Shug Fisher
Encyclopedia
Shug Fisher born George Clinton Fisher, Jr., was an American character actor
, singer, songwriter, musician and comedian. During a 50-year career, he appeared in many Western films, often as a member of The Sons of the Pioneers in Roy Rogers
serials. Fisher also had supporting roles on many TV shows, most frequently on Gunsmoke and The Beverly Hillbillies
. His comic trademarks included his ability to stutter at will and his bemused facial expressions.
in Tabler
(near Chickasha
) into a farming family, the son of a Scots
-Irish
father and part-Choctaw
mother and the youngest of four children. He gained the nickname "Shug" (short for sugar) at a young age, which he explained as, "My mama gave it to me 'cause I was such a sweet baby." In 1917, the family moved by covered wagon
to Pittsburg County, Oklahoma
, near Indianola
. Soon thereafter, Fisher was drawn to the mandolin
and the fiddle
. His father refreshed his own fiddling ability and Fisher learned guitar
to back him, and at age 16, he was playing with his father at local square dances. He could not afford a fiddle case and instead protected his instrument with a pillow case
tied to the saddle horn
.
After watching a comedian with a traveling medicine show
in 1924, he decided to pursue a career in entertainment. The following year, Fisher, his father, and a friend drove a Ford Model T
to California's San Joaquin Valley
, where he worked as a fruit-picker and a cable and tool dresser in oil fields. He continued to perform, playing fiddle at social events and square dances. In 1927, he was asked to appear on The Fresno Bee's
radio station, KMJ-AM, but only for the publicity. He later said "publicity was fine, but you can’t eat it...My motto was, pay me something, or I don’t play."
. Fisher learned to play the bass fiddle
with the group and claimed he was one of the first to play the instrument in a country band. The Hillbillies appeared on the Hollywood Breakfast Club radio show and were fairly popular around Los Angeles but had little income to show for it.
In late 1933, Fisher and Ken Carson left the group to join several members of the Beverly Hill Billies who had moved to San Francisco. The original group was the brainchild of the general manager of KPMC-AM
, who promoted the members as authentic "hillbilly" musicians who he'd "discovered." As part of the ruse, the members always adopted hillbilly names, so Fisher became Aaron Judd and Carson was Kaleb Winbush. After a short time, Fisher returned to Los Angeles, appearing on Stuart Hamblen
's Covered Wagon Jubilee program.
. During an appearance in Council Bluffs, Iowa
, Fisher was approached by Hugh Cross to join him, under sponsorship of the Georgie Porgie Breakfast Food Company, as an act for WWVA Jamboree
. Fisher agreed and the two went to Wheeling, West Virginia
. Under the moniker of Hugh and Shug’s Radio Pals, a reflection of their frequent radio appearances, they performed with Mary Ann Vestes and recorded for Decca
for four years, enjoying a faithful radio audience.
In 1939, the two moved to Cincinnati, Ohio
, where they appeared on WLW-AM's Boone County Jamboree
and where Fisher met and married Peggy Summers of Bolivar, Missouri
. At the station, he also became friends with a young Merle Travis
.
in 1941, Fisher returned to Los Angeles to work in defense
jobs, primarily at Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank. Art Rush, head of the Hollywood Victory Committee
, requested his help arranging entertainment for defense workers during the war.
In 1943, Fisher and Ken Carson were invited to join The Sons of the Pioneers after the group’s Pat Brady
and Lloyd Perryman were drafted into the service. Replacing Brady as bassist and comedian, Fisher eagerly joined Carson, Tim Spencer, Bob Nolan
, and Hugh and Karl Farr late that year, having appreciated the band's music and personally known its members prior to the group's inception. During this tenure, the group appeared in a string of Roy Rogers
movies, recorded songs for the John Ford
movies Wagon Master
in 1949
and Rio Grande
in 1950
, and performed the theme song for The Searchers
in 1956.
Fisher wrote a number of songs for the Pioneers, including "Out On The Open Range", "Ridin' Down To Santa Fe", later recorded by Merle Travis, and "Forgive And Forget". In 1946, Fisher and Travis co-wrote "Cincinnati Lou". Fisher also wrote "That's My Paradise", "I'm Not Foolin' Now", "A Million Memories", "Pooey On You, Little Darlin'", a novelty song later recorded by Ken Curtis
; "Lonesome Train Blues"; and recorded "Gooseberry Pie" using his fake stuttering as a comedy device.
