Actor · Acting

Glenn Strange

Born 1899-08-16

Died 1973-09-20

📍 Weed, New Mexico, USA

At various times in his life a rancher, deputy sheriff and rodeo performer, this huge, towering (6' 5") beast of a man was born George Glenn Strange in Weed, New Mexico, on August 16, 1899, but grew up a real-life cowboy in Cross Cut, Texas. Of Irish and Cherokee Indian descent, he taught himself (by ear) the fiddle and guitar at a young age and started performing at local functions as a teen. In the late 1920s, Glenn and his cousin, Taylor McPeters, better known later as the western character actor Cactus Mack, joined a radio singing group known as the "Arizona Wranglers" that toured throughout the country.

Gunsmoke

Strange first appeared on Gunsmoke in 1960 after James Arness asked him, "When are you going to do a Gunsmoke? I like to work with big guys." During Gunsmoke's sixth season, Strange played a Long Branch customer in "Old Faces" and a cowboy in "Melinda Miles".

Strange began playing Sam Noonan during the seventh season and continued in the role for 222 episodes. In 1972 Strange was diagnosed with lung cancer but worked as long as he was able. Five of his episodes were broadcast after his death. His last appearance was on the November 26, 1973, episode "The Hanging of Newly O'Brien".

Death

On September 20, 1973, at age 74, Strange died of lung cancer in Los Angeles, California. Singer Eddie Dean, with whom Strange had collaborated on various songs and opening themes for films, sang at Strange's funeral service as a final tribute. Strange is interred at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery. CLR

Filmography 219

I Was a Teenage Movie Maker: Don Glut's Amateur Movies

The Many Faces of Dracula

as The Monster (archive footage)

Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'

as Self (archive footage)

Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld

as Self (archive footage)

Dracula in the Movies

Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook

as The Monster (archive footage)

The Horror Show

as (archive footage)

Spaceship to the Unknown

as Robot / Ming soldier / Gocko (archive footage) (uncredited)

Petticoat Junction

The Adventures of the Spirit

as Frankenstein Monster

as Indian (scenes deleted)

Last Train from Gun Hill

as Gun Hill Bouncer

Alias Jesse James

as James Gang Member

Frontier Doctor

Quantrill's Raiders

Gunfire at Indian Gap

Last Stagecoach West

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

as Pierce Henchman in Saloon (uncredited)

The Halliday Brand

The Adventures of Jim Bowie

The Fastest Gun Alive

as Sheriff in Silver Rapids (uncredited)

as Milliken, Stage Driver (uncredited)

The Vanishing American

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon

as Sam (uncredited)

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

The Road to Denver

as Bit Role (uncredited)

Buffalo Bill Jr.

Cattle Queen of Montana

as Indian Chief (uncredited)

Escape from Fort Bravo

as Sergeant Compton (uncredited)

Escape from Fort Bravo

as Sgt. Compton (uncredited)

as Prospector (uncredited)

The Veils of Bagdad

as Marshal (uncredited)

The Great Sioux Uprising

Born to the Saddle

General Electric Theater

The Lawless Breed

The Abbott and Costello Show

as Tessie's Steady Boyfriend

as Rig Ferris - Foreman (uncredited)

Hopalong Cassidy

The Legend Of The Lone Ranger

as Butch Cavendish

Callaway Went Thataway

as Cowboy Actor on Saloon set (uncredited)

as Tex Hodgkins

The Red Badge of Courage

as Colonel (uncredited)

The Adventures of Kit Carson

Comin' Round the Mountain

as Devil Dan Winfield

Double Crossbones

as Capt. Ben Avery

The Colgate Comedy Hour

Comanche Territory

as Atlas the Monster

The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger

as Butch Cavendish

Roll, Thunder, Roll!

as Foreman Davis (uncredited)

as Naylor (uncredited)

Four Faces West

as Posse Deputy (uncredited)

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein

The Gallant Legion

The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap

Hollywood Wonderland

as Singing Cowboy (clip from "Ride, Cowboy, Ride", 1939) (uncredited)

The Sea of Grass

as Bill Roach - Brewton Ranch Hand (uncredited)

Sinbad the Sailor

as Chief Galley Overseer (uncredited)

as Cop (Uncredited)

House of Dracula

as The Frankenstein Monster

as Cowboy (uncredited)

