George 'Gabby' Hayes

Biography

George Hayes is an American character actor, the most famous of Western-movie sidekicks of the 1930s and 1940s. He worked in a circus and played semi-pro baseball while a teenager. In 1914, he married Olive Ireland and the pair became successful on the vaudeville circuit. Retired in his forties, he lost much of his money in the 1929 stock market crash and was forced to return to work. He played scores of roles in Westerns and non-Westerns alike, finally in the mid-1930s settling in to an almost exclusively Western career. He gained fame as Hopalong Cassidy's sidekick Windy Halliday in films between 1936 and 1939. Leaving the Cassidy films in a salary dispute, he was legally precluded from using the Windy nickname, and so took on the sobriquet Gabby, and was so billed from about 1940. In his early films, he alternated between whiskered comic-relief sidekicks and clean-shaven bad guys, but by the later 1930s, he worked almost exclusively as a Western sidekick to stars such as John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Randolph Scott. After his last film in 1950, he starred as the host of The Gabby Hayes Show. He died on February 9, 1969.

Known For

What's My Line?

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

Western von gestern

Tall in the Saddle

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

In Old Oklahoma

Love Me Tonight

Heart of Arizona

All Movies (197)

• It's Howdy Doody Time: A 40-Year Celebration1987 · as Self (archive footage)
• Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch1976 · as (archive footage)
• Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?1975 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Western: A Lost TV Special1958 · as Self
• The Cariboo Trail1950 · as Grizzly
• El Paso1949 · as Pesky Tees
• The Untamed Breed1948 · as Windy Lucas
• Return of the Bad Men1948 · as John Pettit
• Albuquerque1948 · as Juke
• Wyoming1947 · as Windy Gibson
• Trail Street1947 · as Billy Jones
• Heldorado1946 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Home in Oklahoma1946 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Roll on Texas Moon1946 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Under Nevada Skies1946 · as Gabby Whittaker
• My Pal Trigger1946 · as Gabby Kendrick
• Rainbow Over Texas1946 · as Sheriff 'Gabby' Whittaker
• Badman's Territory1946 · as Honest Jim Badger / The Coyote Kid
• Song of Arizona1946 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Don't Fence Me In1945 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Sunset in El Dorado1945 · as Gabby
• Along the Navajo Trail1945 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Man from Oklahoma1945 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Bells of Rosarita1945 · as Gabby Whittake
• Utah1945 · as Gabby Whittaker
• The Big Bonanza1944 · as Hap Selby
• Lights of Old Santa Fe1944 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Tall in the Saddle1944 · as Dave
• Marshal of Reno1944 · as Gabby
• Tucson Raiders1944 · as 'Gabby' Hopkins
• Hidden Valley Outlaws1944 · as Gabby Hayes
• Mojave Firebrand1944 · as Gabby Hayes
• In Old Oklahoma1943 · as Despirit Dean
• Death Valley Manhunt1943 · as Gabby Hayes
• Overland Mail Robbery1943 · as Gabby
• Wagon Tracks West1943 · as Gabby
• Bordertown Gun Fighters1943 · as Gabby Hayes
• The Man from Thunder River1943 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Calling Wild Bill Elliott1943 · as Gabby Hayes
• Ridin' Down the Canyon1942 · as Gabby
• Heart of the Golden West1942 · as Gabby
