• Norman Eugene "Clint" Walker is a retired USA actor and part-time singer, best known for his role as Cheyenne Bodie in the TV western series “Cheyenne”
• He served in the US Navy as a Marine Merchant during WW2 and worked in factories and various jobs in Texas, Nevada, and California before starting his acting career
• Walker starred in many movies and TV series, including Kraft Suspense Theatre, The Ten Commandments, The Dirty Dozen, and The Gambler Returns
• He received a Golden Boot Award in 1997 and was inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 2004 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Clint Walker has a net worth of around $4 million and currently enjoys a peaceful life in his home.
Known for movies
Short Info
Net Worth | $4 million |
Date Of Birth | May 30, 1927 |
Spouse | Susan Cavallari, Giselle Hennessy, Verna Garver |
Fact | Unlike many of his TV-western colleagues, Clint Walker never had to endure a whipping on Cheyenne (1955) (though on a 10-23-61 episode titled "The Young Fugitives," he was bound shirtless to a tree. |
Payments | Earned $175 per week (first two seasons) from Cheyenne (1955) |
Contents
Norman Eugene “Clint” Walker is a retired USA actor, and a part-time singer, who is probably still best known for his role as cowboy Cheyenne Bodie, star of the TV western series “Cheyenne”, starting in 1955 through 1963, made by ABC/Warner Bros.
https://twitter.com/Golden0ldies/status/975798427413073920
Early Life and Education
Clint Walker was born in Hartford, Illinois on 30 May 1927, the son of a Czech mother Gladys Huldah and Paul Arnold Walker; Clint had a twin sister Lucille (1927-2000). He dropped out of school to work in a factory, and later he joined the US Navy as a Marine Merchant during the last few months of World War II when he was still only 17 years old. After he left the military, he worked in a variety of jobs in Texas, Nevada and California.
Career
Walker’s acting career started off as Henry Willison’s client – Henry gave him a nickname “Jett Norman” and cast him with a role in “Bowery Boys”. Later, in Los Angeles he was hired by Cecil DeMille for an appearance in “The Ten Commandments”. This was just enough for Warner Brothers studios to acknowledge his potential, as the studios were producing western TV series at the time. In June 1955 Walker’s good looks helped him get the main role in the TV series called “Cheyenne”, in which he played Cheyenne Bodie, a heroic wandering cowboy in the era of post-American civil war. That role gave him the opportunity to show his charisma and turned him into a TV western legend. In 1958, Warner Brothers gave him a lead role in “Fort Dobbs”, and then in 1959 the main role in “Yellowstone Kelly”. “Cheyenne” episodes were transformed into feature films, and Walker also guest-starred in the “Maverick” and “77 Sunset Strip” TV series. Warner’s gave a third shot to Walker with “Gold of the Seven Saints” in 1961, with his co-star Roger Moore who also had a contract with Warner Brothers. “Cheyenne” ended in 1963.
Career After “Cheyenne”
In 1964 Walker starred in Kraft Suspense Theatre, and later in 1965 Frank Sinatra gave him a role in “None But the Brave” war drama, the only piece Sinatra ever directed. Walker also fought a grizzly bear in “The Night of the Grizzly” in 1966, but his most profound role which lifted him up to the stars was in the war drama movie “The Dirty Dozen” in 1967, in which he played a convict Samson Posey. His return to Westerns was with the movie “More Dead Than Alive” in 1969. He also had several support roles in Western comedies “Sam Whiskey” and “The Great Bank Robbery” during 1969.
In the 1970’s he played many characters in “Phynx”, and starred in the movie “Yuma” 1971, followed in 1972 with roles in “Hardcase” and “The Bounty Man”. Walker then co-starred with Telly Savalas in “Pancho Villa” in 1972, and several other TV series during the 1970’s – “Baker’s Hawk”in 1976, and support roles in “Snowbeast” in 1977 and “The White Buffalo” in 1977. The Canadian film “Deadly Harvest” also featured him in 1977, and then a support role in “Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women” in 1979.
During the 1980’s, Walker had roles in “Hysterical” in 1983, “The Love Boat” in 1985 and a lead role in “The Serpent Warriors” also in 1985. “The All American Cowboy” was also filmed in 1985, in which he again had a significant part. In 1991 he starred in “The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw”, and “Kung Fu: The Legend Continues” in 1998.
Personal Life
Clint Walker married Verna Garver in 1948, but they divorced in 1968 having had a daughter, Valerie in 1950, who became a pioneer in female airline piloting. In 1974 Walker married again, to Giselle Hennessy who unfortunately died 20 years later in 1994. but that didn’t stop Walker from trying to keep his love life intact. In 1997 he married Susan Cavallari, and eventually they became permanent residents of Grass Valley, California.
During a skiing vacation in Mammoth Mountain, California in May 1971, Clint Walker barely survived an accident, falling from a ski elevator and being pierced through the heart by a ski pole – hospital officials pronounced him dead, but the doctor suddenly found faint signals of life, so he was rushed to the operating theater, and operated on successfully. Only two months afterwards, Walker was already back to work, filming in Spain. In total, Clint Walker played in over 40 movies and TV series throughout his long career, mostly in the western genre.
