- Allan “Rocky” Lane, Santa Fe Uprising, 1946. Nope! Sixteen oaters as Red Ryder – the role that made/ruined Don Barry in 1940 – was enough for Elliott and he passed the reins of Thunder (and, indeed, the horse) to Lane, who made the next seven, until he, too, passed – or was passed over by Jim Bannon in the final four Ryders. The Indian kid sidekick was Robert Blake no less, for Elliot and Lane; Bannon’s was a certain Don Kay (“Little Brown Jug”) Reynolds. Both Bannon and Lane made 50s’ Ryder TV pilots, but neither went to series. A stringy beanpole, compared to the squat Barry, Elliot resembled the Ryder creator Fred Harmon.
- Rod Cameron, The Plunderers, 1947. Change of the Cavalry officer hunting Forrest Tucker’s bad guy in a routine Republic sagebrush programmer. During 275 screen roles (mainy in horse operas), Elliott’s name changed from Gordon to William to Bill to Wild Bill… Anything was better than his true family name… Nance
Birth year: 1904Death year: 1965Other name: Casting Calls: 2