Fisher left the group in early 1946 when Brady returned from the war. In 1948, Capitol Transcriptions issued the album, Cowboy Jubilee, by Shug Fisher & his Ranchmen Trio. Fisher rejoined the Pioneers in 1949 when Brady left. The highlight of this era came in 1951 when they appeared at Carnegie Hall
, making them the first country band to perform there. They would also be the first to play at lavish nightclub
s in Las Vegas
and starred on Mutual Radio
's Lucky U Ranch program. In 1953, Fisher left to join friend Ken Curtis in television and motion pictures but again returned to the Pioneers in 1955, replacing Deuce Spriggens. He left the Pioneers for the last time in 1959, and welcomed the break to "kinda take it easy, and do a lot of hunting and fishing."
A member of the John Ford Stock Company
, Fisher had an extensive career as a character actor in Western B-movies and feature films starting in 1943. Many of his early roles were as a performer with The Sons of the Pioneers in Roy Rogers' singing cowboy
movies. He was also the voice of Uncle Pecos, an animated mouse, in the 1955 Tom and Jerry
short, Pecos Pest
, and is uncredited with the guitar improvisation on the cartoon’s version of "Froggie Went A-Courtin
".
Fisher also had many supporting roles during a 27-year television career. From 1955–60, he made regular appearances on ABC-TV
’s country music variety show, Ozark Jubilee
, as a comedian and singer. He joined Curtis’s syndicated TV series, Ripcord
, from 1962–63, portraying pilot Charlie Kern. He made 22 appearances on Gunsmoke from 1962–74 in various minor roles, and played Shorty Kellums in 19 episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies from 1969–70. Fisher also appeared repeatedly on Bonanza
, The Virginian
, Daniel Boone
and The Dukes of Hazzard
.
in Los Angeles. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
.
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
, singer, songwriter, musician and comedian. During a 50-year career, he appeared in many Western films, often as a member of The Sons of the Pioneers in Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
serials. Fisher also had supporting roles on many TV shows, most frequently on Gunsmoke and The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
. His comic trademarks included his ability to stutter at will and his bemused facial expressions.
Childhood and early years
Fisher was born in Grady County, OklahomaGrady County, Oklahoma
Grady County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2006, the population was 50,490. Its county seat is Chickasha.Grady County is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in Tabler
Tabler, Oklahoma
Tabler is an unincorporated community in eastern Grady County, Oklahoma. It is located at the western end of State Highway 39, where it meets U.S. Highway 62/277/SH-9.-Notable citizens:* Shug Fisher, actor, comedian, singer, songwriter, musician...
(near Chickasha
Chickasha, Oklahoma
Chickasha is a city in and the county seat, business and employment center of Grady County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,850 at the 2000 census. Chickasha is home to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and hosts an annual Festival of Light celebration located at...
) into a farming family, the son of a Scots
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
father and part-Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
mother and the youngest of four children. He gained the nickname "Shug" (short for sugar) at a young age, which he explained as, "My mama gave it to me 'cause I was such a sweet baby." In 1917, the family moved by covered wagon
Covered wagon
The covered wagon, also known as a Prairie schooner, is an icon of the American Old West.Although covered wagons were commonly used for shorter moves within the United States, in the mid-nineteenth century thousands of Americans took them across the Great Plains to Oregon and California...
to Pittsburg County, Oklahoma
Pittsburg County, Oklahoma
Pittsburg County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 43,953. Its county seat is McAlester.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,569 km²...
, near Indianola
Indianola, Oklahoma
Indianola is a town in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 191 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Indianola is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land...
. Soon thereafter, Fisher was drawn to the mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and the fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
. His father refreshed his own fiddling ability and Fisher learned guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
to back him, and at age 16, he was playing with his father at local square dances. He could not afford a fiddle case and instead protected his instrument with a pillow case
Pillow
A pillow is a large cushion support for the head, usually used while sleeping in a bed, or for the body as used on a couch or chair. There are also throw pillows , which are pillows that are purely decorative and not designed for support or comfort...
tied to the saddle horn
Western saddle
Western saddles are used for western riding and are the saddles used on working horses on cattle ranches throughout the United States, particularly in the west. They are the "cowboy" saddles familiar to movie viewers, rodeo fans, and those who have gone on trail rides at guest ranches...
