Movie Cowboy: Buck Jones was born in 1891, and as an actor lived a wild life both on screen and off. He was one of the top cowboys of the silent era and died on November 28, 1942 in a famous fire on Thanksgiving night at the Coconut Grove in Boston.
Jones grew up on a ranch in Red Rock Oklahoma and became an expert horseman. He joined the Miller Brothers Wild West Show and also worked for the Ringling Brothers Circus, after he served in the Army, where he saw action against Pancho Villa before his discharge in 1913.
His first movie feature was “The Last Straw” in 1919, and made more than 50 films and was a top cowboy star along with Tom Mix and William S. Hart in that silent movie era. He made 27 films for Columbia and later made serials for Universal. Buck Jones did other serials and starred in the “Rough Rider” series.
It is said that at one time, his fan club numbered around four million members.