Rusty Wescoatt

Norman "Rusty" Wescoatt (August 2, 1911 – September 3, 1987) was an American supporting actor who appeared in over 80 films between 1947 and 1965.

Rusty Wescoatt
Born
Norman Wescoatt

(1911-08-02)August 2, 1911
Maui, Hawaii, U.S.
DiedSeptember 3, 1987(1987-09-03) (aged 76)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Hawaii
OccupationActor
Years active1947–1965
Parent(s)Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Wescoatt

Early life

The son of Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Wescoatt,[1] he was born on August 2, 1911,[2] in Maui, Hawaii. [3] He played football at McKinley High School and at the University of Hawaii.[4]

Wescoatt spoke Hawaiian, Chinese, and Japanese.[5]

Athletics

On July 4, 1933, Wescoatt won his initial match as a professional wrestler, debuting in Honolulu, Hawaii.[6] He went on to wrestle in New York, Boston, and other eastern cities,[7] amassing a total of nearly 200 matches, 90 percent of which he won, by September 1936.[8] Also in September 1936, he signed a contract with a new manager to move up to "a tour of some of the larger wrestling centers."[9]

On Easter Sunday 1935, he set a record by swimming across the San Francisco Bay in two hours, 5 minutes.[8]

Acting

Wescoatt began his acting career with The Vigilante in 1947 as Garrity (uncredited).[10] His next serial was The Sea Hound as Singapore Manson.[10]: 246  In 1948, Wescoatt was in Superman, a 15-part black-and-white Columbia film serial, based on the comic book character Superman as Elton in chapters 7–15.[10]: 247  In 1948, he was in Congo Bill as Ivan.[10]: 248  He played a number of henchmen roles in B-Westerns and serials. Wescoatt's main studio for serial mayhem was Columbia. His screen persona was usually a bully who, often had more brawn than brains, did the physical labor according to the strict orders given by the brains heavy.

In 1950, Wescoatt was uncredited as Maklee Native in Jungle Manhunt. In 1955, he was in Gang Busters as Mike Denike (archive footage). Also in 1955, he was in Tarantula, a science fiction film from Universal-International, produced by William Alland, directed by Jack Arnold, as a driver (uncredited).[11]

Wescoatt guest starred in a number of television shows including The Adventures of Kit Carson, The Lone Ranger, Death Valley Days, Hopalong Cassidy, Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill, Jr., Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, Sky King, Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick, Bat Masterson, The Twilight Zone, Lawman, and The Legend of Jesse James.

Later years

In the 1960s, Wescoatt operated food markets in San Diego and Los Angeles.[4]

Death

Wescoatt died on September 3, 1987,[3] in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 76.[4]

Selected appearances

Films

TV shows

References
  1. "Leis Given To Leaders Of McKinley". The Honolulu Advertiser. Hawaii, Honolulu. October 20, 1929. p. 10. Retrieved July 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. "Rusty Wescoatt". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  3. "Rusty Wescoat". Three Stooges. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  4. "Football, swim star Norman Wescoatt dies". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Hawaii, Honolulu. September 11, 1987. p. 13. Retrieved July 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. Parrott, Harold (November 5, 1935). "Rusty Is Rusty When It Comes to Snow". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. p. 19. Retrieved July 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  6. "Anderson Defeats Joe Kirk on Mat: "Rusty" Wescoatt Makes His Debut by Winning In First Round". The Honolulu Advertiser. Hawaii, Honolulu. July 5, 1933. p. 9. Retrieved July 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  7. "Rusty Wescoatt On Screen At The Princess". The Honolulu Advertiser. Hawaii, Honolulu. March 22, 1936. p. 10. Retrieved July 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  8. McQueen, Red (September 17, 1936). "Hoomalimali". The Honolulu Advertiser. Hawaii, Honolulu. p. 8. Retrieved July 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  9. "Rusty Wescoatt Signs Contract With Ed Lewis". The Honolulu Advertiser. Hawaii, Honolulu. September 26, 1936. p. 6. Retrieved July 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  10. Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company. p. 245. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
  11. Tarantula at the American Film Institute Catalog
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