Monte Hale
Biography: Monte Hale (born Samuel Buren Ely) was an American B-Western film star and country musician. Sometimes reported to have been born in San Angelo, Texas, he was actually born in Ada, Oklahoma but grew up in Shawnee, Oklahoma, attending Washington Grade School and Shawnee High School. (Texas birthplace reportedly sounded better for the movies). After working as a laborer at various jobs in Ada and Enid OK Herod Ely settled in Shawnee and became an evangelist with the Church of God. His oldest son, Buren, was known to use his musical talent during his father's services. The boy had gathered pecans and picked cotton to earn money to buy his first guitar. Soon he was singing and playing the guitar wherever he could find an audience. His parents had divorced and both had remarried with youngest brother Bobby going with his mother. In 1934, 16-year-old Buren left home as many boys did during the Depressions. He headed for Houston and found work playing his music. From there he went to Albuquerque working on a radio station. A man there convinced him to head to California but all he was able to do there was scratch together a small band and play at a winter resort dude ranch. After four years he returned to with the Texas Vaudeville and local rodeo shows. During World War II he got a job as a replacement guitarist with the Stars Over Texas Bond Drive joining several Republic Pictures celebrities and staff. This introduced him to western stars like Chill Wills and convinced Phil Isley to recommended him to Herbert Yates, head of Republic Pictures. Yates agreed to "test" him but he must fund his own trip. Some friends gave him $200 and he flew to Los Angeles. It was 1944 and he signed with the company for seven years and changed his name from Buren Ely to "Monte Hale". He soon starred in his first major role in Home on the Range. He appeared in some of the first westerns filmed in color and was given use of Roy Rogers' musical sidekicks, the "Sons of the Pioneers" for one of his movies. He was often cast as a young cowboy with cameos by Don Barry, Allen Lane and Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Hale then played more traditional Western heroes in films set in the late 19th century. By 1947 the formula was set with Paul Hurst joining the series as Hale's sidekick and Riders of the Purple Sage providing the music. At this point he ceased playing the character named for himself. Hale was also a recording star and appeared in a series of Western comics published by Fawcett Comics. Beginning in 1948 Hale had his own title with more than 50 issues. In fact, his comic book stardom lasted longer than his film stardom. Republic began cutting back on the Western genre moving to television. He finished his Republic contract with an appearance in the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans movies Trail of Robin Hood with fellow Republic stars Rex Allen and Rocky Lane. Hale made many public appearances at rodeos and other Western shows. He played a villain role in the 1954's Yukon Vengeance. His last movie appearance was in Giant in 1956, where part of his job was to teach James Dean to use a lariat. He appeared in a few television roles and movies up until 1966. On November 12, 2004, for his work in movies, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was also instrumental in the foundation of what is now the Autry National Center of the American West.
Place of Birth: Not available
Birthday: June 08, 1919
Deathday: March 29, 2009
Popularity:
Known For
Giant
1956-11-08
Giant
Overview: Wealthy rancher Bick Benedict and dirt-poor cowboy Jett Rink both woo Leslie Lynnton, a beautiful young woman from Maryland who is new to Texas. She marries Benedict, but she is shocked by the racial bigotry of the White Texans against the local people of Mexican descent. Rink discovers oil on a small plot of land, and while he uses his vast, new wealth to buy all the land surrounding the Benedict ranch, the Benedict's disagreement over prejudice fuels conflict that runs across generations.
Genres: Drama Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1956-11-08
Popularity:
Bandits of the Badlands
1945-09-14
Bandits of the Badlands
Overview: Sunset Carson is a wandering cavalier who rides into the Badlands. Hallie Wayne is bedeviled by bandits who've been raiding the livestock of her ranch.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1945-09-14
Popularity:
Ranger of Cherokee Strip
1949-11-04
Ranger of Cherokee Strip
Overview: Having been framed for murder, the half-breed Joe Bearclaws (Douglas Kennedy) escapes from jail and Ranger Steve Howard (Monte Hale) goes after him. He catches up with him in the Cherokee Strip where he has no authority. Joe is then framed for another murder and this time Steve knows he is innocent and goes after the real killer.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1949-11-04
Popularity:
Out California Way
1946-12-15
Out California Way
Overview: Newcomer Monte Hale is tying to just get a job in western films when he meet young Danny McCoy and his sister Gloria. Danny is trying to get his horse, "Pardner" into films. Monte sings a song and "Pardner" does some tricks and a casting director notices. Monte gets a singing-cowboy role and the horse gets a bit, but there is an accidental explosion, engineered by western star Rod Mason, who is jealous of Monte, and the horse is badly scared and blows his lines.
