William Steele

William Steele

Birth : 1888-03-28, San Antonio - Texas - USA

Death : 1966-02-13

Profile

William Steele

Movies

The Showdown
Terry
Shadrach Jones, ex-Texas State Policeman, has the ruthless determination to find and kill the man who shot his brother in the back and stole the money with which he was to buy a ranch for the two of them. At the saloon-hotel run by Adelaide, Shadrach is convinced that one of the cowhands on the Captain McKellar cattle drive to Montana is his man. He takes the job of trail-herd boss to find the killer. McKellar preaches to Jones that he should forget revenge and let the law of retribution take care of the killer. Shadrach's hard driving of the men and his hunt for the killer makes him bitterly hated, and his retribution quest ends in a manner he did not anticipated.
The Gunfighter
Technical Supervisor
The fastest gun in the West tries to escape his reputation.
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Officer (uncredited)
After Custer and the 7th Cavalry are wiped out by Native Americans, everyone expects the worst. Capt. Nathan Brittles is ordered out on patrol but he's also required to take along Abby Allshard, wife of the Fort's commanding officer, and her niece Olivia Dandridge, who are being evacuated. Brittles is only a few days away from retirement and Olivia has caught the eye of two of the young officers in the Company. She's taken to wearing a yellow ribbon in her hair, a sign that she has a beau in the Cavalry, but refuses to say for whom she is wearing it.
San Antonio
Rancher Clay Hardin arrives in San Antonio to search for and capture Roy Stuart, notorious leader of a gang of cattle rustlers. The vicious outlaw is indeed in the Texan town, intent on winning the affections of a beautiful chanteuse named Jeanne Starr. When the lovely lady meets and falls in love with the charismatic Hardin, the stakes for both men become higher.
The Outlaw
Deputy (uncredited)
Newly appointed sheriff Pat Garrett is pleased when his old friend Doc Holliday arrives in Lincoln, New Mexico on the stage. Doc is trailing his stolen horse, and it is discovered in the possession of Billy the Kid. In a surprising turnaround, Billy and Doc become friends. This causes the friendship between Doc and Pat to cool. The odd relationship between Doc and Billy grows stranger when Doc hides Billy at his girl Rio's place after Billy is shot.
The Westerner
Tex Cole (uncredited)
Drifter Cole Harden is accused of stealing a horse and faces hanging by self-appointed Judge Roy Bean, but Harden manages to talk his way out of it by claiming to be a friend of stage star Lillie Langtry, with whom the judge is obsessed, even though he has never met her. Tensions rise when Harden comes to the defense of a group of struggling homesteaders who Judge Bean is trying to drive away.
Destry Rides Again
Cowboy (uncredited)
When a tough western town needs taming, the mild-mannered son of a hard-nosed sheriff gets the job.
Marie Antoinette
Footman (uncredited)
The young Austrian princess Marie Antoinette is arranged to marry Louis XVI, future king of France, in a politically advantageous marriage for the rival countries. The opulent Marie indulges in various whims and flirtations. When Louis XV passes and Louis XVI ascends the French throne, his queen's extravagant lifestyle earns the hatred of the French people, who despise her Austrian heritage.
For the Service
Henchman (uncredited)
Cowboy star Buck Jones made his directorial debut with the Universal western For the Service. Jones is cast as Indian scout Buck O'Bryan, trying his best to keep the peace between the Native Americans and a government outpost. O'Bryan is replaced by George Murphy (Clifford Jones), the son of commanding officer Captain Murphy (Edward Keane). Obviously unqualified for his job, Murphy proves himself a coward and a weakling, forcing O'Bryan to take over when the fort is besieged by outlaw Bruce Howard (Fred Kohler) and his gang.
The Red Rider
Townsman
"Red" Davison(Buck Jones), the sheriff of Sun Dog, sacrifices his job and his good name to save his best friend, "Silent" Slade from the hangman's noose, following a framed-up court decision which sentences Slade to hang for the murder of "Scotty McKee (J.P. McGowan). Davidson allows Slade to escape from jail and follows him to aid him in proving his innocence.
Laughing Boy
Guide
A young Navajo defies tribal custom to marry an outcast.
Gordon of Ghost City
Bob
A cowboy is hired to track down a gang of rustlers, but gets involved with a beautiful girl trying to run her grandfather's gold mine and other outlaws who are trying to stop her.
