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{{Short description|American actor (1920–1990}}
⚫
{{One source|date=September 2012}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{infobox person
{{infobox person
|image=Sunset Carson 1948 scene.jpg
| name = Sunset Carson
|caption=Sunset Carson as he appeared in a scene in the 1948 film ''[[Sunset Carson Rides Again]]''.
| image = Sunset Carson 1948 scene.jpg
| caption = Carson in ''[[Sunset Carson Rides Again]]'' (1948)
|birth_name=Winifred Maurice Harrison
| birth_name = Winifred Maurice Harrison or Michael Harrison
|birth_date={{birth date|1920|11|12}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|11|12|mf=yes}}
|birth_place=[[Gracemont, Oklahoma]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Gracemont, Oklahoma]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1990|5|1|1920|11|12}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1990|05|01|1920|11|12|mf=yes}}
|death_place=[[Reno, Nevada]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Reno, Nevada]], U.S.
⚫
|occupation=[[Film actor]], [[Rodeo|rodeo rider]]
| resting_place = Highland Memorial Gardens, Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee
⚫
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|[[Rodeo|rodeo rider]]}}
| years_active = 1940–1985
| spouse =
}}
}}


'''Sunset Carson''' (born '''Winifred Maurice Harrison''', November 12, 1920 – May 1, 1990) was an [[United States of America|American]] [[B movie|B-western]] [[film actor|star]] of the 1940s.
'''Sunset Carson''' (born '''Winifred Maurice Harrison''' or '''Michael Harrison'''; November 12, 1920 – May 1, 1990) was an [[United States of America|American]] [[B movie|B-western]] [[film actor|star]] of the 1940s.


==Early life, acting==
==Early life, acting==
[[File:Stage-Door-Canteen-LC-6.jpg|thumb|right|260px|[[Lon McCallister]], Marjorie Riordan, William Terry, [[Cheryl Walker]], [[Margaret Early]] and Michael Harrison in ''[[Stage Door Canteen (film)|Stage Door Canteen]]'' (1943)]]
[[File:Stage-Door-Canteen-LC-6.jpg|thumb|right|260px|[[Lon McCallister]], [[Marjorie Riordan]], William Terry, [[Cheryl Walker (actress)|Cheryl Walker]], [[Margaret Early]], and Michael Harrison in ''[[Stage Door Canteen (film)|Stage Door Canteen]]'' (1943)]]
Carson was born on November 12, 1920, at [[Gracemont, Oklahoma]],<ref name="bkf">{{cite book|last1=Boggs|first1=Johnny D.|title=Billy the Kid on Film, 1911-2012|date=2013|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-6555-2|pages=86-87|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4SiXAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA86&dq=%22Winifred+Maurice+Harrison%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCrNj09YPTAhUP7GMKHampDm0Q6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=%22Winifred%20Maurice%20Harrison%22&f=false|accessdate=1 April 2017}}</ref> to Maurice Greely Harrison and Azalee Belle McAdams. He moved to [[Plainview, Texas]], as a child (<ref>1930 US Census Hale County, Texas</ref>). Carson became an accomplished [[rodeo]] rider in his youth. For a time he worked in a western show owned by early cowboy actor [[Tom Mix]]. In 1940 he traveled to [[South America]], where he competed in rodeos for two years. After his return to the U.S., he played small parts in the 1943 film ''[[Stage Door Canteen (film)|Stage Door Canteen]]'', and the big budget 1944 film ''[[Janie (1944 film)|Janie]]'', both having him billed as "Michael Harrison". Catching the attention of [[Republic Pictures]] executive [[Lou Grey]], he was signed to a contract and given his own series of B-westerns beginning in 1944, changing his name to "Sunset Carson".
Carson was born on November 12, 1920, at [[Gracemont, Oklahoma]],<ref name="bkf">{{cite book|last1=Boggs|first1=Johnny D.|title=Billy the Kid on Film, 1911-2012|date=2013|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-6555-2|pages=86–87|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4SiXAAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Winifred+Maurice+Harrison%22&pg=PA86|accessdate=April 1, 2017}}</ref> as either Winifred Maurice Harrison or Michael Harrison, to Maurice Greely Harrison and Azalee Belle McAdams. He moved to [[Plainview, Texas]], as a child (per the 1930 US Census Hale County, Texas).
Carson became an accomplished [[rodeo]] rider in his youth. For a time he worked in a western show owned by early cowboy actor [[Tom Mix]]. In 1940 he traveled to [[South America]], where he competed in rodeos for two years. After his return to the U.S., he played small parts in the 1943 film ''[[Stage Door Canteen (film)|Stage Door Canteen]]'', and the big budget 1944 film ''[[Janie (1944 film)|Janie]]'', both having him billed as "Michael Harrison". Catching the attention of [[Republic Pictures]] executive Lou Grey, he was signed to a contract and given his own series of B-westerns beginning in 1944, changing his name to "Sunset Carson".{{cn|date=September 2022}}


