Brits in Westerns

[Ivytree]

Victor McLaglen (born in Kent) was in a bunch of westerns; and if we're including the Irish, so was Maureen O'Hara. And Ian Hunter (though not exactly English) was excellent in Billy the Kid, with Robert Taylor.



There's nothing particularly weird about Brits in the West, in real life at least. People from all over the world came to the US seeking fame, fortune, etc.



As if to prove that truth is stranger than fiction, it is a fact that there was a Hawaiian present at the Battle of Little Big Horn (Custer's Last Stand). If he could get there, so could the Brits!

[will.15]

Laurence Harvey was in The Alamo and The Outrage, the latter also had Claire Bloom.



Henry Daniell playing a Southerner shows up in an episode of Maverick.

[dylan]

Ray Milland (Welsh) appeared in several westerns.



D.

[cassidy]

A belated reply to this post as I've only just found this site. In fact Michael Rennie did make a western "Ride Beyond Venegance" in 1966 with Chuck Connors, Claude Akins and Bill (Incredible Hulk) Bixby. But surely the oddest cast of Brits in a western has to be "Ramsbottom Rides Again" 1956 with Arthur Askey, Sid James, Jerry Desmonde, Sabrina, Frankie Vaughn, Shani Wallis et all. Another Brit complete with six gun and sabre is Bill Travers in Ralph Nelson's bloody Duel at Diablo. My thanks to our new member Screen Kid for indirectly leading me to this site.

Michael Rennie longed to be in a Western but for a long while it was thought his accent was not right but he wandered around in leathers and spurs hoping a director would take a chance he could,nt understand why a British actor could,nt be a cow-poke in the end he did it appearing in Wagon Train he proved he could do the job though the first day on set the giuns he had bought were stolen and he had a accident when a horse threw him and he was dragged a few yards but he was every inch of his impressive 6ft 4 in height a pro and he re-mounted and carried on he was never given the credit he desrved several years after his death the Academy finally gave him a Oscar for Klattu in The Day The Earth Stood Still his Mother received it on his behalf and they said the success of the film was due to Mike,s fine acting