Charles Starrett

Born: March 28, 1903, Athol, Massachusetts
Died: March 22, 1986 (age 82), Borrego Springs, California

Charles Starrett was an American actor best known for his starring role in the Durango Kid Columbia Pictures western series. He was born in Athol, Massachusetts.

What do you know about Charles Starrett? Play this Western Stars Quick Quiz.

1. While in college, Charles played football. What college did he attend?

• Boston College
• Dartmouth
• Harvard

2. Intended to be only a Tim McCoy replacement, Starrett remained with Columbia Pictures for 132 films. What was his first Western film for Columbia?

• The Kid from Broken Gun
• Gallant Defender
• The Eagle’s Brood

3. Starrett is best known playing the “Robin Hood of the West” known as the Durango Kid. In what film did the character first appear?

• The Dark Command
• The Durango Kid
• Frontier Crusader

4. Charles’ character takes on the role of the Durango Kid, in order to fight against bad guy Mace Ballard and his gang. What is his characters name?

• Ben Winslow
• Ben Taggart
• Bill Lowry

5. GALLOP TO GLORY WITH A GREAT NEW HERO...ROBIN HOOD OF THE RANGE! This was the line used in the 1945 release of The Return of the Durango Kid

• True or False?

6. Rustlers of the Badlands was another 1945 release. Who plays “Cannonball” in this movie?

• Rex Allen
• Dub Taylor
• Otis Taylor

7. In the Durango Kid movies, the main character was usually called "Steve" something, but he could change outfits and horses to become the hero behind the black mask. His horses were named "Bullet" (Steve) and "Raider" (Durango).

• True or False?

8. Diehard film and video collectors still relish the Durango Kid films, but many are still locked away in Columbia studio vaults these many years later, with only a few recently being aired on The Movie Channel (TMC).

• True or False?

9. How many films in the “Durango Kid” series did Columbia Pictures make?

• 24
• 64
• 44

10. Starrett retired from films after the “Durango Kid” series ended in 1952. What is the last film?

• Junction City
• The Kid From Broken Gun
• The Rough, Tough West

11. What was Starrett's cause of death?

• Cancer
• Heart attack
• Auto accident

12. Where is he buried?

• Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California
• Cremated, ashes scattered, via air over Dartmouth College
• Westwood Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California

Answers

1. Gallant Defender
2. The Durango Kid
3. Bill Lowry
4. True
5. Dub Taylor
6. True
7. False. They were shown on Encore Westerns.
8. 64
9. Dartmouth
10. The Kid From Broken Gun
11. Cancer
12. Cremated, ashes scattered, via air over Dartmouth College