.
After watching a comedian with a traveling medicine show
Medicine show
Medicine shows were traveling horse and wagon teams which peddled "miracle cure" medications and other products between various entertainment acts. Their precise origins unknown, medicine shows were common in the 19th century United States...
in 1924, he decided to pursue a career in entertainment. The following year, Fisher, his father, and a friend drove a Ford Model T
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
to California's San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
, where he worked as a fruit-picker and a cable and tool dresser in oil fields. He continued to perform, playing fiddle at social events and square dances. In 1927, he was asked to appear on The Fresno Bee's
The Fresno Bee
The Fresno Bee is the daily newspaper serving Fresno, California and surrounding counties in that U.S. state's San Joaquin Valley. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and ranks fourth in circulation among the company's newspapers....
radio station, KMJ-AM, but only for the publicity. He later said "publicity was fine, but you can’t eat it...My motto was, pay me something, or I don’t play."
Los Angeles calls
In 1931, Tom Murray, who had recently left the Beverly Hill Billies, offered Fisher a spot with his new group, the Hollywood Hillbillies, based in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Fisher learned to play the bass fiddle
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
with the group and claimed he was one of the first to play the instrument in a country band. The Hillbillies appeared on the Hollywood Breakfast Club radio show and were fairly popular around Los Angeles but had little income to show for it.
In late 1933, Fisher and Ken Carson left the group to join several members of the Beverly Hill Billies who had moved to San Francisco. The original group was the brainchild of the general manager of KPMC-AM
KSPN (AM)
KSPN is an all-sports radio station based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned by Disney. It is an ESPN Radio owned-and-operated station.-Play-by-play:...
, who promoted the members as authentic "hillbilly" musicians who he'd "discovered." As part of the ruse, the members always adopted hillbilly names, so Fisher became Aaron Judd and Carson was Kaleb Winbush. After a short time, Fisher returned to Los Angeles, appearing on Stuart Hamblen
Stuart Hamblen
Stuart Hamblen , born Stuart Carl Hamblen, was one of American radio's first singing cowboys in 1926, and later became a Christian songwriter, temperance supporter and recurring candidate for political office....
's Covered Wagon Jubilee program.
Ohio Valley radio career
In 1935, Fisher took an extended road tour with Roy Faulkner, The Lonesome Cowboy, from XERA-AM in Del Rio, TexasDel Rio, Texas
Del Rio is a border city in and the county seat of Val Verde County, Texas, United States.. Del Rio is connected with Ciudad Acuña via the Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing and Del Río-Ciudad Acuña International Bridge...
. During an appearance in Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
, Fisher was approached by Hugh Cross to join him, under sponsorship of the Georgie Porgie Breakfast Food Company, as an act for WWVA Jamboree
WWVA Jamboree
WWVA Jamboree, renamed Jamboree U.S.A. in the 1960s, and the Wheeling Jamboree in 2009, is a pioneering American radio show that featured country music from 1933–2008, and again since January 2009...
. Fisher agreed and the two went to Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Under the moniker of Hugh and Shug’s Radio Pals, a reflection of their frequent radio appearances, they performed with Mary Ann Vestes and recorded for Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
for four years, enjoying a faithful radio audience.
In 1939, the two moved to Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, where they appeared on WLW-AM's Boone County Jamboree
Midwestern Hayride
Midwestern Hayride, sometimes known as Midwest Hayride, was an American country music show originating in the 1930s from WLW-AM and later from WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio. During the 1950s it was carried nationally by NBC and then ABC television...
and where Fisher met and married Peggy Summers of Bolivar, Missouri
Bolivar, Missouri
Bolivar is the county seat of Polk County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,325 at the 2010 census. The city was named for Bolivar, Tennessee, home to many of the original settlers, and like that city its name is pronounced to rhyme with Oliver...
. At the station, he also became friends with a young Merle Travis
Merle Travis
Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
.
