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| imagesize =
| imagesize =
| caption = McCoy in 1934
| caption = McCoy in 1934
| birth_name = Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1891|04|10}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1891|04|10}}
| birth_place = [[Saginaw, Michigan]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Saginaw, Michigan]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1978|01|29|1891|04|10}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1978|01|29|1891|04|10}}
| death_place = [[Ft. Huachuca]], [[Sierra Vista, Arizona]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Ft. Huachuca]], Arizona, U.S.
| othername = Col. T.J. McCoy<br/>Col. Tim McCoy<br/>Colonel Tim McCoy
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|showman|television host}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|showman|television host}}
| yearsactive = 1925&ndash;1965
| yearsactive = 1925&ndash;1965
| spouse = {{plainlist|
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Inga Arvad]]|1946|1973|end=died}}
* {{marriage|Agnes Miller|1931|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Inga Arvad]]|1946|1973|end=died}}
}}
| children = 5}}
| children = 5}}
[[File:MGM Westerns featuring Tim McCoy ad in Motion Picture News, 1926.jpg|thumb|262x262px|Tim McCoy ad in Motion Picture News, 1926]]
[[File:MGM Westerns featuring Tim McCoy ad in Motion Picture News, 1926.jpg|thumb|Tim McCoy ad in Motion Picture News, 1926]]
'''Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy''' (April 10, 1891 – January 29, 1978) was an American actor, military officer, and expert on [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|American Indian]] life. McCoy is most noted for his roles in B-grade Western films. As a popular cowboy film star, he appeared in front of a [[List of athletes on Wheaties boxes|Wheaties cereal box]].
'''Tim McCoy''' (April 10, 1891 – January 29, 1978) was an American actor, military officer, and expert on [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|American Indian]] life. McCoy is most noted for his roles in B-grade Western films. As a popular cowboy film star, he had his picture on the front of a [[List of athletes on Wheaties boxes|Wheaties cereal box]].


==Early years==
==Early years==
Tim McCoy was born in [[Saginaw, Michigan]], on April 10, 1891. His father was an Irish Union Civil War veteran and Police Chief.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Tim McCoy papers 1917-1987|url=https://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=wyu-ah06415.xml|access-date=2021-06-22|website=rmoa.unm.edu|archive-date=June 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629012044/https://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=wyu-ah06415.xml|url-status=dead}}</ref> While attending [[St. Ignatius College Prep|St. Ignatius College]] (now [[Loyola University Chicago|Loyola University]]) McCoy saw a Wild West show that influenced him to purchase a one-way ticket west. He ended up in [[Lander, Wyoming]], where he worked as a ranch hand. While there, he became an expert horseman and roper while developing an extensive knowledge of the customs and languages of the local American Indian tribes.<ref name=":0"/> McCoy was a renowned expert in [[Plains Indian Sign Language|Indian sign language]] and was named "High Eagle" by the [[Arapaho]] tribe of the [[Wind River Indian Reservation|Wind River reservation]]. He also competed in numerous rodeos.
Tim McCoy was born in [[Saginaw, Michigan]], on April 10, 1891. His father was an Irish Union Civil War veteran and Police Chief.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Tim McCoy papers 1917-1987|url=https://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=wyu-ah06415.xml|access-date=2021-06-22|website=rmoa.unm.edu|archive-date=June 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629012044/https://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=wyu-ah06415.xml|url-status=dead}}</ref> While attending [[St. Ignatius College Prep|St. Ignatius College]] (now [[Loyola University Chicago|Loyola University]]) McCoy saw a Wild West show that influenced him to purchase a one-way ticket west. He ended up in [[Lander, Wyoming]], where he worked as a ranch hand. While there, he became an expert horseman and roper while developing an extensive knowledge of the customs and languages of the local American Indian tribes.<ref name=":0"/> McCoy was a renowned expert in [[Plains Indian Sign Language|Indian sign language]] and was named "High Eagle" by the [[Arapaho]] tribe of the [[Wind River Indian Reservation|Wind River reservation]]. He also competed in numerous rodeos.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}