King of the Arena
Mysterious deaths have been occurring in the same towns as Miller's Circus and the Governor has sent Ken Kenton to investigate. Ken joins the show but when he realizes that Bargoff is involved, Bargoff has fled and taken Mary Hiller as a hostage. The trail leads to Baron Petroff who concocted the deadly chemical and Ken quickly finds himself the Baron's prisoner.
The California Trail
Pedro (as Robert Steele)
Santa Fe Stuart, leading a relief train bringing food to the peasants, gets caught up in the Commandante and his brother the Mayor's effort to starve out the peasants. Thrown in jail and about to be hung, he escapes and joins the peasants in their fight against the brothers and their troops...
Doughboys
Lieutenant Randolph
Elmer, rich society loafer, falls for Mary, but she'll have nothing to do with him until (mistakenly thinking that he's hiring a new chauffeur) he accidentally volunteers for the army. Luckily, Mary's signed up to entertain the troops. Unluckily, Elmer's sergeant likes Mary, too. And worst of all, they're all about to ship out for France.
The Lone Star Ranger
First Deputy
After shooting a man in self-defense, Buck Duane finds himself accused of many crimes, none of which he committed. In order to prove his innocence, he joins the Texas Rangers, and also hopes to win the approval and hand of Mary Aldridge, a girl from the East. He is assigned to round up a gang of cattle rustlers who are, unknown by Mary. led by her father.
The Black Ace
Story of a a Texas Ranger whose foster-father has been falsely accused of a series of crimes.
The Call of the Heart
Dave Crenshaw (as William A. Steele)
Molly O'Day and her brother, Josh, are homesteading on and trying to make a living on a piece of government land, but local rancher Dave Crenshaw claims the land is part of his holdings, and he and his henchmen try to drive the O'Days off. Cowhand Jerry Wilson and his dog, Dynamite, come to their aid against Crenshaw.
The Valley of Hell
James Brady
In the Old West, a dashing hero saves a girl from bandits.
The Fearless Rider
Dr. Lucifer Blade
A fearless cowboy comes to the rescue of a beleaguered prospector.
Whispering Sage
Tom Kildare (as William A. Steele)
This silent Western featured a group of Basque settlers terrorized by a greedy land baron (Joseph W. Girard). Jones played Buck Kildare, who, after falling for Basque beauty Natalie Joyce, comes to the aid of the settlers. On his sterling horse Silver, Kildare goes after the villain, who, it turns out, is the very same man who murdered his brother Tom (William A. Steele).
Loco Luck
Frank Lambert (as William A. Steele)
Bud Harris, who is in love with Molly Vernon, leaves the Vernon ranch when there is an oil boom in the territory, then returns to find the property encumbered with debt. Bush, who holds the mortgage on the ranch, attempts to foreclose when he learns that there is oil on the land, and Bud enters a horserace to pay the debt.
Rough and Ready
Morris Manning (as William A. Steele)
Ned Raleigh, a cowboy on the Stone Ranch, is laughed at by his pal Rawhide Barton for emulating his chivalrous namesake, Sir Walter Raleigh. Manning, an eastern capitalist, agrees to make Stone a loan to pay off his mortgage if he surrenders 200 head of cattle as security; Manning, after he discovers oil on the property, conspires with Blake, Stone's foreman, to hide the stock, and thus secure the land for himself.
The Runaway Express
Blackie McPherson
Joe Foley, charged to deliver a trainload of cattle to his employer, is forced to commandeer the engine when his engineer refuses to continue until he has observed union rest rules.
The Ridin' Rascal
Larrabie Keller, a homesteader, is accused of being a cattle rustler, and when Keller refuses to fight Phil Sanderson, whose sister, Phyllis, has struck his fancy, he is insulted by Bill Healy, to whom he administers a severe drubbing. Phyllis, finding Keller beside a branding fire, believes him guilty; and when he is wounded by Healy, she takes Keller to Yeager, another homesteader, who cares for him and to whom he reveals that he is a Texas Ranger.
