TomMix

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TOM MIX

Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix^[1]; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) 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. He was Hollywood’s first Western megastar and is noted as having defined the genre for all cowboy actors who followed.

Mix was born into a relatively poor logging family in Mix Run, Pennsylvania, about 40 miles (60 km) north of State College, Pennsylvania. He spent his childhood growing up in nearby Dubois, Pennsylvania learning to ride horses and working on the local farm owned by John Dubois, a lumber businessman. He had dreams of being in the circus and was rumored to have been caught by his parents practicing knife throwing tricks against a wall using his sister as an assistant. In April 1898, during the Spanish-American War, he enlisted in the Army under the name Thomas E. (Edwin) Mix. His unit never went overseas, and Mix later failed to return for duty after an extended furlough when he married Grace I. Allin on July 18, 1902. Mix was listed as AWOL on November 4, 1902 but was never court martialed or apparently even discharged. His marriage to Allin was annulled after one year. In 1905 Mix married Kitty Jewel Perinne, but this marriage also ended within a year. In 1907 he married Olive Stokes.

In 1905 Mix rode in Theodore Roosevelt's inaugural parade with a group of 50 horsemen led by Seth Bullock which included several former Rough Riders (years later, Hollywood publicity handouts would muddle this event to mistakenly imply Mix had been a Rough Rider himself.) After working a variety of odd jobs in the Oklahoma Territory, Mix found employment at the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch, reportedly the largest ranching business in the United States and covering 101,000 acres (409 km²), hence its name. He stood out as a skilled horseman and expert shot, winning the 1909 national Riding and Rodeo Championship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Mix

Thomas Hezikiah Mix, or Tom Mix, as many of us know him, was an American silent film actor and the lead cowboy for many early westerns. Between the years 1910 and 1935 he acted in over 300 films; all were silent features save for nine. He reportedly earned up to $17,500 per week, which was a pretty penny in the early 1900s, and is remembered for his showmanship and faithful horse, Tony.

Mix quickly became known for his ten-gallon hats, round-top boots, silk shirts and eagerness to accomplish his own death defying stunts. His films appealed to a young audience and his impressive ropework helped him stand out from all other cowboys of the era. And although often portraying a different character, Mix let his own lively personality trickle into that of the one he was playing.

The first role that Mix played, launching him to stardom, was a character in 1920’s The Untamed. Other films on his resume include The Lone Star Ranger (1923), Riders of the Purple Sage 1925), Dick Turpin (1925), and The Great K&A Train Robbery (1926).

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http://www.b-westerns.com/tommix.htm

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/oklahoma_tom_mix_museum.htm

http://www.silentsaregolden.com/photos/tommixphoto.html

http://thenostalgialeague.com/olmag/tommix.htm

http://www.accomics.com/accomics/westerns/tommix.html

RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE (1925)

The first part of EMoviePoster’s Winter 2008 Min/Major Auction is underway and it is a winner. 400 linen-backed one sheet promotional posters created for use in the U.S. are listed in the event. Bidding is already open and will continue until December 2, 2008 when bidding will begin to close at approximately 7:00 PM CST. Like all EMoviePoster auctions, bidding will stay open on each lot for five minutes after the last bid was received. This allows customers to experience a real time auction situation. You can find complete listings and details on each lot at EMoviePoster.

One of the highlights of the event are eleven stone-litho poster cowboy one-sheets. Five of these rarities feature Tom Mix. The Broncho Twister of 1927 finds Mix in a classic adventure pose as he rides a clothesline down from a balcony with a woman in his arms leaning down towards his horse Tony. In another film from the same year, Tumbling River, Mix and Tony are seen leaping onto a barge straight from the dock! Naturally there is a someone in danger and, of course, criminals are involved.

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