Genres: Western Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1946-12-15
Popularity:
The Purple Monster Strikes
1945-10-06
The Purple Monster Strikes
Overview: A Martian invader crashes his spaceship conveniently close to the workshop of a scientist who is developing an interplanetary craft. If the extraterrestrial Purple Monster can complete the rocket ship and return to Mars, he will be able to start a full-scale invasion of Earth. Good thing Craig Foster sets out to thwart the Monster's mission!
Genres: Action Science Fiction
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1945-10-06
Popularity:
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
1976-05-01
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
Overview: A Western-genre narrative, loosely woven from old clips from B-Western features.
Genres: Western Comedy Family
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1976-05-01
Popularity:
Trail of Robin Hood
1950-12-15
Trail of Robin Hood
Overview: Retired actor Jack Holt is raising Christmas trees for sale at a cost which permits every family to have one. A commercial tree company tries to drive Holt out of business. Roy saves the day, of course.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1950-12-15
Popularity:
The Phantom Rider
1946-01-26
The Phantom Rider
Overview: A new town doctor arrives at the same time as local Indians needprotection from troublemaking looters.
Genres: Action Western Crime
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1946-01-26
Popularity:
Prince of the Plains
1949-04-08
Prince of the Plains
Overview: Banker Ned Owens refuses to call in the many unpaid loans made to the local ranchers as he knows they are being terrorized by a gang of crooks and unable to pay. But the secret leader of the gang is James Taylor large stockholder of the bank.....
Genres: Action Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1949-04-08
Popularity:
Pioneer Marshal
1949-11-24
Pioneer Marshal
Overview: Monte Hale is cast as Ted Post, a Texas marshal who's on the trail of embezzler Larry Forester (Myron Healey). His search takes him to a remote frontier town that serves as an outlaw hideaway. All previous lawmen have been disposed of by town boss Bruce Burnett (Damian O'Flynn), who demands a hefty price for his services.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1949-11-24
Popularity:
The Big Bonanza
1944-12-30
The Big Bonanza
Overview: Having been falsely court marshaled for cowardice and sentenced to prison by the Army, Jed Kilton escapes and heads to Nevada Springs to see his kid brother. There he meets his old school friend Sam Ballou. But the two old friends soon find themselves on opposite sides and Sam has Jed arrested. Then when Jed's young brother sees one of Sam's men kill another man, the boy becomes Sam's intended victim.
Genres: Drama Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1944-12-30
Popularity:
Home on the Range
1946-04-18
Home on the Range
Overview: Two brothers settle a wilderness, one builds the largest cattle ranch in the state while the other creates a game preserve to protect the wild life. Trouble lies ahead.....
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1946-04-18
Popularity:
Man from Rainbow Valley
1946-06-15
Man from Rainbow Valley
Overview: When unscrupulous rodeo promoter Colonel Winthrop gets the idea of capturing "Outlaw" and making him a show horse, his niece Kay North tricks Monte into believing she is a writer assigned to do an article on the real horse.
Genres: Music Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1946-06-15
Popularity:
The Chase
1966-02-18
The Chase
Overview: The escape of Bubber Reeves from prison affects the inhabitants of a small Southern town.
