Pierce Lyden
Encyclopedia
Pierce Lyden was an American
actor
best known for his work in television and film Westerns.
in rural Franklin County, Nebraska
, on January 8, 1908. Son of a horse buyer for the U.S. Army cavalry, he acquired as a youngster riding skills that later made it possible for him to do his own stunts as an actor in Hollywood westerns.
, High School, and acted in several plays there; he graduated from the University of Nebraska School of Music and Fine Arts in 1927 and later studied at the Emerson College
of Oratory in Boston. Lyden supported himself in these early years by playing romantic leads in stock company productions in Lincoln and on the road; he appeared in a few Chautauqua presentations.
, Wild Bill Hickok, The Lone Ranger
, and other television series. He worked with the most famous Western movie actors, including Roy Rogers
, Gene Autry
, and Hopalong Cassidy
. He was Photo Press Fan Poll “Villain of the Year” in 1944.
, where he had lived throughout his acting career. He wrote “Action Shots” about film personalities for the Orange County, California
, Register, and the film industry magazine Classic Images; he published five books about his career and the making of films in his era. In his later years he was regularly invited to film festivals in the U.S. and abroad. Honors awarded him included membership in the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Heritage Foundation (1979) and the Golden Boot Award
(1992). In 1989 Naponee, Nebraska
, named a street for him and held a Pierce Lyden film festival; in 1997 he received Nebraska’s Buffalo Bill Award. He died on October 10, 1998, at his California home.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
best known for his work in television and film Westerns.
Early life
Pierce Lyden was born in a sod house on a ranch near HildrethHildreth, Nebraska
Hildreth is a village in Franklin County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 370 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hildreth is located at ....
in rural Franklin County, Nebraska
Franklin County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,574 people, 1,485 households, and 1,021 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 1,746 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile...
, on January 8, 1908. Son of a horse buyer for the U.S. Army cavalry, he acquired as a youngster riding skills that later made it possible for him to do his own stunts as an actor in Hollywood westerns.
Education
He attended the Naponee, NebraskaNaponee, Nebraska
Naponee is a village in Franklin County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 132 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Naponee is located at ....
, High School, and acted in several plays there; he graduated from the University of Nebraska School of Music and Fine Arts in 1927 and later studied at the Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
of Oratory in Boston. Lyden supported himself in these early years by playing romantic leads in stock company productions in Lincoln and on the road; he appeared in a few Chautauqua presentations.
Hollywood
When talking movies eclipsed live theater presentations in small towns, Pierce Lyden went on to Hollywood in 1932. There he played villains’ roles in B Western films, quickly becoming typecast as a “bad guy,” specializing in fight scenes. He appeared in Saturday serials called cliffhangers as well as in feature films and television series. The number of his movie roles has been estimated at between 300 and 400 (actors who did not have major parts were not listed in film credits); he also appeared in about 150 episodes of The Cisco KidThe Cisco Kid
The Cisco Kid refers to a character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in the collection Heart of the West...
, Wild Bill Hickok, The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....
, and other television series. He worked with the most famous Western movie actors, including Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
, Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, and Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of popular short stories and twenty-eight novels based on the character....
. He was Photo Press Fan Poll “Villain of the Year” in 1944.
Retirement
In 1962, as the popularity of Westerns lessened, Lyden retired in Orange, CaliforniaOrange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
, where he had lived throughout his acting career. He wrote “Action Shots” about film personalities for the Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, Register, and the film industry magazine Classic Images; he published five books about his career and the making of films in his era. In his later years he was regularly invited to film festivals in the U.S. and abroad. Honors awarded him included membership in the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Heritage Foundation (1979) and the Golden Boot Award
Golden Boot Awards
The Golden Boot Awards honor actors, actresses, and crew members who have made significant contributions to the genre of Western television and movies. The award is sponsored and presented by the Motion Picture & Television Fund...
(1992). In 1989 Naponee, Nebraska
Naponee, Nebraska
Naponee is a village in Franklin County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 132 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Naponee is located at ....
, named a street for him and held a Pierce Lyden film festival; in 1997 he received Nebraska’s Buffalo Bill Award. He died on October 10, 1998, at his California home.