==Military career==
==Military career==
McCoy enlisted as a soldier in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] and served in the [[United States Cavalry|cavalry]] during [[World War I]] (although he did not serve in combat nor overseas).<ref name=":0" /><ref>McCoy, T. (1988). Tim McCoy Remembers the West. Bison Books. {{ISBN|0-8032-8155-2}}.</ref> He served again in [[World War II]] in Europe, rising to the rank of [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]] with the [[United States Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps]] and [[United States Army Air Forces|Army Air Forces]]. He also served as [[adjutant general]] of Wyoming between the wars with the [[Brevet (military)|brevet rank]] of [[brigadier general]]. At 28, he was one of the youngest brigadier generals in the history of the U.S. Army.
McCoy enlisted as a soldier in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] and served in the [[United States Cavalry|cavalry]] during [[World War I]] (although he did not serve in combat nor overseas).<ref name=":0" /><ref>McCoy, T. (1988). Tim McCoy Remembers the West. Bison Books. {{ISBN|0-8032-8155-2}}.</ref> He served again in [[World War II]] in Europe, rising to the rank of [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]] with the [[United States Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps]] and [[United States Army Air Forces|Army Air Forces]]. He also served as [[adjutant general]] of Wyoming between the wars with the [[Brevet (military)|brevet rank]] of [[brigadier general]]. At 28, he was one of the youngest brigadier generals in the history of the U.S. Army.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ahcadmin |date=2012-11-15 |title=Tim McCoy, Western Star |url=https://ahcwyo.org/2012/11/15/tim-mccoy-western-star/ |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=American Heritage Center (AHC) #AlwaysArchiving |language=en-US}}</ref>


==Acting career==
==Acting career==
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That same year, he was asked by the head of [[Famous Players–Lasky]], [[Jesse L. Lasky]], to provide American Indian extras for the Western extravaganza, ''[[The Covered Wagon]]'' (1923). He brought hundreds of Indians to the Utah location and served as a [[technical advisor]] on the film. After filming was completed, McCoy was asked to bring a much smaller group of Indians to Hollywood, for a stage presentation preceding each showing of the film.
That same year, he was asked by the head of [[Famous Players–Lasky]], [[Jesse L. Lasky]], to provide American Indian extras for the Western extravaganza, ''[[The Covered Wagon]]'' (1923). He brought hundreds of Indians to the Utah location and served as a [[technical advisor]] on the film. After filming was completed, McCoy was asked to bring a much smaller group of Indians to Hollywood, for a stage presentation preceding each showing of the film.


McCoy's stage show was popular, running eight months in Hollywood and several more months in London and Paris. McCoy returned to his Wyoming ranch, but [[Irving Thalberg]] of [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] soon signed him to a contract to star in a series of outdoor adventures and McCoy rose to stardom. His first MGM feature was ''[[War Paint (1926 film)|War Paint]] ''(1926), featuring epic scenes of the Wind River Indians on horseback, staged by McCoy and director [[Woody Van Dyke]]. (Footage from ''|War Paint'' was reused in many low-budget westerns, well into the 1950s.)
McCoy's stage show was popular, running eight months in Hollywood and several more months in London and Paris. McCoy returned to his Wyoming ranch, but [[Irving Thalberg]] of [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] soon signed him to a contract to star in a series of outdoor adventures and McCoy rose to stardom. His first MGM feature was ''[[War Paint (1926 film)|War Paint]] ''(1926), featuring epic scenes of the Wind River Indians on horseback, staged by McCoy and director [[Woody Van Dyke]]. (Footage from ''|War Paint'' was reused in many low-budget Westerns, well into the 1950s.)


''War Paint'' set the tone for future McCoy westerns, in that Indians were always portrayed sympathetically, and never as bloodthirsty savages. One notable McCoy feature for MGM was ''[[The Law of the Range]]'' (1928), in which he starred with [[Joan Crawford]].
''War Paint'' set the tone for future McCoy Westerns, in that Indians were always portrayed sympathetically, and never as bloodthirsty savages. One notable McCoy feature for MGM was ''[[The Law of the Range]]'' (1928), in which he starred with [[Joan Crawford]].
[[File:Gun Code lobby card.jpg|thumb|McCoy on horse in ''Gun Code'', 1940]]
[[File:Gun Code lobby card.jpg|thumb|McCoy on horse in ''Gun Code'', 1940]]
The coming of talking pictures, and the temporary inability to record sound outdoors, resulted in MGM terminating its Tim McCoy series and McCoy returning once more to his ranch. In 1929 he was summoned back to Hollywood personally by [[Carl Laemmle]] of [[Universal Pictures]], who insisted that McCoy star in the first talking western serial, ''[[The Indians Are Coming]]''. The serial was very successful. Later, in 1932, McCoy starred in ''[[Two Fisted Law]]'' with [[John Wayne]] and [[Walter Brennan]].
The coming of talking pictures, and the temporary inability to record sound outdoors, resulted in MGM terminating its Tim McCoy series and McCoy returning once more to his ranch. In 1929 he was summoned back to Hollywood personally by [[Carl Laemmle]] of [[Universal Pictures]], who insisted that McCoy star in the first talking Western serial, ''[[The Indians Are Coming]]''. The serial was very successful. Later, in 1932, McCoy starred in ''[[Two Fisted Law]]'' with [[John Wayne]] and [[Walter Brennan]].


