Tom W. Blackburn
Encyclopedia
Thomas Wakefield Blackburn II (June 23, 1913–August 2, 1992), was an American
author
, screenwriter
and lyricist
. His work included various Western novels
and television screenplays, as well as the lyrics to "The Ballad of Davy Crockett
" (his first) and other songs.
, to Howard and Edith "Didi" (née Herrington) Blackburn. His father worked for the O'Shaunnessy Engineering Company as an engineer and was sent to the ranch to install an irrigation system. The T.O. Ranch had its own internal railroad and was used in Blackburn's novel Raton Pass.
After the irrigation system was installed the family moved to La Salle, Colorado
(where Edith's father had a farm), and Howard Blackburn tried farming, then dry farming, several other jobs-including town marshal, and (with the help of financing from his father) opening a Ford Motor Company automotive dealership. After this failed, he got more help from his father and Howard took insurance classes in Denver and then became successful working for the Federal Surety Company in Denver. The family moved to Denver when Tom was in the fourth grade. Howard Blackburn was then put in charge of monitoring construction jobs for Federal Surety where the insurance company had bonded the contractor. If the contractor failed to complete the project, Federal Surety would finish the contract with Howard in charge. Tom was put to work in menial jobs during the summer time at the various construction sites that his father was supervising.
When Tom was older he helped his Uncle Cecil, who was in the produce business, pickup fresh vegetables from area farms. For a time the family lived in Lander, Wyoming
, and then they moved to Glendale, California
. Tom's mother was a writer of juvenile poetry, pulp fiction, and juvenile Westerns. He cites his mother has one of his literary influences.
Blackburn attended Glendale Junior College
and U.C.L.A.
While at Glendale Junior College he met (Hazel) Juanita Alsdorf, and they were married in Glendale on July 6, 1937. They had three children: daughter, Stephanie Jean Blackburn and sons Thomas Wakefield Blackburn III and Gary Keeling Blackburn (Gary was adopted, the biological son of Juanita's sister).
After he left college, Blackburn became a "ghost writer" for pulp fiction authors Harry F. Olmsted and Ed Earl Repp
, what he called "pulpeteering". When he left Olmsted and Repp, and moved to Santa Monica
, he was replaced by Frank Bonham
. To make ends meet he took a job at the local gas company.
Blackburn also wrote stories under the pseudonyms of Steve Herrington, Ray P. Shotwell, and Dave Sands.
His cousin, John Thomas "Tommy" Blackburn was a squadron commander with The Jolly Rogers (United States Navy Aircraft Squadron VF-61
) in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and author of the book The Jolly Rogers about the squadron.
Stanton Saga Series:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
. His work included various Western novels
Western fiction
Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 1900s and Louis L'Amour from the mid 20th century...
and television screenplays, as well as the lyrics to "The Ballad of Davy Crockett
The Ballad of Davy Crockett
"The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn.The first recording of the song was made by Fess Parker, quickly followed by versions by Bill Hayes and Tennessee Ernie Ford...
" (his first) and other songs.
Biography
Born the eldest of six children on the T.O. Ranch near Raton, New MexicoRaton, New Mexico
Raton is a city in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 7,282 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Colfax County. The city is located just south of Raton Pass.-Name:...
, to Howard and Edith "Didi" (née Herrington) Blackburn. His father worked for the O'Shaunnessy Engineering Company as an engineer and was sent to the ranch to install an irrigation system. The T.O. Ranch had its own internal railroad and was used in Blackburn's novel Raton Pass.
After the irrigation system was installed the family moved to La Salle, Colorado
La Salle, Colorado
La Salle is a Statutory Town in Weld County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,849 at the 2000 census.-Geography:La Salle is located at ....
