Roy Barcroft: Difference between revisions

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In 1929, he moved to [[California]] and worked as an extra and as a salesman. He was discovered while acting in an amateur theatre production (a hobby which he took up to improve his speaking voice as a salesman) and cast in the [[Serial (film)|serial]] ''[[S.O.S. Coast Guard]]'' (which followed his appearances in ''Flash Gordon'' (1936) and ''The President's Mystery'' (1936)).<ref name=eafs/> He worked for many studios in the years that followed until 1943, when he signed an exclusive 10-year contract with [[Republic Pictures|Republic]]. Under this contract, he starred in almost 150 films and serials, becoming instantly recognized as the villain to the audiences of the day.
 
His career slowed with the decline of B-Westerns, but he found work in television and B-Moviesmovies during the 1950s and 1960s. Between 1955 and 1957, he became familiar to a new generation of youthful audiences, not as a villain but as "Col. Jim Logan", the kindly owner of the Triple-R Boys' Ranch in the hit television serials ''[[Spin and Marty]]'', seen on [[Walt Disney]]'s celebrated ''[[The Mickey Mouse Club|Mickey Mouse Club]]''. A DVD version of the 1955 season, [[Walt Disney Treasures: Wave Five#The Adventures of Spin & Marty (The Mickey Mouse Club)|''The Adventures of Spin & Marty'']], was released in 2005 as part of the ''[[Walt Disney Treasures]]'' series.
 
From 1954 to 1956, Barcroft appeared in different roles in eight episodes of the [[Broadcast syndication|syndicated]] western series ''[[Annie Oakley (TV series)|Annie Oakley]]'', starring [[Gail Davis]] and [[Brad Johnson (television actor)|Brad Johnson]]. He also played the bit role of the marshal in the 1955 film adaptation of ''[[Oklahoma! (1955 film)|Oklahoma!]]''. That same year he appeared as the Marshal in the western movie ''[[The Spoilers (1955 film)|The Spoilers]]'' starring ''[[AnnAnne Baxter]].'' ''[[Jeff Chandler]]'' and ''[[Rory Calhoun]].''
 
On May 23, 1961, Barcroft played Doc Longley in the episode "Badge of the Outsider" on [[NBC]]'s ''[[Laramie (TV series)|Laramie]]'' western series. Longley is an aging outlaw who wants to live his last years in peace in his hometown of [[Laramie, Wyoming|Laramie]], [[Wyoming]]. A gang member frames Longley for the murder of the deputy sheriff in Laramie. Longley claims most of the wanted posters seeking him are based on falsehood, and he asks series character Slim Sherman ([[John Smith (actor)|John Smith]]) for help. Then he claims harm will come to Slim's partner, Jess Harper ([[Robert Fuller (actor)|Robert Fuller]]), if Slim refuses to comply. Longley surrenders to authorities, but a judge claims Longley must "prove his innocence" in the case. Longley's gang springs him from jail when the hearing goes against him, but the gang is interested in Longley's money, not Longley's own fate. [[Paul Fix]] also appears in this episode.
 
Barcroft was cast in the 1967 episode "Halo for a Badman" of the [[Television syndication|syndicated]] western series, ''[[Death Valley Days]]'', as the [[mayor]] of [[Las Animas, Colorado|Las Animas]], [[Colorado]]. He hires an ex-convict, Porter Stockman, played by series host [[Robert Taylor (actor)|Robert Taylor]], to stand up to an outlaw gang which has robbed every gold shipment coming into town.
 
The Internet Movie Data Base records 365 roles throughout his career, including the syndicated ''[[Sheriff of Cochise]]'' with [[John Bromfield]], the [[CBS]] military sitcom/drama ''[[Hennesey]]'', starring [[Jackie Cooper]], and NBC's ''[[National Velvet (TV series)|National Velvet]]'', ''[[Riverboat (TV series)|Riverboat]]'', and ''[[Empire (1962 TV series)|Empire]]''.
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* ''[[The Frontiersmen]]'' (1938)
* ''[[Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars]]'' (1938, Serial) - Martian Soldier [Ch. 2] (uncredited)
* ''[[Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe]]'' (1940, Serial) - Ming's Soldier [Ch 6, 10-1210–12] / Arborian Sentry [Ch 6] (uncredited)
* ''[[The Bandit Trail]]'' (1941)
* ''[[Hoppy Serves a Writ]]'' (1943)
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==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0054117}}
* {{AmgAllMovie name|3676}}
* [http://www.b-westerns.com/villainb.htm Roy Barcroft at B-Westerns]
* [http://www.dougmacaulay.com/kingspud/sel_by_actor_index_2.php?actor_first=Roy&actor_last=Barcroft Roy Barcroft, Great Character Actor]