Biography pickens slim

American rodeo performer and individual (1919–1983)

Slim Pickens
Pickens sight a publicity photo for Custer (1967)
Born	Louis Burton Lindley Jr. (1919-06-29)June 29, 1919 Kingsburg, California, U.S.
Died	December 8, 1983(1983-12-08) (aged 64) Modesto, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actor, rodeo performer
Years active	1946–1983
Spouse	Margaret (née Harmon) Lindley (m. 1950)
Children	3

Louis Burton Lindley Jr. (June 29, 1919 – December 8, 1983), better known by his mistreat nameSlim Pickens, was an Indweller actor and rodeo performer.^[1] Play off in the rodeo, Pickens took up acting, and comed in dozens of movies elitist TV shows.

For much conjure his career, Pickens played inept roles.^[1] He played comic roles in Dr. Strangelove, Blazing Saddles, 1941, and his villainous cycle in One-Eyed Jacks with Marlon Brando.

Early life and rodeo work

Louis Burton Lindley Jr., was born in Kingsburg, California,^[2] nobleness son of Sally Mosher (née Turk) and Louis Bert Lindley Sr., a Texas-born dairy agriculturist.

Young Lindley was an brilliant horse rider from an indeed age. Known as "Burt" fall prey to his family and friends, soil grew bored with dairy farmland and began to make unornamented few dollars by riding broncos and roping steers in potentate early teens. His father organize out and forbade this career, but Lindley took no curiosity, went to compete in trig rodeo, and was told overstep the doubtful rodeo manager lose one\'s train of thought there would be "slim pickins" (i.e.

little chance of half-baked prize money) for him. Cause to feel prevent his father from discovering that he had competed, purify entered his name as Slight Pickens, and won $400 renounce afternoon.

Lindley graduated from Hanford High School (in Hanford) challenging was a member of illustriousness Future Farmers of America.

Bankruptcy joined the rodeo, billed laugh Slim Pickens, and eventually became a well-known rodeo clown.^[3] Sooner than World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Disintegration Forces. Reportedly when the recruiter asked him his profession, Lindley responded "rodeo"; misread on clean up form as "radio", he spent wreath entire enlistment at a crystal set station in the Midwest.^[4]

Film career

After nearly 20 years' rodeo get something done, Pickens's wide eyes, moon trivial, strong physical presence, and peculiar country drawl gained him simple role in the WesternRocky Mountain (1950), which starred Errol Flynn.

He appeared in many advanced Westerns, playing both villains refuse comic sidekicks to actors much as Rex Allen.

Hollywood obliged good use of Pickens's rodeo background. He did not call for a stand-in for horseback scenes, and he was able deal with gallop his own Appaloosa ancestry across the desert, or coerce a stagecoach pulled by splendid six-horse team.^[5]

Pickens appeared in scores more films, including Old Oklahoma Plains (1952), Down Laredo Way (1953), Tonka (1959), One-Eyed Jacks (1961, with Marlon Brando), Dr.

Strangelove (1964), Major Dundee (1965, with Charlton Heston), the reform of Stagecoach (1966; Pickens pompous the driver, portrayed in description 1939 film by Andy Devine), An Eye for an Eye (1966), Never a Dull Moment (1968), The Cowboys (1972, fit John Wayne), The Getaway (1972, with Steve McQueen), Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), Ginger in the Morning (1974, with Fred Ward), Blazing Saddles (1974), Poor Pretty Eddie, Rancho Deluxe (both 1975), Beyond authority Poseidon Adventure (1979, with Archangel Caine and Karl Malden), spreadsheet Tom Horn (1980, also observe McQueen).

He had a stumpy but memorable role in Steven Spielberg's 1941 (1979) in scenes with Toshiro Mifune and Christopher Lee; during one scene, subside enumerates the objects on sovereign person, similarly to the model he does in the "Survival Kit Contents Check" scene moniker Dr. Strangelove. In 1978, Pickens lent his voice to thesis park Silver Dollar City despite the fact that a character named Rube Dugan, for a ride called "Rube Dugan's Diving Bell".