==Fame and career climb==
==Fame and career climb==
⚫
{{Unsourced|section|date=September 2022}}
Within two years, Carson was on the top-10 list of money makers for western stars. He was given a horse named "Cactus", and starred in a string of semi-successful western genre films. In 1944 he starred in ''[[Bordertown Trail]]'', ''[[Code of the Prairie]]'', and ''[[Firebrands of Arizona]]'' opposite [[Smiley Burnette]]. In 1945 (the peak of his career), his first film was ''[[Sheriff of Cimarron]]'', followed by ''[[Santa Fe Saddlemates]]'', ''[[Bells of Rosarita]]'', ''[[Oregon Trail (film)|Oregon Trail]]'', ''[[Bandits of the Badlands]]'', ''[[Rough Riders of Cheyenne]]'', and ''[[The Cherokee Flash]]''.
Within two years, Carson was on the top-10 list of money makers for western stars. He was given a horse named "Cactus", and starred in a string of semi-successful western genre films. In 1944 he starred in ''[[Bordertown Trail]]'', ''[[Code of the Prairie]]'', and ''[[Firebrands of Arizona]]'' opposite [[Smiley Burnette]]. In 1945 (the peak of his career), his first film was ''[[Sheriff of Cimarron]]'', followed by ''[[Santa Fe Saddlemates]]'', ''[[Bells of Rosarita]]'', ''[[Oregon Trail (1945 film)|Oregon Trail]]'', ''[[Bandits of the Badlands]]'', ''[[Rough Riders of Cheyenne]]'', and ''[[The Cherokee Flash]]''.


In 1946, Carson began the year strong, starring in ''[[Days of Buffalo Bill]]'' and ''[[Alias Billy the Kid]]''. He followed those with ''[[The El Paso Kid]]'', ''[[Red River Renegades]]'', and ''[[Rio Grande Raiders]]''. However, by the end of 1946, Carson and Republic Pictures were having disputes. He claimed the disputes were over his contract. Republic Pictures would later claim that he was fired by Republic creator and executive officer [[Herbert Yates]] after attending a studio function while intoxicated and in the company of an underage girl. By year’s end, he and Republic had parted company. He would never again achieve any large degree of acting success.
In 1946, Carson began the year strongly, starring in ''[[Days of Buffalo Bill]]'' and ''[[Alias Billy the Kid]]''. He followed those with ''[[The El Paso Kid]]'', ''[[Red River Renegades]]'', and ''[[Rio Grande Raiders]]''. However, by the end of 1946, Carson and Republic Pictures were having disputes. He claimed the disputes were over his contract. Republic Pictures would later claim that he was fired by Republic creator and executive officer [[Herbert Yates]] after attending a studio function while intoxicated and in the company of an underage girl. By year’s end, he and Republic had parted company. He would never again achieve any large degree of acting success.


==Career decline, retirement and death==
==Career decline, retirement and death==
{{Moresources|section|date=September 2022}}
In 1948 he starred for Astor Pictures in ''[[Fighting Mustang]]'', ''[[Deadline (1948 film)|Deadline]]'', and ''[[Sunset Carson Rides Again]]''. Then in 1949 he starred in ''[[Rio Grande (1949 film)|Rio Grande]]'', and in 1950 he starred as the lead character, for the last time, in ''[[Battling Marshal]]''. By the following year, his career was all but over as a leading actor of the day. For the next several years he obtained small bit parts.
In 1948 he starred for [[Astor Pictures]] in ''[[Fighting Mustang]]'', ''[[Deadline (1948 film)|Deadline]]'', and ''[[Sunset Carson Rides Again]]''. Then in 1949 he starred in ''[[Rio Grande (1949 film)|Rio Grande]]'', and in 1950 he starred as the lead character, for the last time, in ''[[Battling Marshal]]''. By the following year, his career was all but over as a leading actor of the day. For the next several years he obtained small bit parts.


