Sunset Carson
Encyclopedia
Sunset Carson, born Winifred Maurice Harrison (November 12, 1920 - May 1, 1990) was an American B-western
star of the 1940s.
to Maurice Greely Harrison and Azalee Belle McAdams. He moved to Plainview, Texas
as a child (1930 US Census Hale County, Texas). Carson became an accomplished rodeo
rider in his youth. For a time he worked in a western show owned by early cowboy actor Tom Mix
. In 1940 he traveled to South America
, where he competed in rodeos for two years. After his return to the U.S., he played small parts in the 1943 film Stage Door Canteen
, and the 1944 film Janie, both having him billed as "Michael Harrison". Catching the attention of Republic Pictures
executive Lou Grey, he was signed to a contract and given his own series of B-westerns, along with having his name changed to "Sunset Carson".
In 1946, Carson began the year strong, starring in Days of Buffalo Bill and Alias Billy the Kid. He followed those with The El Paso Kid, Red River Renegades, and Rio Grande Raiders. However, by the end of 1946, Carson and Republic Pictures were having disputes. He claimed the disputes were over his contract. Republic Pictures would later claim that he was fired by Republic creator and executive officer Herbert Yates
after attending a studio function while intoxicated and in the company of an underage girl. At any rate, by the years end he and Republic Pictures had parted company. He would never again achieve any large success as an actor.
. Then in 1949 he starred in Rio Grande, and in 1950 he starred as the main character for the last time, in Battling Marshal. By the following year, his career was all but over as a leading actor of the day. For the next several years he obtained small bit parts. He played the lead role in a B-movie titled The Marshal of Windy Hollow in 1972, a film that costarred a host of old time actors, including Ken Maynard
, Tex Ritter
, and Bill Cody, Jr.
. He then had a bit part in the movie Seabo in 1978, and another bit part in the 1985 sci-fi Alien Outlaw. He toured for five years with "Tommy Scott's Country Music Circus". His last known role was in the first episode of the television series Simon & Simon
, in 1985.
He married five times in his lifetime. He married Patricia Hussey in 1938, which ended in divorce
. He then married Betty Price, Dorothy Shockley, and Margaret Nesbitt, all ending in divorce. His last marriage was to Jean Davis in 1989. He retired to Reno, Nevada
. He died there on May 1, 1990.
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
star of the 1940s.
Early life, acting
Born on November 12, 1920 at Gracemont, OklahomaGracemont, Oklahoma
Gracemont is a town in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 336 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gracemont is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
to Maurice Greely Harrison and Azalee Belle McAdams. He moved to Plainview, Texas
Plainview, Texas
Plainview is a city in and the county seat of Hale County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,336 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plainview is located at ....
as a child (1930 US Census Hale County, Texas). Carson became an accomplished rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
rider in his youth. For a time he worked in a western show owned by early cowboy actor Tom Mix
Tom Mix
Thomas Edwin "Tom" Mix was an American film actor and the star of many early Western movies. He made a reported 336 films between 1910 and 1935, all but nine of which were silent features...
. In 1940 he traveled to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, where he competed in rodeos for two years. After his return to the U.S., he played small parts in the 1943 film Stage Door Canteen
Stage Door Canteen
Stage Door Canteen is a musical film produced by Sol Lesser Productions and distributed by United Artists. It was directed by Frank Borzage and features many cameo appearances by celebrities, and the majority of the film is essentially a filmed concert although there is also a storyline to the...
, and the 1944 film Janie, both having him billed as "Michael Harrison". Catching the attention 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....
executive Lou Grey, he was signed to a contract and given his own series of B-westerns, along with having his name changed to "Sunset Carson".
Fame and career climb
Within two years, Carson was on the top-10 list of money makers for western stars. He was given a horse named "Cactus", and starred in a string of semi-successful western genre films. In 1944 he starred in Bordertown Trail, Code of the Prairie, and Firebrands of Arizona opposite Smiley Burnette. 1945 was by far the peak of his career, with his first film of that year being Sheriff of Cimarron. He followed that up with Sante Fe Saddlemates, Bells of Rosarita, Oregon Trail, Bandits of the Badlands, Rough Riders of Cheyenne and The Cherokee Flash.In 1946, Carson began the year strong, starring in Days of Buffalo Bill and Alias Billy the Kid. He followed those with The El Paso Kid, Red River Renegades, and Rio Grande Raiders. However, by the end of 1946, Carson and Republic Pictures were having disputes. He claimed the disputes were over his contract. Republic Pictures would later claim that he was fired by Republic creator and executive officer Herbert Yates
Herbert Yates
Herbert John Yates was the founder and president of Republic Pictures, famous for being the home of John Wayne, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers...
after attending a studio function while intoxicated and in the company of an underage girl. At any rate, by the years end he and Republic Pictures had parted company. He would never again achieve any large success as an actor.
Career decline, retirement and death
In 1948 he starred with another company in Fighting Mustang, Deadline, and Sunset Carson Rides AgainSunset Carson Rides Again
- Cast :*Sunset Carson*Al Terry as Bob Ward aka Kansas Kid*Pat Starling as Joan Carson*Dan White as Sheriff Norton*Pat Gleason as Referee Brown*John L...
. Then in 1949 he starred in Rio Grande, and in 1950 he starred as the main character for the last time, in Battling Marshal. By the following year, his career was all but over as a leading actor of the day. For the next several years he obtained small bit parts. He played the lead role in a B-movie titled The Marshal of Windy Hollow in 1972, a film that costarred a host of old time actors, including Ken Maynard
Ken Maynard
Ken Maynard was an American motion picture stuntman and actor.-Biography:Born Kenneth Olin Maynard in Vevay, Indiana, he was one of five children. His younger brother, Kermit Maynard, also became a stuntman and actor....
, Tex Ritter
Tex Ritter
Woodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting...
, and Bill Cody, Jr.
Bill Cody, Jr.
Bill Cody, Jr. was an American motion picture child actor.Born William Joseph Cody, Jr. in Los Angeles, California, where his father Bill Cody was a cowboy star of B-movie westerns, the youngster was reportedly 7 years old when he accompanied his father on a personal appearance tour throughout the...
. He then had a bit part in the movie Seabo in 1978, and another bit part in the 1985 sci-fi Alien Outlaw. He toured for five years with "Tommy Scott's Country Music Circus". His last known role was in the first episode of the television series Simon & Simon
Simon & Simon
Simon & Simon is an American detective television series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker.-History:The original 1978 pilot called Pirate's Key was set in Florida...
, in 1985.
He married five times in his lifetime. He married Patricia Hussey in 1938, which ended in divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
. He then married Betty Price, Dorothy Shockley, and Margaret Nesbitt, all ending in divorce. His last marriage was to Jean Davis in 1989. He retired to Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. He died there on May 1, 1990.
External links
- Sunset Carson at b-westerns.com
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Carson, Sunset