The Flaming Frontier
Penfield
Bob Langdon, a young Pony Express rider, is given an appointment to West Point, but is forced to leave the academy as the result of political intrigue stirred up by enemies of his friend, General George A. Custer. Bob returns to the west and is made a scout for Custer's 7th Cavalry. At the Battle of Little Big Horn, Custer sends Bob with a message for aid, and Bob becomes the only survivor of the battle.
The Wild Horse Stampede
Charlie Champion
Cowboy Jack Carter, the proud owner of the Australian shepherd Bunk, accepts the challenge of corralling 10,000 wild horses within a 10-day period. With the enormous sum for his efforts, Jack prepares to propose to Jessie Hayden. Unfortunately, Jack's rival, Charlie Champion, seeks to stop him from achieving both of his goals.
The Fighting Peacemaker
Peace River Parker, foreman of the Cross L Ranch and engaged to Jess, the daughter of the owner, is railroaded into a prison term by the false witness of Jefferson Crane, who covets the ranch and Jess. Through the complicity of Clell Danert, a villainous foreman who also desires Jess, Crane arranges to ruin the Marshall ranch by driving a herd of sheep onto the cattle range.
A Six Shootin' Romance
Currier King
"Lightning" Jack inherits a ranch. Unfortunately, he is forced to share his inheritance with Donaldeen Travis, a snobbish debutante type who arrives from the East with her mammy and sister in tow. Donaldeen takes an immediate dislike to the uncouth "Lightning" and spends time instead with smooth-talking neighbor Currier King.
Under Western Skies
Fleming
Bob Erskine, the son of a wealthy New York banker, falls in love with Ella Parkhurst, the daughter of an Oregon rancher. Bob goes to work as a fieldhand for the elder Parkhurst and discovers that the Oregon crops may fail because eastern bankers, led by Bob's father, refuse to advance the farmers credit. Bob intercedes with his father, who promises to help the ranchers if Bob wins the steeplechase in the Pendleton rodeo.
Let 'er Buck
Kent Crosby
A young cowboy falls in love with the daughter of a rich rancher, and they plan to marry. However, the cowboy winds up getting in a fight with the girl's cousin and is forced to shoot him. Believing that he has killed the man and will be prosecuted for murder, the cowboy flees and ends up working on a ranch in Oregon, where his cowboy skills impress the owner to the extent that he is picked as the ranch's entrant in the World Rodeo Championships held in nearby Pendleton--a competition in which his fiancé's ranch is also entered.
The Saddle Hawk
Steve Kern
Ben Johnson, a sheepherder who hates sheep, is instructed by his employer, Vasquez, to escort beautiful Rena Newhall to her father's ranch. On the journey, Rena is abducted by Zach Marlin, who takes her to Buck Brent, an outlaw who has sworn vengeance on Jim Newhall, Rena's father, for sending him to jail years before. Ben later poses as an outlaw, joins Brent's band, and takes a hand in rustling the elder Newhall's cattle. On that raid, Ben contrives to get himself captured and convinces Rena's father both of his own good intentions and of the treachery of Marlin. Ben rejoins Brent's gang, but he is soon exposed as a fraud by Marlin.
The Hurricane Kid
Lafe Baxter
The Hurricane Kid runs afoul of Colonel Langdon's ranch foreman, Lafe Baxter when Joan Langdon shows an obvious preference for The Kid, and The Kid responds by protecting Joan from Baxter.
The Ridin' Kid from Powder River
'Lightnin' Bill Smith
After 15 years of searching, Bud Watkins finally has his revenge on the cattlemen's gunman who killed his homesteader foster father, Pop Watkins. Bud finds refuge from the sheriff at the ranch of The Spider, falls in love with the bandit's daughter, "Miss," and is betrayed to the sheriff by his rival, Steve Lanning. In an attempt to escape, Miss is shot and Bud risks discovery to get a doctor from town.
The Sunset Trail
Brand Williams (as William A. Steele)
On a passenger train passing through the desert, Louise offers to pay the fares of Happy Hobo and Collie. The boy Collie accepts, but Happy continues on foot and finds on a dying man a map to a gold mine and a photograph of his daughter, who is none other than Louise.
Hit and Run
The Gopher
Big league baseball scout Red McCarthy signs up "Swat," a bush leaguer from a desert town, and Swat becomes a success because of his exceptional hitting. When Swat begins a romance with the scout's daughter, he and the girl are kidnapped by gamblers intent on winning the series.
