| Kermit Maynard | |
| Birth Date: | September 20, 1897 |
| Birth Place: | Vevay, Indiana, United States |
| Death Place: | North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Othername: | Tex Maynard |
| Occupation: | Actor, stuntman |
| Years Active: | 1927–1962 |
| Spouse: | Edith Jessen (married 1924–1971, his death) 1 child |
Kermit Maynard (September 20, 1897 – January 16, 1971) was an American actor and stuntman. He appeared in 280 films between 1927 and 1962.
Born in Vevay, Indiana, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Maynard[1] and a lookalike younger brother of actor Ken Maynard; they were frequently assumed to be identical twins.
Maynard was a 1916 graduate of Columbus High School in Columbus, Indiana.[2] He graduated with a degree in engineering from Indiana University[3] and played college football as a lineman for the Indiana Hoosiers in the early 1920s. While at the university, he lettered in three sports in one year.[4]
After he finished college, Maynard worked as a claims agent for the George H. Hormel Meat Packing Company. Maynard also competed as a rider in rodeo competition. In 1933, he won a Pacific Coast trick-riding championship in the Pendleton Round-Up.[5] Early in his career, promoters disdained Maynard's given name of Kermit and marketed him as "Tex Maynard."
From 1935 to 1937 Kermit Maynard starred in films produced by Ambassador Pictures, which producer Maurice Conn established in 1934. He starred in 18 Ambassador films, the last one being Roaring Six Guns.
Unlike his more famous brother Ken Maynard, who was often argumentative and difficult to work with, the mild-mannered and more agreeable Kermit Maynard continued to work steadily in pictures,[6] appearing in the supporting casts of dozens of westerns, serials, Hollywood features, and TV episodes through 1962. When producers would cast multiple cowboy stars in a single feature, Kermit Maynard joined the posse in Trail of Robin Hood and Once Upon a Horse.
On January 16, 1971, Maynard died at his home in North Hollywood, California, from a heart attack. He was 72 years old.[7] Survivors included his wife and a son.[8]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1927 | Gun-Hand Garrison | Tex Maynard | |
| 1930 | The Lone Defender | Reverend Purdy | serial, uncredited |
| 1931 | The Phantom of the West | Peter Drake | serial |
| 1933 | The Wolf Dog | stunts | serial |
| 1933 | Drum Taps | Scoutmaster Earl Cartwright | |
| 1934 | Fighting Trooper | Burke | |
| 1935 | Red Blood of Courage | Jim Sullivan | |
| 1935 | Code of the Mounted | Corporal Jim Wilson | |
| 1935 | Wilderness Mail | Rance Raine / Keith Raine | |
| 1935 | Trails of the Wild | Jim McKenna | |
| 1935 | Northern Frontier | Mack MacKenzie | |
| 1935 | Timber War | Jim Dolan | |
| 1936 | Phantom Patrol | Jim Sullivan | |
| 1936 | Song of the Trail | Jim Carter | |
| 1936 | Wildcat Trooper | Gale Farrell | |
| 1936 | Wild Horse Round-Up | Jack Benson | |
| 1937 | Rough Riding Rhythm | Jim Langley | |
| 1937 | Valley of Terror | Bob Wilson | |
| 1937 | Roaring Six Guns | Buck Sinclair | |
| 1937 | Galloping Dynamite | Jim Dillon | |
| 1937 | Whistling Bullets | Larry Graham | |
| 1937 | The Fighting Texan | Glenn Oliver | |
| 1938 | The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok | Kit Lawson | serial |
| 1938 | Western Jamboree | Ranch Hand Slim | |
| 1939 | The Night Riders | Sheriff Chuck Pratt | |
| 1939 | Colorado Sunset | Cyrus Drake | |
| 1940 | The Range Busters | Wyoming | |
| 1940 | The Showdown | Henchman Johnson | |
| 1940 | Pony Post | Whitmore | |
| 1941 | Billy the Kid | Thad Decker | |
| 1941 | Sierra Sue | Jarvis | |
| 1941 | Stick to Your Guns | Henchman Layton | |
| 1941 | Man from Montana | Chris | |
| 1941 | The Royal Mounted Patrol | Sgt. Coburn | |
| 1941 | Below the Border | Jeff | |
| 1942 | Rock River Renegades | Marshal Luke Graham | |
| 1942 | The Lone Prairie | Henchman with Large Hat | uncredited |
| 1942 | Perils of the Royal Mounted | Const. Collins | serial |
| 1942 | Texas Trouble Shooters | Pete | |
| 1942 | Arizona Stage Coach | Strike Cardigan | |
| 1942 | Trail Riders | Ace Alton | |
| 1942 | Sheriff of Sage Valley | Henchman Slim Jankins | |
| 1942 | The Mysterious Rider | Henchman Joe | |
