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Wherever you happened to live, if
it had a movie house, the wide, won-
derful and dangerous West was
only a few coins away-through a
narrow door and just past the yel-
low popcorn! Who can forget Silver?
Who can ever forget the man
who rode him?

decided to return home. For a time Buck
worked on his father's ranch and later
for a brief period at the Indianapolis
Speedway tracks. There he made a friend
of Eddie Rickenbacker, who later became
America's World War I aerial ace. Buck
returned to Columbus Barracks on Octo-
ber 14, 1910, and was once more re-
cruited into Troop G, Sixth U.S. Cavalry.
During the next two years Buck was
promoted to sergeant, but found life too
routine. He wanted a change and soon
the opportunity for such a move pre-
sented itself.. By 1913 the United States
Army was becoming interested in aero-
planes and Buck, who had a love of
things mechanical, decided to apply for a
transfer. Writing from Texas City,
Texas, on March 19, 1913, he applied for
a transfer to the Signal Corps, Aviation
Squad. By special Orders No. 75, War
Department, April 1, 1913, Sergeant
Gebhard was transferred to the Signal Buck Jones and his original Silver in a scene from an old Fox movie
Corps as a private, assigned to duty with
the First Aero Squadron, Signal Corps.
Buck's dream of being able to fly was
swiftly dispelled. Enlisted men were not with everybody, including the preacher, but it was regular, and Buck decided to
encouraged to become pilots, and even to be on horseback. On August 11, 1915, stay around Hollywood for a while in
with the help of his friend, Eddie Rick- Buck and Odille became man and wife. case his prospects improved.
enbacker, he had no luck. To become a For the whole of their married life The top cowboy at Fox Studios was
mechanic didn't have any appeal, so dis- they were a devoted couple, and in the Tom Mix who, with his horse Tony, en-
gusted by all the red tape he let his days before motion pictures made him joyed immense popularity and was said
enlistment expire and on October 23, famous, Buck and Odille worked equally to have earned $25,000 a week at one
1913, again became a civilian. hard to keep themselves in food and stage of his career. But Mix was a hard
clothing. When war came to Europe it man to handle. He delighted in trick
For SOME MONTHS he wandered had a decided effect on show business, hats and fancy suits which would have
around looking for work and then so Buck decided that it was time to move made even a singing cowboy of the
one day learned that the Miller Brothers' on. He got a job as horse breaker for the 1940s blush. Yet for all that, he was
101 Ranch Show needed hands, so he de- British and French Armies at a re- convincing on screen. Like most of the
cided to apply. "I put resin on my chaps mount depot set up at the Chicago Stock- top stars of the time he disliked doubles,
to help me hold the saddle," Buck re- yards. Buck worked there until America but he realized that some scenes de-
called in 1938, "and drove horseshoe entered the conflict and was then re- manded them. And that is how he and the
nails into the heels of my boots to keep tained for the duration because his future Buck Jones came to meet.
my spurs on. Then I went over and asked qualities as a horsebreaker and rider Legend has it that he and Buck slug-
for a tryout." were recognized as valuable to the war ged it out on a vacant lot because Mix
The resin did the trick and he landed effort. was jealous of the other's superior rid-
a job. He soon came to the notice of Part of his job was to select the most ing skill, but it is doubtful if this story
Zack Miller and it wasn't long before he suitable horses for cavalry and artillery is true because • by the time Jones was
became a top rider and roper. By the use. As all the animals chosen were himself a star, the two were firm
time the show reached Madison Square dark, any white or grey horses were friends and remained so for the rest of
Garden early in 1914, Buck had firmly turned down. One day a rancher came their lives. When Mix was filming "Dick
established himself. It was here that he in with a silver-grey which Buck had to Turpin," Buck crept into the movie as
met a girl called Odille Osborne. turn down, but something about the horse an extra much to the amusement of them
"I ran away from home and joined attracted him. Buck's offer of $100 for both.
the show,," Mrs. Jones told me, "and the horse was accepted. He named the People soon began to notice the tall,
that's the year I met Buck." Odille had animal "Silver" and later he was to ride well-built, grey-eyed, six-foot Westerner.
been staying at her aunt's home in Phila- him to a greater fame than Buck could Letters poured in, and toward the end
delphia while her parents toured in possibly have imagined. of 1919 Fox put him on contract. Buck
vaudeville. Although she could ride, she Jones' first starring role was in "The
was not a very good cowgirl. AFTER THE WAR Buck and Odille Last Straw" with Vivian Rich as his
Her career might have been short- joined the Ringling Brothers' Circus leading lady. The film went on release
lived if Buck hadn't taken an interest in at $50 a week. They bought a car for in the United States in 1920 and a year
her and taught her enough to keep the $20 at the end of the season, and drove later was shown in England. The fans
job. They fell in love and decided to get to Los Angeles. It was now 1919 and demanded more and it was quickly fol-
married, but before the final arrange- Odille was expecting a baby. When they lowed by "The Forbidden Trail," "The
ments had been made, they learned that reached Los Angeles, Buck rented a Square Shooter," "Firebrand Trevision"
the 101 was due to leave for England on small apartment and set out to find and many others.
tour. Having decided not to go they then work. Soon after the birth of a little At one point in his career, William
joined the Julia Allen Show. girl whom they named Maxine, Buck got Fox tried to take Buck out of Westerns
When the show played Lima, Ohio, work as an extra in Fox pictures, thanks and put him in straight acting roles such
they announced their plans to marry, and to Scott R. "Scotty" Dunlap, later to as the famous "Lazy Bones," but his fans
the show's publicity agent fixed it so become one of Buck's best friends. Work clamored for more Westerns. The studio
that they would be married in the ring as an extra didn't bring in much money, (Continued on page 63)

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