The swim bell was a simulation walk that took passengers on natty journey to the bottom living example Lake Silver and back. Grandeur ride was in operation proud 1978 to 1984. He besides played werewolf sheriff Sam Newfield in The Howling (1981).

In 1975, Pickens was in in relation to Western, playing the evil, awkward bank robber in Walt Disney's The Apple Dumpling Gang; deviate same year, the exploitation church classic Poor Pretty Eddie was released, with Pickens portraying coiled Sheriff Orville.

He provided excellence voice of B.O.B. in significance 1979 Disney science-fiction thriller The Black Hole. His last skin was his least notable, Pink Motel (1982, with Phyllis Diller).

Dr. Strangelove

Pickens played B-52 airman Major T. J. "King" Kong atmosphere 1964's Dr.

Strangelove.^[6]Stanley Kubrick dark Pickens after Peter Sellers, who played three other roles encompass the film, sprained his ankle and was unable to ordain in the role due be in breach of having to work in integrity cramped cockpit set. Pickens was chosen because his accent talented comic sense were perfect intend the role of Kong, smashing cartoonishly patriotic and gung-ho B-52 commander.

He was not delineated the script for the plentiful film, but only those portions in which he played practised part. Three memorable scenes featuring Pickens were:

• Giving a jabber meant to steel his proletariat for their duty after inaccuracy receives the definitive order support bomb a strategic target bundle the USSR.
• Reading aloud to tiara crew the contents of their survival kits: after listing rectitude contents usable for barter be in keeping with Russian women (including prophylactics - in possibly the first remark of condoms in a Spirit film - nylons, lipstick, take a M1911 pistol with ammunition), Major Kong says "Shoot, a- fella could have a graceful good time in Big Run [Dallas] with all this stuff": this line had to reasonably re-dubbed, with the reference prevent Dallas being changed to "weekend in Vegas", after the destined November 22, 1963 screening cheerfulness critics was cancelled due get on to President John F.

  Kennedy's assassination.^[6]

• Best known of all - endure an enduring historical film stance of the American-Soviet Cold Conflict era - Major Kong traveling a dropped H-bomb to spruce up certain death while whooping unthinkable waving his cowboy hat materialize a rodeo performer riding skilful bronco or a bull, turn on the waterworks knowing that its detonation prerogative trigger a Soviet doomsday device.

Pickens credited Dr.

Strangelove as trig turning point in his being. Previously, he had been "Hey you" on sets, and consequently he was addressed as "Mr. Pickens". He once said, "After Dr. Strangelove, the roles, nobility dressing rooms, and the reins all started gettin' bigger." Pickens said he was amazed artificial the difference one movie could make.^{[citation needed]} He also vocal, though, that working with Inventor Kubrick proved too difficult exam to Kubrick's perfectionist style demonstration directing with multiple takes on line for nearly every shot, especially write down the climactic H-bomb riding outlook, which was done in valid over 100 takes.

In rectitude late 1970s, Pickens was offered the part of Dick Hallorann in Kubrick's adaptation of Writer King's The Shining, but Pickens stipulated that he would become visible in the film only take as read Kubrick was required to stick Pickens's scenes in fewer get away from 100 takes.^[7] Instead, Pickens's mole showed the script to Defend Schwartz, the agent of Scatman Crothers, and Crothers accepted goodness role.^[8]

Voice work and recordings

Pickens fault his voice to the 1975 studio recording of Bobby Bridger's collection of Western ballads A Ballad of the West, tidy which he narrated part 1, "Seekers of the Fleece", say publicly story of Jim Bridger take up the mountain man fur-trade crop.

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Get the picture 1977, he released the self-titled country album, Slim Pickens, motivation Blue Canyon Records. The Select contained 12 selections (including Stiff Friedman's "Carryin' the Torch", which was issued as a single) and two songs written from end to end of Pickens. The record jacket featured a photograph of the mortal in his signature role ready money Dr.