The Sons of the Pioneers
When the U.S. entered World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1941, Fisher returned to Los Angeles to work in defense
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
jobs, primarily at Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank. Art Rush, head of the Hollywood Victory Committee
Hollywood Victory Committee
The Hollywood Victory Committee was an organization founded on December 10, 1941 during World War II to provide a means so that for stage, screen, television and radio performers that were not in military service could contribute to the war effort through bond drives and improving morale for...
, requested his help arranging entertainment for defense workers during the war.
In 1943, Fisher and Ken Carson were invited to join The Sons of the Pioneers after the group’s Pat Brady
Pat Brady
Pat Brady was best known as cowboy Roy Rogers' "comical sidekick." Pat's full name was Robert Ellsworth Patrick Aloysious O'Brady and this was shortened to "Bob Brady," although it is not known when the "O'" was dropped from "O'Brady."Born in Toledo, Ohio, Pat Brady first set foot on-stage at the...
and Lloyd Perryman were drafted into the service. Replacing Brady as bassist and comedian, Fisher eagerly joined Carson, Tim Spencer, Bob Nolan
Bob Nolan
Bob Nolan was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers, and composer of numerous Country music and Western music songs, including the standards "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." He is generally regarded as one of the...
, and Hugh and Karl Farr late that year, having appreciated the band's music and personally known its members prior to the group's inception. During this tenure, the group appeared in a string of Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
movies, recorded songs for the John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
movies Wagon Master
Wagon Master
Wagon Master is a 1950 Western film directed by John Ford and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru, and Ward Bond.-Plot:Learning of their ability as experienced horsemen, Mormon Elder Wiggs , hires Travis Blue and Sandy Owens to guide a small group of Mormons across the West to the...
in 1949
1949 in film
The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
and Rio Grande
Rio Grande (film)
Rio Grande is a 1950 Western film. It is the third installment of John Ford's "cavalry trilogy," following two RKO Pictures releases: Fort Apache and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon ....
in 1950
1950 in film
The year 1950 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 15 - Walt Disney Studios' animated film Cinderella debuts.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:*Ambush...
, and performed the theme song for The Searchers
The Searchers (film)
The Searchers is a 1956 American Western film directed by John Ford, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May, and set during the Texas–Indian Wars...
in 1956.
Fisher wrote a number of songs for the Pioneers, including "Out On The Open Range", "Ridin' Down To Santa Fe", later recorded by Merle Travis, and "Forgive And Forget". In 1946, Fisher and Travis co-wrote "Cincinnati Lou". Fisher also wrote "That's My Paradise", "I'm Not Foolin' Now", "A Million Memories", "Pooey On You, Little Darlin'", a novelty song later recorded by Ken Curtis
Ken Curtis
Ken Curtis was an American singer and actor best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the long-running CBS western television series Gunsmoke.-Early years:...
; "Lonesome Train Blues"; and recorded "Gooseberry Pie" using his fake stuttering as a comedy device.
Fisher left the group in early 1946 when Brady returned from the war. In 1948, Capitol Transcriptions issued the album, Cowboy Jubilee, by Shug Fisher & his Ranchmen Trio. Fisher rejoined the Pioneers in 1949 when Brady left. The highlight of this era came in 1951 when they appeared at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, making them the first country band to perform there. They would also be the first to play at lavish nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
and starred on Mutual Radio
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
's Lucky U Ranch program. In 1953, Fisher left to join friend Ken Curtis in television and motion pictures but again returned to the Pioneers in 1955, replacing Deuce Spriggens. He left the Pioneers for the last time in 1959, and welcomed the break to "kinda take it easy, and do a lot of hunting and fishing."
Film and television career
John Ford Stock Company
The John Ford Stock Company is the name given to the large collection of actors used repeatedly in the films of American director John Ford. Most famous among these was John Wayne, who appeared in twenty-four films and three television episodes for the director...
, Fisher had an extensive career as a character actor in Western B-movies and feature films starting in 1943. Many of his early roles were as a performer with The Sons of the Pioneers in Roy Rogers' singing cowboy
Singing cowboy
A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal cowboy hero of early Western films, popularized by many of the B-movies of the 1930s and 1940s...
movies. He was also the voice of Uncle Pecos, an animated mouse, in the 1955 Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
short, Pecos Pest
Pecos Pest
Pecos Pest is the 96th one-reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1953 directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera scored by Scott Bradley and released in theaters on November 11, 1955 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer....