• Sunset Serenade1942 · as Gabby
• The Sons of the Pioneers1942 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Romance on the Range1942 · as Gabby
• Sunset on the Desert1942 · as Gabby Whittaker
• South of Santa Fe1942 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Man from Cheyenne1942 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Red River Valley1941 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Jesse James at Bay1941 · as Sheriff Gabby Whitaker
• Bad Man of Deadwood1941 · as Prof. Mortimer 'Gabby' Blackstone
• Nevada City1941 · as Gabby Chapman
• Sheriff of Tombstone1941 · as Gabby
• In Old Cheyenne1941 · as Arapaho Brown
• Robin Hood of the Pecos1941 · as Gabriel Gabby Hornaday
• The Border Legion1940 · as Honest John Whittaker
• Young Bill Hickok1940 · as 'Gabby' Whitaker
• Colorado1940 · as Gabby
• Melody Ranch1940 · as Pop Laramie
• The Ranger and the Lady1940 · as Gabby Whittaker
• The Carson City Kid1940 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Wagons Westward1940 · as Hardtack
• Dark Command1940 · as Andrew 'Doc' Grunch
• Young Buffalo Bill1940 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Days of Jesse James1939 · as Gabby
• Saga of Death Valley1939 · as Gabby
• The Arizona Kid1939 · as Gabby Whittaker
• In Old Monterey1939 · as Gabby Whittaker
• Wall Street Cowboy1939 · as Gabby
• Renegade Trail1939 · as Windy Halliday
• In Old Caliente1939 · as Gabby
• Man of Conquest1939 · as Lannie Upchurch
• Silver on the Sage1939 · as Windy Halliday
• Southward Ho!1939 · as Gabby
• Sunset Trail1939 · as Windy Halliday
• Let Freedom Ring1939 · as Pop Wilkie
• Fighting Thoroughbreds1939 · as Gramps Montrose
• The Frontiersmen1938 · as Windy Halliday
• In Old Mexico1938 · as Windy Halliday
• Pride of the West1938 · as Windy Halliday
• Bar 20 Justice1938 · as Windy Halliday
• Heart of Arizona1938 · as Windy Halliday
• Gold Is Where You Find It1938 · as Enoch
• Texas Trail1937 · as Windy Halliday
• Hopalong Rides Again1937 · as Windy Halliday
• Rustlers' Valley1937 · as Windy Halliday
• North of the Rio Grande1937 · as Windy Halliday
• Mountain Music1937 · as Granpappy Burnside
• Hills of Old Wyoming1937 · as Windy Halliday
• Borderland1937 · as Windy Halliday
• Trail Dust1936 · as Windy Halliday
• The Plainsman1936 · as Breezy
• Hopalong Cassidy Returns1936 · as Windy Halliday
• Valiant Is the Word for Carrie1936 · as Bearded Man
• The Texas Rangers1936 · as Judge Snow
• I Married a Doctor1936 · as Train Station Agent
• Three on the Trail1936 · as Windy Halliday
• Mr. Deeds Goes to Town1936 · as Farmer's Spokesman (uncredited)
• Song of the Trail1936 · as Dan Hobson
• Call of the Prairie1936 · as Shanghai McHenry
• Heart of the West1936 · as Windy Jenkins
• The Lawless Nineties1936 · as Major Carter
• Silverspurs1936 · as Drag Harlan
• Valley of the Lawless1936 · as Grandpaw Jenkins
• Hitch Hike Lady1935 · as Miner
• Swifty1935 · as Sheriff Dan Hughes (as George F. Hayes)
• Bar 20 Rides Again1935 · as Windy Halliday
• The Eagle's Brood1935 · as Spike
• $1,000 a Minute1935 · as New Deal Watson
• Texas Terror1935 · as Sheriff Ed Williams
• The Throwback1935 · as Ford Cruze
• Thunder Mountain1935 · as Foley
• Tumbling Tumbleweeds1935 · as Dr. Parker
• Hop-a-long Cassidy1935 · as Uncle Ben
• The Farmer Takes a Wife1935 · as Lucas
• Honeymoon Limited1935 · as Pinkham
• Ladies Crave Excitement1935 · as McCloskey
• Justice of the Range1935 · as John Coffin, known as Pegleg Sanderson
• The Hoosier Schoolmaster1935 · as Pearson (as George Hayes)
• The Headline Woman1935 · as Duffy
• Tombstone Terror1935 · as Soupy Baxter
