Hitching a ride on horseback with Tom Tyler at the circus

When he performed with the Wallace Brothers Circus back in 1937, Tom Tyler enjoyed many special moments when it came to meeting fans. One particular performance made a lasting impression upon Tyler fan Doran Peck, who was lucky enough to see his hero in person at the circus.

Born in 1927, Doran was 10 years old when he had that exciting encounter with Tom Tyler under the Big Top. The son of Lucille Peck, Doran lived in La Harpe, Illinois with his parents but was visiting relatives in Keokuk, Iowa when he had the opportunity to attend the Wallace Brothers Circus. Doran was lucky to have the privilege of sitting in the front row which must have made him feel even more close to the western film star. Perhaps it was the sheer amount of cheering on from the boys and girls that day which made Tom Tyler survey his fans as he rode on horseback around the ring and decide to give Doran the ultimate thrill of his life: a ride on the back of Tom’s circus horse!

The event was reported in The Hancock County Quill, the newspaper for La Harpe dated August 4, 1937, Doran climbed onto the horse and sat behind Tom as the two trotted along the ring, no doubt being the envy of the other young men who watched them in action. As all truly exciting events in life worth talking about for days after and even passing down to the younger generations, Doran shared the news with friends and family.

One may ask, why did Tom Tyler specifically select young Doran Peck for a ride upon his horse? One possible theory is that Doran reminded Tom of his silent film co-star, the child actor Frankie Darro. Were one to view a photo of Doran at the age of 10, he might pass for a young Frankie. By the time Doran reached his 20’s, however, the evidence is even more clear: he really did resemble Frankie Darro!

Like Frankie, and Tom Tyler, young Doran had that ambitious drive so prevalent among young American boys of the late 1930’s through early 1940’s. He settled on becoming an accountant, and as soon as he graduated from high school, entered college. When Doran graduated from the University of Denver in 1949 with a degree in accounting, his first job was with a steel firm in Provo, Utah. He studied hard to become a certified public accountant (CPA), passing a rigorous exam at the age of 22, according to The Hancock County Quill, dated August 17, 1949. Eventually, he opened his own office with a partner in Denver. The office was located in Majestic Building, located at the corner of 16th Street and Broadway in Denver.

Now that he was cemented in a successful career, Doran married in 1952, meeting his wife while residing in Denver. Eventually the couple had two sons together, which gave Doran Peck the opportunity to share that historical moment of his life, when he rode on the back of Tom Tyler’s circus horse with his hero.

Filmed on location at Buttercup Dunes: “Let’s Go Gallagher” (1925)

2025 marks the 100th anniversary of Tom Tyler’s debut starring role in “Let’s Go Gallagher” for FBO. Filmed at Buttercup Dunes in Imperial County, California, it must have been very exciting for Tom to learn he was going to be filming on location for his first major role in silent film. It’s just one of the perks in having an acting career, to be able to travel and film on location, even in a big state like California. No doubt Tom Tyler found the California desert to be exotic and enchanting at the same time, having been brought up in the Adirondacks of upstate New York and then Hamtramck, Michigan. As with any crew and cast which films on location for the first time, they plan well in advance, taking into consideration the climate and land prior to filming. What is even more exciting is that “Let’s Go Gallagher” was the first of many silent westerns pairing Tom Tyler with famed child actor Frankie Darro. For his leading lady, Tom had Barbara Starr, with Alfred Hewston, Olin Francis, and Sam Peterson in the cast. It is worth noting that Barbara Starr was married to Gaylord Lloyd, brother of famous silent film comedian Harold Lloyd, at the time she filmed “Let’s Go Gallagher” with Tom Tyler.

Located in the southeast part of California right on the Mexican border, Imperial County has a strong agriculture, Mexican cultural influence, and desert which makes the region perfect for films which require western or exotic locations. Imperial County is also home to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Imperial National Wildlife Refuge. “The Big Trail” (1930) directed by Raoul Walsh, “Beau Geste” (1939) directed by William A. Wellman, and “The Son of the Sheik” (1926) directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Rudolph Valentino, are just a few movies filmed at Buttercup Dunes. 

Situated on the southern edge of the Imperial Dunes also known as the Algodones Dunes, Buttercup Dunes is home to a number of fascinating historical locations, such as the Obregon Historical Market in the ghost town of Ogilby, Valley of the Names in Winterhaven, Glamis Dunes, and Sunset Hill. The dunes at Buttercup Dunes stretch for five miles in length and rise at a height of 300 feet. Of course, the winds are always shifting these sands which can cause varying heights among the dunes, which is normal across any sand dunes in California.

Since the 1960’s, dune buggies have become a popular pastime at the Imperial Dunes. Today, the Buttercup Sand Dunes is home to a ranger station and campground, located right off Route 8 in southernmost California.

Recapping 2024: Aventuras de Tom Tyler

It goes without saying that 2024 was a very exciting year for Aventuras de Tom Tyler. Not only is this year the ten-year anniversary of the website, but the “Tom Tyler Silent Film Collection” Kickstarter was successful, Tyler fan G. Michael Dobbs is writing a book on Tom’s career, and the hunt continues for Tom’s lost silent films and lost Monogram Pictures films. The lost Monogram titles are: "Partners of the Trail" (1931), "The Man from Death Valley" (1931), "Galloping Thru" (1931), and "Vanishing Men" (1932). To find out which of Tom’s silent films are still lost, please check each individual silent film entry for the 1920’s on the following Aventuras de Tom Tyler page here. 