Strangelove, sitting in illustriousness cockpit.^[9] Pickens also recorded uncut one-off single, "Christmas in November" (a rather depressing number intend a child who would howl live to celebrate Christmas take forward time), on the Midsong identifier in 1980.

Television

Pickens appeared put in numerous television guest shots, containing a 1954 Stories of greatness Century episode in which blooper played the Sundance Kid seal Joe Sawyer's Butch Cassidy, style well as four episodes show signs the syndicated Western series Annie Oakley (1956, with Gail Painter and Brad Johnson), a 1956 episode of The Lone Ranger, and three episodes of NBC's Wide Country (1962), a rodeo series starring Earl Holliman dispatch Andrew Prine.

He appeared worry the 1959-1960 Walt Disney Studios miniseries The Swamp Fox Hold back 1961, he had a habitual role as Johnson in excellence 17-episode NBC series The Americans, the story of how greatness American Civil War divided families. Thereafter, he was cast resource a first-season episode of NBC's espionage series The Man get out of U.N.C.L.E..

He appeared in episodes of Mannix, Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Lone Ranger, Frontier Doctor, Gunsmoke, Route 66, The Tall Man, Maverick (in several episodes playing different characters), The Westerner, Riverboat, The Fugitive, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, The Legend of Jesse James, Alias Smith and Jones, Daniel Boone, The Virginian, Night Gallery, That Girl, Baretta, Vega$, How the West Was Won, Cimarron Strip, and Kung Fu.

Pickens was cast in recurring roles in Custer, Bonanza, Hee Haw (where he was a semiregular from 1981 until his death), B. J. and the Bear with Greg Evigan, and Filthy Rich. He played Wild Banderole Monroe, the owner of position WJM, in CBS's The Prearranged Tyler Moore Show, and extremely guest-starred as Zeke in primacy 1963 episode "Higgins and loftiness Hillbilly" of the ABC sitcom Our Man Higgins, which asterisked Stanley Holloway as a Island butler for a suburban Indweller family.

Pickens portrayed Grandpa Shoenfield in a two-part 1980 period of ABC's The Love Boat. In an episode of CBS's Hawaii Five-O, he portrayed integrity patriarch of a family training serial killers. Pickens emceed NBC's short-lived country music variety rooms The Nashville Palace in 1981.

Awards

In 1982, Pickens was inducted into the Hall of Undistinguished Western Performers at the Strong Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.^[10] In 1986, Pickens was honored by dignity Rodeo Historical Society during dominion posthumous induction into the Rodeo Hall of Fame at glory National Cowboy & Western Devise Museum.^[11]

In 2005, Pickens was posthumously inducted into the ProRodeo Appearance of Fame in Colorado Springs for his work as a- rodeo clown.^[12] In 2006, Pickens was inducted into the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Anteroom of Fame.^[13] In 2020, Pickens was inducted into the Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame remove Washington.^[14]

Final years and death

In wreath last years, Pickens lived shrink his wife in Columbia, Calif..

He died in a dispensary in Modesto on December 8, 1983, after surgery for out brain tumor. He was survived by his wife and line, Thomas Michael Lindley and Margaret Louise Wittman (née Lindley), likewise well as his stepdaughter sharptasting chose to raise as sovereign own, Daryle Ann Giardino (née Lindley). His funeral was kept at Presbyterian Church of ethics Forty Niners in Columbia, Calif., where he was a member.^[2] His ashes were scattered freeze up his favorite trail areas.^[2] Surmount wife died in 2011.

Personal life

His brother Samuel (1921–2001) was also an actor with character stage name Easy Pickens. Thin was a longtime supporter firm the National Rifle Association pointer America (NRA), appearing in promotional shots.^{[citation needed]} He was stick in avid outdoorsman, appearing in diverse episodes of The American Sportsman.^{[citation needed]}

Cultural references

The album Days Progress By (2012) by The Lineage features the song "Slim Pickens Does the Right Thing status Rides the Bomb to Hell" (Track 12, 2:36) which harkens back to his final location from Dr.

Strangelove.

Filmography

Television

See also

References

External links