McCoy worked steadily in movies until 1936, when he left Hollywood, first to tour with the [[Ringling Brothers Circus]] and then with his own "wild west" show. The show was not a success; it was reported to have lost $300,000, $100,000 of which was McCoy's own money. It folded in Washington, D.C., and the cowboy performers were each given $5 and McCoy's thanks. The Indians on the show were returned to their respective reservations by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
McCoy worked steadily in movies until 1936, when he left Hollywood, first to tour with the [[Ringling Brothers Circus]] and then with his own "wild west" show. The show was not a success; it was reported to have lost $300,000, $100,000 of which was McCoy's own money. It folded in Washington, D.C., and the cowboy performers were each given $5 and McCoy's thanks. The Indians on the show were returned to their respective reservations by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Line 52: Line 47:


===Interrupted by World War II===
===Interrupted by World War II===
In 1942, McCoy ran for the Republican nomination for the open U.S. Senate Seat from Wyoming. During that campaign, he established the first statewide radio hookup in Wyoming broadcasting history. He lost in the primary and within 48 hours volunteered for active duty with the U.S. Army.
In 1942, McCoy ran for the Republican nomination for the open U.S. Senate Seat from Wyoming. During that campaign, he established the first statewide radio hookup in Wyoming broadcasting history. He lost in the primary and within 48 hours volunteered for active duty with the U.S. Army.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}


He had maintained his Army Reserve commission and was immediately accepted. McCoy spent the war in the U.S. Army and performed liaison work with the Army Air Forces in Europe, winning several decorations. He retired from the army, and reportedly never lived in Wyoming again. His Eagle's Nest ranch was sold. He retired from films after the war, except for a few cameo appearances much later.
He had maintained his Army Reserve commission and was immediately accepted. McCoy spent the war in the U.S. Army and performed liaison work with the Army Air Forces in Europe, winning several decorations. He retired from the army, and reportedly never lived in Wyoming again. His Eagle's Nest ranch was sold. He retired from acting in films after the war, except for a few cameo appearances much later.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}


===Television host===
===Television host===
McCoy hosted a [[KTLA]] television show in Los Angeles in 1952, titled ''The Tim McCoy Show'', for children on weekday afternoons and Saturdays, in which he provided authentic history lessons on the [[Old West]] and showed his old western movies. His co-host was the actor [[Iron Eyes Cody]] who, while of Italian lineage, played an American Indian both on and off screen. McCoy won a local Emmy but didn't attend to receive the award. He was competing against Webster Webfoot in the Best Children's Show category and refused to show up, saying "I'll be damned if I'm going to sit there and get beaten by a talking duck!"{{Citation needed |date=July 2022}}
McCoy hosted a [[KTLA]] television show in Los Angeles in 1952, titled ''The Tim McCoy Show'', for children on weekday afternoons and Saturdays, in which he provided authentic history lessons on the [[Old West]] and showed his old Western movies. His co-host was the actor [[Iron Eyes Cody]] who, while of Italian lineage, played an American Indian both on and off screen. McCoy won a local Emmy but didn't attend to receive the award. He was competing against Webster Webfoot in the Best Children's Show category and refused to show up, saying "I'll be damned if I'm going to sit there and get beaten by a talking duck!"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chunovic |first=Louis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YngaAQAAIAAJ |title=Why Do People Love America? |date=2004 |publisher=Sanctuary |isbn=978-1-86074-614-7 |pages=184 |language=en}}</ref>


===Legacy===
===Legacy===
For his contribution to the film industry, McCoy was honored with a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]. In 1973, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the [[National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum]]. He was inducted into the [[Cowboy Hall of Fame]] in 1974.
For his contribution to the film industry, McCoy was honored with a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tim McCoy |url=https://walkoffame.com/tim-mccoy/ |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |access-date=August 23, 2024}}</ref> In 1973, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the [[National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum]]. He was inducted into the [[Cowboy Hall of Fame]] in 1974.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}


