| John King | |
| Birth Name: | Miller McLeod Everson |
| Birth Date: | July 11, 1909 |
| Birth Place: | Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1935 - 1946 |
John 'Dusty' King (born Miller McLeod Everson, July 11, 1909 - November 11, 1987) was an American singer and film actor renowned for his Westerns particularly the Range Busters series.
Everson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Everson travelled the country working a variety of jobs, such as chauffeuring motorcars from Detroit to Cincinnati, lumberjacking in New Mexico, and working as a ranch hand in Arizona.[1]
Everson found himself a radio announcing job in Covington, Kentucky then returned to Cincinnati where he announced, hosted, and sang. Hearing him on the radio, bandleader Ben Bernie hired him as a singer with Everson changing his name to John King. Noting his good looks and popularity, Bernie recommended him to Hollywood with Zeppo Marx also agreeing with Bernie.
King was contracted to Universal Pictures making several films and playing the lead in the serial Ace Drummond. He made appearances in films for other studios before being hired by Monogram Pictures to play the lead in a Cinecolor Western, The Gentleman from Arizona in 1939. The following year King would play "Dusty" in the Range Busters series of Westerns.
The Range Busters were Monogram's version of Republic Pictures' The Three Mesquiteers. King played the singing cowboy alongside of Ray "Crash" Corrigan who was later replaced by David Sharpe and comedy relief Max Terhune with his dummy Elmer for a total of 18 films in the series.
In Haunted Ranch (1943), Sharpe leaves the trio to enlist in the US Army in the Spanish–American War. Not only did Sharpe actually enlist in the US Army Air Forces but King himself was drafted in the USAAF serving in Special Services in Arizona.
After discharge there were no film offers, so King returned to radio, later buying a station. He later left the radio industry to run a waffle shop in La Jolla, California.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Stolen Harmony | Fagin in Skit | Uncredited | |
| 1935 | The Affair of Susan | Boy in Fun House | Uncredited | |
| 1935 | His Night Out | Salesman | Uncredited | |
| 1935 | Three Kids and a Queen | Reporter | Uncredited | |
| 1935 | Fighting Youth | Singing Band Leader | ||
| 1936 | The Adventures of Frank Merriwell | Bruce Browning | Serial | |
| 1936 | Next Time We Love | Juvenile | Uncredited | |
| 1936 | Dangerous Waters | Singing Sailor | ||
| 1936 | Sutter's Gold | Alvarado Jr. | Uncredited | |
| 1936 | Love Before Breakfast | Johnny | Uncredited | |
| 1936 | Nobody's Fool | Master of Ceremonies | Uncredited | |
| 1936 | Crash Donovan | Johnny Allen | ||
| 1936 | Postal Inspector | Ralph | Uncredited | |
| 1936 | Ace Drummond | Ace Drummond | Serial | |
| 1936 | Three Smart Girls | Bill Evans | ||
| 1937 | The Road Back | Ernst | ||
| 1937 | Merry-Go-Round of 1938 | Tony Townsend | ||
| 1938 | The Crime of Doctor Hallet | Dr. Philip Saunders | ||
| 1938 | State Police | Sgt. Dan Prescott | ||
| 1938 | Breaking the Ice | Henry Johnson | ||
| 1938 | Sharpshooters | Prince Alexis | ||
| 1938 | Charlie Chan in Honolulu | Randolph | ||
| 1939 | The Three Musketeers | Aramis | ||
| 1939 | Inside Story | Paul Randall | ||
| 1939 | The Hardys Ride High | Philip 'Phil' Westcott | ||
| 1939 | Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation | Howard Stevens | ||
| 1939 | The Gentleman from Arizona | Pokey Sanders | ||
| 1940 | Midnight Limited | Val Lennon | ||
| 1940 | Half a Sinner | Larry Cameron | ||
| 1940 | The Range Busters | 'Dusty' King | ||
| 1940 | Trailing Double Trouble | |||
| 1940 | West of Pinto Basin | |||
| 1940 | Blame It on Love | Jeff Wadsworth | ||
| 1941 | Trail of the Silver Spurs | Dusty King | ||
| 1941 | The Kid's Last Ride | |||
| 1941 | Tumbledown Ranch in Arizona | |||
| 1941 | Wrangler's Roost | |||
| 1941 | Fugitive Valley | |||
| 1941 | Saddle Mountain Roundup | |||
| 1941 | Tonto Basin Outlaws | |||
| 1941 | Underground Rustlers | |||
| 1942 | Thunder River Feud | |||
| 1942 | Law of the Jungle | Larry Mason | ||
| 1942 | Rock River Renegades | Dusty King | ||
| 1942 | Boot Hill Bandits | |||
| 1942 | Texas Trouble Shooters | |||
| 1942 | Arizona Stage Coach | |||
| 1942 | Texas to Bataan | |||
| 1942 | Trail Riders | |||
| 1943 | Two Fisted Justice | |||
| 1943 | Haunted Ranch | Dusty King posing as Hank Travers | ||
| 1946 | Renegade Girl | Cpl. Brown | (final film role) |