Tim McCoy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tim McCoy
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McCoy in 1934
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| Born |
Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy
April 10, 1891 Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
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| Died | January 29, 1978 (aged 86) Ft. Huachuca, Sierra Vista, Arizona, U.S.
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| Other names | Col. T.J. McCoy Col. Tim McCoy Colonel Tim McCoy |
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| Years active | 1925–1965 |
| Spouse(s) |
Agnes Miller
(m. 1931, divorced)Inga Arvad
(m. 1946; died 1973) |
| Children | 5 |
Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy (born April 10, 1891 – died January 29, 1978) was an American actor, a military officer, and an expert on Native American life. McCoy is best known for starring in many "B-grade" Western movies. He was such a popular cowboy film star that his picture even appeared on a Wheaties cereal box.
Contents
Growing Up: Tim's Early Years
Tim McCoy was born in Saginaw, Michigan, on April 10, 1891. His father was an Irish veteran of the American Civil War and a Police Chief. While attending St. Ignatius College in Chicago, Tim saw a "Wild West" show. This show inspired him to buy a one-way ticket to the American West.
He ended up in Lander, Wyoming, where he worked on a ranch. There, he became a skilled horseman and learned how to use a rope. He also gained a deep understanding of the customs and languages of the local Native American tribes. McCoy became very good at Indian sign language. The Arapaho tribe of the Wind River Indian Reservation even gave him the name "High Eagle." He also took part in many rodeos.
Serving His Country: Military Career
McCoy joined the U.S. Army and served in the cavalry during World War I. He did not go overseas or fight in battles during this war. He served again in World War II in Europe. During this time, he rose to the rank of colonel in the Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces.
Between the two wars, he also served as a top officer for Wyoming's military, holding the special rank of brigadier general. At 28 years old, he was one of the youngest brigadier generals in the history of the U.S. Army.
Lights, Camera, Action: Acting Career
Starting in Movies
In 1922, a film company president named David Townsend planned to build a movie studio at McCoy's ranch. They wanted to film a movie there, but the project was never finished.
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That same year, the head of Famous Players–Lasky, Jesse L. Lasky, asked Tim for help. He needed Native American extras for a big Western movie called The Covered Wagon (1923). Tim brought hundreds of Native Americans to the filming location in Utah. He also worked as a technical advisor for the movie, making sure things were accurate.
After the movie was filmed, McCoy was asked to bring a smaller group of Native Americans to Hollywood. They performed a stage show before each showing of the film. This stage show was very popular! It ran for eight months in Hollywood and then for several more months in London and Paris.
Tim McCoy returned to his ranch in Wyoming. But soon, Irving Thalberg from MGM offered him a movie contract. McCoy quickly became a star. His first big movie for MGM was War Paint (1926). This movie had amazing scenes of the Wind River Native Americans riding horses. Tim McCoy helped plan these scenes. Parts of War Paint were even used in other low-budget Westerns until the 1950s!
War Paint set the style for Tim McCoy's future Westerns. In his movies, Native Americans were always shown in a good way, never as mean or violent. Another important movie McCoy made for MGM was The Law of the Range (1928), where he starred with Joan Crawford.
When "talking pictures" (movies with sound) first came out, it was hard to record sound outdoors. Because of this, MGM stopped making Tim McCoy's movie series. McCoy went back to his ranch again. But in 1929, Carl Laemmle from Universal Pictures personally called him back to Hollywood. Laemmle wanted McCoy to star in the first talking Western movie series, The Indians Are Coming. This series was a huge hit! Later, in 1932, McCoy starred in Two Fisted Law with famous actors John Wayne and Walter Brennan.
McCoy continued to work steadily in movies until 1936. Then, he left Hollywood to tour with the Ringling Brothers Circus. After that, he started his own "wild west" show. Unfortunately, his show was not successful and lost a lot of money. The cowboy performers were given a small amount of money and Tim's thanks. The Native Americans in the show were helped by the government to return to their homes.
McCoy was ready to make movies again in 1938. Producers hired him for $4,000 a week to make eight films a year. In 1941, actor Buck Jones asked McCoy to co-star in "The Rough Riders" series. He starred alongside Jones and Raymond Hatton. These eight films, released by Monogram Pictures, were very popular. The series might have continued, but McCoy decided not to renew his contract. He wanted to do other things.
Serving in World War II
In 1942, McCoy ran for a political position as a U.S. Senator for Wyoming. During his campaign, he set up the first statewide radio broadcast in Wyoming's history. He did not win the election. Within 48 hours, he volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army again.
He had kept his Army Reserve officer status and was immediately accepted. McCoy spent the war in the U.S. Army. He worked with the Army Air Forces in Europe and received several awards. After the war, he retired from the army. He reportedly never lived in Wyoming again, and his ranch was sold. He mostly retired from movies after the war, except for a few small appearances much later.
Television Host for Kids
In 1952, McCoy hosted a TV show in Los Angeles called The Tim McCoy Show. It was for children and aired on weekday afternoons and Saturdays. On the show, he taught real history lessons about the Old West and showed his old Western movies. His co-host was the actor Iron Eyes Cody, who played a Native American character. McCoy won a local Emmy award for his show. However, he did not go to accept the award. He was competing against a talking duck puppet for "Best Children's Show" and joked that he refused to be beaten by a duck!
Tim McCoy's Legacy
For his important work in the film industry, Tim McCoy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1973, he was honored and added to the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. He was also inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1974.
On January 16, 2010, McCoy was added to the Hot Springs County (Wyoming) Hall of Fame. His son, Terry, accepted the award for him.
Tim's Family Life
McCoy first married Agnes Miller. They had three children: Gerald, Margarita, and D'Arcy. They divorced in 1931.
His second marriage was to Inga Arvad in 1947. They had two sons, Ronnie and Terry. McCoy was married to Arvad until she passed away in 1973. Inga Arvad was a journalist from Denmark. In the early 1940s, the FBI investigated her because of rumors that she might be a spy. There were photos of Arvad as a guest of Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Olympics, and she had interviewed him twice. However, no evidence was ever found against Arvad.
Later Years and Passing
In 1973, McCoy was honored at the Western Performers Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1976, he was interviewed for a book about cowboys. McCoy's last appearance in a film was after his death, in a TV history series about silent films called Hollywood (1980).
Tim McCoy passed away on January 29, 1978, in Sierra Vista, Arizona. He was cremated, and his ashes were returned to his home. Nine years later, his remains and those of his wife, Inga, were moved to his birthplace in Saginaw, Michigan. They were buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery next to his family's plot.
Images for kids
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Poster for The Fighting Fool (1932)
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Lobby card for Daring Danger (1932)
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Poster for Texas Cyclone (1932)
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Poster for Bulldog Courage (1935)
