Wild Bill Elliott (born Gordon Nance, October 16, 1904 â€" November
26, 1965) was an American film actor. He specialized in playing the
rugged heroes of B Westerns, particularly the Red Ryder series of
films.Elliott was born Gordon Nance on a ranch near Pattonsburg,
Missouri, the son of Leroy Whitfield Nance, a cattle broker, and his
wife, Maude Myrtle Auldridge.The young Nance grew up within 20 miles
of his birthplace; he spent most of his youth on a ranch near King
City, Missouri. His father was a cattle rancher and commissioner buyer
for the Kansas City stockyards. Riding and roping were part of Nance's
upbringing. He won first place in a rodeo event in the 1920 American
Royal livestock show. He briefly attended Rockhurst College, a Jesuit
school in Kansas City, but soon left for California with hopes of
becoming an actor.By 1925, he was getting occasional extra work in
films. He took classes at the Pasadena Playhouse and appeared in a few
stage roles there. By 1927, he had made his first Western, The Arizona
Wildcat, playing his first featured role. Several co-starring roles
followed, and he renamed himself Gordon Elliott, but as the studios
made the transition to sound films, he slipped back into roles as an
extra and bit parts, as in Broadway Scandals, in 1929. For the next
eight years, he appeared in over 100 films for various studios, but
almost always in unbilled parts as an extra.
26, 1965) was an American film actor. He specialized in playing the
rugged heroes of B Westerns, particularly the Red Ryder series of
films.Elliott was born Gordon Nance on a ranch near Pattonsburg,
Missouri, the son of Leroy Whitfield Nance, a cattle broker, and his
wife, Maude Myrtle Auldridge.The young Nance grew up within 20 miles
of his birthplace; he spent most of his youth on a ranch near King
City, Missouri. His father was a cattle rancher and commissioner buyer
for the Kansas City stockyards. Riding and roping were part of Nance's
upbringing. He won first place in a rodeo event in the 1920 American
Royal livestock show. He briefly attended Rockhurst College, a Jesuit
school in Kansas City, but soon left for California with hopes of
becoming an actor.By 1925, he was getting occasional extra work in
films. He took classes at the Pasadena Playhouse and appeared in a few
stage roles there. By 1927, he had made his first Western, The Arizona
Wildcat, playing his first featured role. Several co-starring roles
followed, and he renamed himself Gordon Elliott, but as the studios
made the transition to sound films, he slipped back into roles as an
extra and bit parts, as in Broadway Scandals, in 1929. For the next
eight years, he appeared in over 100 films for various studios, but
almost always in unbilled parts as an extra.
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