Shootin' for Love
Dan Hobson
Duke Travis returns from the war suffering from shell shock and an inordinate fear of guns. His father, a ranch owner, refuses to accept Duke's disability and considers him a coward.
Don Quickshot of the Rio Grande
Bill Barton (as William A. Steele)
"Pep" Pepper, a romantic cowboy whose faculty for dreaming loses him his job, tries to emulate Don Quixote's courage after reading the Spanish classic.
Dead Game
Sam Antone
"Katy" Didd holds up the stage in which his sweetheart, Alice Mason, is traveling to her wedding to Prince Tetlow, to whom her guardian insists that she be married. Katy hides her at his ranch, but Tetlow finds her and abandons Katy in the desert.
Single Handed
Windy Smith
Hector MacKnight, known to the townspeople as "Goofy" and an irritatingly terrible fiddler, is innocently drawn into a rigged poker game. A general fight brings the sheriff, and a chase ensues. Before the confusion is ended and Hector cleared, he meets Ruth Randolph and becomes involved in a circus while trying to recover the other half of her treasure map.
Bells of San Juan
Kid Rickard
Rod Norton is a lawman searching for his father's killer. Norton suspects saloon owner Jim Garson but is lacking evidence. Garson's henchmen, the Rickard brothers, kidnap Norton's sweetheart Dorothy, hoping to lure the sheriff into a trap.
The Fast Mail
Pierre La Fitte
The Fast Mail (1922)
Pardon My Nerve!
Nebraska Jones
A drifter falls for the daughter of a rancher, an alcoholic old coot whose ranch is on some very valuable land. When the old man is found murdered, the drifter is accused of the crime. He didn't do it, but he has to find who the real killer is and clear his name.
Riding with Death
Chick Dillon
Texas Ranger Steve Dorsey searches for the villain who murdered his partner.
The Wallop
Christopher Foy (as William Gettinger)
John Wesley Pringle, adventurer at large, returns home after making his strike and finds his old girl friend, Stella, engaged to Christopher Foy, who is running for sheriff. Pringle foils an attempt by incumbent sheriff Matt Lisner to kill Foy, but when Foy is accused of a murder, Pringle, in a clever ruse, captures Foy, holds the posse at gunpoint, and then releases him, explaining his motive.
The Phantom Riders
Dave Bland
Dave Bland, head of a band of cattle rustlers operating in Paradise Valley, is defied by Cheyenne Harry who has driven his heard into the valley to graze. Bland calls his phantom riders together, routes Harry's cattle, and then seeks their owner intent on taking his life.
Bucking Broadway
Buck Hoover
On a ranch in Wyoming, one of the cowboys, Cheyenne Harry (Harry Carey), falls in love with his boss's daughter. But she decides to elope to the city with Captain Thornton, a wealthy visitor to the ranch. She quickly discovers that life in the city is not what she expected. Cheyenne, devastated by the loss of his fiancée, decides to go to the city to find her, and in the end rescues her from the grips of Captain Thornton and from the extravagant and decadent way of life in the city.
A Marked Man
Sheriff
Bandit Cheyenne Harry reforms because of the faith placed in him by Molly Young and her father. Soon, however, Harry is lured from the straight and narrow when he meets his old friend Ben Kent and consents to participate in Kent's plan of robbing a stagecoach.
The Secret Man
Foreman
Convict Cheyenne Harry escapes from prison in a garbage truck and boards a train, where he eludes capture with the help of passenger Henry Beaufort. Beaufort is returning to his wealthy uncle's ranch, where earlier he had married Molly in secret because his uncle did not like her. Beaufort tells Pedro, who takes care of his child Elizabeth, to take her away because his uncle is coming, and Pedro, driving drunk, wrecks the wagon. Harry finds her and must protect her while still evading the sheriff.
Cheyenne's Pal
Cowboy (as Bill Gettinger)
During World War I, westerner Cheyenne Harry is a horse seller, but he refuses to part with his favorite horse and friend, Cactus. One night, broke and drunk, he sells Cactus to an Englishman for $350 which he soon loses gambling. When Harry discovers that Cactus is being sent to the war in France and probable death, he gets a horse- tending job on the ship. When they get the opportunity Harry jumps off the ship with Cactus and they swim to shore. Harry is eventually caught but is allowed to work off his debt and keep Cactus.
