Whip Wilson
| Whip Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Roland Charles Meyers June 16, 1911 Granite City, Illinois |
| Died | October 22, 1964 (aged 53) Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Film actor |
Whip Wilson (born Roland Charles Meyers June 16, 1911, Granite City, Illinois – October 22, 1964, Los Angeles, California) was an American cowboy film star of the late 1940s and into the 1950s, known for his roles in B-westerns.
He was one of eight children. Wilson had been a moderately successful singer before coming to Hollywood. Following Buck Jones's death in the famous Cocoanut Grove fire of 1942, which claimed the lives of 492 people, Monogram Pictures had been searching for someone to replace him. Producer Scott R. Dunlap saw Meyers, and thought he looked similar to Jones. This, apparently, was enough to build him into a cowboy star. Because of the fame being generated by Lash LaRue, who used a bullwhip in his movies, Monogram decided to make Meyers a similar whip-wielding character, rechristening him Whip Wilson.
Wilson was a goodlooking man. When he first moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career, producers built him up with a lot of press, but it would not be enough to take him to the height of major stardom. He did star in 22 B-westerns, more than Lash LaRue, Sunset Carson, Monte Hale, Rex Allen, or Eddie Dean.
Monogram Pictures introduced Wilson to the public this way: "He was born on a fabulous ranch in Pecos, Texas, was a rodeo champion, has a engineering degree, is a direct descendant of General Custer, and he was a World War II Marine hero, and he does his own movie stunts." None of these claims was true. In fact, he had not even one shred of experience that could possibly resemble the fictional persona that Monogram created for him. He was one of the very few western film heroes of the day who was not a "cowboy" in real life. Most had at least some experience as genuine cowboys or cowgirls, and fit the part. Many had also actually served during World War II.
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