Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company (Scarecrow Filmmakers)

This is a great book that covers the life and career of "Dobe" Harry Carey Jr., and chronicles his knowing and working with many legendary movie personalties over a long period of time. It is well written, fun and fascinating to read. A number 1 "Must" for every western film buff's collection as it provides insights found nowhere else.

A company of heroes by Harry Carey jr. is the most enlightening book that has been written about the legendary director, John Ford (asked to name his three favorite directors, Orson Welles answered, "John Ford, John Ford and John Ford"). Ford has been written about quite a lot and there is some very good material out there but this book captures Ford as a film-maker better than the others. I think it is comparable to Karl Brown's book about D. W. Griffith.

Harry "Dobe" Carey is a very fine actor who has worked mainly in the genre of the "Adult Western." IMDB informs us that Mr. Carey made films in the 40s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and in the first decade of this century. Among his films are Tombstone, The Long Riders, and Red River but this book is about the nine films he made for John Ford and the stock company of actors, stunt men, and motion picture technicians that worked on them.

It is a romantic book, filled with personal stories about people like John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, Henry Fonda, Pedro Armendariz, Ben Johnson, James Cagney, James Stewart, Richard Widmark and Victor McLaglen, as well as some of the finest character actors that ever lived: Mildred Natwick, Ward Bond, George O'Brien, Arthur Shields, former Three Mesquiteer Tom (Captain Marvel, the Phantom, and the Mummy) Tyler, and many others including Harry's mother, Olive Carey (perhaps best remembered as Vera Miles mother in The Searchers), and his father in law, Paul Fix, (an "actors' actor," Fix stands out for the genuineness of his acting--You can't think of him as other than the person he's playing. He's terrific as Elizabeth Taylor's father in Giant, but best known as Sheriff Micah Torrance on TV's The Rifleman. His screen credits are in the hundreds, rivaling those of Donald Crisp and John Carradine. He was John Wayne's acting coach and best friend).

There is a moment close to the beginning of the book in which Carey Jr. describes asking his father, "Why haven't you worked in any of Uncle Jack's films the last few years?" and Harry Carey Sr., who had been one of the three great cowboy stars of the Silent Era and was still an important character actor, and who had given Ford his start in films, answers, "He won't ask me. But he will you. Not till after I croak, but he'll ask you then, you can bet on it. " In context, that moment is as powerful as the movie "Shane." Soon thereafter, the main character takes center stage and stays there, and, while the book is often moving in describing John Ford and his company, it is, mostly, extremely funny.

The book goes into rich, fascinating detail about the Ford films that Carey jr. acted in (namely: 3 Godfathers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Wagon Master, Rio Grande, The Searchers, The Long Gray Line (in which Tyrone Power plays West Point legend Martin Maher and Harry Carey Jr. plays Cadet Dwight Eisenhower), Mr. Roberts (during the shooting of which John Ford punched Henry Fonda in the face) and Cheyenne Autumn (Ford's "elegy" to the Native American). The book gives those of us who study the Ford films a good glimpse into the character of a man who was an enigma--and not too many biographical efforts succeed in doing that.

Mr. Carey talks about some of the legendary stuntmen: Cliff Lyons, Good Chuck Hayward and Bad Chuck Roberson (and his "falling" horse, Cocaine), Frank McGrath and Terry Wilson (both of whom went on to co-star in Wagon Train with Ward Bond), Slim Hightower and many other great ones. He tells us stories about the cowboy musicians that Ford loved: Stan Jones, who wrote Ghost Riders in the Sky, the Sons of the Pioneers including Ken Curtis (who married Ford's daughter Barbara and who became a star playing Festus Haigin on Gunsmoke using a characterization Ford had forced on him during The Searchers); Lloyd Perryman, the heart and soul of the Pioneers, who was the finest harmony singer that ever lived; and fiddler Hugh Farr and his guitarist brother Karl, who were Western Music's Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt (who may actually have been influenced by the Farrs).

Since the theme of the book is Mr. Carey's experiences as a member of the John Ford Stock Company, he says little about the remainder of his long career. He mentions, in passing, playing Bill Burnett on Disney's Spin and Marty serial on the Mickey Mouse Show, a role hat brought him legions of young fans. I know because I was one of them. I found that googling Harry Carey jr. brought me a wealth of additional material: photos and information from IMDB, Carey's own site, and sites dedicated to the films and television shows in which he appeared.

I can think of only a few other books that touched me as this one did. Buster Keaton's My World of Slapstick and Harpo speaks are among them, and I guess in each case it is because it feels as if these people are telling their stories directly to me. A Company of Heroes is a special book and I highly recommend it. I've been a Harry Carey jr. fan for a long time. 3 Godfathers, Rio Grande, and the Searchers are part of the John Wayne/John Ford dvd collection and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Mr. Roberts, The Long Gray Line, and Cheyenne Autumn are out there as well. The Brits have got Wagon Master and Two Rode together on dvd, but not us Yanks. See them! Read this book! You'll be a Harry Carey jr. fan, too.

