Ken Maynard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ken Maynard
Maynard with his horse Tarzan (1936)
Born	Kenneth Olin Maynard (1895-07-21)July 21, 1895 Vevay, Indiana, U.S.
Died	March 23, 1973(1973-03-23) (aged 77) Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn, Cypress, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, producer
Years active	1923–1972
Spouse(s)	Mary Leeper Maynard (m. 1926–1939) Bertha Maynard (m. 1940–1968)
Relatives	Kermit Maynard (brother)

Kenneth Olin Maynard (born July 21, 1895 – died March 23, 1973) was an American actor and producer. He was very active from the 1920s to the 1940s. Many people thought he was one of the biggest Western movie stars in Hollywood.

Ken Maynard also sometimes wrote movie scripts and directed films. In 1960, he received a special star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This was to honor his important work in the film industry.

Ken Maynard's Life and Career

Early Life and Amazing Horse Skills

Ken Maynard was born in Vevay, Indiana, in the United States. He was one of five children in his family. His younger brother, Kermit Maynard, also became an actor. Many people thought Kermit looked just like Ken!

When Ken was young, he started working at carnivals and circuses. He became an amazing horse rider. He performed in rodeos and was a trick rider. He even rode with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

From Circus to Silent Films

Maynard served in the United States Army during World War I. After the war, he went back to performing. He was a circus rider with the famous Ringling Brothers circus.

While the circus was in Los Angeles, California, another actor named Buck Jones told Ken to try acting in movies. Ken soon got a contract with Fox Studios.

He first appeared in silent movies in 1923. He worked as a stuntman or a supporting actor. In 1924, he started acting in Western movies. His great horse riding skills and good looks made him a popular cowboy star.

Becoming a Cowboy Star

Ken Maynard's silent films showed off his daring riding. The cameras filmed him up close so audiences could see that he did his own stunts. He performed these amazing tricks with his white horse, Tarzan.

His action scenes were so exciting that filmmakers often used them again. They appeared in movies from the 1930s. These films sometimes starred Ken Maynard himself. Other times, they starred actors like John Wayne or Dick Foran.

The First Singing Cowboy

Ken Maynard successfully moved from silent films to movies with sound. He became the very first singing cowboy in movies! This happened in 1929 with the Universal Picture film The Wagon Master. In that movie, he sang two songs: The Cowboy's Lament and The Lone Star Trail.

He also recorded eight songs for Columbia Records. The Cowboy's Lament and The Lone Star Trail were released as an album. Ken Maynard later gave his special recordings from 1930 to the John Edwards Memorial Foundation.

Maynard and Tarzan in The Fiddlin' Buckaroo, 1933

Maynard's first talking movies were made for Universal Pictures. Ken could play several musical instruments. In 1933, he played the violin in The Fiddlin' Buckaroo. He also played the banjo in The Trail Drive.

Maynard in In Old Santa Fe (1934)

In 1934, a producer named Nat Levine hired Ken Maynard for a movie series called Mystery Mountain. He also planned to make more Western movies with Ken. However, Ken's behavior sometimes caused problems. After the movie In Old Santa Fe, the producer replaced Ken with a singer from his supporting cast, Gene Autry.

Ken Maynard continued to work in Hollywood. He appeared in smaller movies until 1940.

Later Career and Final Films

In 1943, Ken returned to the screen for Monogram Pictures. He starred in a new series called "The Trail Blazers." He worked with other famous cowboy stars like Hoot Gibson and Bob Steele. These movies offered action for kids and brought back memories for older fans.

Ken Maynard eventually left the series after seven films. He made one last movie called Harmony Trail in 1944. Just as one of Ken's films had helped start Gene Autry's career, this final movie introduced a new singing cowboy named Eddie Dean.

After his movie career, Ken Maynard performed at state fairs and rodeos. He even owned a small circus with rodeo riders, but he later lost it. More than 25 years after his last main role, Ken Maynard appeared in two small parts in movies. These were Bigfoot (1970) and The Marshal of Windy Hollow (filmed in 1972 but never released).

Death

Ken Maynard passed away from stomach cancer in 1973. He died at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, California. He was buried at Forest Lawn Cypress Cemetery in Cypress, California.

For his important work in the movie industry, Ken Maynard has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6751 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Ken Maynard para niños