Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas -- Bob Baker


Bob Baker (1910–1975) was an American singing cowboy star.  Baker made an initial name for himself on radio.  He got a movie break with an audition for Universal (on the lookout for its own Gene Autry), beating out such other singing cowboy hopefuls as Roy Rogers.

Riding his paint horse Apache, he made nine oaters in 1938 and in 1939 was ranked in the "Top Ten Western Stars."  In 1939, Universal decided to form a movie trio partnering Baker with Johnny Mack Brown and Fuzzy Knight.  Baker's career started to fade in the early 1940s, and by 1942 he was appearing in supporting parts.  During his brief career he appeared in 25 titles.

Bob Baker's Santa Susana locations filmography:


Black Bandit (1938) starring Bob Baker, Marjorie Reynolds and Hal Taliaferro (Iverson Ranch)(Brandeis Ranch) Universal


Chip of the Flying U (1939) starring Johnny Mack Brown, Bob Baker and Fuzzy Knight (Iverson Ranch) Universal


Ghost Town Riders (1938) starring Bob Baker, Fay McKenzie and Hank Worden (Iverson Ranch)(Brandeis Ranch) Universal


Outlaw Express (1938) starring Bob Baker, Cecilia Callejo and Don Barclay (Iverson Ranch)  Universal (photo courtesy of Bruce Hickey)


West of Carson City (1940) - Johnny Mack Brown, Bob Baker and Fuzzy Knight (Iverson Ranch) Universal


Western Trails (1938) starring Bob Baker, Marjorie Reynolds and John Ridgely (Iverson Ranch)(Brandeis Ranch) Universal (photo courtesy of Bruce Hickey)

Supporting roles:

Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello and Dick Foran (Iverson Ranch) Universal

Wild Horse Stampede (1943) starring Ken Maynard, Hoot Gibson and Betty Miles (Corriganville) Monogram

Mystery Man (1944) starring William Boyd, Andy Clyde and Jimmy Rogers (Iverson Ranch) United Artists

Oklahoma Raiders (1944) starring Tex Ritter, Fuzzy Knight and Dennis Moore (Iverson Ranch) Universal

'Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas' is a continuing series about "six-gun heroes that performed on movie location ranches in Chatsworth, California.  For more information about Chatsworth filming locations see http://www.cowboyup.com/ to find information about my books: Rendezvous at Boulder Pass: Hollywood's Fantasyland - 2010 and Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas - 2008.

Index for 'Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas' -- Chatsworth's Six-Gun Heroes

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