Tom Mix

Tom Mix, the son of a lumberman, joined the army as a young man and served as an artillery sergeant during the Philippine campaign from 1898 to 1901, though he did not see combat. In fact, he deserted from the army and kept the details of his military service a closely guarded secret. Around 1903, he was drum major with the Oklahoma Cavalry Band, performing at the St. Louis World's Fair. In 1904, he worked as a bartender and served as sheriff or marshal in Dewey, Oklahoma. He performed in a series of Wild West shows, including The Miller Bros. Wild West Show from 1906 to 1909, the Widerman show in Amarillo, Texas, with his wife Olive Mix at Seattle's Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, and Will A. Dickey's Circle D Ranch. The latter supplied Selig Pictures with cowboys and Indians for films, and in 1910, Mix was hired by Selig to provide and handle horses. His first film was *Ranch Life in the Great Southwest* (1910). He continued with Selig until 1917, during which time he also wrote, directed, and acted. He was signed by Fox Films in 1917 and remained with the studio until 1928, averaging five or so films a year. His popularity surpassed that of other major cowboy stars of the silent era, including Hoot Gibson and William S. Hart, and he earned—and spent—millions. In addition to his riding and shooting skills, his films also featured the talents of his remarkable horse, Tony the Horse. The rise of sound and his advancing age were not favorable to Mix, and after making a few pictures during the sound era, he left the film industry after 1935's serial, *The Miracle Rider* (a major hit for Mascot Pictures, grossing over $1 million; Mix earned $40,000). He toured with the Sells Floto Circus in 1930 and 1931 and with the Tom Mix Circus from 1936 to 1938. While Mix was a talented showman, the combination of the Depression and the high costs of his traveling shows limited his success. He developed a comedic style that emphasized fast-paced action to a greater extent than earlier westerns and performed his own stunts. He was the leading cowboy star of the 1920s and remained popular on radio and in comic books for more than a decade after his death. He died in an automobile accident in 1940.