George Francis Hayes (1885 - 1969)

Born 7 May 1885 in Stannards, New York, United States

Husband of Olive E (Ireland) Hayes — married 4 Mar 1914 in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Died 9 Feb 1969 at age 83 in Burbank, Los Angeles County, California, United States

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Biography

George Hayes is Notable.

• American actor from the late 1920s into the 1950s in vaudeville, radio, movies, and television.
• Best known as the bewhiskered, cantankerous, but ever-loyal and brave comic sidekick of the cowboy stars Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers.
• Also supported actors such as John Wayne (15 times, once with Roy Rogers also in a supporting role), Wild Bill Elliott (14 times), Gene Autry (7 times), and Randolph Scott (6 times).
• Consistently appeared among the 10 favorite actors of his era.
• Listed as one of the Top Ten Moneymaking Western Stars for twelve straight years.

Life Events

George Francis "Gabby" Hayes was born May 7, 1885, in Stannards, New York, United States (although he always claimed it was nearby Wellsville), the third child of Clark Hayes, a hotel keeper and oil producer, and his wife Elizabeth Morrison.

In 1900, the Hayes family, consisting of Clark (45), an oil producer; William (25), a farmer; Susie (18); George (15); Nellie (12); Clark (10); Hattie (8); and Morrison (6); was living at 39 South Main Street, Wellsville.^[1]

John Wayne and Gabby Hayes in Blue Steel (1934)

He married Olive E. Ireland on March 4, 1914, in Cook County, Illinois,^[2] afterwards performing on vaudeville together (she under the name Dorothy Earle), and remaining married until her death on July 5, 1957.^[3] There were to be no children of the union.

In 1915, George and Olive were staying with her family on Laural St, Bridgeton, New Jersey.^[4]

In 1930, George (44), an actor, and Olive (37), employed as a Modiste, were living at 2139 Holly Drive, Los Angeles (a rooming house).^[5]

Gabby Hayes with unnamed children on the set of his television show The Gabby Hayes Show (1951).

On May 4, 1940, George (54), employed as a contract actor, and Olive (47), were living at 3311 Wonder View Place, Los Angeles, with a single servant: Illinois-born Helen Kelley (43), employed as a maid.^[6]

On April 13, 1950, George (64) and Olive (57), were living at 5011 Cahuenga Street, Los Angeles.^[7]

Despite being practically typecast as a grizzled old codger, always bewhiskered, often barely articulate, frequently cantankerous, and woman-hating, but always the reluctantly brave, loyal (and largely comedic) sidekick to the hero star, in reality Gabby was articulate, intelligent, and well-groomed.
With a career spanning most of three decades (if not more), it was not until he was in his forties that he learned to ride a horse. It was when the "Western" declined in popularity that he moved to television, hosting The Gabby Hayes Show on NBC (1950 to 1954), and a new version on ABC (1956).

George Francis "Gabby" Hayes passed away February 9, 1969, in the Saint Joseph Hospital, Burbank, Los Angeles County, California, United States,^[8] where he had gone to be treated for cardiovascular disease, aged 83 years, and was interred alongside his wife at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills.^[9]

Legacy

• Hayes lent his name to a children's summer camp in New York.

• His name appeared on the comic book series: Gabby Hayes Western comics.

• He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for his contribution to radio; and the other for his contribution to television.

• After his death Hayes was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

• In the 1974 Western movie Blazing Saddles, the actor and director Jack Starrett, played a character named as "Gabby Johnson", who gives an unintelligible Hayes-like speech to the acclamation that it was "authentic frontier gibberish".

• Gabby Hayes Lane in Wellsville was named after him,.

• A group of fishermen has traveled to Kettle Creek, Potter County, Pennsylvania, every year since April 1969, for the "Gabby Hayes Memorial Trout Fishing Tournament".