Bad Men of the Border

as Sheriff Peters

Renegades of the Rio Grande

as Bart Drummond

House of Frankenstein

as Frankenstein Monster

as Marshal Taylor

Trail to Gunsight

as Duke Ellis, Gang Leader

San Antonio Kid

as Frank 'Ace' Hanlon

Silver City Kid

as Henchman Garvey

Sonora Stagecoach

Valley Of Vengeance

The Monster Maker

Knickerbocker Holiday

The Woman of the Town

Death Valley Rangers

as The Marshall

Bullets and Saddles

as Jack Hammond

The Return of the Rangers

as Frank Martin

as Henchman Matt

as 2nd Gate Guard

Black Market Rustlers

as Corbin (as Glen Strange)

Cattle Stampede

as Boss Coulter

Action in the North Atlantic

as Jake (uncredited)

The Black Raven

The Desperadoes

as Lem - Jack's Gang Member

Western Cyclone

as Dirk Randall

Mission to Moscow

as Southerner in Montage (uncredited)

Wild Horse Stampede

as Henchman Tip

as Rance Austin

The Kid Rides Again

Little Joe, the Wrangler

as Banker Jeff Corey

Beyond the Line of Duty

as Cal (uncredited)

The Mummy's Tomb

as Farmer Holding Horse (uncredited)

Overland Stagecoach

as Frank Curtis

Texas Trouble Shooters

as Deputy (uncredited)

as Henchman Sloan

as Sheriff Trump

Romance on the Range

as Lead Henchman Stokes

The Mad Monster

Rolling Down the Great Divide

Boot Hill Bandits

as The Maverick

Sunset on the Desert

as Deputy Louie Meade

Billy the Kid Trapped

as Boss Stanton

Raiders of the West

as Hank Reynolds

Stagecoach Buckaroo

as Henchman Bill

as Sheriff Big Bill Collins

The Lone Rider and the Bandit

as Henchman Krinkle

Billy The Kid's Round-Up

as Vic Landreau

Lone Star Law Men

as Marshal Scott (as Glen Strange)

Go West, Young Lady

Arizona Cyclone

The Driftin' Kid

as Jeff Payson (as Glen Strange)

The Bandit Trail

Billy the Kid Wanted

as Matt Brawley

Westward Ho-Hum

Badlands of Dakota

as Henchman Ed Stark

Fugitive Valley

Riders of Death Valley

as Tex, a Benton Rider

The Kid's Last Ride

as Bart Gill / Ike Breeden

San Francisco Docks

as Sheriff Dave

Three Men from Texas

as Stagecoach driver

as Bill Smalley - Henchman

The Cowboy from Sundown

as Bret Stockton

as Bill Hoagland

Land of the Six Guns

Pals of the Silver Sage

as Tough Yankee #1

Covered Wagon Trails

as Fletcher - Henchman

Rhythm of the Rio Grande

as Sheriff Hays (as Glen Strange)

Teddy the Rough Rider

Days of Jesse James

as Cole Younger

as Sheriff Dawson

Law of the Pampas

as Slim Schultz

Oklahoma Terror

The Fighting Gringo

as Rance Potter

Across the Plains

as Jeff Masters

Blue Montana Skies

The Night Riders

as Angry Riverboat Gambler

Rough Riders' Round-up

The Lone Ranger Rides Again

as Raider Thorne

The Phantom Stage

as George Kirby

Honor of the West

as Bat Morrison

California Frontier

The Mysterious Rider

as Henchman Cramer

The Mexicali Kid

Pride of the West

Six Shootin' Sheriff

as Kendal Henchman

Whirlwind Horseman

as Henchman Bull

Call of the Rockies

as Henchman Kelso

as Deputy Joe O'Connell

The Painted Trail

as The 'Champ' (uncredited)

Adventure's End

The Devil's Saddle Legion

The Cherokee Strip

as Harry, Fiddle Player and Band Leader

Land Beyond the Law

as Bandy Malarkey

as Henchman Pete

Guns of the Pecos

as Wedding Groom / Rustler

California Mail

as Henchman Bud

The Sunday Round-Up

as Master of Ceremonies

The Fugitive Sheriff

as Trial Spectator (uncredited)

A Tenderfoot Goes West

as Prankster Butch

as Henchman Tim / Trooper (uncredited)

Avenging Waters

as Henchman Jake

as Gocko/Robot/Soldier

The Law of 45's

as Burn's Henchman

Moonlight on the Prairie

The New Frontier

as Arizona Wranglers Band Member 'Peewee' Strange (uncredited)

Cyclone of the Saddle

as Singer / Fiddler / Townsman

The Man from Hell

The Star Packer

The Thrill Hunter

as Studio Western Cowboy

Ride Him, Cowboy

as Hawk Henchman (uncredited)

The Hurricane Express

Cavalier of the West

as Cowboy Who Refuses to Ride