Snowy Baker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Reginald Baker

Birth name	Reginald Leslie Baker
Date of birth	(1884-02-08)8 February 1884
Place of birth	Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
Date of death	2 December 1953(1953-12-02) (aged 69)
Place of death	Los Angeles, California, United States
Notable relative(s)	Harald Baker (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1904 Australia 2 (0)

Reginald Leslie "Snowy" Baker (8 February 1884 – 2 December 1953) was an amazing Australian athlete, sports promoter, and actor. He was born in Surry Hills, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. Snowy was great at many sports. He won New South Wales championships in swimming and boxing when he was still a teenager.

He played rugby union for Eastern Suburbs. He also played for New South Wales against Queensland. In 1904, he played for Australia in two big games against Great Britain. At the 1908 London Olympics, Snowy Baker represented Australasia. He competed in swimming and diving. He also took part in the middleweight boxing event, where he won a silver medal. He was also good at horsemanship, water polo, running, rowing, and cricket. Snowy Baker was known for being good at a huge number of sports. Later, he became important as a showman and businessman.

After an injury from a car accident, Baker stopped competing. He then started promoting boxing matches. He brought many top fighters from other countries to Australia. During this time, he also started acting in silent films. These movies showed off his amazing horsemanship. Some of his films include The Enemy Within, The Man from Kangaroo, and The Shadow of Lightning Ridge. In 1920, Baker moved to the United States. There, he became known as a businessman and a coach for movie stunts. He passed away in 1953 in Los Angeles, California.

Snowy Baker's Amazing Sports Records

Baker before the 1908 Summer Olympics, where he won a silver medal.

Snowy Baker played 26 different sports in his life. He was excellent at most of them!

• When he was just 13, Baker was the New South Wales open swimming champion. He won races for 110 and 220 yards (about 100 and 200 meters).
• At 16, he played in the Australian Rugby Union team against Great Britain.
• At 17, he became the middleweight boxing champion of New South Wales.
• At 18, he won both the middleweight and heavyweight boxing titles for Australia.

Baker was also very good at polo, water polo, cricket, and diving. He was skilled in surfing, fencing, hockey, rowing, yachting, and horse riding.

Olympic Achievements

Snowy Baker competed at the 1908 London Olympics. He represented Australasia.

• In swimming, he was part of the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay team, which finished fourth.
• In diving, he competed but did not win a medal.
• He also took part in the Olympic boxing competition. He reached the final match but lost to Johnny Douglas, winning a silver medal.

Snowy Baker is the only Australian athlete to compete in three different sports at the same Olympic Games! Some people later said that Douglas's father was the referee. However, Douglas Sr. was only there to give out the medals as the president of the boxing association. He was not involved in judging the fight.

Rugby Union Career

Baker was a scrum-half in rugby union. He played two international games for Australia. His first game was against Great Britain in Sydney on 2 July 1904.

Boxing Promotion and Business

After his car accident, Snowy Baker became a boxing promoter. He worked with a well-known promoter named Hugh D. McIntosh. Baker became one of Australia's top boxing promoters. He brought many of the best boxers from North America and Europe to fight in Australia. One of these was the boxer Harry Stone from New York.

Baker also helped start the careers of many great Australian boxers. The most famous was Les Darcy. However, Baker and Darcy had a big disagreement. This led to Darcy leaving Australia for the United States. When Darcy passed away in May 1917, many Australians blamed Baker for what happened. This made Baker less popular with the Australian public. Because of this, he decided to move to California permanently.

Snowy Baker's Film Career

Snowy Baker became a popular movie star in Australia. His silent films were very successful. Some of his movies include:

• The Enemy Within
• The Man from Kangaroo
• The Shadow of Lightning Ridge

At the same time, he also wrote and edited a magazine called Snowy Baker's Magazine. For many years, Baker was Australia's leading actor. He was even called "Australia's first action movie star."

Life and Work in the United States

A poster for The Sword of Valor, a 1924 film where Baker was the main actor.

Snowy Baker moved to California in the 1920s. While living there, he acted in some films. He also managed a polo club. He coached famous actors like Douglas Fairbanks in horse riding. He taught many stars how to ride horses, fence, and swim. Some of these stars included Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley Temple, Greta Garbo, and Rudolph Valentino.

Filmography

• The Enemy Within (1918)
• The Lure of the Bush (1918)
• The Man from Kangaroo (1920)
• The Shadow of Lightning Ridge (1920)
• The Jackeroo of Coolabong (1920) also known as The Fighting Breed
• Sleeping Acres (1921)
• Pals (1923)
• His Last Race (1923)
• The White Panther (1924)
• The Empire Builders (1924)
• The Sword of Valor (1924)
• Fighter's Paradise (1924)
• Big City (1937)
• The Kid From Texas (1939)

Stage Performances

• The Bonded Woman (1922) - Performed in Los Angeles