Carl Mathews (February 19, 1903 â€" May 3, 1959), also sometimes
credited as Carl Matthews, was an American character actor and
stuntman of the 1930s through 1950s. Born on February 19, 1903 in
Oklahoma, his first film role would be in Rough Riding Ranger in 1935.
Over the next 33 years, Mathews appeared in over 200 films, shorts,
and television shows, either as a performer or a stuntman.Mathews was
born in 1903 on the Cherokee reservation in Oklahoma to Sam and Hattie
Mathews, and grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma This birth year of 1903
holds throughout his census records through 1940, however, his death
certificate lists his date of birth as 1899. His records in the Dawes
Rolls show that he was 1/8 Cherokee. His father was a butcher. He was
a veteran of World War I, and served in the merchant marines during
the 1920s, although by the end of the decade he was working for the
railroads as a switchman. He married his wife Margaret at some point
in the 1920s, and they had a son, Carl Jr. in 1930. The family lived
in Muskogee. The family moved to Los Angeles at some point in the
early 1930s, and were living there by 1935; it was at this point when
Mathews began his career in film.Mathews began his film career with
the role of Cinch Clemons in the low-budget western, Rough Riding
Ranger. During his career he had roles in over 60 feature films, and
appeared in over 150 others in either very small roles, as a stuntman
or as a body double. Most of his roles were in the part of one of the
underlings of the antagonist in the film. In addition to his acting,
many of his film appearances were as a stuntman or body double. Some
of the films he performed stunt work in include: Heroes of the Alamo
(1937), Billy the Kid's Gun Justice (1940), Billy the Kid Trapped
(1942), and Buffalo Bill Rides Again (1947); as well as movie serials
such as The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. He was the body
double for Fred Scott, as well as Ray "Crash" Corrigan. Later in his
career, he appeared in several television series, most notably The
Cisco Kid, for which he appeared in a couple of dozen episodes.(Per
AFI database)
credited as Carl Matthews, was an American character actor and
stuntman of the 1930s through 1950s. Born on February 19, 1903 in
Oklahoma, his first film role would be in Rough Riding Ranger in 1935.
Over the next 33 years, Mathews appeared in over 200 films, shorts,
and television shows, either as a performer or a stuntman.Mathews was
born in 1903 on the Cherokee reservation in Oklahoma to Sam and Hattie
Mathews, and grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma This birth year of 1903
holds throughout his census records through 1940, however, his death
certificate lists his date of birth as 1899. His records in the Dawes
Rolls show that he was 1/8 Cherokee. His father was a butcher. He was
a veteran of World War I, and served in the merchant marines during
the 1920s, although by the end of the decade he was working for the
railroads as a switchman. He married his wife Margaret at some point
in the 1920s, and they had a son, Carl Jr. in 1930. The family lived
in Muskogee. The family moved to Los Angeles at some point in the
early 1930s, and were living there by 1935; it was at this point when
Mathews began his career in film.Mathews began his film career with
the role of Cinch Clemons in the low-budget western, Rough Riding
Ranger. During his career he had roles in over 60 feature films, and
appeared in over 150 others in either very small roles, as a stuntman
or as a body double. Most of his roles were in the part of one of the
underlings of the antagonist in the film. In addition to his acting,
many of his film appearances were as a stuntman or body double. Some
of the films he performed stunt work in include: Heroes of the Alamo
(1937), Billy the Kid's Gun Justice (1940), Billy the Kid Trapped
(1942), and Buffalo Bill Rides Again (1947); as well as movie serials
such as The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. He was the body
double for Fred Scott, as well as Ray "Crash" Corrigan. Later in his
career, he appeared in several television series, most notably The
Cisco Kid, for which he appeared in a couple of dozen episodes.(Per
AFI database)
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