Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott was born with that preverbal silver spoon in his mouth. The guy had looks and talent to do most anything he set his mind to. Why not act? Why not indeed. He headed to Hollywood in 1927 and thanks to a family connection to Howard Hughes, he got a screen test, landing bit parts to start. No starving, aspiring actor gig for him. The pattern of Scott’s career emerged early when he got a minor part in Black Watch directed by – John Ford, along with another new comer, John Wayne. He followed that up with The Virginian, starring Gary Cooper. Scott worked with and for a veritable Who’s Who in film over the course of his career.
Another couple of his early films were directed by Cecil B. De Mille. De Mille urged him to pursue stage roles to hone his acting ability. He did. It bought him a contract at Paramount where he broke in with B Westerns. Paramount cast him as lead in Heritage of the Desert, a Zane Grey adaptation directed by another newbie, Henry Hathaway. Hathaway would later direct the classic original 3:10 to Yuma. Scott and Hathaway would make ten Zane Grey films, leading to top billing on the big screen A feature, Last of the Mohicans.
Scott played a variety of big screen roles for some of the biggest studio names in Hollywood including RKO Pictures, Universal Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures and of course Paramount. His co-stars included Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Marlene Dietrich, Richard Boone, Carole Lombard, Robert Young, Claude Aikens and John Wayne.
Scott made his Western spurs in Abilene Town, playing a fearless lawman facing a lawless town. Producers Nat Holt and Harry Joe Brown took note. A run of Western feature films followed. By the time the curtain came down on his career with the Sam Peckinpah directed, Ride the High Country in 1962, Scott’s resume included more than one hundred films, sixty of them Westerns.
Apart from his talent, Scott had a reputation for being easy to work with. Director Michael Curtiz once described Scott as a “gentleman” the only one he’d ever met in the business. Twice married, Scott and his second wife, actress Patricia Stillman adopted two children. Off screen, he was a close friend of Cary Grant. Randolph Scott passed away in 1987 at the age of 89.
Next Week: Jane Russell
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Ride easy,
Paul
Another couple of his early films were directed by Cecil B. De Mille. De Mille urged him to pursue stage roles to hone his acting ability. He did. It bought him a contract at Paramount where he broke in with B Westerns. Paramount cast him as lead in Heritage of the Desert, a Zane Grey adaptation directed by another newbie, Henry Hathaway. Hathaway would later direct the classic original 3:10 to Yuma. Scott and Hathaway would make ten Zane Grey films, leading to top billing on the big screen A feature, Last of the Mohicans.
Scott played a variety of big screen roles for some of the biggest studio names in Hollywood including RKO Pictures, Universal Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures and of course Paramount. His co-stars included Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Marlene Dietrich, Richard Boone, Carole Lombard, Robert Young, Claude Aikens and John Wayne.
Scott made his Western spurs in Abilene Town, playing a fearless lawman facing a lawless town. Producers Nat Holt and Harry Joe Brown took note. A run of Western feature films followed. By the time the curtain came down on his career with the Sam Peckinpah directed, Ride the High Country in 1962, Scott’s resume included more than one hundred films, sixty of them Westerns.
Apart from his talent, Scott had a reputation for being easy to work with. Director Michael Curtiz once described Scott as a “gentleman” the only one he’d ever met in the business. Twice married, Scott and his second wife, actress Patricia Stillman adopted two children. Off screen, he was a close friend of Cary Grant. Randolph Scott passed away in 1987 at the age of 89.
Next Week: Jane Russell
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
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