Cowboy Sidekick George Gabby Hayes rounds up celebrity birthdays today May 7

May 7, 9:44 AMNashville Entertainment ExaminerJonathan Pinkerton

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Character Actor George Gabby Hayes

George Gabby Hayes was born May 7, 1885. Best known for playing funny unkempt old codgers, Hayes was actually a very smart and shrewd businessman. At age 17 he left home to pursue a career in entertainment. He worked briefly with a traveling circus, then perfected his comedic timing as a vaudeville act. He married his longtime sweetheart Olive when he was 29 in 1914. For years they worked together as a successful vaudeville act. They were so successful in fact that Hayes retired from the stage in 1928 at the young age of 43. History buffs can see what's coming next...The stock market crashed in 1929 causing the entertainer to loose all his savings and at his wife's urging, they moved to Hollywood so Gabby could try his hand at acting.

According to published reports, Hayes met producer Trem Carr, who saw the actor's potential and began casting him in small roles. Over the next six years, he appeared in more than 30 pictures. Early on, Hayes wasn't just cast as the faithful sidekick. He often played the villain, and in more than one film, the astute viewer can spot Hayes in more than one role, thanks to the actor's ability to change his mannerisms and speech pattern.

Gabby Hayes movie moments

While he would later admit he wasn't a big fan of westerns, western were sure a big fan of his.  From 1935 to 1939 he was signed as a contract player for Paramount, When Paramount decided to bring to life the popular stories of Clarence Mulford, Hayes was cast as Windy Halliday--right-hand-man  to William Boyd's Hopalong Cassidy. Shrewd businessman that he was, he eventually left Paramount because of a salary dispute and signed on with Republic Pictures.  Since Paramount owned the rights to the Windy Halliday character he had become so closely associated with, a new name was created--Gabby Whitaker.  From 1939-1946, Hayes' Gabby Whittaker was featured in more than 40 films.  Among his co-stars: Roy Rogers, Randolph Scott, Gene Autry, Wild Bill Elliot and The Duke himself, John Wayne. 

While he continued to act in films--making his last film in 1950's The Cariboo Trail, television would garner the character actor still more fame as the host of The Gabby Hayes Show, a anthology western-themed series in which he introduced the story, hosted a midway break and then ended each episode with another appearance.  The show  aired on NBC from 1950-1954, and in 1956 was picked up for another season ABC. He also made an appearance on the popular children's show Howdy Doody in 1956, but retired from acting that same year.  He made a final television appearance on Dinah Shore's talk show in 1958.  After retirement, he continued to be a children's favorite by licensing his likeness to a series of comic books.  He also founded the Gabby Hayes Ranch, a summer camp for children.

Tribute to Gabby Hayes

 Also born today:

• 1988-Girlicious singer Natalie Mejia
• 1980-British Big Brother star DJ Kate Lawler
• 1974-Ghosts of Girlfriends Past co-star Breckin Meyer
• 1972-DJ and Madonna remixer/producer Felix Da Housecat
• 1969-Save Tonight singer Eagle Eye Cherry
• 1968-Porn star turned Melrose Place actress Traci Lords
• 1963-Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Johnny Lee Middleton
• 1961-Motorhead's Phil Campbell
• 1959-All My Children's Tad The Cad Martin Michael E. Knight
• 1955-Days Of Our Lives' Bo Brady Peter Reckell
• 1954-Clueless and Fast Times at Ridgemont High Director Amy Heckerling
• 1951-Welcome Back Kotter's Epstein Robert Hegyes
• 1950-Meet The Press' Tim Russert (d. 2008)
• 1946-Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann
• 1946-Disco Diva Thelma Houston
• 1945-One Life To Live's Dorian Lord Robin Strasser 
• 1933-Baltimore Colts' Golden Arm Johnny Unitas (d. 2002)
• 1930-Funny lady Totie Fields (d. 1978)
• 1923-All About Eve's Eve Harrington Anne Baxter (d. 1985)
• 1922-Photojournalist Joe O'Donnell (d. 2007)
• 1922-Kolchak's Darren McGavin (d. 2006)
• 1919-Argentine First Lady Eva Evita Peron (d. 1952)
• 1901-High Noon Star Gary Cooper (d. 1961)
• 1940-Composer Piotr llyich Tchaikovsky
• 1833-Composer Johannes Brahms (d. 1897)
• 1812-Poet Robert Browning (d. 1889)