Tim McCoy
Known for Acting · 96 credits
- Born
- 1891-04-10
- Died
- 1978-01-29
- Place of birth
- Saginaw, Michigan, USA
- Also known as
- Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy
Biography
One of the great stars of early American Westerns. McCoy was the son of an Irish soldier who later became police chief of Saginaw, Michigan, where McCoy was born. He attended St. Ignatius College in Chicago and after seeing a Wild West show there, left school and found work on a Wyoming ranch. He became an expert horseman and roper and developed a keen knowledge of the ways and languages of the Indian tribes in the area. He competed in numerous rodeos, then enlisted in the U.S. Army when America entered the First World War. He was commissioned and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. At the end of World War I, he returned to his ranch in Wyoming, only to be called by Governor Bob Carry to the post of Adjutant General of Wyoming, a position he held until 1921. The position carried with it the rank of Brigadier General (a brevet promotion) and it has been reported that this made him the youngest general officer in the U.S. Army. His reputation as a friend to the Wind River Reservation Indians, both Arapahoe and Shoshone, preceded him and in 1922, he was asked by the head of Famous Players-Lasky, Jesse L. Lasky, to provide Indian extras for the Western extravaganza, The Covered Wagon (1923). He resigned from the state position and recruited several hundred Indians to the Utah movie location. When the film wrapped, he was asked to choose several Indians to accompany him to Hollywood. There the production company developed a live 'prologue' to be presented just prior to the movie showing. The idea was a success and McCoy and his Indian group toured the U.S. and eventually, Europe as well. After touring this country and Europe with the Indians as publicity, McCoy returned to Hollywood and used his connections to obtain further work in the movies, both as a technical advisor and eventually as an actor. MGM speedily signed him to a contract to star in a series of Westerns and McCoy rapidly rose to stardom, making scores of Westerns and occasional non-Westerns. He retired from the army and from films after the war, but emerged in the late 1940s for a few more films and some television work. In 1942 he ran for the Republican Nomination for the U.S. Senate in Wyoming. He was defeated and returned to Hollywood and an uncertain future. In 1946 he sold his Wyoming ranch and moved to Bucks County, Pennsylvania and the life of the gentleman farmer. While living there, he met and married Danish writer Inga Arvad. He later built a home in Nogales, Arizona where Inga subsequently died in 1973. He spent his later years as a retired rancher. He died at the U.A. Army hospital at Ft. Hauchuca, Arizona on January 29 1978 at the age of 86.
Inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1974.
During World War I, he served as an artillery officer in the US Army in France.
Spouse Inga Arvad (1945 - 1973) (her death)
Alice Miller (? - 1931) (divorced) (3 children)
Known For
Movies (96)
Around the World in 80 Days
1956
as Colonel
Roarin' Guns
1936
as Tim Corwin
Texas Wildcats
1939
as 'Lightning' Bill Carson
Ghost Patrol
1936
as Tim Caverly
Straightaway
1933
as Tim Dawson
Forbidden Trails
1941
as Marshal Tim McCall
Straight Shooter
1939
as "Lightning" Bill Carson
The Traitor
1936
as Tim McCoy: Sergeant Tim Vallance - Texas Ranger
Foreign Devils
1927
as Capt. Robert Kelly
Phantom Ranger
1938
as Tim Hayes
Daring Danger
1932
as Tim Madigan
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972
as Self (archive footage)
The Frontiersman
1927
as John Dale
The Prescott Kid
1934
as Tim Hamlin
Silent Men
1933
as Tim Richards
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
1976
as (archive footage)
Run of the Arrow
1957
as Gen. Allen (as Colonel Tim McCoy)
Riders of the West
1942
as Marshal Tim McCall
Gun Code
1940
as Marshal Tim Hammond posing as Tim Hays
Police Car 17
1933
as Tim Conlon
Hold the Press
1933
as Tim Collins
California
1927
as Capt. Archibald Gillespie
Heroes of the Flames
1931
as Bob Darrow
The Adventurer