Years later, he played the lead in a B-movie called ''[[The Marshal of Windy Hollow]]'' (1972), a film that co-starred a host of old time actors, including [[Ken Maynard]], [[Tex Ritter]], and [[Bill Cody, Jr.]]. He then had a bit part in the movie ''[[Seabo]]'' in 1978, and another bit part in the 1985 [[sci-fi]] movie ''[[Alien Outlaw]]'' (his last film role).
Years later, he played the lead in a B-movie called ''[[The Marshal of Windy Hollow]]'' (1972), a film that co-starred a host of old time actors, including [[Ken Maynard]], [[Tex Ritter]], and [[Bill Cody, Jr.]] He then had a bit part in the film ''Buckstone County Prison'' in 1978, and another bit part in the 1985 [[sci-fi]] movie ''Alien Outlaw'' (his last film role).


He toured for five years with "Tommy Scott's Country Music Circus". In the early 1980s, Carson hosted ″Six-Gun Heroes″,<ref>{{cite book|last=McGillis|first=Roderick|title=He Was Some Kind of Man: Masculinities in the B Western|year=2009|publisher=Wilfrid Laurier University Press|location=Waterloo, Ontario|isbn=978-1-55458-059-0|pages=4}}</ref> a South Carolina Educational TV (SCETV) show produced by Jim Welch presenting classic B Westerns which still airs on many PBS affiliates across the US. In 1985, Carson appeared in an episode of the [[television series]] ''[[Simon & Simon]]''.
He toured for five years with "Tommy Scott's Country Music Circus". In the early 1980s, Carson hosted ″Six-Gun Heroes″,<ref>{{cite book|last=McGillis|first=Roderick|title=He Was Some Kind of Man: Masculinities in the B Western|year=2009|publisher=Wilfrid Laurier University Press|location=Waterloo, Ontario|isbn=978-1-55458-059-0|pages=4}}</ref> a South Carolina Educational TV (SCETV) show produced by Jim Welch presenting classic B Westerns.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sunset Carson Rides Across the Stage at Saturday Matinee |url=https://www.thecolumbiastar.com/articles/sunset-carson-rides-across-the-stage-at-saturday-matinee/ |website=The Columbia Star |date=January 12, 2007 |access-date=December 25, 2024}}</ref> In 1985, Carson appeared in an episode of the [[television series]] ''[[Simon & Simon]]''.


==Death==
He married five times in his lifetime. He married Patricia Hussey in 1938, which ended in [[divorce]]. He then married Betty Price, Dorothy Shockley, and Margaret Nesbitt, all ending in divorce. His last marriage was to Jean Jackson Davis in 1989<ref>family friend</ref>. He retired to [[Reno, Nevada]]. He died there on May 1, 1990.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://articles.latimes.com/1990-05-03/news/mn-2_1_sunset-carson|title=Sunset Carson; Cowboy Star of 1940s, '50s|date=1990-05-03|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-08-31|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref>. He is buried at Highland Memorial Gardens in Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee, USA. <ref>https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6359110/sunset-carson/</ref>
Carson retired to [[Reno, Nevada]]. He died there on May 1, 1990. He was survived by his fifth wife and his two children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-03-mn-2-story.html|title=Sunset Carson; Cowboy Star of 1940s, '50s|date=1990-05-03|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-08-31|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913135755/http://articles.latimes.com/1990-05-03/news/mn-2_1_sunset-carson |archive-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref> He is buried at Highland Memorial Gardens in Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee.<ref>Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.</ref>