, and is uncredited with the guitar improvisation on the cartoon’s version of "Froggie Went A-Courtin
Frog Went A-Courting
"Frog Went A-Courtin'" is an English language folk song. Its first known appearance is in Wedderburn's Complaynt of Scotland under the name "The frog came to the myl dur", though this in Scots rather than English...
".
Fisher also had many supporting roles during a 27-year television career. From 1955–60, he made regular appearances on ABC-TV
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
’s country music variety show, Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
, as a comedian and singer. He joined Curtis’s syndicated TV series, Ripcord
Ripcord (TV series)
Ripcord is an American syndicated television series that ran for 76 episodes from 1961 to 1963 about the exploits of a skydiving operation by the same name.-Overview:...
, from 1962–63, portraying pilot Charlie Kern. He made 22 appearances on Gunsmoke from 1962–74 in various minor roles, and played Shorty Kellums in 19 episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies from 1969–70. Fisher also appeared repeatedly on Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
, The Virginian
The Virginian (TV series)
The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
, Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (TV series)
Daniel Boone is an American action/adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Native American friend, for the...
and The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
.
Death
Shug Fisher spent his final years living in Studio City, California. He died on March 16, 1984 after a lingering illness, with old friend Ken Curtis by his side in Woodland HillsWoodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
Woodland Hills is a district in the city of Los Angeles, California.Woodland Hills is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley, east of Calabasas and west of Tarzana, with Warner Center in its northern section...
in Los Angeles. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
.
Filmography
- Swing Your Partner (1943)
- Hoosier Holiday (1943)
- Lights of Old Santa FeLights of Old Santa FeLights of Old Santa Fe is a 1944 American western musical film directed by Frank McDonald with a screenplay by Gordon Kahn and Bob Williams. The film stars Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in a story about a rodeo owner and her struggle to make her show a success...
(1944) - San Fernando Valley (1944)
- Song of NevadaSong of NevadaSong of Nevada is a 1944 American film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers.- Cast :*Roy Rogers as Roy Rogers*Trigger as Trigger, Roy's Horse*Dale Evans as Joan Barrabee*Mary Lee as Kitty Hanley*Lloyd Corrigan as Professor Hanley...
(1944) - The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944)
- Along the Navajo Trail (1945)
- Bells of RosaritaBells of RosaritaBells of Rosarita is a 1945 American film starring Roy Rogers and directed by Frank McDonald.-Plot:The film is a musical western. Sue Farnum gets cheated out of her inheritance by the thieving business partner of her deceased father...
(1945) - Don't Fence Me In (1945)
- The Man from OklahomaThe Man from OklahomaThe Man from Oklahoma is a 1945 American film starring Roy Rogers....
(1945) - Sunset in El DoradoSunset in El DoradoSunset in El Dorado is a 1945 American film starring Roy Rogers....
(1945) - Utah (1945)
- Ding Dong Williams (1946)
- HeldoradoHeldoradoHeldorado is a 1946 American film starring Roy Rogers....
(1946) - Home on the Range (1946)
- My Pal TriggerMy Pal TriggerMy Pal Trigger is a 1946 American western musical film directed by Frank McDonald. The screenplay by Jack Townley and John K. Butler was based upon a story by Paul Gangelin. The film stars Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, George “Gabby” Hayes, Jack Holt, and Trigger in a story about the origin of Rogers's...
(1946) - Rainbow Over TexasRainbow Over TexasRainbow Over Texas is a film from 1946 in which Roy Rogers plays himself as a famous cowboy-singer returning to Texas.The self-portrayal of Roy Rogers as a more glamorous version of himself in Rainbow Over Texas revealed the great lengths to which Hollywood film studios would go in promoting their...
(1946) - Roll on Texas MoonRoll on Texas MoonRoll on Texas Moon is a 1946 American film starring Roy Rogers....
(1946) - Song of ArizonaSong of ArizonaSong of Arizona is a 1946 American Western film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Roy Rogers.- Cast :*Roy Rogers as Roy Rogers*Trigger as Himself - Roy's Horse*George "Gabby" Hayes as Gabby Whittaker*Dale Evans as Clare Summers...