Genres: Crime Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1966-02-18
Popularity:
San Antone Ambush
1949-10-06
San Antone Ambush
Overview: Just after the Civil War a Texan and his men are fighting a ruthless Commissioner and his excessive taxes. After a Lieutenant is falsely accused of a pay wagon massacre by the Commissioner's men, he deserts the Army and tries to clear himself. At first he belives the Texan was behind the massacre but then learns it was the Commissioner and joins the Texan in his fight.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1949-10-06
Popularity:
The Timber Trail
1948-06-14
The Timber Trail
Overview: Monte Hale is a stagecoach driver for Jed Baker's stage-line. Jed believes his brother, Ralph, is behind the many hold-ups of his stagecoaches but has no proof. Ralph, in turn, blames Jed for the attacks on the linemen of his pioneer telegraph company. Big Bart, a ruthless gunman and outlaw-gang leader working for crooked banker Jordan Weatherbee, is actually behind the troubles of both companies. Bart plans to frame Jed for a double-murder and then kill him. Monte saves his life and, together, they devise a plan of their own to bring an end to the reign of lawlessness along the timber trail.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1948-06-14
Popularity:
South of Rio
1949-07-29
South of Rio
Overview: The town of Rio Blanco is the center of a fight over the statehood issue and is a perfect setup for Lon Bryson and Chuck Bowers, who organize a couple of phony protection associations. Opposing them is Henry Waterman, publisher of the Rio Blanco Herald. He and his assistant, Andrew Jackson Weems, send for the help of the Territorial Rangers. One of the dispatched Rangers is Jeff Lanning who, unknown to him, has a brother as a member of the gang under an assumed name of Bob Mitchell. Jeff is so shocked at seeing his brother gun down Waterman that he is unable to act in time to prevent it. Unable to explain the cause of is inaction, he is suspended by the governor. Unable to persuade his brother to quit the gang, Jeff, with the aid of Weems and Waterman's daughter Carol, begins his quest to bring the outlaws to justice.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1949-07-29
Popularity:
Son of God’s Country
1948-09-15
Son of God’s Country
Overview: Bill Sanger has his men out raiding and killing to obtain the ranches along the route that he knows the new railroad will use. He then kills the editor that received a letter that would expose him. But the editor earlier hid the letter in a chamber of his gun. Marshal Monte Hale arrives and eventually suspects Sanger and breaks into his house. After a gungight Sanger catches him and with one shot left shoots Monte. But he is using the editor's gun.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1948-09-15
Popularity:
California Firebrand
1948-04-01
California Firebrand
Overview: Directed by Philip Ford in 1948. When cowboy Monte Hale (Monte Hale) returns home to investigate his uncle's murder, he's mistaken for a fierce outlaw and is hired by the town's corrupt mayor, Lance Dawson (Douglas Evans), as the new sheriff. But Monte secretly works to undermine Dawson's land-grabbing schemes. Monte defends the feisty owner (Lorna Gray) of a gold mine that Dawson covets, although she is suspicious of the cowpoke's loyalties and demands that he prove himself.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1948-04-01
Popularity:
The Missourians
1950-11-25
The Missourians
Overview: In the little town of Dorado, widely known as a town with no crime and no bank to rob, young Polish-born Steve Kovacs is fighting a two-edged sword of prejudice; his foreign birth and also the fact that his brother, Nick Kovacs, is the leader of an outlaw gang known as The Missourians.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1950-11-25
Popularity:
The Old Frontier
1950-07-20
The Old Frontier
Overview: Monte Hale is cast as town marshal Barney Regan. It is Barney's formidable task to round up a gang of bank robbers and expose the "Mr. Big" behind all the robberies.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1950-07-20
Popularity:
Colorado Pioneers
1945-11-14
Colorado Pioneers
Overview: An interesting entry in Republic Pictures' long-running "Red Ryder" B-Western series, this film is not about hardy settlers braving the Colorado winters, as the title would suggest. Instead it's a sort of Reform School Western about a couple of wayward Chicago boys (Billy Cummings and Freddie Chapman) taken in by Ryder's indomitable aunt, "The Duchess" (Alice Fleming.) The boys escaped their very own "Fagin," Bull Reagan (Roy Barcroft), and were given a second chance on the lady's Western ranch. Unfortunately, Reagan returns to do a bit of cattle rustling, once again luring the boys into becoming his accomplices.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1945-11-14
Popularity:
California Gold Rush
1946-02-04
California Gold Rush