==Filmography==
==List of SUNSET CARSON films==
* ''Call of the Rockies'' (1944) co-starred Kirk Alyn, [[Smiley Burnette]]
* ''[[Call of the Rockies (1944 film)|Call of the Rockies]]'' (1944) co-starred Kirk Alyn, [[Smiley Burnette]]
* ''Bordertown Trail'' (1944)
* ''[[Bordertown Trail]]'' (1944)
* ''Code of the Prairie'' (1944) co-starred Roy Barcroft
* ''[[Code of the Prairie]]'' (1944) co-starred Roy Barcroft
* ''Firebrands of Arizona'' (1944) co-starred [[Roy Barcroft]]
* ''[[Firebrands of Arizona]]'' (1944) co-starred [[Roy Barcroft]]
* ''Sheriff of Cimmaron'' (1945) co-starred [[Linda Stirling]]
* ''[[Sheriff of Cimarron]]'' (1945) co-starred [[Linda Stirling]]
* ''Santa Fe Saddlemates'' (1945) co-starred Roy Barcroft, [[Kenne Duncan]], Linda Stirling
* ''[[Santa Fe Saddlemates]]'' (1945) co-starred Roy Barcroft, [[Kenne Duncan]], Linda Stirling
* ''Bells of Rosarita'' (1945) co-starred Roy Rogers, Red Barry, [[Rocky Lane]] and [[Gabby Hayes]]
* ''[[Bells of Rosarita]]'' (1945) co-starred Roy Rogers, Red Barry, [[Rocky Lane]] and [[Gabby Hayes]]
* ''Oregon Trail'' (1945) co-starred Kenne Duncan, [[Monte Hale]]
* ''[[Oregon Trail (1945 film)|Oregon Trail]]'' (1945) co-starred Kenne Duncan, [[Monte Hale]]
* ''Bandits of the Badlands'' (1945) co-starred Monte Hale
* ''[[Bandits of the Badlands]]'' (1945) co-starred Monte Hale
* ''Rough Riders of Cheyenne'' (1945) co-starred Monte Hale, Kenne Duncan
* ''[[Rough Riders of Cheyenne]]'' (1945) co-starred Monte Hale, Kenne Duncan
* ''The Cherokee Flash'' (1945) co-starred Linda Stirling, Roy Barcroft
* ''[[The Cherokee Flash]]'' (1945) co-starred Linda Stirling, Roy Barcroft
* ''Days of Buffalo Bill'' (1946)
* ''[[Days of Buffalo Bill]]'' (1946)
* ''Alias Billy the Kid'' (1946) co-starred Roy Barcroft
* ''[[Alias Billy the Kid]]'' (1946) co-starred Roy Barcroft
* ''The El Paso Kid'' (1946)
* ''[[The El Paso Kid]]'' (1946)
* ''Red River Renegades'' (1946) co-starred Kenne Duncan
* ''[[Red River Renegades]]'' (1946) co-starred Kenne Duncan
* ''Rio Grande Raiders'' (1946) co-starred Linda Stirling, [[Bob Steele (actor)]], [[Tris Coffin]], Kenne Duncan, [[Bobby Barber]]
* ''[[Rio Grande Raiders]]'' (1946) co-starred Linda Stirling, [[Bob Steele (actor)]], [[Tris Coffin]], Kenne Duncan, [[Bobby Barber]]
* ''Fighting Mustang'' (1948)
* ''[[Fighting Mustang]]'' (1948)
* ''Deadline'' (1948)
* ''[[Deadline (1948 film)|Deadline]]'' (1948)
* ''Sunset Carson Rides Again'' (1948) co-starred [[Ron Ormond]]
* ''[[Sunset Carson Rides Again]]'' (1948) co-starred [[Ron Ormond]]
* ''Rio Grande'' (1949)
* ''[[Rio Grande (1949 film)|Rio Grande]]'' (1949)
* ''Battling Marshal'' (1950)<ref>McGillis, Roderick (2009). He Was Some Kind of Man: Masculinities in the B Western. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. p. 4. {{ISBN|978-1-55458-059-0}}.</ref>
* ''[[Battling Marshal]]'' (1950)<ref>McGillis, Roderick (2009). He Was Some Kind of Man: Masculinities in the B Western. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. p. 4. {{ISBN|978-1-55458-059-0}}.</ref>
* ''[[The Marshal of Windy Hollow]]'' (1972)
* ''Buckstone County Prison'' (1978)
* ''Alien Outlaw'' (1985)


== References ==
== References ==
Line 60: Line 74:
{{commons category|Sunset Carson}}
{{commons category|Sunset Carson}}
*{{IMDb name|0141330}}
*{{IMDb name|0141330}}
*{{Amg name|11384}}
*[http://www.b-westerns.com/sunset4.htm Sunset Carson] at b-westerns.com
*[http://www.b-westerns.com/sunset4.htm Sunset Carson] at b-westerns.com
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090622061820/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/C/CA063.html Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Carson, Sunset]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090622061820/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/C/CA063.html Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Carson, Sunset]
Line 73: Line 86:
[[Category:1990 deaths]]
[[Category:1990 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Western (genre) heroes and heroines]]

Latest revision as of 21:17, 25 December 2024

Sunset Carson
Carson in Sunset Carson Rides Again (1948)
Born
Winifred Maurice Harrison or Michael Harrison

(1920-11-12)November 12, 1920
Gracemont, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedMay 1, 1990(1990-05-01) (aged 69)
Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Resting placeHighland Memorial Gardens, Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee
Occupations
Years active1940–1985

Sunset Carson (born Winifred Maurice Harrison or Michael Harrison; November 12, 1920 – May 1, 1990) was an American B-western star of the 1940s.