On January 16, 2010, McCoy was inducted into the Hot Springs County (Wyoming) Hall of Fame. Accepting the honor on his behalf was his son, Terry. Included in the 2010 class were Governor Dave Freudenthal of the State of Wyoming, Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court Bart Voigt, former Wyoming state treasurer Stan Smith, and local high school teacher Karl Allen.
On January 16, 2010, McCoy was inducted into the Hot Springs County (Wyoming) Hall of Fame. Accepting the honor on his behalf was his son, Terry. Included in the 2010 class were Governor Dave Freudenthal of the State of Wyoming, Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court Bart Voigt, former Wyoming state treasurer Stan Smith, and local high school teacher Karl Allen.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
⚫
McCoy married [[Inga Arvad]] in 1947.<ref>McCoy, T. (1988). ''Tim McCoy Remembers the West'', p. 260</ref> They had two sons, Ronnie and Terry. McCoy was married to Arvad until her death from cancer in 1973. Arvad was a journalist from Denmark, investigated by the FBI in the early 1940s due to rumors that she was a [[Nazi]] spy. There were photographs of Arvad as a guest of [[Adolf Hitler]] at the 1936 Olympics, and she had twice interviewed him. This investigation included the wiretapping of Arvad during a brief affair with [[John F. Kennedy]] in late 1941 and 1942 when Kennedy was serving in the U.S. Navy. No evidence of spying against Arvad was ever found.<ref>Matthews, Chris (2011). ''Jack Kennedy'', pp. 44, 45</ref><ref>Hersh, Seymour (1997), ''[[The Dark Side of Camelot]]'', p. 83</ref>
McCoy married Agnes Miller, the daughter of stage actor and producer [[Henry Miller (actor)|Henry Miller]] and actress [[Bijou Heron]]. Their marriage resulted in three children: son Gerald, daughter Margarita, and son D'Arcy. They were divorced in 1931, and McCoy kept a portion of the ranch holdings in Hot Springs County, Wyoming. Agnes McCoy was rewarded with that portion known as the Eagles Nest.{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}}

⚫
His second marriage was to [[Inga Arvad]] in 1947.<ref>McCoy, T. (1988). ''Tim McCoy Remembers the West'', p. 260</ref> They had two sons, Ronnie and Terry. McCoy was married to Arvad until her death from cancer in 1973. Arvad was a journalist from Denmark, investigated by the FBI in the early 1940s due to rumors that she was a [[Nazi]] spy; there were photographs of Arvad as a guest of [[Adolf Hitler]] at the 1936 Olympics, and she had twice interviewed him. This investigation included the wiretapping of Arvad during the time of an affair with [[John F. Kennedy]] in late 1941 into 1942. No evidence against Arvad was ever found.<ref>Matthews, Chris (2011). ''Jack Kennedy'', pp. 44, 45</ref><ref>Hersh, Seymour (1997), ''The Dark Side of Camelot'', p. 83</ref>


==Later years==
==Later years==
In 1973, McCoy was inducted into the [[Western Performers Hall of Fame]] at the [[National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum]] in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He also was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1976, he was interviewed at length by author James Horwitz for the cowboy memoir ''They Went Thataway.'' McCoy's final, posthumous, appearance was in ''[[Hollywood (1980 TV series)|Hollywood]]'' (1980), [[Kevin Brownlow]]-[[David Gill (film historian)|David Gill]]'s television history of silent films.
In 1976, he was interviewed at length by author James Horwitz for the cowboy memoir ''They Went Thataway.'' McCoy's final, posthumous, appearance was in ''[[Hollywood (1980 TV series)|Hollywood]]'' (1980), [[Kevin Brownlow]]-[[David Gill (film historian)|David Gill]]'s television history of silent films.


McCoy died on January 29, 1978, at the Raymond W. Bliss Army Medical Center of [[Ft. Huachuca]] in Sierra Vista, Arizona.<ref name=NCN1978>{{Cite news |date=January 31, 1978 |agency=UPI |title=Movie star Tim McCoy dies of heart ailment |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/914045/tim_mccoy/ |newspaper=[[New Castle News]] |location=New Castle, Pennsylvania |access-date=February 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217025307/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/914045/tim_mccoy/ |archive-date=February 17, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> He was cremated and his ashes returned to his Nogales home. Nine years later his remains, and those of his wife, Inga, who had died in 1973, were returned to his birthplace at Saginaw, Michigan, for burial in the Mount Olivet Cemetery next to his family's plot.{{Citation needed |date=April 2022}}
McCoy died on January 29, 1978, at the Raymond W. Bliss Army Medical Center of [[Ft. Huachuca]] in Sierra Vista, Arizona.<ref name=NCN1978>{{Cite news |date=January 31, 1978 |agency=UPI |title=Movie star Tim McCoy dies of heart ailment |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/914045/tim_mccoy/ |newspaper=[[New Castle News]] |location=New Castle, Pennsylvania |access-date=February 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217025307/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/914045/tim_mccoy/ |archive-date=February 17, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> He was cremated and his ashes returned to his Nogales home. Nine years later his remains, and those of his wife, Inga, who had died in 1973, were returned to his birthplace at Saginaw, Michigan, for burial in the Mount Olivet Cemetery next to his family's plot.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wilson |first=Scott |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ&q=%22McCoy,%20Tim%22 |title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. |date=2016-08-19 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-2599-7 |pages=496 |language=en}}</ref>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
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}}
}}
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
|-
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| rowspan="4" | 1931 || ''[[Heroes of the Flames]]'' || Bob Darrow || 12 chapter serial
| rowspan="4" | 1931 || ''[[Heroes of the Flames]]'' || Bob Darrow || 12 chapter serial
|-
|-
| ''The One Way Trail'' || Tim Allen ||
| ''[[The One Way Trail]]'' || Tim Allen ||
|-
|-
| ''Shotgun Pass'' || Tim Walker ||
| ''[[Shotgun Pass]]'' || Tim Walker ||
|-
|-
| ''[[The Fighting Marshal]]'' || Tim Benton ||
| ''[[The Fighting Marshal]]'' || Tim Benton ||
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| ''[[Cornered (1932 film)|Cornered]]'' || Sheriff Tim Laramie ||
| ''[[Cornered (1932 film)|Cornered]]'' || Sheriff Tim Laramie ||
|-
|-
| ''Fighting for Justice'' || Tim Keene ||
| ''[[Fighting for Justice]]'' || Tim Keene ||
|-
|-
| ''[[The Western Code]]'' || Tim Barrett ||
| ''[[The Western Code]]'' || Tim Barrett ||
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| ''[[Hold the Press]]'' || Tim Collins ||
| ''[[Hold the Press]]'' || Tim Collins ||
|-
|-
| ''Straightaway'' || Tim Dawson ||
| ''[[Straightaway (film)|Straightaway]]'' || Tim Dawson ||
|-
|-
| rowspan="7" | 1934 || ''[[Speed Wings]]'' || Tim ||
| rowspan="7" | 1934 || ''[[Speed Wings]]'' || Tim ||
|-
|-
| ''Voice in the Night'' || Tim Dale ||
| ''[[Voice in the Night (film)|Voice in the Night]]'' || Tim Dale ||
|-
|-
| ''[[Hell Bent for Love]]'' || Police Captain Tim Daley ||
| ''[[Hell Bent for Love]]'' || Police Captain Tim Daley ||
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| ''[[Justice of the Range]]'' || Tim Condon ||
| ''[[Justice of the Range]]'' || Tim Condon ||
|-
|-
| ''The Outlaw Deputy'' || Tim Mallory ||
| ''[[The Outlaw Deputy]]'' || Tim Mallory ||
|-
|-
| ''[[Riding Wild (1935 film)|Riding Wild]]'' || Tim Malloy / Tex Ravelle ||
| ''[[Riding Wild (1935 film)|Riding Wild]]'' || Tim Malloy / Tex Ravelle ||
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| ''[[The Fighting Renegade]]'' || Lightning Bill Carson aka El Puma ||
| ''[[The Fighting Renegade]]'' || Lightning Bill Carson aka El Puma ||
|-
|-
| ''Trigger Fingers'' || 'Lightning' Bill Carson ||
| ''[[Trigger Fingers (1939 film)|Trigger Fingers]]'' || 'Lightning' Bill Carson ||
|-
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1940 || ''[[Texas Renegades (film)|Texas Renegades]]'' || Silent Tim Smith ||
| rowspan="5" | 1940 || ''[[Texas Renegades (film)|Texas Renegades]]'' || Silent Tim Smith ||
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{{Commons category|Tim McCoy}}
{{Commons category|Tim McCoy}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Tim McCoy |sopt=t}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Tim McCoy |sopt=t}}
*[https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv295500/op=fstyle.aspx?t=k&q=tim+mccoy Tim McCoy Papers] at the [[University of Wyoming]] - [[American Heritage Center]]
*[https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv295500/op=fstyle.aspx?t=k&q=tim+mccoy Tim McCoy Papers] at the [[American Heritage Center]]
*[https://ahcwyo.org/2012/11/15/tim-mccoy-western-star/ Tim McCoy, Western Star] at the [https://ahcwyo.org AHC blog]
*[https://ahcwyo.org/2012/11/15/tim-mccoy-western-star/ Tim McCoy, Western Star] at [https://ahcwyo.org AHC blogs]
* {{IMDb name|0003706}}
* {{IMDb name|0003706}}
* {{IMDb title|0128008|The Tim McCoy Show}}
* {{IMDb title|0128008|The Tim McCoy Show}}
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[[Category:1978 deaths]]
[[Category:1978 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
⚫
[[Category:Actors from Santa Cruz County, Arizona]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male silent film actors]]
[[Category:American male silent film actors]]
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[[Category:Military personnel from Michigan]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Michigan]]
[[Category:People from Saginaw, Michigan]]
[[Category:People from Saginaw, Michigan]]
⚫
[[Category:People from Santa Cruz County, Arizona]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces officers]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces officers]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]

Latest revision as of 03:25, 21 November 2024

For the English footballer, see Tim McCoy (footballer).
For the 1972 murder victim, see Murder of Timothy McCoy.

Tim McCoy
McCoy in 1934
Born(1891-04-10)April 10, 1891
Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
DiedJanuary 29, 1978(1978-01-29) (aged 86)
Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • showman
  • television host
Years active1925–1965
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1946; died 1973)​
Children5
Tim McCoy ad in Motion Picture News, 1926

Tim McCoy (April 10, 1891 – January 29, 1978) was an American actor, military officer, and expert on American Indian life. McCoy is most noted for his roles in B-grade Western films. As a popular cowboy film star, he had his picture on the front of a Wheaties cereal box.

Early years

[edit]

Tim McCoy was born in Saginaw, Michigan, on April 10, 1891. His father was an Irish Union Civil War veteran and Police Chief.[1] While attending St. Ignatius College (now Loyola University) McCoy saw a Wild West show that influenced him to purchase a one-way ticket west. He ended up in Lander, Wyoming, where he worked as a ranch hand. While there, he became an expert horseman and roper while developing an extensive knowledge of the customs and languages of the local American Indian tribes.[1] McCoy was a renowned expert in Indian sign language and was named "High Eagle" by the Arapaho tribe of the Wind River reservation. He also competed in numerous rodeos.[citation needed]

Military career

[edit]

McCoy enlisted as a soldier in the U.S. Army and served in the cavalry during World War I (although he did not serve in combat nor overseas).[1][2] He served again in World War II in Europe, rising to the rank of colonel with the Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces. He also served as adjutant general of Wyoming between the wars with the brevet rank of brigadier general. At 28, he was one of the youngest brigadier generals in the history of the U.S. Army.[3]

Acting career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

In 1922, David Townsend, president of the Mountain Plains Enterprise Film Company, planned to build "Sunshine Studios" at McCoy's Owl Creek Dude ranch in order to shoot a film titled, "The Dude Wrangler," written by Caroline Lockhart but the project was abandoned.[4]

Portrait from Tim McCoy ad in Motion Picture News, 1926

That same year, he was asked by the head of Famous Players–Lasky, Jesse L. Lasky, to provide American Indian extras for the Western extravaganza, The Covered Wagon (1923). He brought hundreds of Indians to the Utah location and served as a technical advisor on the film. After filming was completed, McCoy was asked to bring a much smaller group of Indians to Hollywood, for a stage presentation preceding each showing of the film.

McCoy's stage show was popular, running eight months in Hollywood and several more months in London and Paris. McCoy returned to his Wyoming ranch, but Irving Thalberg of MGM soon signed him to a contract to star in a series of outdoor adventures and McCoy rose to stardom. His first MGM feature was War Paint (1926), featuring epic scenes of the Wind River Indians on horseback, staged by McCoy and director Woody Van Dyke. (Footage from |War Paint was reused in many low-budget Westerns, well into the 1950s.)

War Paint set the tone for future McCoy Westerns, in that Indians were always portrayed sympathetically, and never as bloodthirsty savages. One notable McCoy feature for MGM was The Law of the Range (1928), in which he starred with Joan Crawford.

McCoy on horse in Gun Code, 1940

The coming of talking pictures, and the temporary inability to record sound outdoors, resulted in MGM terminating its Tim McCoy series and McCoy returning once more to his ranch. In 1929 he was summoned back to Hollywood personally by Carl Laemmle of Universal Pictures, who insisted that McCoy star in the first talking Western serial, The Indians Are Coming. The serial was very successful. Later, in 1932, McCoy starred in Two Fisted Law with John Wayne and Walter Brennan.

McCoy worked steadily in movies until 1936, when he left Hollywood, first to tour with the Ringling Brothers Circus and then with his own "wild west" show. The show was not a success; it was reported to have lost $300,000, $100,000 of which was McCoy's own money. It folded in Washington, D.C., and the cowboy performers were each given $5 and McCoy's thanks. The Indians on the show were returned to their respective reservations by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

McCoy was available for pictures again in 1938, and low-budget producers (including Maurice Conn and Sam Katzman) engaged him at his standard salary of $4,000 weekly, for eight films a year. In 1941 Buck Jones recruited McCoy to co-star in "The Rough Riders" series, alongside Jones and Raymond Hatton. The eight films, released by Monogram Pictures, were very popular, and might have continued but McCoy declined to renew his contract, opting to pursue other interests.

Interrupted by World War II

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In 1942, McCoy ran for the Republican nomination for the open U.S. Senate Seat from Wyoming. During that campaign, he established the first statewide radio hookup in Wyoming broadcasting history. He lost in the primary and within 48 hours volunteered for active duty with the U.S. Army.[citation needed]

He had maintained his Army Reserve commission and was immediately accepted. McCoy spent the war in the U.S. Army and performed liaison work with the Army Air Forces in Europe, winning several decorations. He retired from the army, and reportedly never lived in Wyoming again. His Eagle's Nest ranch was sold. He retired from acting in films after the war, except for a few cameo appearances much later.[citation needed]

Television host

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McCoy hosted a KTLA television show in Los Angeles in 1952, titled The Tim McCoy Show, for children on weekday afternoons and Saturdays, in which he provided authentic history lessons on the Old West and showed his old Western movies. His co-host was the actor Iron Eyes Cody who, while of Italian lineage, played an American Indian both on and off screen. McCoy won a local Emmy but didn't attend to receive the award. He was competing against Webster Webfoot in the Best Children's Show category and refused to show up, saying "I'll be damned if I'm going to sit there and get beaten by a talking duck!"[5]

Legacy

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For his contribution to the film industry, McCoy was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[6] In 1973, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. He was inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1974.[citation needed]

On January 16, 2010, McCoy was inducted into the Hot Springs County (Wyoming) Hall of Fame. Accepting the honor on his behalf was his son, Terry. Included in the 2010 class were Governor Dave Freudenthal of the State of Wyoming, Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court Bart Voigt, former Wyoming state treasurer Stan Smith, and local high school teacher Karl Allen.[citation needed]

Personal life

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McCoy married Inga Arvad in 1947.[7] They had two sons, Ronnie and Terry. McCoy was married to Arvad until her death from cancer in 1973. Arvad was a journalist from Denmark, investigated by the FBI in the early 1940s due to rumors that she was a Nazi spy. There were photographs of Arvad as a guest of Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Olympics, and she had twice interviewed him. This investigation included the wiretapping of Arvad during a brief affair with John F. Kennedy in late 1941 and 1942 when Kennedy was serving in the U.S. Navy. No evidence of spying against Arvad was ever found.[8][9]

Later years

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In 1976, he was interviewed at length by author James Horwitz for the cowboy memoir They Went Thataway. McCoy's final, posthumous, appearance was in Hollywood (1980), Kevin Brownlow-David Gill's television history of silent films.

McCoy died on January 29, 1978, at the Raymond W. Bliss Army Medical Center of Ft. Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Arizona.[10] He was cremated and his ashes returned to his Nogales home. Nine years later his remains, and those of his wife, Inga, who had died in 1973, were returned to his birthplace at Saginaw, Michigan, for burial in the Mount Olivet Cemetery next to his family's plot.[11]

