West of Sonora (Motion picture)

AHJ_ah05643 Inventory of the Wally Wales papers, circa 1870-1960 Wales (Wally) Papers Processed by Emily Christopherson in October 2013. University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.

American Heritage Center Dept. 3924, 1000 E. University Avenue University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: 307.766.2574 Fax:307.766.5511 Email:ahcref@uwyo.edu URL:http://ahc.uwyo.edu/

2013

University of Wyoming

Finding aid encoded by Emily Christopherson October 2013 Finding aid is in English Collection Summary Wales, Wally, 1895-1980. Wally Wales papers circa 1870-1960 05643 3.7 cubic feet (8 boxes) University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center. English The papers of Wally Wales (also known as Hal Taliaferro), an actor in western films during both the silent film and sound motion picture era. Biography of Wally Wales

Wally Wales (1895-1980) was born Floyd Taliaferro Alderson in Sheridan, Wyoming. Along with his two brothers, he founded the Bones Brothers' Ranch in the 1910s in Rosebud County, Montana. He left Montana in 1915 and briefly worked as a stage driver in Yellowstone National Park. He then went to Hollywood to work as an actor where he adopted the stage name of Wally Wales and starred in a series of western films, successfully making the transition from silent films to sound motion pictures. Around 1936, he adopted the stage name Hal Taliaferro, and worked as a character actor until the early 1950s. He died in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Scope and Content

Collection contains mainly stills, advertising, and publicity materials for films in which Wales appeared. Also contains photographs of the Rocky Mountain West, including Yellowstone National Park, Thermopolis, and the Bones' Brothers Ranch in Montana; cabinet card photographs of late 19th century stage stars; a diary and sketchbook from a trip to the Bahamas; and an anti-communist Hollywood report by Vincent W. Hartnett.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Related Materials

There are no known other archival collections created by Wally Wales at the date of processing.

Additional Information

Finding aid available in repository.

Acquisition Information

Floyd T. Alderson (Wally Wales) in 1974 and 1980; Mrs. Irving N. Alderson, Sr. (Wally Wales’s sister-in-law) in 1975.

Processing Information

Emily Christopherson in October 2013.

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Wally Wales papers, collection number 05643, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Access Terms Motion pictures -- United States. Western films -- United States. Dude ranches -- Montana -- Rosebud County. Silent films. Sound motion pictures. Blacklisting of entertainers. Actors. Anti-communist movements -- United States. Rosebud County (Mont.) Wyoming -- History, 1890-1918. Wyoming -- History, 1919-1945. Wyoming -- History, 1946- Sheridan (Wyo.) Bahamas -- Description and travel. Photographs. Film stills. Scripts. Hartnett, Vincent W. Taliaferro, Hal. Alderson, Floyd Taliaferro. West of Sonora (Motion picture) Red River (Motion picture) Wyoming Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Performing Arts Container List Series I. Personal and professional files 1925-1957

Arranged alphabetically. Contains advertising and publicity materials for films in which Wales appeared, scripts for "The Red River" (1946) and "West of Sonora" (1947), diary and sketches from a yacht cruise Wales took to the Bahamas in 1957, and an anti-communist report by Vincent W. Hartnett titled "Confidential Report (File 13)," which lists alleged communist activities in Hollywood (1951).

11Diary - Impressions of a Dry Land Sailor - Wales's 2 month yacht trip to the Bahamas (photocopy)1957 8Leather boxundated 51Lobby cards - Skedaddle Gold1927 51Lobby cards - Tearin' Into Trouble1927 7Make-up caseundated 41Newspaper clippings - film reviews and articles on Wales (scrapbook photocopy)circa 1925-1935 51Publicity books - Big 4 Film Corporation - Breed of the West1930 51Publicity books - Big 4 Film Corporation - Canyon Hawks1930 51Publicity books - Big 4 Film Corporation - Flying Lariats1931 51Publicity books - Big 4 Film Corporation - Hell's Valley1931 51Publicity books - Big 4 Film Corporation - Riders of the Cactus1931 51Publicity books - Big 4 Film Corporation - So This Is Arizona1931 51Publicity books - Big 4 Film Corporation - Trails of Danger1930 51Publicity books - Republic - Federal Operator 991945 51Publicity books - Republic - Zorro's Black Whip1944 42Scripts - Red River1946 43Scripts - untitled western [Gallant Legion?]1948 44Scripts - West of Sonora1947 45Sketchbook with drawings and painting by Wales (many of the Bahamas)undated 12Confidential Notebook No. 13 (File 13) - by Vincent W. Hartnett (listing individuals in the entertainment industry with reported Communist affiliations)1951 13Christmas cardundated 13Cowboy poemundated Series II. Photographs circa 1870-1960

Series contains two sub-series: General and Motion pictures stills.

