Character Actor. He appeared in over 200 movies and serials over 35 years in his lifetime, mostly in uncredited background bit roles in Westerns, sometimes playing a villainous gang member or as a part of the crowd in a scene. Born in California, he started out as a Country and Western music performer, playing the accordion with the likes of Johnny Luther, Jack Jones, and Chuck Baldra. In 1930, as playing music gigs dried up at the beginning of the Great Depression, he tried his hand at acting in a Western film, "The Voice from the Sky" (1930), and found that acting was to his liking. He would join singer Ken Maynard, playing his accordion, in "Honor of the Range" (1934), and playing for singing cowboy Roy Rogers in "Frontier Pony Express" (1939). Haskell was often seen in movies up through 1965, his last movie being another uncredited background role in "The Bounty Killer" (1965). He would occasionally show up, again in uncredited background roles, in such non-western B-movie roles as a pirate in "Blackbeard the Pirate" (1952), or as a Berber tribesman in "Arabian Nights" (1942). In the early 1950s, he also tried television, first appearing in the television westerns such as "The Cisco Kid" (1950), "Cowboy G-Men" (1952), as well as the popular "Range Rider" series (1951), a forerunner to the even more successful television show "The Lone Ranger." In later years, he was popular with directors playing either a Bartender or a Barfly (one of the men in the background of a saloon scene, drinking whisky). His craggy mustache and tempered face gave him a good appearance of a hard worked cowboy that the producers and directors liked. He was also well liked, cooperative, knew his few lines, and did not try to steal scenes from the headlined actor. As a result, he was always called for acting work, and made a good career of the Hollywood film and television industry. He retired in 1965, and passed away four years later.
Character Actor. He appeared in over 200 movies and serials over 35 years in his lifetime, mostly in uncredited background bit roles in Westerns, sometimes playing a villainous gang member or as a part of the crowd in a scene. Born in California, he started out as a Country and Western music performer, playing the accordion with the likes of Johnny Luther, Jack Jones, and Chuck Baldra. In 1930, as playing music gigs dried up at the beginning of the Great Depression, he tried his hand at acting in a Western film, "The Voice from the Sky" (1930), and found that acting was to his liking. He would join singer Ken Maynard, playing his accordion, in "Honor of the Range" (1934), and playing for singing cowboy Roy Rogers in "Frontier Pony Express" (1939). Haskell was often seen in movies up through 1965, his last movie being another uncredited background role in "The Bounty Killer" (1965). He would occasionally show up, again in uncredited background roles, in such non-western B-movie roles as a pirate in "Blackbeard the Pirate" (1952), or as a Berber tribesman in "Arabian Nights" (1942). In the early 1950s, he also tried television, first appearing in the television westerns such as "The Cisco Kid" (1950), "Cowboy G-Men" (1952), as well as the popular "Range Rider" series (1951), a forerunner to the even more successful television show "The Lone Ranger." In later years, he was popular with directors playing either a Bartender or a Barfly (one of the men in the background of a saloon scene, drinking whisky). His craggy mustache and tempered face gave him a good appearance of a hard worked cowboy that the producers and directors liked. He was also well liked, cooperative, knew his few lines, and did not try to steal scenes from the headlined actor. As a result, he was always called for acting work, and made a good career of the Hollywood film and television industry. He retired in 1965, and passed away four years later.
Bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson
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