Slim Pickens arrived in the world as Louis Burton Lindley Jr. June 29, 1919 in Kingsburg California. He became an accomplished horseman as a child and took to bronc riding and steer roping rodeo competition in his teens. Louis’ father objected to his rodeo participation. To keep it secret, he adopted the pseudonym “Slim Pickens” after a rodeo manager, accepting his entry fee predicted that for his chances of success. Slim rode the name to winning that day.

Slim Pickens had a twenty year career as a rodeo performer, much of it as a clown before Hollywood called. He was a natural for western films, handling all his own horse work, much of it riding his own horses.
His work as sidekick to Rex Allen led to character roles in high profile feature films opposite some of Hollywood’s brightest stars. He appeared in One-Eyed Jacks with Marlon Brando, Major Dundee with Charlton Heston, The Cowboys with John Wayne and Tom Horn with Steve McQueen. Stanley Kubrick cast Pickens as a comically ‘Gung-ho’ B-52 pilot in Dr. Strangelove. The role changed the trajectory of his career, leading to a wider range of more substantive roles.

TV beckoned with appearances in episodes of Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, The Lone Ranger, The Tall Man, Maverick, Bonanza, The Virginian and How the West Was Won. It wasn’t all western work either after Dr. Strangelove. Pickens appeared in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hee Haw and Love Boat.

Slim Pickens died in 1983 following treatment for a brain tumor. He was inducted into two Halls of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, one for Western Performers and the other for Rodeo performers.

Next Week: Max Terhune
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Ride easy,
Paul