1928
as Jim McClellan
Requiem for a Gunfighter
1965
as Judge Irving Short
Two-Fisted Law
1932
as Tim Clark
Beyond the Law
1934
as Tim Weston
Texas Renegades
1940
as 'Silent' Tim Smith
Two Gun Justice
1938
as Tim
West of the Law
1942
as Marshal Tim McCall
Law Beyond the Range
1935
as Tim McDonald
Trigger Fingers
1939
as 'Lightning' Bill Carson
The One Way Trail
1931
as Tim Allen
Arizona Bound
1941
as Tim McCall
Texas Cyclone
1932
as Texas Grant
Outlaws of the Rio Grande
1941
as Tim Barton
The Gunman From Bodie
1941
as Marshal Tim McCall
Bulldog Courage
1935
as Slim Braddock / Tim Braddock
Ghost Town Law
1942
as Marshal Tim McCall
Speed Wings
1934
as Tim
The Fighting Renegade
1939
as Bill Carson posing as El Puma
The Thundering Herd
1925
as Burn Hudnall
Riding Wild
1935
as Tim Malloy / Tex Ravelle
Square Shooter
1935
as Tim Baxter
Border Caballero
1936
as Tim Ross
Man Of Action
1933
as Ranger Tim Barlow
West of Rainbow's End
1938
as Tim Hart
The Law of the Range
1928
as Jim Lockhart
Below the Border
1942
as Marshal Tim McCall
Lightning Carson Rides Again
1938
as Lightning Bill Carson / Jose
The Bushranger
1928
as Edward
Justice of the Range
1935
as Tim Condon
The Whirlwind
1933
as Tim Reynolds
Hollywood on Parade
1932
as Self
Outlaws' Paradise
1939
as William Carson / Trigger Mallory
Sioux Blood
1929
as Flood
Hell Bent for Love
1934
as Police Captain Tim Daley
The Westerner
1934
as Tim Addison
The Western Code
1932
as Tim Barrett
Rusty Rides Alone
1933
as Tim Burke
Arizona Gang Busters
1940
as Trigger Tim Rand
Winners Of The Wilderness
1927
as Col. Sir Dennis O'Hara
Down Texas Way
1942
as U. S. Marshal Tim McCall
The Texas Marshal
1941
as Marshal Trigger Tim Rand
The Man from Guntown
1935
as Tim Hanlon
Code of the Cactus
1939
as Bill Carson
Lightnin' Bill Carson
1936
as Marshal Lightnin' Bill Carson
Riders of Black Mountain
1940
as Marshal Tim Donovan
Fighting Shadows
1935
as Constable Tim O'Hara
End of the Trail
1932
as Captain Tim Travers
The Man Who Would Not Die
1924
Beyond the Sierras
1928
as The Masked Stranger
The Outlaw Deputy
1935
as Tim Mallory
Shotgun Pass
1931
as Tim Walker
The Overland Telegraph
1929
as Captain Allen
War Paint
1926
as Lt. Tim Marshall
The Fighting Marshal
1931
as Tim Benton
The Revenge Rider
1935
as Tim O'Neil
The Fighting Fool
1932
as Sheriff Tim Collins
Code of the Rangers
1938
as Tim Strong
Aces and Eights
1936
as Tim Madigan
Six-Gun Trail
1938
as Captain William Carson
Frontier Crusader
1940
as Trigger Tim Rand
Cornered
1932
as Sheriff Tim Laramie
The Desert Rider
1929
as Jed Tyler
The Indians Are Coming
1930
as Jack Manning
The Lion's Den
1936
as Tim Barton
Fighting for Justice
1932
as Tim Keene
A Man's Game
1934
as Tim Bradley
Wyoming
1928
as Lt. Jack Colton
Voice in the Night
1934
as Tim Dale
The Riding Tornado
1932
as Tim Torrant
Spoilers of the West
1927
as Lieutenant Lang
Morgan's Last Raid
1929
as Capt. Daniel Clairbourne
Riders of the Dark
1928
as Lt. Crane
Injun Talk
1946
as Himself
About Tim McCoy
One of the great stars of early American Westerns. McCoy was the son of an Irish soldier who later became police chief of Saginaw, Michigan, where McCoy was born. He attended St. Ignatius College in Chicago and after seeing a Wild West show there, left school and found work on a Wyoming ranch. He became an expert horseman and roper and developed a keen knowledge of the ways and languages of the Indian tribes in the area. He competed in numerous rodeos, then enlisted in the U.S. Army when America entered the First World War. He was commissioned… With 96 credits spanning from 1924 to 1976, Tim McCoy has appeared in 96 films and 0 TV shows.
Fans searching for Tim McCoy movies, Tim McCoy filmography, or the latest projects starring Tim McCoy can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Tim McCoy Movies
- Around the World in 80 Days (1956) — as Colonel
- Roarin' Guns (1936) — as Tim Corwin
- Texas Wildcats (1939) — as 'Lightning' Bill Carson
- Ghost Patrol (1936) — as Tim Caverly
- Straightaway (1933) — as Tim Dawson
Where to Watch Tim McCoy Films
Most Tim McCoy movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Tim McCoy, check our movies catalogue and browse page.