Overview: California Gold Rush is set in 1849. Ryder heads to Sutter's Mill, where he must contend with claim-jumping and treachery.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1946-02-04
Popularity:
Sun Valley Cyclone
1946-05-10
Sun Valley Cyclone
Overview: In this western, Red Ryder rounds up a gang of horse thieves who have been stealing cavalry horses.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1946-05-10
Popularity:
Rough Riders of Cheyenne
1945-10-31
Rough Riders of Cheyenne
Overview: Sunset returns to find the Carson-Sterling feud still going. Sterling has been killed and it's not long before Andrew Carson is murdered. To end the feud Sunset challenges Martin Sterling to a shootout. Unknown to Sunset, Martin's sister Melinda has waylaid her brother and now appears for the shootout disguised in her brother's clothes.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1945-10-31
Popularity:
Along the Oregon Trail
1947-08-30
Along the Oregon Trail
Overview: The period is the 1840's and Greg Thurston is out to establish his own empire out of a large area of the west. He needs rifles to give to the Indians but Monte Hale breaks up his attack on the supply train. But when they get them by robbing the warehouse, Monte suspects Thuston who had the other key. He follows Thurston only to be caught by him just as Thurston launches his final big attack.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1947-08-30
Popularity:
Last Frontier Uprising
1947-02-01
Last Frontier Uprising
Overview: Singing cowboy Monte Hale plays "himself" in the Republic western Last Frontier Uprising. Actually, he's not really himself, but a federal agent, dispatched to Texas to buy horses on behalf of the government. Hale runs up against a vicious gang of horse thieves, including such veteran western hard cases as Roy Barcroft and Philip van Zandt. The romantic interest is in the dainty hands of Adrian Booth, who used to go by the name of Lorna Gray. Put together with the standard Republic efficiency, The Last Frontier Uprising benefits from the breathless direction of Lesley Selander.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1947-02-01
Popularity:
Under Colorado Skies
1947-12-15
Under Colorado Skies
Overview: Monte Hale has been working as a teller in a Texas bank during the summer to earn money for his medical college expenses during the upcoming year. He is about to leave to return to college when the bank is held up by two members of a notorious gang, headed by Marlowe, leaving Monte with the smoking gun of one of the bandits that killed the bank president. To avoid bringing disgrace on the family of his sweetheart, Julia Collins, by revealing that it was her brother Jeff, supposedly working in Denver, who induced him to open the back door of the bank to let the robbers in, Monte allows suspicion to rest on him until he can clear himself.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1947-12-15
Popularity:
The Vanishing Westerner
1950-03-31
The Vanishing Westerner
Overview: Posing as wanted men, Chris and Waldorf get hired by Sanderson. He sends them to kill the Sheriff but puts blanks in their guns. When they arrive someone else shoots the Sheriff and Chris is blamed and jailed. The Sheriff's brother then incites the mob to hang Chris.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1950-03-31
Popularity:
Law of the Golden West
1949-05-23
Law of the Golden West
Overview: Young Buffalo Bill Cody goes after the murderer of his father and uncovers a land-grab conspiracy.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1949-05-23
Popularity:
Outcasts of the Trail
1949-06-08
Outcasts of the Trail
Overview: Legendary lawman Pat Garrett wins the Fourth of July buckboard race in a small Nevada town against the unscrupulous Fred Smith and pretty Lavinia White. Lavinia blames Garrett for sending her father Ivory White to jail for robbing 100,000 dollars. White, who has stashed the loot away someplace, is about to be released and plans to return the money to the express office for the sake of his children, Lavinia and Chad. Nasty Jim Judd forces Lavinia to help him rob the coach carrying Ivory and the money, counting on the fact that White will keep quiet for his daughter's sake.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1949-06-08
Popularity:
Yukon Vengeance
1954-01-17
Yukon Vengeance
Overview: In this north-western set in the Yukon, a Mountie must investigate the violent deaths of three mail carriers.
Genres: Western Adventure
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1954-01-17
Popularity:
Return to 'Giant'
1996-09-21
Return to 'Giant'
Overview: In the summer of 1955, an army of cameramen, lighting techs and movie stars descended on the small, west Texas town of Marfa to film what has become, "the national movie of Texas."
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1996-09-21
Popularity:
It's Showtime
1976-03-31
It's Showtime
Overview: A collection of film clips profiling animal actors.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1976-03-31
Popularity: