← Home
Tim McCoy

Tim McCoy

Acting

Born: April 10, 1891Saginaw, Michigan, USA

One of the great stars of early American Westerns. McCoy was the son of an Irish soldier who later became police chief of Saginaw, Michigan, where McCoy was born. He attended St. Ignatius College in Chicago and after seeing a Wild West show there, left school and found work on a Wyoming ranch. He became an expert horseman and roper and developed a keen knowledge of the ways and languages of the Indian tribes in the area. He competed in numerous rodeos, then enlisted in the U.S. Army when America entered the First World War. He was commissioned and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. At the end of World War I, he returned to his ranch in Wyoming, only to be called by Governor Bob Carry to the post of Adjutant General of Wyoming, a position he held until 1921. The position carried with it the rank of Brigadier General (a brevet promotion) and it has been reported that this made him the youngest general officer in the U.S. Army. His reputation as a friend to the Wind River Reservation Indians, both Arapahoe and Shoshone, preceded him and in 1922, he was asked by the head of Famous Players-Lasky, Jesse L. Lasky, to provide Indian extras for the Western extravaganza, The Covered Wagon (1923). He resigned from the state position and recruited several hundred Indians to the Utah movie location. When the film wrapped, he was asked to choose several Indians to accompany him to Hollywood. There the production company developed a live 'prologue' to be presented just prior to the movie showing. The idea was a success and McCoy and his Indian group toured the U.S. and eventually, Europe as well. After touring this country and Europe with the Indians as publicity, McCoy returned to Hollywood and used his connections to obtain further work in the movies, both as a technical advisor and eventually as an actor. MGM speedily signed him to a contract to star in a series of Westerns and McCoy rapidly rose to stardom, making scores of Westerns and occasional non-Westerns. He retired from the army and from films after the war, but emerged in the late 1940s for a few more films and some television work. In 1942 he ran for the Republican Nomination for the U.S. Senate in Wyoming. He was defeated and returned to Hollywood and an uncertain future. In 1946 he sold his Wyoming ranch and moved to Bucks County, Pennsylvania and the life of the gentleman farmer. While living there, he met and married Danish writer Inga Arvad. He later built a home in Nogales, Arizona where Inga subsequently died in 1973. He spent his later years as a retired rancher. He died at the U.A. Army hospital at Ft. Hauchuca, Arizona on January 29 1978 at the age of 86. Inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1974. During World War I, he served as an artillery officer in the US Army in France. Spouse Inga Arvad (1945 - 1973) (her death) Alice Miller (? - 1931) (divorced) (3 children)

Known For
Filmography
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

(archive footage)

1976
Hollywood: The Dream Factory

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

Self (archive footage)

1972
Requiem for a Gunfighter

Requiem for a Gunfighter

Judge Irving Short

1965
Run of the Arrow

Run of the Arrow

Gen. Allen (as Colonel Tim McCoy)