| 1942 | Prairie Pals | Henchman Crandall | |
| 1942 | Home in Wyomin' | Sam Hatcher | Uncredited |
| 1942 | Along the Sundown Trail | Curly Morgan | |
| 1942 | Arabian Nights | Guard | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Western Cyclone | Ticklish Henchman Hank | |
| 1943 | Beyond the Last Frontier | Henchman Clyde Barton | |
| 1943 | Death Rides the Plains | Jed | |
| 1943 | Raiders of Red Gap | Bradley | |
| 1943 | Fugitive of the Plains | Henchman Spence | |
| 1943 | Blazing Frontier | Deputy Pete | |
| 1943 | Devil Riders | Henchman Red | |
| 1943 | The Blocked Trail | Henchman Reese | |
| 1943 | Santa Fe Scouts | Rancher Ben Henderson | |
| 1943 | The Texas Kid | Alex | |
| 1943 | The Stranger from Pecos | Bud Salem | |
| 1944 | Frontier Outlaws | Henchman Wallace | |
| 1944 | The Drifter | Jack | |
| 1944 | Wild Horse Phantom | Link Daggett | |
| 1944 | Oath of Vengeance | Ranch Foreman Red | |
| 1944 | Brand of the Devil | Gripper Joe | |
| 1944 | Thundering Gun Slingers | Ed Slade | |
| 1944 | Gunsmoke Mesa | Sam Sneed | |
| 1945 | Gangster's Den | Henchman Curt | |
| 1945 | Stagecoach Outlaws | Vic Dawson | |
| 1945 | Fighting Bill Carson | Cass | |
| 1945 | Prairie Rustlers | Vic | |
| 1945 | Jungle Raiders | Cragg | serial |
| 1945 | Enemy of the Law | Mike | |
| 1946 | Chick Carter, Detective | Williams, detective | serial, Chapter 11 Uncredited |
| 1946 | Terrors on Horseback | Wagner | |
| 1946 | Prairie Badmen | Lon | |
| 1946 | Badman's Territory | Carson | Uncredited |
| 1946 | Stars Over Texas | Henchman Knuckles | |
| 1946 | 'Neath Canadian Skies | Stony Carter | |
| 1946 | Under Arizona Skies | Joe Forbes | |
| 1946 | Tumbleweed Trail | Bill Ryan | |
| 1946 | Ambush Trail | Walter Gordon | |
| 1946 | Galloping Thunder | Henchman Krag | |
| 1947 | The Law Comes to Gunsight | Jim | |
| 1947 | Ridin' Down the Trail | Allen | |
| 1949 | The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend | Poker Game Onlooker | Uncredited |
| 1949 | Range Land | Shad Cook | |
| 1950 | The Traveling Saleswoman | Townsman | Uncredited |
| 1950 | Trail of Robin Hood | Himself | |
| 1950 | Law of the Panhandle | Luke Winslow | |
| 1950 | Silver Raiders | Hank Larkin | |
| 1951 | Fort Dodge Stampede | Wagon Train Scout | |
| 1952 | Rancho Notorious | Deputy in Gunsight | Uncredited |
| 1952 | The Black Lash | Lem Woodruff | |
| 1953 | The Charge at Feather River | Trooper Zebulon Poinsett | Uncredited |
| 1954 | Gunfighters of the Northwest | Mountie August | serial, Chapters 5–8, 14, 15 Uncredited |
| 1955 | Wichita | Man in Saloon | Uncredited |
| 1956 | Blazing the Overland Trail | Al | serial |
| 1956 | The Fastest Gun Alive | Silver Rapids Deputy | Uncredited |
| 1956 | Gunslinger | Barfly | |
| 1957 | The Phantom Stagecoach | Henchman | Uncredited |
| 1958 | Once Upon a Horse... | Himself | |
| 1959 | Good Day for a Hanging | Townsman | Uncredited |
| 1960 | Toby Tyler | Bit role | Uncredited |
| 1960 | Cimarron | Setter | |
| 1961 | Pocketful of Miracles | Newspaper Editor | Uncredited |
| 1962 | Birdman of Alcatraz | Alcatraz Captain of Guards | Uncredited |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1950 | The Lone Ranger | Sheriff Gilbert Deputy Sheriff Sam | 2 episodes |
| 1951 | Saturday Roundup | Different role each week | unknown episodes |
| 1952 | The Range Rider | In episode "Jimmy the Kid" | |
| 1952–1955 | The Cisco Kid | various roles | 9 episodes |
| 1953 | Death Valley Days | Boarding House Diner | 1 episode |
| 1956 | The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin | Show Patron | 1 episode |
| 1956 | Gunsmoke | Barfly | "Hack Prine" (S1E26) |
| 1957 | Tales of the Texas Rangers | Henchman | 1 episode |
| 1958 | The Texan | Barfly | 1 episode |
| Sugarfoot | Townsman | 2 episode | |
| The Californians | Horseman | 1 episode | |
| 1959 | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Outlaw | 1 episode |
| Hotel de Paree | Man at Saloon | 1 episode | |
| 1960 | Riverboat | Trooper | 1 episode |
| 1960 | Bat Masterson | Bartender (uncredited) | S2E21 "Cattle and Canes" |
| 1961 | Outlaws | Juror | 1 episode |
| 1962 | Tales of Wells Fargo | Townsman Barfly | 2 episodes, uncredited |
| Gunsmoke | Prisoner & Bartender | 2 episodes, uncredited | |