Sub-series 1. General circa 1870-1960

Arranged alphabetically. Contains publicity photographs of Wally Wales, personal photographs primarily from the Rocky Mountain West, and numerous cabinet card photographs of stage actors and actresses from the late 19th century.

33Cabinet cards (4) of Oscar Wildecirca 1880s 31-4Cabinet cards of stage starscirca 1870-1900 36Miscellaneous (includes family photos and Bones Brothers' Ranch)circa 1915-1960 35Miscellaneous (includes Yellowstone National Park and Thermopolis)circa 1915-1960 6Montana (negatives)undated 14On set/cast - Adventures of Peg o' the Ring1915 18On set/cast - Silver Spurs1943 18On set/cast - Twisted Triggers1926 37Publicity - headshots of Wales1920 21-6Publicity - headshots of Walescirca 1925-1945 52Publicity - headshots of Walescirca 1925-1945 6Publicity - headshots of Wales (negatives)undated 18Publicity - headshots from various filmscirca 1925-1945 Sub-series 2. Motion picture stills 1921-1984

Arranged alphabetically by film title. Contains photographic stills for motion pictures in which Wales appeared.

22Ace of Action1926 14Adventures of Red Ryder1940 24-5Breed of the West1930 14Breed of the West1930 14Carson City Kid1940 18Crossing Trails1921 14Cyclone Cowboy1927 22Cyclone Cowboy1927 14Danger Trails1935 26Danger Trails1935 14Desert of the Lost1927 23Desert of the Lost1927 14Desperate Courage1928 14Double Daring1926 21Double Daring1926 14Federal Operator 991945 14Fighting Cheat1926 21Fighting Cheat1926 14Five Bad Men1935 25Five Bad Men1935 24Flying Lariats1931 14-5Galloping On1925 15Gold-Rush Daysundated 15Great Train Robbery1941 15Hell's Valley1937 24-5Hell's Valley1931 15Hurricane Horseman1925 16In Old Cheyenne1941 25Law and Lawless1932 15Law of the Range1941 15Magazine Musketeersundated 18Magazine Musketeersundated 15Man Who Wouldn't Dieundated 15Meddlin' Stranger1927 22Meddlin' Stranger1927 18Miscellaneouscirca 1921-1948 15Mr. Goodyear (Story of Charles Goodyear)1939 16Overland Bound1929 24Overland Bound1929 16Painted Stallion1937 16Phantom Rider1946 16Potluck Pards1934 25Potluck Pards1934 16Powdersmoke Range1935 26Powdersmoke Range1935 16Ramrod1947 16Red Fork Range1931 25Red Fork Range1931 16Red River1948 16Renegade Law [Two Gun Justice or Two Gun Law?]circa 1937-1938 25Riders of the Cactus1931 16Ridin' Rivals1926 21Ridin' Rivals1926 16Roaring Frontiers1941 21Roaring Riverundated 16Saddle Mates1928 16Secrets of Hollywood1933 25Secrets of Hollywood1933 17Sheriff of Tombstone1941 17Silver Spurs1943 16Skedaddle Gold1927 22Skedaddle Gold1927 23Soda Water Cowboy1927 16Tearin' Into Trouble1927 22Tearin' Into Trouble1927 17Tearin' Loose1925 21Tearin' Loose1925 17Timber Wolves1921 24-5Trails of Danger1930 17Travelin' On1922 17Trigger Trio1937 17Twisted Triggers1926 21Twisted Triggers1926 26Unknown Ranger1936 17Vanishing Hoofs1926 21Vanishing Hoofs1926 26Way of the West1934 17White Pebbles1927 23White Pebbles1927 17Young Bill Hickok1940 17Zorro's Black Whip1944