Early life, acting

[edit]
Lon McCallister, Marjorie Riordan, William Terry, Cheryl Walker, Margaret Early, and Michael Harrison in Stage Door Canteen (1943)

Carson was born on November 12, 1920, at Gracemont, Oklahoma,[1] as either Winifred Maurice Harrison or Michael Harrison, to Maurice Greely Harrison and Azalee Belle McAdams. He moved to Plainview, Texas, as a child (per the 1930 US Census Hale County, Texas).

Carson became an accomplished rodeo rider in his youth. For a time he worked in a western show owned by early cowboy actor Tom Mix. In 1940 he traveled to South America, where he competed in rodeos for two years. After his return to the U.S., he played small parts in the 1943 film Stage Door Canteen, and the big budget 1944 film Janie, both having him billed as "Michael Harrison". Catching the attention of Republic Pictures executive Lou Grey, he was signed to a contract and given his own series of B-westerns beginning in 1944, changing his name to "Sunset Carson".[citation needed]

Fame and career climb

[edit]

Within two years, Carson was on the top-10 list of money makers for western stars. He was given a horse named "Cactus", and starred in a string of semi-successful western genre films. In 1944 he starred in Bordertown Trail, Code of the Prairie, and Firebrands of Arizona opposite Smiley Burnette. In 1945 (the peak of his career), his first film was Sheriff of Cimarron, followed by Santa Fe Saddlemates, Bells of Rosarita, Oregon Trail, Bandits of the Badlands, Rough Riders of Cheyenne, and The Cherokee Flash.

In 1946, Carson began the year strongly, starring in Days of Buffalo Bill and Alias Billy the Kid. He followed those with The El Paso Kid, Red River Renegades, and Rio Grande Raiders. However, by the end of 1946, Carson and Republic Pictures were having disputes. He claimed the disputes were over his contract. Republic Pictures would later claim that he was fired by Republic creator and executive officer Herbert Yates after attending a studio function while intoxicated and in the company of an underage girl. By year’s end, he and Republic had parted company. He would never again achieve any large degree of acting success.

Career decline, retirement and death

[edit]

In 1948 he starred for Astor Pictures in Fighting Mustang, Deadline, and Sunset Carson Rides Again. Then in 1949 he starred in Rio Grande, and in 1950 he starred as the lead character, for the last time, in Battling Marshal. By the following year, his career was all but over as a leading actor of the day. For the next several years he obtained small bit parts.

Years later, he played the lead in a B-movie called The Marshal of Windy Hollow (1972), a film that co-starred a host of old time actors, including Ken Maynard, Tex Ritter, and Bill Cody, Jr. He then had a bit part in the film Buckstone County Prison in 1978, and another bit part in the 1985 sci-fi movie Alien Outlaw (his last film role).

He toured for five years with "Tommy Scott's Country Music Circus". In the early 1980s, Carson hosted ″Six-Gun Heroes″,[2] a South Carolina Educational TV (SCETV) show produced by Jim Welch presenting classic B Westerns.[3] In 1985, Carson appeared in an episode of the television series Simon & Simon.

Death

[edit]

Carson retired to Reno, Nevada. He died there on May 1, 1990. He was survived by his fifth wife and his two children.[4] He is buried at Highland Memorial Gardens in Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee.[5]

Filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Boggs, Johnny D. (2013). Billy the Kid on Film, 1911-2012. McFarland. pp. 86–87. ISBN 978-0-7864-6555-2. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  2. ^ McGillis, Roderick (2009). He Was Some Kind of Man: Masculinities in the B Western. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-55458-059-0.
  3. ^ "Sunset Carson Rides Across the Stage at Saturday Matinee". The Columbia Star. January 12, 2007. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  4. ^ "Sunset Carson; Cowboy Star of 1940s, '50s". Los Angeles Times. May 3, 1990. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  5. ^ Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
  6. ^ McGillis, Roderick (2009). He Was Some Kind of Man: Masculinities in the B Western. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-55458-059-0.
[edit]
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