James Dean with Monte Hale on the set of "Giant"
Who? Listen we're not huge western devotees but nevertheless we tip our imaginary cowboy hats today to the bygone tradition of singing cowboys on film. (You know the kind if only from watching Alden Ehrenreich work such charismatic wonders as one of 'em in the Coen Bros Hail Caesar!). Monte Hale, born on this day 100 years ago in Oklahoma, was among the last of such stars...
He was so popular in the late 1940s that there were even comic books about him. Hale starred in numerous B westerns before retiring from the movies in 1950s. B movies from any era are, of course, deemed more disposable than more prestigious efforts so they're rarely preserved or remembered but Monte Hale did manage one legitimate classic on his resume.
Though he did a couple of cameos and TV shows in the 1960s, he essentially went out gracefully when the era of singing cowboys rode off into that eternal sunset of dead genres. But what a finale; his last feature was the Best Picture nominated epic Giant (1956) for which he taught James Dean those rope tricks.
Monte Hale as Bale Clinch (second from left) in "Giant" starring Rock Hudson
Let us know if you like singing cowboys or Giant in the comments.