Biography

Sunset Carson

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Overview

Born
November 12, 1920 · Gracemont, Oklahoma, USA
Died
May 1, 1990 · Reno, Nevada, USA (heart attack)
Birth name
Winifred Maurice Harrison (some sources cite Michael Harrison)
Height
6′ 6″ (1.98 m)

Biography

An American cowboy star of "B" westerns who had a brief career in the 1940s, Sunset Carson was born with the decidedly unheroic name of Winifred Maurice Harrison (although he was generally known to his family as Michael or Mick) in Gracemore, Oklahoma. He moved to Plainview, Texas, as a boy and became a successful rodeo rider. Supposedly spotted at a rodeo by Tom Mix, Carson--like Mix, never one to let the truth get in the way of a good story--was given a job in Mix's touring circus/Wild West Show. He also claimed to have appeared in a few bit parts in movies before traveling to South America in 1940 and winning the Champion All-Around Cowboy awards in Buenos Aires (!) two years in a row.

Returning to the US, he got small parts in such films as Stage Door Canteen (1943) and Janie (1944) before being spotted by Republic executive Louis Gray. His size, looks and horsemanship got him a Republic contract as the star of a series of "B" westerns, along with a name change to Sunset Carson. Within two years Carson was #10 on the list of top money-making western stars, but Republic parted ways with him in 1946. According to stuntman Yakima Canutt, Carson attended a studio function drunk and accompanied by an underage girl, and studio head Herbert J. Yates fired him. Carson claimed to have left over business disputes. In any case, he never again achieved the level of success he had had at Republic. After a string of very low-budget westerns for other companies, Carson retired from films in 1985 after making the sci-fi western Alien Outlaw (1985). Sunset Carson toured with Tommy Scott's Country Music Circus and Wild West Show. He replaced Tim McCoy after his death and stayed with them for five seasons. Thereafter he lived in retirement, making film appearances and attending western film conventions.

Sunset Carson died in Reno, Nevada, in 1990.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jim Beaver (qv's & corrections by A. Nonymous)

Family

Spouses

Trivia

In 1980 he was discovered to have abdominal cancer. He underwent surgery, and by 1982 it was in remission.
Children; Susanne Azalie Carson, Michael Carson and Ann Harrison.
When Carson, whose real name was Michael Harrison, signed with Republic Pictures, studio head Herbert J. Yates thought that his name was too long to fit on theater marquees and would have to be changed. As he looked out his window he saw a used-car lot across the street called "Sunset Motors", and named his new cowboy star "Sunset". The new last name, "Carson", was in honor of legendary frontiersman Kit Carson.
His horse's name was Cactus.
Featured as the hero of "Cowboy Western Comics" and "Sunset Carson" comic books published by Charlton in 1950-1951.

Quotes

[in 1982] [Roy Rogers] and [Gene Autry] had the TV deals locked up, so I went on the road to places where good folks still care about clean western ethics.
[on Roy Barcroft] One of the greatest you'd ever want to meet. He enjoyed a good laugh and was always telling jokes and pulling tricks on somebody. He enjoyed parties, hanging out with the guys and riding his motorcycle.