Madison Books presents "COMPANY OF HEROES: MY LIFE AS AN ACTOR IN THE JOHN FORD STOCK COMPANY" (Paperback) - by Harry Carey, Jr. (Author) --- An American film actor. Harry Carey Jr. appeared in over 90 films --- He is mostly remembered for appearing in Western films and television programs --- He is the son of acclaimed actor, Harry Carey (1878-1947) and actress Olive Fuller Golden (1896-1988) --- As a boy he was nicknamed "Dobe" (short for "adobe", from the color of his hair), by which he is still known to family, friends, and a large number of fans --- A respected character actor, like his father, he acted in a large number of Western genre films --- They both appeared together in the acclaimed 1948 film, "Red River", though they never shared a scene --- Harry Carey, Jr. served with the United States Navy during World War II.

Carey was a good friend of, and frequent collaborator with, noted Western film director John Ford --- Carey became a regular in what is commonly called the John Ford Stock Company --- He appeared in such notable Ford films as: "3 Godfathers" (1948); "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949); "Wagon Master" (1950); "Rio Grande" (1950); "The Long Gray Line" (1955); "Mister Roberts" (1955); "The Searchers" (1956); "Two Rode Together" (1961); and Ford's last movie, "Cheyenne Autumn" (1964) --- He also made 10 movies with actor John Wayne, starting with "Red River" and ending with "Cahill U.S. Marshal" (1973) --- (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

TABLE OF CONTENTS: (Title and Page Numbers)
In the Beginning - 1
3 Godfathers - 6
Myself When Young With Cowboys and Navajos - 44
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon - 55
Paul Fix, the OS.S, and Merry Christmas - 72
Wagonmaster - 85
Rio Grande - 108
The Long Gray Line - 128
Mister Roberts - 145
The Searchers - 157
Two Rode Together - 175
Cheyenne Autumn - 193
So Long, But Not Good-bye - 205
Harry Carey, Jr's Appearances in John Ford Films - 209
Index - 215

BIOS:
1. Harry Carey Jr.
Date of Birth: 16 May 1921 - Saugus, California
Date of death: Still Living

SPECIAL BONUS MATERIAL:
1. Given nickname "Dobe," short for adobe (the color of Carey's hair as a boy).
2. Son of Harry Carey and Olive Carey.
3. Appeared with his father Harry Carey in the film "Red River" (1948).
4. Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 2003.
5. Son-in-law of Paul Fix.
6. His father, actor Harry Carey started his career in 1909 at the 'American Mutoscope & Biograph' Company.

Check out a new book from Empire Publishing - "GENE AUTRY WESTERNS" (Hardcover) - by author Boyd Magers, like no other book on Gene Autry --- all of Gene's Mascot, Republic and Columbia westerns included, as well as his half-hour TV Episodes --- each segment contains the release date on each film ... major production credits ... complete cast (including character played) ... all songs included, songwriter and who performed them in the film ... running time of each film ... dates of the filming ... bios on the cast and major players (Smiley, Pat Buttram, Cass County Boys, Herbert J. Yates, directors, leading ladies, songwriters and various heavies, etc.) ... locations that were used ... budgets and negative cost ... stunt people involved ... analysis and synopsis on each film ... notes and comments (including film and cast background info, salaries paid, working titles, etc) ... comments from Gene and many other cast members on each film ... theater exhibitors comments at the time of the films release ...this tribute was written from the heart and it shows.

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- If you're into the memories of early westerns and dramas, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --- The author has captured the intimate look at the work of Hollywood film director John Ford through the observant eyes of actor Harry Carey, Jr, please stand up and take a bow --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Pages: 280 ~ Madison Books ~ (6/25/1994)

Carey's limited autobiography is very readable - though occasionally repetitious - and provides some human insights into the making of some of Ford's most memorable westerns. (However, there is no discussion of the artistic merits of the films.) The text is complementd by crisp black and white photos. Ford emerges as an eccentric and autocratic, and sometimes even cruel, director. Some of his behaviour towards the actors makes unpleasant reading, and I wonder that the actors were willing to put up with his abuse. Some, like Henry Fonda, weren't willing to do so and fell out with Ford. Carey's own father, after working with Ford, permanently parted company with him. My only serious disappointment is that Carey could have told readers more about his own long acting career, but the title accurately describes the book's contents.

This excellent book harks back to a Hollywood era when men were men. It encompasses the silent films starring Carey's father, who was a major star and successfully made the transition to talkies, and is full of anecdotes about an age when stars like John Wayne were expected to be as tough as the characters they portrayed.Carey himself even in old age has the boyish looks that probably spoiled his chances of emulating Wayne in the tough-guy roles,but what a career. His stories of Wayne and Ford are great,but what makes the book even more enjoyable are the stories concerning the less well known characters who were the backbone of Ford's films. Actors like Ben Johnson who was also a world champion rodeo rider,Hank Worden who always seemed to get the dotty old-timer roles but who was a great horseman and tough as old boots,Ken Curtis,Ward Bond,and the bit-players who made these films so wonderful. In the days before the computer generated image ruined the action film these men(and women!)literally threw themselves into their roles,and Carey's stories bring the whole era to life. Reading what Ford did to Carey to make his death scene in "3 Godfathers" realistic,and the sadistic treatment handed out even to Wayne ,makes you glad to be reading it from the comfort of your armchair.These films have never been bettered,and this book shows you why.A great read.