George "Gabby" Hayes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George "Gabby" Hayes
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Hayes in 1953
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| Born |
George Francis Hayes
May 7, 1885 Stannards, New York, U.S.
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| Died | February 9, 1969 (aged 83) Burbank, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1902–1956 |
| Spouse(s) |
Olive E. Ireland
(m. 1914; died 1957) |
George Francis "Gabby" Hayes (born May 7, 1885 – died February 9, 1969) was a famous American actor. He started his career playing main characters and other roles. However, he became best known for his many appearances in B-Western movies. In these films, he played a funny, bearded, and sometimes grumpy sidekick. He was always loyal and brave, helping cowboy stars like Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers.
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Gabby Hayes' Early Life
Gabby Hayes was born on May 7, 1885, in Stannards, New York. This small town is near Wellsville, New York. He was the third of seven children. His father owned the Hayes Hotel and also worked in oil production.
George grew up in Stannards and went to Stannards School. He played semi-professional baseball when he was in high school. In 1902, at age 17, he left home. He joined a theater group and even traveled with a circus for a while. He became very successful in vaudeville, which was a popular type of stage entertainment.
Gabby's Marriage and New Beginnings
On March 4, 1914, Hayes married Olive E. Ireland. She also joined him in vaudeville, using the stage name Dorothy Earle. Gabby became so successful that by 1928, he was able to retire. He bought a home in Baldwin, New York, on Long Island.
However, he lost all his money in the Wall Street Crash of 1929. This was a big stock market crash. Olive encouraged him to try acting in films. So, they moved to Los Angeles. They stayed together until Olive passed away on July 5, 1957. They did not have any children.
Gabby Hayes' Film Career
After moving to Los Angeles, Gabby Hayes met a producer named Trem Carr. Carr liked Gabby's look and gave him many acting jobs. In his early films, Gabby played different kinds of characters, even villains. He sometimes played two roles in the same movie!
Gabby found his special place in Western films. Many of these movies were part of a series with the same characters. Interestingly, Gabby didn't grow up as a cowboy. He learned how to ride a horse only when he was in his for forties, specifically for his movie roles.
Becoming the Famous Sidekick
In real life, Gabby Hayes was a smart, well-dressed, and clear-speaking man. But in movies, he often played a rough, older character. He would say funny phrases like "consarn it" and "young whippersnapper."
From 1935 to 1939, Gabby played a funny sidekick named Windy Halliday. He appeared alongside Hopalong Cassidy, played by William Boyd. In 1939, Gabby left that role because of a disagreement about his salary. He moved to another movie studio, Republic Pictures.
Since the old studio owned the name Windy Halliday, Gabby's new character was called Gabby Whitaker. He played this role in over 40 films between 1939 and 1946. He often appeared with Roy Rogers (44 times) and also with Gene Autry (7 times). Gabby also played a sidekick to Western stars Randolph Scott (six times) and John Wayne (fifteen times).
Gabby Hayes became very popular. He was often listed among the top 10 favorite actors in moviegoer polls for 12 years in a row!
Gabby on Television
Western movies became less popular in the late 1940s. Gabby made his last film in 1950. Then, he moved to television. He hosted The Gabby Hayes Show, a Western series, from 1950 to 1954 on NBC. A new version of the show aired in 1956 on ABC.
The show was sponsored by Quaker Oats. Gabby would promote their puffed wheat cereal by pretending to fire a cannon loaded with cereal at the screen! He would introduce the show, often carving wood, and sometimes tell a tall tale. Gabby did not act in the stories themselves, but he was a big part of the show.
When the series ended, Gabby retired from show business. He also made guest appearances on other TV shows, like Howdy Doody. His name was even used for a comic book series and a children's summer camp.
Gabby Hayes' Passing
After his wife Olive passed away in 1957, Gabby Hayes lived in an apartment building he owned in North Hollywood, California.
In early 1969, he went to Saint Joseph Hospital in Burbank, California. He was being treated for cardiovascular disease, which affects the heart. Gabby Hayes died there on February 9, 1969, at the age of 83. He is buried in the Forest Lawn–Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Honors and Legacy
Gabby Hayes has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One is for his work in radio, and the other is for his contributions to television. In 2000, he was added to the Western Performers Hall of Fame. This is at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Gabby Hayes in Popular Culture
Gabby Hayes has been remembered in many ways:
- In the 1974 Western comedy Blazing Saddles, an actor played a character like Gabby Hayes. This character was named Gabby Johnson.
- In the animated movie Toy Story 2, the character Stinky Pete the Prospector is based on Gabby Hayes. The toy version of Stinky Pete is smart and well-spoken, which is a nod to how different Gabby was in real life compared to his movie roles.
- Johnny Carson once pretended to be Gabby Hayes in a skit on The Tonight Show with Roy Rogers.
- In The Simpsons episode "Radioactive Man", Milhouse is told he will be "Gabby Hayes big!"
- From 1983 to 1989, "Gabby Hayes Days" were celebrated every July in Wellsville, New York. This event included a street sale and look-alike contests. A street in Wellsville is also named after him: Gabby Hayes Lane.
- Since 1969, a group of fishermen has held the "Gabby Hayes Memorial Trout Fishing Tournament" in Kettle Creek, Pennsylvania. They celebrate the start of trout fishing season and Gabby's memory.
Images for kids
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Hayes in 1953
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George Hayes, without his facial hair, as the villain Matt the Mute in Randy Rides Alone, 1934
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With John Wayne in Blue Steel (1934)
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Hayes's grave at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills
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John Wayne and Gabby Hayes
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The Gabby Hayes Show (1951)
See also
In Spanish: George "Gabby" Hayes para niños