Filmography

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Poster for The Fighting Fool (1932)
Lobby card for Daring Danger (1932)
Poster for Texas Cyclone (1932)
Poster for Bulldog Courage (1935)
Year Title Role Notes
1925 The Thundering Herd Burn Hudnall
1926 War Paint Lt. Tim Marshall
1927 Winners of the Wilderness Col. O'Hara
California Capt. Archibald Gillespie
The Frontiersman John Dale
Foreign Devils Capt. Robert Kelly
Spoilers of the West Lt. Lang
1928 The Law of the Range Jim Lockhart
Wyoming Lt. Jack Colton
Riders of the Dark Lt. Crane
The Adventurer Jim McClellan
Beyond the Sierras The Masked Stranger
The Bushranger Edward
1929 Morgan's Last Raid Capt. Daniel Clairbourne
The Overland Telegraph Capt. Allen
Sioux Blood Flood
The Desert Rider Jed Tyler
1930 The Indians Are Coming Jack Manning 12 chapter serial
1931 Heroes of the Flames Bob Darrow 12 chapter serial
The One Way Trail Tim Allen
Shotgun Pass Tim Walker
The Fighting Marshal Tim Benton
1932 The Fighting Fool Sheriff Tim Collins
Texas Cyclone 'Texas' Grant (Jim Rawlings) co-starred John Wayne
The Riding Tornado Tim Torrant
Two-Fisted Law Tim Clark co-starred John Wayne
Daring Danger Tim Madigan
Cornered Sheriff Tim Laramie
Fighting for Justice Tim Keene
The Western Code Tim Barrett
End of the Trail Captain Tim Travers
1933 Man of Action Tim Barlow
Silent Men Tim Richards
The Whirlwind Tim Reynolds
Rusty Rides Alone Tim 'Rusty' Burke
Police Car 17 Tim Conlon
Hold the Press Tim Collins
Straightaway Tim Dawson
1934 Speed Wings Tim
Voice in the Night Tim Dale
Hell Bent for Love Police Captain Tim Daley
A Man's Game Tim Bradley
Beyond the Law Tim Weston
The Prescott Kid Tim Hamlin
The Westerner Tim Addison
1935 Square Shooter Tim Baxter
Law Beyond the Range Tim McDonald
The Revenge Rider Tim O'Neil
Fighting Shadows Constable Tim O'Hara
Justice of the Range Tim Condon
The Outlaw Deputy Tim Mallory
Riding Wild Tim Malloy / Tex Ravelle
The Man from Guntown Tim Hanlon
Bulldog Courage Slim Braddock / Tim Braddock
1936 Roarin' Guns Tim Corwin
Border Caballero Tim Ross
Lightnin' Bill Carson U. S. Marshal 'Lightnin' Bill Carson
Aces and Eights 'Gentleman' Tim Madigan
The Lion's Den Tim Barton
Ghost Patrol Tim Caverly
The Traitor Sergeant Tim Vallance, Texas Rangers
1938 West of Rainbow's End Tim Hart
Code of the Rangers Tim Strong
Two Gun Justice Tim
Phantom Ranger Tim Hayes
Lightning Carson Rides Again 'Lightning Bill' Carson, posing as Jose as Colonel Tim McCoy
Six-Gun Trail Captain William 'Lightning Bill' Carson
1939 Code of the Cactus 'Lightning' Bill Carson posing as Miguel
Texas Wildcats 'Lightning' Bill Carson
Outlaws' Paradise Captain William 'Lightning Bill' Carson / Trigger Mallory
Straight Shooter 'Lightning' Bill Carson / Sam Brown
The Fighting Renegade Lightning Bill Carson aka El Puma
Trigger Fingers 'Lightning' Bill Carson
1940 Texas Renegades Silent Tim Smith
Frontier Crusader 'Trigger' Tim Rand
Gun Code Marshal Tim Hammond, alias Tim Hays
Arizona Gang Busters 'Trigger' Tim Rand
Riders of Black Mountain Marshal Tim Donovan
1941 Outlaws of the Rio Grande Marshal Tim Barton
The Texas Marshal Marshal 'Trigger Tim' Rand
Arizona Bound Marshal Tim McCall, posing as 'Parson" McCall
The Gunman from Bodie Marshal McCall
Forbidden Trails Marshal Tim McCall, posing as Ace Porter
1942 Below the Border Marshal Tim McCall
Ghost Town Law Marshal Tim McCall
Down Texas Way U. S. Marshal Tim McCall
Riders of the West Marshal Tim McCall
West of the Law Marshal Tim McCall
1952 The Tim McCoy Show (TV) Himself
1956 Around the World in 80 Days Colonel, U.S. Cavalry as Col. Tim McCoy
1957 Run of the Arrow Gen. Allen as Colonel Tim McCoy
1965 Requiem for a Gunfighter Judge Irving Short (final film role)

References

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Notes
  1. ^ a b c "Tim McCoy papers 1917-1987". rmoa.unm.edu. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  2. ^ McCoy, T. (1988). Tim McCoy Remembers the West. Bison Books. ISBN 0-8032-8155-2.
  3. ^ ahcadmin (November 15, 2012). "Tim McCoy, Western Star". American Heritage Center (AHC) #AlwaysArchiving. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  4. ^ Francis X. Bushman: A Biography and Filmography, by Richard J. Maturi, Mary Buckingham Maturi McFarland, 1998
  5. ^ Chunovic, Louis (2004). Why Do People Love America?. Sanctuary. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-86074-614-7.
  6. ^ "Tim McCoy". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  7. ^ McCoy, T. (1988). Tim McCoy Remembers the West, p. 260
  8. ^ Matthews, Chris (2011). Jack Kennedy, pp. 44, 45
  9. ^ Hersh, Seymour (1997), The Dark Side of Camelot, p. 83
  10. ^ "Movie star Tim McCoy dies of heart ailment". New Castle News. New Castle, Pennsylvania. UPI. January 31, 1978. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  11. ^ Wilson, Scott (August 19, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 496. ISBN 978-1-4766-2599-7.
Bibliography
  • Tim McCoy Remembers the West: An Autobiography by Tim McCoy and Ronald McCoy (1977)

Hardback:

ISBN 0-385-12798-7
ISBN 978-0-385-12798-1

Paperback:

ISBN 978-0-8032-8155-4

Paperback:

ISBN 978-0-9796970-0-5

DVD

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  • Col. Tim McCoy's The Silent Language of the Plains! RoundTop Records, LLC. Thermopolis, Wyoming
ISBN 978-0-9796970-1-2
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tim McCoy.
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