Although he was an extremely versatile actor, Raymond Hatton will probably
always be remembered as a cowboy sidekick. He was short, stocky and burly
looking with a homespun demeanor and a slightly gravelly voice. He was born
July 7, 1887 in Red Oak, Iowa the son of a Quaker physician. His 65 year
career began in vaudeville and stock theatre and on to silent films where
he starred in DeMille's "The Squaw Man" (1914) in a bit part, his film debut
and the first feature film made in Hollywood. In the 1920s he starred in
a series of comedies with Wallace Beery, in the 1930s he appeared as a sidekick
to cowboy stars including Johnny Mack Brown and Buck Jones...often as a
character called Sandy Hawkins. He appeared in over 300 films, many of them
silents, including: "The Circus Man" (1914) as Ernie Cronk; "Oliver Twist"
(1914) a silent as The Artful Dodger; "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923)
with Lon Chaney, as Gringoire; "Fireman Save My Child" (1927) as Sam; "Alice
in Wonderland" (1933) as the Mouse; "Rustlers of Red Dog" (1935) a serial
as Laramie; "G-Men" (1935) as The Man; "Love Finds Andy Hardy" (1938) as
Peter Dugan; "Kit Carson" (1940) as Jim Bridger; "Unconquered" (1947) as
Fort Venango Scout; "The Golden Hawk" (1952) as Barnaby Stoll and "In Cold
Blood" (1967) in a bit part, his final film. He died of a heart attack on
October 21, 1971 in Palmdale, California at the age of 84.