The Soul Herder
Bill Young (as William Gettinger)
Harry is thrown out of town and on his way across the desert meets a minister and his family; when the man is killed in an Indian raid, Harry takes care of his little daughter, later puts on the minister's frock and reforms a town.
Six-Shooter Justice
Mike Hernandez
John Gregg and his daughter Mary, on their way to Burro Springs, a boom mining town, lose their way and stumble into "Jawbone," a dilapidated town. Here they meet Mike Hernandez, a good-looking bad man. Mary, thinking Mike a gentleman, takes a liking to him. "Cheyenne" Harry, a homely looking good man, comes to Jawbone and Mary believes him to be a weak character. He becomes fascinated with her. Gregg hires Mike Hernandez to guide him to Burro Springs, displaying his small store of gold when paying Hernandez. Later, Gregg and his party become lost in the desert, and run out of water.
A 44-Calibre Mystery
Deputy Sheriff Horton
A 44-Calibre Mystery is a Silent Western short.
Hair-Trigger Burke
The Sheriff
Before dying, a man's friend asks him to do his best to keep the truth that he was a robber from his son.
The Fighting Gringo
Jim
Disturbed by the separation of his friends Mary Smith and Arthur Saxon, who really love each other, William "Red" Saunders resolves to reconcile the couple. Discovering that Belknap, a missionary with political aspirations, exercises a destructive hypnotic influence over Mary, Red schemes to eliminate Belknap.
Goin' Straight
Sheriff Dan Bekham
Billy Carter and two Mexicans, Cuteo and Estaban, are smugglers of opium which they bring across the border from Mexico into the United States. The authorities are unable to apprehend them, so "Pinnacle" Bill and "Cheyenne" Harry of the Arizona Ranger Service are sent to assist the sheriff, Dan Beckham, and the inspectors in their search.
The Outlaw and the Lady
The Sheriff
Major Carter, owner of the Sunset mines, reads of a reward offered for Cheyenne Harry if captured. The butler gives him a telegram telling of the flooding of several shafts in his mine. He is soon on the way to the mine in his car. Ruth, his daughter, follows in her roadster.
The Bad Man of Cheyenne
The Sheriff
Sheriff Crane's wife and child are preparing for a little journey with their wagon and team. On arriving at the store, the wife, on attempting to get out, stumbles and startles the horses, which causes them to run away, the child hanging on to the wagon. This is seen by Harry, who gives chase, captures the runaway horses, and returns the child, unhurt, to the mother
Blood Money
Dan Beckham
The sheriff, Dan Beckham, and his deputy, Bud Cameron, are posting signs offering a reward for the capture of Cheyenne Harry, accused of holding up a Wells Fargo shipment. Shortly after they have tacked the sign to a tree Cheyenne Harry removes it.
The Night Riders
The Breed
Jack Marston is the sheriff of a western town and Jennie, his sister, is postmistress and operator at the stage station. Among the inhabitants of the town is an Indian breed. An outcast from his own people, he is looked down upon by the race of his adoption, although his education has included a college course. The express company has posted a reward for the apprehension of one Apache Kid and his band of fellow robbers. The next night the band arrive in the town and hold up one of the main saloons. Peggy, a dance hall girl, takes the fancy of the leader, the Apache Kid, and he abducts her and takes her with them when they make their escape.
A Knight of the Range
Burk
Unaware of the weakness of Bob Graham's character, Bess Dawson decides to marry him instead of the other cowboy who loves her, Cheyenne Harry. Before the wedding, however, some crooks induce Bob to take part in a hold-up. Then when Harry hears that a posse has been dispatched to catch Bob, he rides out to him and helps him escape.
The Ring of Destiny
The Cattle Rustler
Jack and Dolly, his sister, live together in the west. On Jack's birthday, Dolly presents him with a peculiar ring. The brother and sister attend a masquerade ball that evening, each dressed in the other's clothes. Dolly, being taken for a man, meets Big Bill, a new ranchman, and he offers her a cigar, which she tries to smoke. Jack sees her in distress, and coming to her rescue, is introduced as the sister. The next morning Jack leaves to look over his stock. While riding through the sage brush, he takes a shot at a rabbit and the bullet lands near the spot where a cattle rustler is plying his unlawful trade. The cattle rustler and Jack meet. The former believes that Jack tried to kill him and a fight follows. Jack is killed.