• Smokey Smith1935 · as Blaze Bart
• Rainbow Valley1935 · as George Hale
• The Outlaw Tamer1935 · as Cactus Barnes (as Geo. S. Hayes)
• The Lost City1935 · as Butterfield
• Death Flies East1935 · as Wotkyns
• 'Neath the Arizona Skies1934 · as Matt Downing
• The Lawless Frontier1934 · as Dusty
• Vengence is Mine1934 · as Dusty
• In Old Santa Fe1934 · as Cactus
• The Brand of Hate1934 · as Bill Larkins
• The Man from Hell1934 · as Banker Colonel Campbell
• The Star Packer1934 · as Matt Matlock
• The Drifter1934 · as Marvin Black
• Randy Rides Alone1934 · as - Marvin Black aka Mat Mathews/Matt the Mute
• Bandits of the Badlands1934 · as Sheriff Jake Withers
• The Shadow Gang1934 · as Matt Matlock
• Next Of Kin1934 · as 'Dusty'
• Monte Carlo Nights1934 · as Inspector Nick Gunby
• The Man from Utah1934 · as Marshal George Higgins
• Rodeo Rocketeers1934 · as Marshall George
• Blue Steel1934 · as Sheriff Jake Withers
• City Limits1934 · as Charlie Carter
• Bedlam of Beards1934
• House of Mystery1934 · as David Fells
• Mystery Liner1934 · as Joe, the Watchman
• Beggars in Ermine1934 · as Joe Wilson
• West of the Divide1934 · as 'Dusty'
• The Lucky Texan1934 · as Jake 'Grandy' Benson
• Claim Jumpers1934 · as Jake Benson
• Riders of Destiny1933 · as Charlie Denton
• Ship of Wanted Men1933 · as Crewman
• Skyway1933 · as George Taylor
• The Devil's Mate1933 · as Collins
• Ranger's Code1933 · as Baxter (as George Hayes)
• Galloping Romeo1933 · as Grizzly
• The Fugitive1933 · as Judge Tyler
• Fighting Texans1933 · as Pop Martin
• The Sphinx1933 · as Detective Casey
• Crashing Broadway1933 · as J. Talbot Thorndyke
• The Gallant Fool1933 · as Dad Denton
• The Return of Casey Jones1933 · as Timothy Shine
• Trailing North1933 · as Flash Ryan
• The Phantom Broadcast1933 · as Police Lieutenant
• Breed of the Border1933 · as Chuck Wiggins
• The Fighting Champ1932 · as Pete
• Self Defense1932 · as Jury Foreman
• Wild Horse Mesa1932 · as Slack
• Texas Buddies1932 · as Si Haller
• Hidden Valley1932 · as Gavin Henchman - Dark Hat
• Broadway to Cheyenne1932 · as Walrus
• Klondike1932 · as Tom Ross
• The Night Rider1932 · as Altoonie
• Love Me Tonight1932 · as Grocer (uncredited)
• A Slip at the Switch1932 · as Deputy Smoot
• Winner Take All1932 · as Interne at Rosario Ranch (uncredited)
• The Boiling Point1932 · as George Duncan
• The Man from Hell's Edges1932 · as Shamrock Cassidy
• Riders of the Desert1932 · as Hashknife Brooks
• Border Devils1932 · as Squint Sanders
• Play Girl1932 · as Dance Hall Tobacconist (uncredited)
• Sally of the Subway1932 · as Police Lieutenant Paxton
• Dragnet Patrol1931 · as Private Detective
• Cavalier of the West1931 · as Sheriff Bill Ryan
• Oklahoma Jim1931 · as Crooked Gambler
• The Nevada Buckaroo1931 · as Cherokee Williams
• Big Business Girl1931 · as Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
• God's Country and the Man1931 · as Stingaree Kelly
• The Stolen Jools1931 · as Projectionist
• Dirigible1931 · as Parade Official (uncredited)
• Top Speed1930 · as Western Union Clerk
• For the Defense1930 · as Ben (the waiter)
• She Who Gets Slapped1930 · as Poker Player
• Playing Around1930 · as Railroad Ticket-Seller (uncredited)
• Big News1929 · as Hoffman
• Smiling Irish Eyes1929 · as Taxi Driver
• Rainbow Man1929 · as Bill
• The House Without Children1919 · as Archibald Ponsonby

All TV Shows (5)

• Western von gestern1978 · as Gabby Whittaker (archive footage)
• The Dinah Shore Chevy Show1956 · as Self
• The Gabby Hayes Show1956 · as Narrator
• The Gabby Hayes Show1950 · as Himself
• What's My Line?1950 · as Self