Image of Lash LaRue

Lash LaRue

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Alfred "Lash" LaRue (June 15, 1917 – May 21, 1996) was a popular western motion picture star of the 1940s and 1950s. He had exceptional skill with the bullwhip and taught Harrison Ford how to use a bullwhip for the Indiana Jones movies. LaRue was one of the first recipients of the Golden Boot Awards in 1983. LaRue was originally screen tested by Warner Bros. but was rejected because he looked too much like Humphrey Bogart, then one of the studio's contract stars . He began acting in films in 1944 (at age 27) as Al LaRue, appearing in two musicals and a serial before being given a role in a Western film that would result in his being cast in a cowboy persona for virtually the rest of his career. He was given the name Lash because of the 18-foot (5.5 m)-long bullwhip he used to help bring down the bad guys. The popularity of his first role as the Cheyenne Kid, a sidekick of singing cowboy hero Eddie Dean, not just brandishing a whip but using it expertly to disarm villains, paved the way for LaRue to be featured in his own series of Western films. After appearing in all three of the Eddie Dean Cinecolor singing Westerns in 1945-46, he starred in quirky B-westerns from 1947 to 1951, at first for Poverty Row studio PRC, then for Eagle-Lion when they took over the studio, and later for producer Ron Ormond. He developed his image as the cowboy hero Lash LaRue, dressed all in black, and inherited from Buster Crabbe a comic sidekick in the form of "Fuzzy Q. Jones" played by Al St. John. LaRue played the Cheyenne Kid sidekick in about 8 films, before he starred in his own film series, playing a character actually named "Marshall Lash LaRue". Those 11 films (from 1948-1951) are the ones that western movie fans refer to as the "Lash LaRue" film series. He was different from the usual cowboy hero of the era: dressed in black, he spoke with a "city tough-guy" accent somewhat like that of Humphrey Bogart, whom he physically resembled. His use of a bullwhip, however, was what set him apart from bigger cowboy stars such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. His influence was felt throughout the dying medium of B-westerns; for example, he had an imitator, Whip Wilson, who starred in his own brief series, and even Roy Rogers started picking up and using a bullwhip in some of his Republic Studios Westerns made in the same period. He also made frequent personal appearances at small-town movie theaters that were showing his films during his heyday of 1948-51, a common practice for cowboy stars in those days. However, his skillful displays of stunts with his whip, done live on movie theater stages, also convinced young Western fans that there was at least one cowboy hero who could do in real life the same things he did on screen. He continued working in films and television until he retired in 1990. LaRue died of emphysema in 1996 (age 78) at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, and was cremated at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. He was survived by his wife, Frances Bramlett LaRue, three sons and three daughters.


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Born:
Jun 15, 1917 In Gretna, Louisiana, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
45
First Appeared:
In the movie The Master Key 1945-04-24
Latest Project:
Movie Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys 1992-10-01
Known For
Poster of Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys
Poster of Hard on the Trail
Poster of Lash of the West
Poster of The Enchanted Valley
Filmography
Movie Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys Himself (archive footage) 1992-10-01
Movie Pair of Aces Henry 1990-01-14
Movie Escape Gas Station Owner 1989-11-27
Movie Stagecoach Lash 1986-05-18
Movie Alien Outlaw Alex Thompson 1985-01-01
Movie The Dark Power Ranger Girard 1985-06-01
Movie Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (archive footage) 1976-05-01
Movie Hard on the Trail Slade 1971-01-01
Movie Lanton Mills Phantom 1969-11-03
Movie Please Don't Touch Me! Dr. Warren 1959-01-01
Movie Guns Don't Argue 'Doc' Barker 1957-01-01
Series 26 Men Unknown 1957-11-01
Series Judge Roy Bean 1955-09-01
Series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Unknown 1955-09-06
Series Cheyenne Unknown 1955-09-20
Series Lash of the West Marshal Lash La Rue 1953-01-04
Movie The Black Lash U.S. Marshal Lash LaRue 1952-01-02
Series Gang Busters Unknown 1952-03-20
Movie The Frontier Phantom Lash La Rue / The Frontier Phantom 1952-02-02
Series Racket Squad Unknown 1951-06-07
Movie The Thundering Trail Marshal Lash LaRue 1951-07-02
Movie The Vanishing Outpost Lash LaRue 1951-11-01
Movie The Daltons' Women Lash LaRue 1950-02-25
Movie King of the Bullwhip Lash LaRue 1950-12-20
Movie Son of a Badman Lash La Rue 1949-04-15
Movie Outlaw Country Lash La Rue / Frontier Phantom 1949-01-07
Movie Son of Billy the Kid Jack Garrett 1949-04-02
Movie The Enchanted Valley Pretty Boy 1948-03-24
Movie Mark of the Lash Lash LaRue 1948-08-15
Movie Frontier Revenge Lash La Rue 1948-12-26
Movie Dead Man's Gold Lash LaRue 1948-09-09
Movie Heartaches DeLong aka Trigger Malone (as Al LaRue) 1947-06-28
Movie Law of the Lash Marshal Cheyenne Davis 1947-02-28
Movie Pioneer Justice Marshal Cheyenne Davis 1947-06-28
Movie Border Feud Marshal Cheyenne Davis 1947-05-10
Movie Stage to Mesa City Marshal Cheyenne Davis 1947-09-13
Movie Ghost Town Renegades Marshal Cheyenne Davis 1947-07-26
Movie Cheyenne Takes Over Marshal Cheyenne Davis 1947-12-17
Movie The Fighting Vigilantes Marshal Cheyenne Davis 1947-11-15
Movie Return of the Lash Marshal Cheyenne Davis 1947-10-10
Movie The Caravan Trail Cherokee (as Al La Rue) 1946-04-19
Movie Wild West Stormy Day (as Al LaRue) 1946-12-01
Movie The Master Key Migsy 1945-04-24
Movie Lady on a Train Circus Club Waiter / Henchman 1945-08-03
Movie Song of Old Wyoming The Cheyenne Kid 1945-10-11