(1946) - Under Nevada SkiesUnder Nevada SkiesUnder Nevada Skies is a 1946 American film starring Roy Rogers....
(1946) - The Last Roundup (1947)
- Springtime in the SierrasSpringtime in the SierrasSpringtime in the Sierras is a 1947 American film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers.- Cast :*Roy Rogers as Roy Rogers*Trigger as Trigger, Roy's Horse*Jane Frazee as Taffy Baker*Andy Devine as Cookie Bullfincher...
(1947) - Riders of the Pony Express (1948)
- Stallion Canyon (1949)
- Susanna PassSusanna PassSusanna Pass is a 1949 American film starring Roy Rogers....
(1949)
- Rio GrandeRio Grande (film)Rio Grande is a 1950 Western film. It is the third installment of John Ford's "cavalry trilogy," following two RKO Pictures releases: Fort Apache and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon ....
(1950) - Everybody's Dancin (1950)
- Silver City Bonanza (1951)
- Mister Roberts (1955)
- Pecos PestPecos PestPecos Pest is the 96th one-reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1953 directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera scored by Scott Bradley and released in theaters on November 11, 1955 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer....
(1955) uncredited, voice of Uncle Pecos and music solos - The Giant Gila MonsterThe Giant Gila MonsterThe Giant Gila Monster is a 1959 black-and-white science fiction film directed by Ray Kellogg, and produced by Ken Curtis. It stars Don Sullivan, Lisa Simone, as well as Fred Graham, Shug Fisher and Bob Thompson. This low-budget B-Movie featured a cast of unknown actors, and the effects included a...
(1959) - Sergeant Rutledge (1960)
- The Man Who Shot Liberty ValanceThe Man Who Shot Liberty ValanceThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a 1962 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring James Stewart and John Wayne. The black-and-white film was released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck was adapted from a short story written by Dorothy M...
(1962) - Cheyenne AutumnCheyenne AutumnCheyenne Autumn is a 1964 western starring Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, James Stewart, and Edward G. Robinson. Regarded as an epic film it tells the story of a factual event, the Northern Cheyenne Exodus of 1878-9, although it is told in 'Hollywood style' using a great degree of artistic license...
(1964) - Git! (1965)
- The Adventures of Bullwhip GriffinThe Adventures of Bullwhip GriffinThe Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin is a 1967 Technicolor drama film directed by James Neilson, based on the novel By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman, starring Roddy McDowall, Suzanne Pleshette and Karl Malden. Roddy McDowall plays Griffin, the very proper butler of Bostonian Jack Flagg...
(1967) - You've Got to Be Smart (1967)
- The ReiversThe Reivers (film)The Reivers is a 1969 film directed by Mark Rydell based on the William Faulkner novel of the same name...
(1969) - Cutter's Trail (1969, TV)
- Smoke (1970, TV)
- Guns of a Stranger (1973)
- Key West (1974, TV)
- Castaway Cowboy (1974)
- Hog Wild (1974, TV)
- Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn (1975 film)Huckleberry Finn is a 1975 American television film adaptation of Mark Twain's famous boyhood novel, Huckleberry Finn. The film stars Ron Howard as the eponymous lead.-Cast:* Ron Howard as Huckleberry Finn* Donny Most as Tom Sawyer...
(1975, TV) - The Ghost of Cypress Swamp (1977, TV)
- The 3,000 Mile Chase (1977, TV)
- The Sacketts (1979, TV)
- The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides AgainThe Apple Dumpling Gang Rides AgainThe Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again is a 1979 sequel to the 1975 family film The Apple Dumpling Gang starring the comedy duo of Tim Conway, and Don Knotts. Conway and Knotts reprise their roles as Amos and Theodore. The film also stars Tim Matheson, Harry Morgan, and Kenneth Mars. Laugh-In star...
(1979) - The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies (1981, TV)
TV credits
- Disneyland (1954)
- Ozark JubileeOzark JubileeOzark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
(1955–1960) - Have Gun, Will Travel (1957)
- BonanzaBonanzaBonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
(1961, 68 and 70) - RipcordRipcord (TV series)Ripcord is an American syndicated television series that ran for 76 episodes from 1961 to 1963 about the exploits of a skydiving operation by the same name.-Overview:...
