Full name:

Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy

1891 - 1978
(Courtesy of Lad Moore)



Click HERE for the filmography on Tim McCoy which includes the directors, leading ladies and sidekicks.

One of the things that really intrigues me about the B western is the 'musical chairs' that occurred as western movie stars moved between different studios and production units, on their way up or down the cowboy hero ladder.

A classic example is Tim McCoy, who reached the height of his western starring career in the 1930s at Columbia Pictures, and then spiraled downward as he found lesser quality work at other production outfits. Fans generally remember McCoy from his 1930s Columbia work, or in later flicks where he portrayed a steely-eyed, strong man of the west with names like Lightnin' Bill Carson, Trigger Tim Rand, or U.S. Marshal Tim McCall.

McCoy was born in Saginaw, Michigan, but migrated to the west and settled on a ranch in Wyoming. He served in World War I, and over time, became an expert on the old west and Indian lore. The retired US Army (Lt) Colonel came to Hollywood to provide technical details and help on THE COVERED WAGON film which was released by Paramount in 1923. During that film, McCoy was the interface between the production crew and the Native American participants, as he was able to converse with the Indians via sign language.

Young and good looking, McCoy was hired by MGM and became their silent film cowboy and outdoor star in about twenty films. When sound arrived, Colonel Tim starred for Universal Pictures in a pair of chapterplays, THE INDIANS ARE COMING (1930) and HEROES OF THE http://www.b-westerns.com/mccoy.htmFLAMES (1931).