burlesque and vaudeville work followed. He married Olive Ireland in 1914, and the two would be together for 43 years, until her death in 1957. They had no children and wound up in Hollywood at the close of the silent film era.

Hayes found some bit parts and minor supporting roles. Hayes' film career began in 1923 with his appearance in the silent movie Why Women Marry. When sound films arrived, he began doing bit and character parts, including a variety of roles as a baddie, father of the heroine with John Wayne, Bob Steele, Rex Bell, others. In some jobs, he was clean-shaven, while in others, he was a bearded, tobacco-chewing codger.

He also was on the wrong side of the law - in John Wayne's The Star Packer (1934), Hayes was sweet Uncle Matt Matlock, but he also wore black as the mysterious outlaw, “The Shadow.” Hayes did it again in Wayne's Randy Rides Alone (1934) when he was both Marvin Black and “Matt the Mute.”

His first major role was portraying Windy Halliday, the sidekick to Hopalong Cassidy at Paramount. This took a while to happen, and Hayes played some different characters in the initial four Hoppy films - he was Uncle Ben in Hopalong Cassidy (1935); Spike in The Eagles Brood (1935); Windy in Bar 20 Rides Again (1935); and Shanghai in Call Of The Prairie (1936).

Three On The Trail (1936) was Gabby's first as Windy Halliday, and he would continue that role through The Renegade Trail (1939). The total of Hoppy films in which Hayes played Windy Halliday (including the two mentioned) was 18.

In 1939, Hayes switched to Republic Pictures, and his first sidekick role with Roy Rogers was in Southward Ho (1939). He did 41 films with Roy Rogers, but, in between, Hayes was the saddle pal to Wild Bill Elliott in his 1943-1944 series of eight, as well as the first two Red Ryder oaters (which also starred Elliott). During his Republic days, Hayes generally had a screen name of Gabby Whittaker. His last film with Roy was Heldorado (1946).

In the 1950s, Gabby got his calling to television and had his own NBC program, appropriately titled The Gabby Hayes Show, in which he'd introduce/moderate old B westerns that were cut down to about a half-hour length. Gabby's show was nominated for an Emmy award in 1952. Circa 1954, Gabby also did a stint as the host of the Howdy Doody TV show (when Buffalo Bob Smith was recuperating from a heart attack). Hayes even had his own comic book series. Also in the 1950s, he had a "Summer Camp" ranch for the kids in his home state of New York.

Gabby had some great sayings that always gave me a chuckle - there was "Yer durn tootin,” "Durn persnickety female,” "Young whipper snapper,” "Consarn it" and "Yessiree Bob."

One writer has Hayes identified in about 190 sound era films, and that total includes 146 westerns and a couple of serials. His work at Republic Pictures, which amounted to 68 films, occurred during the period from 1935-1947; most of these consisted of doing sidekick duty to Roy Rogers and Wild Bill Elliott.

Though he most often portrayed a cranky and crotchety old-timer on film, in real life Hayes was the exact opposite - serious, well read and well dressed. He was also well liked by all that knew him and worked with him ... And, to this day, he remains as one of the most recognized and remembered players of the B western.

Gabby also did some radio work, including several years on post-World War Two episodes of The Roy Rogers Show, which ran over the Mutual Broadcasting Network. Additionally, the Andrews Sisters' Eight-To-The-Bar Ranch was broadcast from 1944-1946 on ABC, and the premise of the show had Patty, Maxene and LaVerne running a fictional dude ranch. Gabby was a regular guest.

Hayes was an important asset to the western film and to ticket sales. The Motion Picture Herald and Boxoffice polls were conducted from about the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s. With a few exceptions, the annual results would list the “Top Ten” (or “Top Five“) cowboy film stars. In most cases, the winners were what you would expect - Autry, Rogers, Holt, Starrett, Hoppy, etc.

Hayes and Smiley Burnette were the two sidekicks that consistently placed in these polls, though Hayes' rankings were generally a bit higher than Smiley‘s. However, Burnette was ranked in one or both polls for more years - fourteen consecutive years from 1939-1952.

Hayes died in 1969 in Burbank, California. He will always be remembered by me as one of the great heroes that I had at the old Strand Theater on Saginaw St. in downtown Flint.

Thanks for all the great times, Gabby...

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers
2004 CAC Honoree