Harry Carey Jr., the red-haired actor who appeared in about 100 films during the golden era of Western movies with actors such as John Wayne and Ben Johnson and directors John Ford and Howard Hawks, dies Thursday at 91.
Harry Carey Jr., the red-haired actor who appeared in about 100 films during the golden era of Western movies with actors such as John Wayne and Ben Johnson and directors John Ford and Howard Hawks, died on Thursday. He was 91.
Reports indicated Carey, a frequent supporting player in films starring John Wayne, died peacefully of natural causes in Santa Barbara, Calif., surrounded by family members, his daughter, Melinda Carey, as cited by MSNBC, said.
"No cancer or nothing, he just got old," she said of her father, who is survived by his wife of 68 years, Marilyn, and three adult children.
Carey made a total of 10 films with John Wayne, including "Red River," "The Searchers" and "Cahill U.S. Marshall." Other film credits include "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "Rio Bravo" and "3 Godfathers."
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In addition to roles in more than 90 films, Carey also appeared in nearly 100 television programs, including "The Adventures of Spin and Marty," "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke" and "Wagon Train" in the 1960s and 1970s.
Carey, born in 1921, was the son of silent film actor Harry Carey and Olive, an actress.
According to a CNN report, Carey was a retired U.S. Navy veteran who served in World War II. It was there where he worked with Ford on training and propaganda films for the military.
Among Carey's last screen appearances were his turn as a U.S. marshal in the 1993 film "Tombstone," which starred Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell, and a supporting role in the 1997 TV movie "Last Stand at Saber River," which starred Tom Selleck.