An angel donor is still being sought to have “The Man from New Mexico” (1932) at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York restored. If you know of anyone willing to be an angel donor, please contact me by email aventurasdetomtyler_@_triggertom.com (remove the underscores).

Since 2025 marks the 100th year since Tom Tyler made his silent film starring role debut in “Let’s Go Gallagher” (1925), there is much hope this one will resurface in the new year. 

Finally, may all readers of this blog have a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year, let’s make 2025 the best year yet for Tom Tyler!

Tom Tyler tour with Greg Parker: Lone Pine Film Festival October 2024

Tom Tyler tour slots are still available at this year’s Lone Pine Film Festival held on October 10-13 this year if you want to experience the privilege of walking upon the same land where Tom filmed the following two exciting B-westerns: “The Phantom of the Range” (1936) and “Rip Roarin’ Buckaroo” (1936):

lonepinefilmfestival.org/tour-listing-2024/

This is a must-see for Tom Tyler fans now that our favorite cowboy is celebrating 100 years since he started appearing in bit roles in Hollywood. Happy 100^th Anniversary, Tom.

Comedy behind the scenes while filming “Trail of the Horse Thieves”

One of the basic ingredients of a Tom Tyler silent film made during the FBO years is comedy. Intended to hold the youthful audience’s attention, this can be seen in “The Texas Tornado” (1928), which to date is the only silent film made for FBO that remains available on DVD from Sinister Cinema. Onscreen antics between Tom, his pal Frankie Darro, and often the family he finds himself defending against bandits, the comedy ranges from physical humor to a title card  intended to make the audience laugh, or even a caustic expression between Tom and his leading lady. It can be difficult to evaluate what amount of levity took place during the filming of one of these silent films, particularly the ones which have not survived. After all, Tom Tyler’s silent film westerns were meant to be fun to watch, with natural banter taking place among his pals.  However, an article from Evening Courier, Camden, NJ, November 16, 1929 for one lost silent film, “Trail of the Horse Thieves” (1929), provides some insight on what kind of fun took place while Tom and the rest of the cast engaged in between camera shots.

Supporting actor and villain in “Trail of the Horse Thieves” Bill Nestell (often billed as Bill Nestel during his silent film years) had a natural love for music and singing. This resulted in one entertaining scene taking place while cameraman Nick Musuraca made some adjustments with his equipment to prepare for a closeup between Tom and Bill as the rest of the crew prepared for the next camera take. Bill started to sing an old-time song, possibly dating back to the very early 1900’s, which Tom joined in on. Soon the two men found themselves with enough time to complete two more songs while the studio musician played the accordion. It may seem peculiar that a silent film production would have studio music, but such music is often used in film scenes where a musical scene is taking place – as it apparently did in “Trail of the Horse Thieves”. 

Once the singalong stopped, director Robert DeLacy called for the actors to take their positions. Almost as if the diversion never took place, Tom assumed his physical stance, arms held above his head, while Bill Nestell stood directly in front of him, his gun pointed at Tom, ready to take action. No doubt the director and the rest of the crew were amused at the friendly exchange between the two actors off-camera then suddenly falling into line as the script demands. Such incidents on the silent film set with Tom Tyler show that while he was a serious actor, he never took himself too seriously while waiting in between those camera takes. 

Lone Pine Film Festival October 2024: Tom Tyler Tour with Greg Parker

Still from "The Phantom of the Range" 1936

There will be an "on-location" tour dedicated to Tom Tyler at the 34th Lone Pine Film Festival in October 2024. This will include a pre-tour screening on Friday, October 11 which will be about two westerns Tom filmed at Lone Pine, "Rip Roarin' Buckaroo" and "The Phantom of the Range", both from 1936, as well as his acting background.

More information about the Tom Tyler Tour can be found halfway down the page at the following link:

lonepinefilmfestival.org/tour-listing-2024/

The Lone Pine Film Festival will run from October 10-13 this year.

Event: John Wayne’s “The Cavalry Trilogy” in Los Angeles, June 22, 2024

Scene from "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" 1949

There will be a Tom Tyler related event held in Los Angeles, California, on June 22, 2024. Author Michael F. Blake will be doing a presentation on John Wayne’s “The Cavalry Trilogy”, of which “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” (1949) is one of the three films made in this unique Wayne film series. Blake will be promoting his new book titled The Cavalry Trilogy: John Ford, John Wayne, and the Making of Three Classic Westerns,  published by TwoDot and released in March of this year. “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” won an Oscar for Best Cinematography and contains the compelling and memorable scene of Tom Tyler as Corporal Quayne undergoing surgery to remove a bullet in the covered wagon as John Wayne and his men trek through a severe thunderstorm out west.

The event location will be at: Hollywood Heritage Museum, 2100 Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90068. Ticket prices range from $14.00 to $18.00. The event time will be 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.

To order tickets, click here:

www.hollywoodheritage.org/event-details/the-calvary-trilogy-with-author-michael-f-blake