John 'Dusty' King
Encyclopedia
John 'Dusty' King
John 'Dusty' King (born Miller McLeod Everson, July 11, 1909 – November 11, 1987 was a singer and film actor renowned for his Western
s particularly the Range Busters
series.
. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati
, Everson travelled the country working a variety of jobs, such as chauffeuring motorcars from Detroit to Cincinnati, lumberjacking in New Mexico, and working as a ranch hand in Arizona.
Everson found himself a radio announcing job in Covington, Kentucky then returned to Cincinnati where he announced, hosted, and sang. Hearing him on the radio, bandleader Ben Bernie
hired him as a singer with Everson changing his name to John King. Noting his good looks and popularity, Bernie recommended him to Hollywood with Zeppo Marx
also agreeing with Bernie.
making several films and playing the lead in the serial Ace Drummond
. He made appearances in films for other studios before being hired by Monogram Pictures
to play the lead in a Cinecolor
Western, The Gentleman from Arizona in 1939. The following year King would play "Dusty" in The Range Busters series of Westerns.
The Range Busters were Monogram's version of Republic Pictures
' The Three Mesquiteers
. King played the singing cowboy
alongside of Ray "Crash" Corrigan who was later replaced by David Sharpe and comedy relief Max Terhune
with his dummy Elmer for a total of 18 films in the series.
In Haunted Ranch
(1943), Sharpe leaves the trio to enlist in the US Army in the Spanish-American War
. Not only did Sharpe actually enlist in the US Army Air Forces but King himself was drafted in the USAAF serving in Special Services
in Arizona.
After discharge there were no film offers, so King returned to radio, later buying a station. He later left the radio industry to run a donut shop in La Jolla, California.
John 'Dusty' King (born Miller McLeod Everson, July 11, 1909 – November 11, 1987 was a singer and film actor renowned for his Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
s particularly the Range Busters
Range Busters
The Range Busters were a film series of 25 Westerns of the adventures of a trio of cowboys, many filmed at the Corriganville Movie Ranch, produced by George W. Weeks and distributed by Monogram Pictures.-Production:...
series.
Biography
Everson was born in Cincinnati, OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
, Everson travelled the country working a variety of jobs, such as chauffeuring motorcars from Detroit to Cincinnati, lumberjacking in New Mexico, and working as a ranch hand in Arizona.
Everson found himself a radio announcing job in Covington, Kentucky then returned to Cincinnati where he announced, hosted, and sang. Hearing him on the radio, bandleader Ben Bernie
Ben Bernie
Ben Bernie , born Bernard Anzelevitz, was an American jazz violinist and radio personality, often introduced as The Old Maestro. He was noted for his showmanship and memorable bits of snappy dialogue....
hired him as a singer with Everson changing his name to John King. Noting his good looks and popularity, Bernie recommended him to Hollywood with Zeppo Marx
Zeppo Marx
Herbert Manfred "Zeppo" Marx was an American film star, musician, engineer, theatrical agent and businessman. He was the youngest of the five Marx Brothers. He appeared in the first five Marx Brothers feature films, from 1929 to 1933, but then left the act to start his second career as an...
also agreeing with Bernie.
Hollywood
King was contracted to Universal PicturesUniversal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
making several films and playing the lead in the serial Ace Drummond
Ace Drummond
Ace Drummond was an aviation comic strip scripted by Eddie Rickenbacker, the celebrated World War I aviator, and illustrated by Clayton Knight , well-known aviation author and artist, who was the father of illustrator Hilary Knight...
. He made appearances in films for other studios before being hired by Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation is a Hollywood studio that produced and released films, most on low budgets, between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram is considered a leader among the smaller studios sometimes referred to...
to play the lead in a Cinecolor
Cinecolor
Cinecolor was an early subtractive color-model two color film process, based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor system of the late 1920s and 1930s. It was developed by William T. Crispinel and Alan M...
Western, The Gentleman from Arizona in 1939. The following year King would play "Dusty" in The Range Busters series of Westerns.
The Range Busters were Monogram's version of Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
' The Three Mesquiteers
The Three Mesquiteers
The Three Mesquiteers is the umbrella title for a series of 51 western B-movies released between 1936 and 1943, including 8 films starring John Wayne...
. King played the singing cowboy
Singing cowboy
A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal cowboy hero of early Western films, popularized by many of the B-movies of the 1930s and 1940s...
alongside of Ray "Crash" Corrigan who was later replaced by David Sharpe and comedy relief Max Terhune
Max Terhune
Max Terhune , was an American film actor. He appeared in nearly 70 films, mostly B-westerns, between 1936 and 1956....
with his dummy Elmer for a total of 18 films in the series.
In Haunted Ranch
Haunted Ranch
- Cast :*John "Dusty" King as "Dusty" King*Dave Sharpe as Davy Sharpe*Max Terhune as "Alibi" Terhune*Elmer as Elmer - Alibi's Dummy*Julie Duncan as Helen Weston*Glenn Strange as Rance Austin*Charles King as Henchman Chuck*Bud Osborne as Henchman Ed...
(1943), Sharpe leaves the trio to enlist in the US Army in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. Not only did Sharpe actually enlist in the US Army Air Forces but King himself was drafted in the USAAF serving in Special Services
Special Services (entertainment)
Special Services are the entertainment branch of the American military. The unit was created on 22 July 1940 by the War Department as part of the Army Service Forces. Special Services would not only use their own specially trained and talented troops but would often engage local performers.Special...
in Arizona.
After discharge there were no film offers, so King returned to radio, later buying a station. He later left the radio industry to run a donut shop in La Jolla, California.