Buddy Roosevelt

Buddy Roosevelt (June 25, 1898-October 6, 1973) was an American film actor and stunt performer from Hollywood's early silent film years through the 1950s.

Roosevelt was born Kenneth Stanhope Sanderson in Meeker, Colorado, and was athletic and a cowboy in his youth. He started performing as a stuntman in 1916, his first work being on the film "Hell's Hinges". He would continue working as a stuntman as well as an actor throughout his long Hollywood career. Roosevelt served in the US Navy during World War I. Although it has been said that he served aboard the USS Norfolk, and that it was sank during that war, no record of a USS Norfolk being in service during World War I has been found.

Following the end of World War I, he returned to Hollywood, performing stunts in films as notable as "The Sheik", the 1921 movie classic starring Rudolph Valentino, and for which Valentino would become most remembered. Roosevelt's first acting role was in the 1924 film "Down in Texas". He would star in thirty seven films from 1924 to 1929, most of which were western films, and would make a successful transition to "talking films", much due to his abilities as a stunt performer.

In 1930 he appeared alongside William Haines and Leila Hyams in "Way Out West", which continued him on the path of western film roles, mostly in B-movies. During the 1930s he appeared in sixty six films, including some combined acting and stunt work, almost all being westerns, appearing with such notable actors and actresses as Harry Carey, Hoot Gibson, Gloria Stuart, Joel McCrea, Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. In 1939 he both performed stunts and had a minor role in the Claire Trevor-John Wayne classic "Stagecoach", and in 1940 he appeared, uncredited, again with John Wayne in "The Man from Dakota", in which he also performed stunts. Throughout the 1940s he both appeared in or performed stunts in thirty two films, most notably alongside Randolph Scott and Lloyd Bridges in "Abilene Town".

From 1950 through 1962 he would appear in or perform stunts in thirty six films and two television series episodes. He would retire after 1962, with his last appearance being uncredited in the John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart film "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". He returned home to Meeker, Colorado, where he was living at the time of his death on October 6th, 1973.

References

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0740480/ Buddy Roosevelt filmography]
* [http://www.b-westerns.com/buddy.htm Buddy Roosevelt B-western star]

External links

*findagrave|10064735 Retrieved on 2008-01-23