(where Edith's father had a farm), and Howard Blackburn tried farming, then dry farming, several other jobs-including town marshal, and (with the help of financing from his father) opening a Ford Motor Company automotive dealership. After this failed, he got more help from his father and Howard took insurance classes in Denver and then became successful working for the Federal Surety Company in Denver. The family moved to Denver when Tom was in the fourth grade. Howard Blackburn was then put in charge of monitoring construction jobs for Federal Surety where the insurance company had bonded the contractor. If the contractor failed to complete the project, Federal Surety would finish the contract with Howard in charge. Tom was put to work in menial jobs during the summer time at the various construction sites that his father was supervising.
When Tom was older he helped his Uncle Cecil, who was in the produce business, pickup fresh vegetables from area farms. For a time the family lived in Lander, Wyoming
Lander, Wyoming
Lander is a city in, and the county seat of, Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Named for transcontinental explorer Frederick W. Lander, Lander is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. A tourism center with several dude ranches nearby, Lander is located just...
, and then they moved to Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
. Tom's mother was a writer of juvenile poetry, pulp fiction, and juvenile Westerns. He cites his mother has one of his literary influences.
Blackburn attended Glendale Junior College
Glendale Community College (California)
Glendale Community College is a community college in Glendale, California, USA. It was founded to serve the needs of the people in the Glendale Union High School District which at the time included La Crescenta, Glendale, and Tujunga...
and U.C.L.A.
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
While at Glendale Junior College he met (Hazel) Juanita Alsdorf, and they were married in Glendale on July 6, 1937. They had three children: daughter, Stephanie Jean Blackburn and sons Thomas Wakefield Blackburn III and Gary Keeling Blackburn (Gary was adopted, the biological son of Juanita's sister).
After he left college, Blackburn became a "ghost writer" for pulp fiction authors Harry F. Olmsted and Ed Earl Repp
Ed Earl Repp
Ed Earl Repp was an American writer, screenwriter and novelist. His stories appeared in several of the early pulp magazines including Air Wonder Stories, Science Wonder Stories and Amazing Stories...
, what he called "pulpeteering". When he left Olmsted and Repp, and moved to Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, he was replaced by Frank Bonham
Frank Bonham
Frank Bonham was an western and young adult writer. Bonham wrote 48 novels, and also wrote TV scripts. He was a UCLA graduate....
. To make ends meet he took a job at the local gas company.
Blackburn also wrote stories under the pseudonyms of Steve Herrington, Ray P. Shotwell, and Dave Sands.
His cousin, John Thomas "Tommy" Blackburn was a squadron commander with The Jolly Rogers (United States Navy Aircraft Squadron VF-61
VF-61
Fighter Squadron 61 was a Fighter Squadron of the United States Navy until its disestablishment on on April 15, 1959.Three U.S. Naval Aviation squadrons have used the name and insignia of the Jolly Roger: VF-17/VF-5B/VF-61, VF-84 Fighter Squadron 61 (The Jolly Rogers) was a Fighter Squadron of...
) in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and author of the book The Jolly Rogers about the squadron.
Novels
- Tumbleweed with Spurs (1940)
- Range War (1949)
- Raton Pass (1950) (novel & screenplay)
- Short Grass (1950) (novel & screenplay)
- Broken Arrow Range (1951)
- Navajo Canyon (1953)
- Sierra Baron (1955)
- Buckskin Man (1958)
- A Good Day to Die (1967)
- Compañeros (1978)
- The Trail of Whitened Skulls (2006) (collected works)
Stanton Saga Series:
- Yanqui (1973)
- Ranchero (1974)
- El Segundo (1974)
- Patron (1976)
Television series and screenplays
- Killer at Large (1947) (screenplay)
- Colt .45Colt .45 (TV series)Colt .45 is an American Western television series shown on ABC between 1957 and 1960. The half-hour show derives from the 1950 Warner Brothers film of the same name starring Randolph Scott and formed part of the William T...