1957
Around the World in 80 Days

Around the World in 80 Days

Colonel

1956
Injun Talk

Injun Talk

Himself

1946
West of the Law

West of the Law

Marshal Tim McCall

1942
Riders of the West

Riders of the West

Marshal Tim McCall

1942
Down Texas Way

Down Texas Way

U. S. Marshal Tim McCall

1942
Ghost Town Law

Ghost Town Law

Marshal Tim McCall

1942
Below the Border

Below the Border

Marshal Tim McCall

1942
Forbidden Trails

Forbidden Trails

Marshal Tim McCall

1941
The Gunman From Bodie

The Gunman From Bodie

Marshal Tim McCall

1941
Arizona Bound

Arizona Bound

Tim McCall

1941
The Texas Marshal

The Texas Marshal

Marshal Trigger Tim Rand

1941
Outlaws of the Rio Grande

Outlaws of the Rio Grande

Tim Barton

1941
Riders of Black Mountain

Riders of Black Mountain

Marshal Tim Donovan

1940
Arizona Gang Busters

Arizona Gang Busters

Trigger Tim Rand

1940
Gun Code

Gun Code

Marshal Tim Hammond posing as Tim Hays

1940
Frontier Crusader

Frontier Crusader

Trigger Tim Rand

1940
Texas Renegades

Texas Renegades

'Silent' Tim Smith

1940
Trigger Fingers

Trigger Fingers

'Lightning' Bill Carson

1939
The Fighting Renegade

The Fighting Renegade

Bill Carson posing as El Puma

1939
Straight Shooter

Straight Shooter

"Lightning" Bill Carson

1939
Outlaws' Paradise

Outlaws' Paradise

William Carson / Trigger Mallory

1939
Texas Wildcats

Texas Wildcats

'Lightning' Bill Carson

1939
Code of the Cactus

Code of the Cactus

Bill Carson

1939
Six-Gun Trail

Six-Gun Trail

Captain William Carson

1938
Lightning Carson Rides Again

Lightning Carson Rides Again

Lightning Bill Carson / Jose

1938
Phantom Ranger

Phantom Ranger

Tim Hayes

1938
Two Gun Justice

Two Gun Justice

Tim

1938
Code of the Rangers

Code of the Rangers

Tim Strong

1938
West of Rainbow's End

West of Rainbow's End

Tim Hart

1938
The Traitor

The Traitor

Tim McCoy: Sergeant Tim Vallance - Texas Ranger

1936
Ghost Patrol

Ghost Patrol

Tim Caverly

1936
The Lion's Den

The Lion's Den

Tim Barton

1936
Aces and Eights

Aces and Eights

Tim Madigan

1936
Lightnin' Bill Carson

Lightnin' Bill Carson

Marshal Lightnin' Bill Carson

1936
Border Caballero

Border Caballero

Tim Ross

1936
Roarin' Guns

Roarin' Guns

Tim Corwin

1936
Bulldog Courage

Bulldog Courage

Slim Braddock / Tim Braddock

1935
The Man from Guntown

The Man from Guntown

Tim Hanlon

1935
Riding Wild

Riding Wild

Tim Malloy / Tex Ravelle

1935
The Outlaw Deputy

The Outlaw Deputy

Tim Mallory

1935
Justice of the Range

Justice of the Range

Tim Condon

1935
Fighting Shadows

Fighting Shadows

Constable Tim O'Hara

1935
The Revenge Rider

The Revenge Rider

Tim O'Neil

1935
Law Beyond the Range

Law Beyond the Range

Tim McDonald

1935
Square Shooter

Square Shooter

Tim Baxter

1935
The Westerner

The Westerner

Tim Addison

1934
Prescott Kid

Prescott Kid

Tim Hamlin

1934
Beyond the Law

Beyond the Law

Tim Weston

1934
A Man's Game

A Man's Game

Tim Bradley

1934
Hell Bent for Love

Hell Bent for Love

Police Captain Tim Daley

1934
Voice in the Night

Voice in the Night

Tim Dale

1934
Speed Wings

Speed Wings

Tim

1934
Straightaway

Straightaway

Tim Dawson

1933
Hold the Press

Hold the Press

Tim Collins

1933
Police Car 17

Police Car 17

Tim Conlon

1933
Rusty Rides Alone

Rusty Rides Alone

Tim Burke

1933
The Whirlwind

The Whirlwind

Tim Reynolds

1933
Silent Men

Silent Men

Tim Richards

1933
Man Of Action

Man Of Action

Ranger Tim Barlow

1933
End of the Trail

End of the Trail

Captain Tim Travers

1932
The Western Code

The Western Code

Tim Barrett

1932
Fighting for Justice

Fighting for Justice

Tim Keene

1932
Cornered

Cornered

Sheriff Tim Laramie

1932
Daring Danger

Daring Danger

Tim Madigan

1932
Two-Fisted Law

Two-Fisted Law

Tim Clark

1932
Hollywood on Parade

Hollywood on Parade

Self

1932
The Riding Tornado

The Riding Tornado

Tim Torrant

1932
Texas Cyclone

Texas Cyclone

Texas Grant

1932
The Fighting Fool

The Fighting Fool

Sheriff Tim Collins

1932
The Fighting Marshal

The Fighting Marshal

Tim Benton

1931
Shotgun Pass

Shotgun Pass

Tim Walker

1931
The One Way Trail

The One Way Trail

Tim Allen

1931
The Indians Are Coming

The Indians Are Coming

Jack Manning

1930
The Desert Rider

The Desert Rider

Jed Tyler

1929
Sioux Blood

Sioux Blood

Flood

1929
The Overland Telegraph

The Overland Telegraph

Captain Allen

1929
Morgan's Last Raid

Morgan's Last Raid

Capt. Daniel Clairbourne

1929

The Bushranger

Edward

1928
Beyond the Sierras

Beyond the Sierras

The Masked Stranger

1928
The Adventurer

The Adventurer

Jim McClellan

1928

Riders of the Dark

Lt. Crane

1928

Wyoming

Lt. Jack Colton

1928
The Law of the Range

The Law of the Range

Jim Lockhart

1928
Spoilers of the West

Spoilers of the West

Lieutenant Lang

1927
Foreign Devils

Foreign Devils

Capt. Robert Kelly

1927
The Frontiersman

The Frontiersman

John Dale

1927
California

California

Capt. Archibald Gillespie

1927
Winners Of The Wilderness

Winners Of The Wilderness

Col. Sir Dennis O'Hara

1927
War Paint

War Paint

Lt. Tim Marshall

1926
The Thundering Herd

The Thundering Herd

Burn Hudnall

1925

The Man Who Would Not Die

1924
Tim McCoy | Snape