George Glenn Strange (August 16, 1899 â€" September 20, 1973) was an
American actor who mostly appeared in Western films and was billed as
Glenn Strange. He is best remembered for playing Frankenstein's
monster in three Universal films during the 1940s and for his role as
Sam Noonan, the bartender on CBS's Gunsmoke television series.Strange
was born in Weed, New Mexico Territory, 13 years prior to New Mexico
gaining statehood.Strange grew up in the West Texas town of Cross Cut.
His father was a bartender and later a rancher. Strange learned by ear
how to play the fiddle and guitar. By the time he was 12, he was
performing at cowboy dances. By 1928, he was on radio in El Paso,
Texas. He was a young rancher, but in 1930, he came to Hollywood as a
member of the radio singing group Arizona Wranglers. Strange joined
the singers after having appeared at a rodeo in Prescott, Arizona.In
1932, Strange had a minor role as part of the Wrecker's gang in a
12-part serial, The Hurricane Express, starring John Wayne. He
procured his first motion picture role in 1932 and appeared in
hundreds of films during his lifetime. He played numerous small parts
in Paramount's popular Hopalong Cassidy film series, usually cast as a
member of an outlaw's gang and occasionally as a local sheriff.
Beginning in 1949, he portrayed Butch Cavendish, the villain
responsible for killing all of the Texas Rangers except one in the
long-running television series The Lone Ranger.
American actor who mostly appeared in Western films and was billed as
Glenn Strange. He is best remembered for playing Frankenstein's
monster in three Universal films during the 1940s and for his role as
Sam Noonan, the bartender on CBS's Gunsmoke television series.Strange
was born in Weed, New Mexico Territory, 13 years prior to New Mexico
gaining statehood.Strange grew up in the West Texas town of Cross Cut.
His father was a bartender and later a rancher. Strange learned by ear
how to play the fiddle and guitar. By the time he was 12, he was
performing at cowboy dances. By 1928, he was on radio in El Paso,
Texas. He was a young rancher, but in 1930, he came to Hollywood as a
member of the radio singing group Arizona Wranglers. Strange joined
the singers after having appeared at a rodeo in Prescott, Arizona.In
1932, Strange had a minor role as part of the Wrecker's gang in a
12-part serial, The Hurricane Express, starring John Wayne. He
procured his first motion picture role in 1932 and appeared in
hundreds of films during his lifetime. He played numerous small parts
in Paramount's popular Hopalong Cassidy film series, usually cast as a
member of an outlaw's gang and occasionally as a local sheriff.
Beginning in 1949, he portrayed Butch Cavendish, the villain
responsible for killing all of the Texas Rangers except one in the
long-running television series The Lone Ranger.
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