(1950) - Sierra Passage (1951) (screenplay)
- Cavalry Scout (1951)
- The Adventures of Wild Bill HickokThe Adventures of Wild Bill HickokThe Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok is an American Western television series which ran for eight seasons from 1951 through 1958. The Screen Gems series began in syndication, but ran on CBS from 1955 through 1958, and, at the same time, on ABC from 1957 through 1958.-Synopsis:The Adventures of Wild...
(2 episodes, 1951) - Cattle Town (1952)
- Cow Country (1953) (adaptation)
- Riding Shotgun (1954)
- Cattle Queen of MontanaCattle Queen of MontanaCattle Queen of Montana is a 1954 American Western film starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Jack Elam, Chubby Johnson, and Morris Ankrum, and the movie was directed by Allan Dwan.-Plot:...
(1954) (story) - Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955)
- CheyenneCheyenne (TV series)Cheyenne is a western television series of 108 black-and-white episodes broadcast on ABC from 1955 to 1963. The show was the first hour-long western, and in fact the first hour-long dramatic series of any kind, with continuing characters, to last more than one season...
(1955) (unknown episodes) - The Forest Ranger (1956)
- The Wild Dakotas (1956)
- Davy Crockett and the River PiratesDavy Crockett and the River PiratesDavy Crockett and the River Pirates is a 1956 live-action Walt Disney adventure film starring Fess Parker as Davy Crockett. It was shot in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois...
(1956) - Westward Ho, the Wagons!Westward Ho, The Wagons!Westward Ho, the Wagons! is a 1956 live-action Disney western film, aimed at family audiences. Based on Mary Jane Carr's novel Children of the Covered Wagon, the film was produced by Bill Walsh, directed by William Beaudine, and released to theatres on December 20, 1956 by Buena Vista Distribution...
(1956) - Johnny Tremain (1957)
- MaverickMaverick (TV series)Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...
(1957) (unknown episodes) - BroncoBronco (TV series)Bronco is a Western series on ABC from 1958 through 1962. It was shown by the BBC in the United Kingdom. The program starred Ty Hardin as Bronco Layne, a former Confederate officer who wandered the Old West, meeting such well-known individuals as Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, Jesse James,...
(1 episode, 1958) - Redentor, El (1959)
- Walt Disney Presents (15 episodes, 1954–1961)
- The VirginianThe Virginian (TV series)The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
(1 episode, 1964) - Mara of the Wilderness (1965)
- Johnny Tiger (1966)
- The Iron Horse (1 episode, 1967)
- Daniel BooneDaniel Boone (TV series)Daniel Boone is an American action/adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Native American friend, for the...
(1 episode, 1967)
Song lyrics
- "The Ballad of Davy CrockettThe Ballad of Davy Crockett"The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn.The first recording of the song was made by Fess Parker, quickly followed by versions by Bill Hayes and Tennessee Ernie Ford...
" and "Farewell" for Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955) TV series - "Johnny Tremain" and "The Liberty Tree" for Johnny TremainJohnny TremainJohnny Tremain is a 1944 children's novel by Esther Forbes set in Boston prior to and during the outbreak of the American Revolution. The novel's themes include apprenticeship, courtship, sacrifice, human rights, and the growing tension between Whigs and Tories as conflict nears...
(1957) TV series based on Esther ForbesEsther ForbesEsther Louise Forbes was an American novelist, historian andchildren's writer who received the Pulitzer Prize and the Newbery Medal.-Life:...
novel - "Westward Ho, the Wagons!" and "The Ballad of John Colter" for Westward Ho, the Wagons! (1956) TV series
- "Daisy Crockett"
- "Huckleberry Finn"
- "King of the River"
- "Ladies in the Sky"
- "King of the River"
- "Pancho Lopez"
- "Polly You are My Love"
- "Saga of Andy Burnett"
- "Yaller Yaller Gold"
External links
- Tom Blackburn's BMI-Licensed Works (music & lyrics)
- Davy Crockett Craze Home Page