Tim McCoy

Actor · 1891 – 1978 · Saginaw, Michigan, USA

One of the great stars of early American Westerns. McCoy was the son of an Irish soldier who later became police chief of Saginaw, Michigan, where McCoy was born. He attended St. Ignatius College in Chicago and after seeing a Wild West show there, left school and found work on a Wyoming ranch. He became an expert horseman and roper and developed a keen knowledge of the ways and languages of the Indian tribes in the area. He competed in numerous rodeos, then enlisted in the U.S. Army when America entered the First World War. He was commissioned and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. At the end of World War I, he returned to his ranch in Wyoming, only to be called by Governor Bob Carry to the post of Adjutant General of Wyoming, a position he held until 1921. The position carried with it the rank of Brigadier General (a brevet promotion) and it has been reported that this made him the youngest general officer in the U.S. Army. His reputation as a friend to the Wind River Reservation Indians, both Arapahoe and Shoshone, preceded him and in 1922, he was asked by the head of Famous Players-Lasky, Jesse L. Lasky, to provide Indian extras for the Western extravaganza, The Covered Wagon (1923). He resigned from the state position and recruited several hundred Indians to the Utah movie location. When the film wrapped, he was asked to choose several Indians to accompany him to Hollywood. There the production company developed a live 'prologue' to be presented just prior to the movie showing. The idea was a success and McCoy and his Indian group toured the U.S. and eventually, Europe as well. After touring this country and Europe with the Indians as publicity, McCoy returned to Hollywood and used his connections to obtain further work in the movies, both as a technical advisor and eventually as an actor. MGM speedily signed him to a contract to star in a series of Westerns and McCoy rapidly rose to stardom, making scores of Westerns and occasional non-Westerns. He retired from the army and from films after the war, but emerged in the late 1940s for a few more films and some television work. In 1942 he ran for the Republican Nomination for the U.S. Senate in Wyoming. He was defeated and returned to Hollywood and an uncertain future. In 1946 he sold his Wyoming ranch and moved to Bucks County, Pennsylvania and the life of the gentleman farmer. While living there, he met and married Danish writer Inga Arvad. He later built a home in Nogales, Arizona where Inga subsequently died in 1973. He spent his later years as a retired rancher. He died at the U.A. Army hospital at Ft. Hauchuca, Arizona on January 29 1978 at the age of 86. Inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1974. During World War I, he served as an artillery officer in the US Army in France. Spouse Inga Arvad (1945 - 1973) (her death) Alice Miller (? - 1931) (divorced) (3 children)

