Slim Cole

Slim Cole
Born
Nathan Cole Hebert

(1892-05-06)May 6, 1892
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Other namesKing Cole
Occupation(s)Actor, stuntman
Years active1915–1932
SpouseKatherine Fay (m. 1915-1921)
FamilyNathan Cole (grandfather)

Nathan Cole Hebert (born May 6, 1892, date of death unknown), known as Slim Cole and sometimes credited as King Cole,[1] was an American actor and stuntman who appeared in a string of B-movie westerns during Hollywood's silent era.[2]

Biography

Early years

Slim was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Joseph Hebert and Hallie Cole.[3] His mother's father, Nathan Cole, was once mayor of St. Louis.[4] Joseph Hebert, Slim's father, died when Slim was a toddler, and he was raised by his mother in the Los Angeles area.[5][6][7]

Career as a forest ranger

While working as a forest ranger in the San Bernardino Mountains, he learned how to ride a motorcycle, a skill that would serve him well when he entered the motion picture industry around 1915.[8] "They laughed at me when I started patrolling the forests on motorcycle, but after I got the knack for following old trails and making new ones, I showed them that I could cover as much territory as four rangers on mounted horses."[1]

Career in Hollywood

After being spotted by a motion picture director, Slim was soon in demand for his willingness to perform all sorts of death-defying stunts. He often worked with fellow stunt performer and actress Grace Cunard. Early on, he was employed by Charlie Chaplin's studio.[9]

In 1922, he briefly returned to St. Louis with the ambition of starting a motion picture industry in his hometown. He also aimed to give his body a rest after years of being roughed up on the job. "I'm getting too old for the business," he told a reporter with The St. Louis Post Dispatch. "I'm only 29, but I've been through a lot, and I don't have to wait for a psychic hunch."

He did continue to act, but his roles got smaller and smaller until he was pretty much only landing bit parts.[6]

Personal life

Cole married Katherine Fay in 1915; the couple divorced in 1921.[10] After his last film was released in 1932, it's unknown what happened to Cole.

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^ a b "St. Louisan Quitting a Career in Which a Man Is Old at 29". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 5 Nov 1922. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  2. ^ Katchmer, George A. (2015-05-20). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-0905-8.
  3. ^ "Rotogravure Picture Section". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 18 Apr 1920. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  4. ^ "St. Louisan Star in 'The Shiek' Movie Play". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. 29 Nov 1921. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  5. ^ "Cole Heir in Need, Heart Is Broken". The St. Louis Star and Times. 16 May 1913. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  6. ^ a b "Screen Life in Hollywood". The Morning Union. 27 Sep 1932. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  7. ^ "Adventurer of Films Added to Gish Cast". The Los Angeles Times. 18 Jul 1926. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  8. ^ "'The Texas Bad Man' Now Showing at Seltzer Theatre". The Daily News. 12 Nov 1932. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  9. ^ "Out of Luck". The Los Angeles Times. 13 Jan 1918. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  10. ^ "Says Husband Spurned Meal; Divorces Him". The Los Angeles Times. May 21, 1921. p. 15. Retrieved 2020-03-17.