Sources

1. ↑ 1910 US Census — "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS6W-DRX : 22 January 2022), George Hayer in entry for Clark Hayer, 1900.
2. ↑ Marriage — "Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1968", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7Z9-NQQ : 25 January 2023), George F. Hayes and Olive E. Ireland, 1914.
3. ↑ Death of Wife — "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP3H-54D8 : 1 March 2021), George F Hayes in entry for Olive E Hayes, 1957.
4. ↑ 1915 State Census — "New Jersey State Census, 1915"
   citing Line: 11;
   FamilySearch Record: QV93-2MFL (accessed 5 February 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-L9QP-R7
   George F Hayes in Bridgeton, 5 ward, 5 district, Cumberland, New Jersey, United States. Born in New York.
5. ↑ 1930 US Census — 1930 Census: "1930 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1930; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 0067; FHL microfilm: 2339869
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6224 #90541000 (accessed 5 February 2023)
   George Hayes (44), married roomer, Actor, in household of Francis M Manker (56) at 2139 Holly Drive, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA. Born in New York.
6. ↑ 1940 US Census — "United States Census, 1940"
   citing Affiliate Publication Number: T627; Line: 27;
   FamilySearch Record: K9CD-4BF (accessed 5 February 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 3QSQ-G9MT-J3C3
   George F Hayes (54), married head of household in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States. Born in New York.
7. ↑ 1950 US Census — "1950 United States Federal Census"
   United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 2149; Sheet Number: 5; Enumeration District: 66-194
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62308 #261423291 (accessed 5 February 2023)
   George F Hayes (64), married, Actor, head of household in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA. Born in New York.
8. ↑ Death — "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPHW-NXY : 26 November 2014), George F Hayes, 09 Feb 1969; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
9. ↑ Burial — Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/462/gabby-hayes: accessed 05 February 2023), memorial page for Gabby Hayes (7 May 1885–9 Feb 1969), Find A Grave: Memorial #462, citing Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.

• Military : WWI Draft — "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXT1-5BW : 26 December 2021), George Francis Hayes, 1917-1918.

• 1920 Census: "1920 United States Federal Census"
  Year: 1920; Census Place: Chicago Ward 1, Cook (Chicago), Illinois; Roll: T625_305; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 1
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6061 #101889345 (accessed 8 February 2023)
  Geo Francis Hayes (34), married lodger, Actor, in household of Lester John Knesell (35) in Chicago Ward 1, Cook (Chicago), Illinois. Born in Illinois. (NOTE - the listed place of birth is incorrectly given.)

• Military : WWII Draft — "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V48Y-WWX : 24 November 2020), George Francis Hayes, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• Obituary — LA Times: George "Gabby" Hayes

• Obituary — "U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current"
  Valley Times; Publication Date: 10 Feb 1969; Publication Place: North Hollywood, California, USA; URL: newspapers.com (requires subscription)
  Ancestry Record 61843 #668229478 (accessed 5 February 2023)
  Name: George F. Gabby Hayes; Gender: Male; Death Age: 83; Birth Date: 7 May 1885; Birth Place: Wellsville, N.Y.; Residence Place: North Hollywood; Death Date: Abt 1969; Obituary Date: 10 Feb 1969; Obituary Place: North Hollywood, California, USA; Newspaper Title: Valley Times; Spouse: Dorothy Earle.

• Obituary — "U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current"
  Valley Times; Publication Date: 10 Feb 1969; Publication Place: North Hollywood, California, USA; URL: newspapers.com (requires subscription)
  Ancestry Record 61843 #668229479 (accessed 5 February 2023)
  Name: George F. Gabby Hayes; Gender: Male; Death Age: 83; Birth Date: 7 May 1885; Birth Place: Wellsville, N.Y.; Residence Place: North Hollywood; Death Date: Abt 1969; Obituary Date: 10 Feb 1969; Obituary Place: North Hollywood, California, USA; Newspaper Title: Valley Times; Spouse: Dorothy Earle.

See also:

• Wikipedia : George "Gabby" Hayes
• Wikidata: Item Q1277973, en:Wikipedia

• George "Gabby" Hayes at IMDb