The Two Reformations

Born in 1880, ‘Broncho Billy’ Anderson is considered the first western film star. He played three film roles in “The Great Train Robbery” and then began to write, direct and act in his own films. After co-founding the Essanay Studios in 1907 with George Kirk Spoor, Anderson appeared in some 300 short films. But it was his 148 western shorts playing cowboy Bronco Billy that made him a star. He retired for the first time in 1916 but made a few comebacks, including producing movies into the 1950s for his company, Progressive Pictures. He received an honorary Oscar in 1958 as a “motion picture pioneer.” Anderson came out of retirement one more time for a cameo in 1965’s “The Bounty Hunter.” He died at age of 90 1971.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Charles Pacific Morrison (1878–1924), an American silent film actor, was born April 3, 1878, in Morrison, Colorado. The grandson of pioneer town founder George Morrison, he was known as "Chick" to many who knew him, a nickname conjunction of his first and middle names. A keen horse rider, he often appeared in riding contests and rodeos throughout the American west. At Morrison he trained horses for trick and fancy riding as well as break in wild horses. In 1909 Essanay Studios brought one such horse to Morrison to film some of their famous Broncho Billy series of 2-reel thrillers. Morrison got the director's attention through his expert horsemanship, daring maneuvers, as well as his control over the animals, and was used as a double for the lead actor in some of the more dangerous scenes. Morrison left Colorado that year for California. From that point onward he appeared in feature films, rapidly growing to prominence in the film making industry. Soon he played leads, and his success and experience as an animal trainer, especially with horses, put him in great demand for some of the largest pictures made in his era. Morrison appeared in about 45 films, including ones with Charlotte Burton in films such as Rose of San Juan, Quicksands and Calamity Anne, Heroine. During his career he worked for Hal Roach Studios, the Broncho Billy Anderson and Selig Polyscope Company, and Universal Studios. He is noted as being one of the trainers for Rex the Wonder Horse. Chick's career met a tragic end on June 20, 1924. That day while filming at Hal Roach in Los Angeles, California, Morrison's favorite horse, Young Steamboat, fell backward upon him, killing him instantly at the age of 46.[1] The horse had accompanied Morrison to Hollywood, a horse Chick had often told friends was especially wild and difficult to tame and train. Chick Morrison was the older brother of another early western film actor, Pete Morrison.