Slim Cole

Slim Cole (born Nathan Cole Hebert, 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]

"Slim" Cole
Born
Nathan Cole Hebert

May 6, 1892
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Died??
??
OccupationActor, stuntman
Years active1915–1932
Spouse(s)Katherine Fay (div.)

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.

Selected filmography

References
  1. "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. "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.
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