(1962–63) as Charlie Kern - Gunsmoke (1962–1974)
- Temple HoustonTemple Houston (TV series)Temple Houston is a 1963–64 NBC television series which has been called "the first attempt . . . to produce an hour-long Western series with the main character being an attorney in the formal sense." It was the only show Jack Webb sold to a network during his ten months as the head of production at...
(1963) - Petticoat JunctionPetticoat JunctionPetticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
(1963) - TammyTammy (TV series)Tammy is an American sitcom, starring Debbie Watson in the title role. Produced by Universal City Studios, 26 color half-hour episodes were aired on ABC from September 17, 1965 to March 11, 1966....
(1965) - Daniel BooneDaniel Boone (TV series)Daniel Boone is an American action/adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Native American friend, for the...
(1965–66) as Jake Tench - The VirginianThe Virginian (TV series)The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
(1965–67) - The Legend of Jesse JamesThe Legend of Jesse James (TV series)The Legend of Jesse James is a 34-episode western television series starring Christopher Jones in the tile role of notorious outlaw Jesse James which aired on ABC from September 13, 1965, to May 9, 1966...
(1965) - LaredoLaredo (TV series)Laredo is an NBC Western television series starring Neville Brand, William Smith, Peter Brown, and Philip Carey as Texas Rangers. The program premiered on September 16, 1965, and the final new episode was broadcast on April 7, 1967. The series was produced by Universal Television.-Synopsis:Laredo...
(1965) - The Wild Wild WestThe Wild Wild WestThe Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
(1965) - T.H.E. Cat (1966)
- The MonroesThe Monroes (1966 TV series)The Monroes is a 26-segment Western television series which ran on ABC during the 1966-1967 season – the story of five orphans trying to survive as a family on the frontier in the area about what is now Grand Teton National Park near Jackson in northwestern Wyoming.Michael Anderson, Jr., then 24,...
(1966) - Cimarron StripCimarron StripCimarron Strip is an American Western television series that aired on CBS from September 1967 to March 1968. Starring Stuart Whitman as Marshal Jim Crown, the series was produced by the creators of Gunsmoke...
(1967) - The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
(1969–70) as Shorty Kellums - The Men from Shiloh (1971)
- Love, American StyleLove, American StyleLove, American Style is an hour-long TV anthology produced by Paramount Television and originally aired between September 1969 and January 1974...
(1972) - This is Your LifeThis Is Your LifeThis Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.Edwards...
(Ken Curtis) (1972) - PetrocelliPetrocelliPetrocelli is an American legal drama which ran for two seasons on NBC from September 11, 1974 to March 31, 1976.-Plot:Tony Petrocelli was an Italian-American Harvard-educated lawyer who grew up in South Boston and gave up the big money and frenetic pace of major-metropolitan life to practice in a...
(1974) - Kolchak: the Night StalkerKolchak: The Night StalkerKolchak: The Night Stalker is an American television series that aired on ABC during the 1974-1975 season. It featured a fictional Chicago newspaper reporter — Carl Kolchak, played by Darren McGavin — who investigates mysterious crimes with unlikely causes, particularly ones law...
(1975) - City of Angels (1976)
- LucanLucan (TV series)The television drama Lucan aired on ABC from 1977 to 1978. The core cast was Kevin Brophy, John Randolph, and Don Gordon.A 20-year old man spent the first 10 years of his life running wild in the forest after being raised by wolves. Lucan is taken to a research institute and taught the ways of...
(1977) - How the West Was WonHow the West Was Won (TV series)How the West Was Won is an American western television series that featured an all star cast that included: James Arness, Eva Marie Saint, Fionnula Flanagan, Bruce Boxleitner, G. W. Bailey, Trisha Noble, William Shatner, Jack Elam, Woody Strode, Anthony Zerbe, Richard Kiley, Lloyd Bridges,...
(1978) - Starsky and HutchStarsky and HutchStarsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
(1978) - The Dukes of HazzardThe Dukes of HazzardThe Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
(1979) - Harper Valley PTAHarper Valley PTA (TV series)Harper Valley PTA is an early 1980s American television sitcom based on the 1978 film Harper Valley PTA, which was itself based on the 1968 song recorded by country singer Jeannie C. Riley, written by Tom T...
(1981)