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Gabby Hayes: King of the Cowboy Comics
Finally, a long-overdue book on B-Westerns' greatest sidekick. Regardless of what you have read, you will never know the full Gabby Hayes story until you read this book. Gabby's biography; his films with Hoppy, Wild Bill, Roy and others; Gabby on radio and TV; his comic books; his Boys Ranch; Popularity rankings; Gabbyisms; remarks by his fans and co-workers; merchandising Gabby; Life after his screen career; his Westerns in review; Profusely illustrated with loads of photographs. Plus . . . the fans rate the sidekicks, and bonus articles on Russell Hayden and Jimmy Ellison and much more. This book would make Gabby proud!
148 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2008
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December 18, 2025
The biography of the man many consider the greatest "sidekick" of the B-Western cowboy genre movies in the first half of the 20th century.
George "Gabby" Hayes, born in 1885, got the acting bug early, working in vaudeville at the age of 17 and into the first two decades of the 20th century. His wife, to whom he was married until her death, was a beautiful woman, a model until her retirement and marriage.
His first talking movie was "The Rainbow
I'mMan" (1929). He transitioned to B-Westerns in 1932, the vehicle in which he established himself as a sagebrush sidekick, acting with such cowboy movie legends as John Wayne, Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, Harry Carey, William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd, Bob Steele, Hoot Gibson, Gary Cooper, and Randolph Scott.
After retirement from the movie business, he starred in his own TV show, ran a boy's ranch, had a comic book "Gabby Hayes Western" (1948-1957).
A fun, readable book chock full o' nostalgia for me.
I end this review with a fitting quote from Gabby: "I'm fixin' to resign, adjourn, and quit."
George "Gabby" Hayes, born in 1885, got the acting bug early, working in vaudeville at the age of 17 and into the first two decades of the 20th century. His wife, to whom he was married until her death, was a beautiful woman, a model until her retirement and marriage.
His first talking movie was "The Rainbow
I'mMan" (1929). He transitioned to B-Westerns in 1932, the vehicle in which he established himself as a sagebrush sidekick, acting with such cowboy movie legends as John Wayne, Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, Harry Carey, William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd, Bob Steele, Hoot Gibson, Gary Cooper, and Randolph Scott.
After retirement from the movie business, he starred in his own TV show, ran a boy's ranch, had a comic book "Gabby Hayes Western" (1948-1957).
A fun, readable book chock full o' nostalgia for me.
I end this review with a fitting quote from Gabby: "I'm fixin' to resign, adjourn, and quit."
Displaying 1 of 1 review