Movies23

Movie6.7
AdventureComedy
Based on the famous book by Jules Verne the movie follows Phileas Fogg on his journey around the world. Which has to be completed within 80 days, a very short period for those days.
Around the World in 80 Days
1956 · 605 votes
Movie6.1
Western
When the South loses the war, Confederate veteran O'Meara goes West, joins the Sioux, takes a wife and refuses to be an American but he must choose a side when the Sioux go to war against the U.S. Army.
Run of the Arrow
1957 · 59 votes
Movie7.2
DocumentaryHistory
A documentary about the glorious history of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and its decline leading to the sale of its back lot and props. By extension this provides a general history of Hollywood's Golden Age and the legendary studio system.
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972 · 4 votes
Movie8.0
WesternAdventure
Marshal Tim Smith is sent to Rawhide to battle rustlers. When the outlaw gang attempts to kill the new Marshal, they get the wrong man. Tim puts his identification on the dead man and poses as a known outlaw. This gets him into the gang where he is given the job of posing as the new Marshal.
Texas Renegades
1940 · 1 votes
Movie4.8
WesternScience Fiction
A Professor has an invention that will bring down planes causing them to crash and Dawson is forcing him to use it on those carrying money. When Tim arrives to investigate he is mistaken for a noted outlaw. So he assumes that identity to force Dawson to make him a partner. But just as a plane bringing Tim help is arriving, his true identity is revealed and while he is a prisoner, Dawson forces the Professor to start his machine.
Ghost Patrol
1936 · 10 votes
Movie8.5
WesternComedy
A Western-genre narrative, loosely woven from old clips from B-Western features.
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
1976 · 2 votes
Movie8.0
Western
It's roundup time and Stevens is out to start a range war between the big ranchers and the nesters. Tim Malloy is elected to head the roundup but is unable to stop the war and joins the nesters. With the nesters now well organized, Stevens finds a Malloy look-alike and makes a plan to use him to trap the nesters and wipe them out.
Riding Wild
1935 · 1 votes
Movie5.3
Western
The Rough Riders are after a gang of rustlers. Marshal Roberts is posing as a wanted outlaw, McCall is the Marshal supposedly after him, and Sandy is on hand as a cook. Roberts hopes his joining the gang will help bring them in.
The Gunman From Bodie
1941 · 3 votes
Movie7.7
Western
Tim Corwin- an agent for the Cattlemen's Association- is assigned to look into a range war between settlers and powerful cattle baron Walton.
Roarin' Guns
1936 · 3 votes
Movie5.6
ActionWestern
Two ex-cons plan to kill the range rider marshal who sent them to prison and, when their plan fails, join forces with their former boss, a crooked saloon owner who has the same idea.
Forbidden Trails
1941 · 8 votes
Movie7.5
Western
"The war with Mexico serves to bring together American officer and Mexican senorita, the former all ardent and the latter defiant because of the fact that their countries are at war. Coincident with the American victory is the successful conquest by the 'gringo' of the girl's heart."
California
1927 · 2 votes
Movie8.0
CrimeDrama
Auto race champ Tim Dawson and his brother Billy are fired by boss Turnberg when they won't throw an important race to his son Carl. Pop Reeves, a competitor, finds that Turnberg had bribed his top man, Rogan, to lose, and fires him, and hires the Dawsons. His daughter Ann falls for Tim, yet it's Billy that wants her and proposes to her. She says no and declares herself to Tim. At the next big race, Rogan tries to cause Billy to smash, but he does instead, then accuses Tim of being responsible before dying. A police detective decides that Tim had done it so his brother could win, and leaves him one option, his brother must lose the upcoming Indy 500 or he'll know Tim's guilty.
Straightaway
1933 · 1 votes
Movie9.0
ActionAdventure
A kidnapping, three airplane crashes and several fist-fights adds speed to the plot in which the plans of a new, faster airplane motor invented by brothers Tim and Jerry are stolen and suspicion falls on their office secretary Mary Stuart. But she can pilot an airplane with the best of them and she risks her life to save Tim. And when she gets kidnapped, Jerry regains his lost nerve in rescuing her.
Speed Wings
1934 · 1 votes
Movie6.2
Western
Tex Weaver is working under cover to bring in a gang of bank robbers. When he is killed, Tim Ross, a marksman with Doc Shaw's traveling show, takes over. Posing as a Mexican he lays a trap for the gang.
Border Caballero
1936 · 6 votes
Movie7.7
DramaWar
During the French and Indian War the Indians under Pontiac kidnap Rene. Colonel O'Hara hopes to rescue and wed her.
Winners of the Wilderness
1927 · 3 votes
Movie6.5
Western
Ma Turner of Red Bluff sends for U.S.Marshal Buck Roberts to investigate a series of wide-spread rustling in the area. Town banker Miller, saloon-owner Duke Mason and the crooked sheriff are in cahoots with rancher John Holt, but they double-cross and kill him. His son Steve witnesses the murder and kills the sheriff. Buck arrives and arrests Steve. Marshal Tim McCall, posing as an outlaw, gains the confidence of the gang and engineers the escape, with Buck's knowledge, of Steve from the jail. Sandy Hopkins, the third Marshal of the trio, poses as a peddler and learns that the gang intends to do away with Buck and rides to the Turner ranch to warn him. Red, a Turner ranch hand but also a member of the gang, overhears Buck telling Ma that Tim is really a U.S. Marshal, and he has Miller and Mason informed. Written by Les Adams
Riders of the West
1942 · 2 votes
Movie8.0
Western
To prevent a lynching, Ranger Tim lets two outlaws go saying he will get them later. This gets him kicked out of the Rangers and he goes across the border and joins Big George's gang who are running contraband. But the outlaw Jimmy overhears Tim tell his sister that the dismissal was a fake. Big George and his gang then go after Tim and trap him in a cabin.
The Traitor
1936 · 1 votes
Movie10.0
CrimeDrama
As a result of arresting a nightclub singer, Millie Garland, for speeding, Tim Daley, of the California Highway Patrol, incurs the enmity of the gangster, "Trigger" Talano, who frames him and brings about his disgrace; but Tim organizes a band ox ex-criminals and turns the table on the racketeer with a vengeance.
Hell Bent for Love
1934 · 1 votes
Movie9.0
ActionDrama
Fireman Bob Darrow invents an original chemical fire extinguisher, and his rival, Dan Mitchell, for June Madison, also has his eyes on Bob's invention. Chapter 1: The Red Peril, Chapter 2: Flaming Hate, Chapter 3: The Fire Trap, Chapter 4: Death's Chariot, Chapter 5: The Avalanche, Chapter 6: The Jaws of Death, Chapter 7: Forest of Fire, Chapter 8: Blank Cartridges, Chapter 9: The House of Terror / The House of Horror, Chapter 10: The Depths of Doom, Chapter 11: A Flaming Death, Chapter 12: The Last Alarm.
Heroes of the Flames
1931 · 1 votes
Movie7.0
Western
A soldier falls in love with a beautiful settler who has refused his order to leave American Indian land.
Spoilers of the West
1927 · 1 votes
Movie4.5
ActionWestern
When Texas Grant rides into town people think the supposedly dead Jim Rawlins has returned. After a confrontation with Utah Becker, Grant learns Jim's wife, Helen, is about to lose her ranch to Becker, so he decides to stay and pose as Rawlins in an effort to help her.
Texas Cyclone
1932 · 14 votes
Movie4.7
Western
Jim Lockhart is out to capture the robbing and murdering "Solitaire Kid".
The Law of the Range
1928 · 3 votes
Movie7.5
Western
A gunfighter takes the identity of a murdered judge in order to avenge his death.
Requiem for a Gunfighter
1965 · 2 votes