The White Wolf
Red Nose
Swift Wind, a young chief, loves Dancing Fawn. In their ramblings, they too, see white wolves, which is an object of fear and veneration among the Indians, and return to the village. The two are betrothed by the old chief, but old Red Nose, the medicine man, demands her hand for himself. The chief, fearing his magic powers, considers. Dancing Fawn runs away to her lover. Swift Wind is taught a secret by an old trapper, "If a trap is baited with an animal's own hair the iron jaws will never fail to catch it." The Indian decides how he will overthrow his rival. At his instruction Dancing Fawn cuts off a lock of hair from the sleeping medicine man. With it Swift Wind baits the trap. The next day a wolf is caught and as the Indians approach the trap the beast turns into the medicine man. The hand of the great father has proven his love again and Swift Wind and his sweetheart are united.
Universal Ike Junior Nearly Gets Married
Young Ike has fallen for the rancher's daughter. His chances improve when it's found that he stands to inherit $50,000, but things get complicated it turns out that he's actually $50,000 in debt.
Universal Ike Junior in Me, Him, and I
Billy
Daughter is a sweet and simple thing but not easily managed. Mother picks Harry. Dad prefers Johnny. Daughter herself has her heart set on Billy. A mild war is declared when daughter sees a way to solve the matter. She tells mother that she will marry Harry, Dad that she will wed Johnnie and whispers slyly to Billy that he is the man.
Universal Ike Junior and the Vampire
1st Fool
After a long spell of quietude at Alkali Flat things began to brighten up. Horse thieves drove a number of stock away. The men folks organized a posse. Although Ike was not married he, like the others, found the business of chasing horse-thieves rather restful. While the posse was camped in an old riverbed, Zingara, a beautiful gypsy girl, and her father drove their wagon into the camp and were invited to put up there tor the night.
'Cross the Mexican Line
Lieut. Wallace leaves his fiancée, Dorothy West, to cross the border with his troops into Mexico. Later he is wounded, captured and taken to the hacienda of the Mexican officer, Senor Paranze, where his wounds are dressed by Senora Paranze. The latter falls in love with the American when he defends her from her brutal husband.
Passing of the Beast
Jacques watched through an opening in the foliage and saw Gilbert of the mounted police and his own wife exchange pleasant greetings. From that moment he hated the police officer. Gilbert was too fine-looking.
A Gypsy Romance
A story of the inside life of nomads who live in the shadow of civilization, worshiping their own goods and clinging to their ancient rites.
The Voice of the Viola
The Surgeon
This is a story of the love of two brothers for the same girl.
Her Spoiled Boy
Big Bill
Robert Burton was an only son and his indulgent mother had spoiled him. Bob was not all bad, but he was woefully weak and could not stick long at any one task. Also he paid more attention to rolling cigarettes than he did to his work. One day he was discharged by the foreman of the crockery store where he worked and appeared at home disgusted and sullen. His mother tried to comfort him, but the boy was anxious to have his way and announced his intention of going west, where he thought there would be better opportunities for him.
The Immortal Alamo
A lost silent film depicting the battle of the Alamo. Filmed in San Antonio.
The 'Schoolmarm' of Coyote County
Big Bill
"I do hate learnin', but oh! you schoolmarm!" is what the boys at the gulch said when Mary came to town; and, from "Big Bill" down to Hop Lee, the Chink, they all took to study, and to courtship. The rivalry is friendly until the new foreman blows in and takes the inside track, then "Big Bill" gets jealous. At the swell (?) reception the foreman cuts Bill out and Bill decides to "lay for him." The foreman soon discharged a greaser who later robs the paymaster and contrives to fix the blame on the foreman.
The Man Within
A man is a fugitive from the law. A reward of $2,000 is offered for his capture. A large posse is on his trail. Weary, hungry and haunted, the refugee is slowly but surely being hemmed in.
An Indian Outcast
Black Wolf
Black Wolf, a brave, wants Whispering Water to be his squaw. Whispering Water is afraid of this taciturn Indian and refuses. He tries to carry her off but is stopped by another Indian, Brave Heart, and there is a savage light in which Black Wolf is worsted. He appeals to the chief to banish Brave Heart.