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We
talk mostly about the "stars" of movies, but we know that character
actors can help a film succeed or cause it to fail. One of the best
was Guinn Williams, known to generations of filmgoers-especially
devotees of Westerns-as Guinn "Big Boy" Williams.
Williams was not an East Texan—he was born in Decatur-but
he played one in several movies, and since I want to write about
him, he qualifies.
Big and brawny, Williams was the son of a congressman and rancher.
He attended public schools and tried to play professional baseball
before moving to Hollywood. He received a contract with Goldwyn
Studios in 1919 and appeared in several Westerns starring Tom Mix,
Harry Carey, and Will Rogers. Williams' horsemanship, learned on
a Texas ranch, was an essential skill for the parts he played.
Rogers gave Williams his nickname, "Big Boy," because of his size.
Williams appeared in Rogers' Wild West Show on several tours and
they remained close friends until Rogers' death in 1935.
Williams made
the transition from silent to sound, or "talkie," movies easily
because he had a pleasant enough voice, and his heavy Texas accent
became an important part of his screen persona. Williams appeared
in such non-Westerns as "A Star Is Born" (1937), and "Thirty-Seconds
Over Tokyo" (1943), but playing in Westerns gave his career longevity.
His final films, "The Alamo" (1960), and "Comancheros" (1962), give
evidence of his long association with John Wayne.
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