We
talk mostly about the "stars" of movies, but we know that character actors can
help a film succeed or cause it to fail. One of the best was Guinn Williams, known
to generations of filmgoers-especially devotees of Westerns-as Guinn "Big Boy"
Williams.
Williams was not an East Texan-he was born in Decatur-but
he played one in several movies, and since I want to write about him, he qualifies.
Big and brawny, Williams was the son of a congressman and rancher. He
attended public schools and tried to play professional baseball before moving
to Hollywood. He received a contract with Goldwyn Studios in 1919 and appeared
in several Westerns starring Tom Mix, Harry Carey, and Will Rogers. Williams'
horsemanship, learned on a Texas ranch, was an essential skill for the parts he
played.
Rogers gave Williams his nickname, "Big Boy," because of his size.
Williams appeared in Rogers' Wild West Show on several tours and they remained
close friends until Rogers' death in 1935.
Williams
made the transition from silent to sound, or "talkie," movies easily because he
had a pleasant enough voice, and his heavy Texas accent became an important part
of his screen persona. Williams appeared in such non-Westerns as "A Star Is Born"
(1937), and "Thirty-Seconds Over Tokyo" (1943), but playing in Westerns gave his
career longevity. His final films, "The Alamo" (1960), and "Comancheros" (1962),
give evidence of his long association with John Wayne. |