Honors and Achievements
Clint Walker received a “Golden Boot” award in 1997. In 2004, he was acknowledged as a great Western performer, and took his place in the “Hall of Great Western Performers” at the “National Cowboy & Western Heritage” museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
A star was dedicated to Clint Walker on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1505 Vine Street close to the crossroad with Sunset Boulevard.
How rich is Clint Walker?
Sources estimate that his net worth is around $4 million, not the richest cowboy of them all, but he certainly is one of the most recognizable ones. Nowadays, he enjoys the fruits of his long-lasting career, peacefully at his home.
Social Media Presence
Perhaps unfortunately for all his fans and followers, Clint Walker doesn’t have a registered page or profile on any of the main social media sites, which is perhaps unsurprising considering he is 90 years old.
General Info
Full Name | Clint Walker |
Net Worth | $4 million |
Date Of Birth | May 30, 1927 |
Height | 1.98 m |
Profession | Voice Actor |
Nationality | American |
Family
Spouse | Susan Cavallari, Giselle Hennessy, Verna Garver |
Children | Valerie Walker |
Parents | Gladys Huldah Walker, Paul Arnold Walker |
Siblings | Neoma L. Westbrook |
Accomplishments
Movies | Yellowstone Kelly, The Night of the Grizzly, Fort Dobbs, The Dirty Dozen, Yuma, More Dead Than Alive, The Bounty Man, None but the Brave, The Ten Commandments, Gold of the Seven Saints, Send Me No Flowers, Sam Whiskey, Scream of the Wolf, Small Soldiers, The Great Bank Robbery, Snowbeast, Deadly Har... |
TV Shows | Cheyenne, Kodiak |
Social profile links
Salary
Title | Salary |
---|---|
Cheyenne (1955) | $175 per week (first two seasons) |
Facts
# | Fact |
---|---|
1 | He was a health food addict. |
2 | He is a staunch conservative Republican. |
3 | Enjoys meeting people and signing autographs while attending various gatherings, film festivals and Western Heritage events. His favorite event to attend is the Western Legends Film Festival held the last week of August each year in Kanab, Utah, where many of the Hollywood westerns were filmed and where Clint was honored in 2004 for his role in the movie Fort Dobbs (1958). |
4 | After the first few episodes of Cheyenne (1955), he was given a horse named Brandy. Brandy was 16 hands high (5'4"). Not only did Clint ride the horse in the "Cheyenne" episodes, he was used in the movies made at Warner Brothers. Brandy has a distinguishing white spot on his right rump. |
5 | He was a guest at the 2012 Memphis Film Festival's "A Gathering of Guns 4: A TV Western Reunion" at the Whispering Woods Hotel and Conference Center in Olive Branch, Mississippi. |
6 | Walker's twin sister, Neoma L. "Lucy" Westbrook, died Nov. 11, 2000 at her residence in Hartford, Illinois, aged 73. |
7 | In 1971, he was involved in a freak accident at Mammoth Mountain, CA, when the tip of a ski pole pierced his heart. He made an amazing recovery and was back at work filming in Spain two months later. |
8 | His twin sister's name was Lucille. |
9 | He was born a twin. |
10 | Unlike many of his TV-western colleagues, Clint Walker never had to endure a whipping on Cheyenne (1955) (though on a 10-23-61 episode titled "The Young Fugitives," he was bound shirtless to a tree. |
Pictures
Movies
Actor
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Small Soldiers | 1998 | Nick Nitro (voice) | |
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | 1995 | TV Series | Cheyenne Bodie |
Sweating Bullets | 1993 | TV Series | Dead Eye Dixon |
The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw | 1991 | TV Movie | Cheyenne |
The All American Cowboy | 1985 | TV Movie | |
The Serpent Warriors | 1985 | Morgan Bates | |
The Love Boat | 1983 | TV Series | Bill |
Hysterical | 1983 | Sheriff | |
Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women | 1979 | TV Movie | Wendell |
Centennial | 1978 | TV Mini-Series | Joe Bean |
Deadly Harvest | 1977 | Grant Franklin | |
The White Buffalo | 1977 | Whistling Jack Kileen | |
Snowbeast | 1977 | TV Movie | Sheriff Paraday |
Baker's Hawk | 1976 | Dan Baker | |
Killdozer | 1974 | TV Movie | Lloyd Kelly |
Scream of the Wolf | 1974 | TV Movie | Byron Douglas |
Kodiak | 1974 | TV Series | Cal 'Kodiak' McKay / Cal 'Kodiak' McCay / Kodiak |
Pancho Villa | 1972 | Scotty | |
The Bounty Man | 1972 | TV Movie | Kinkaid |
Hardcase | 1972 | TV Movie | Jack Rutherford |
Yuma | 1971 | TV Movie | Marshal Dave Harmon |
The Phynx | 1970 | Master Sergeant Clint Walker | |
The Great Bank Robbery | 1969 | Ranger Ben Quick | |
Sam Whiskey | 1969 | O. W. Bandy | |
More Dead Than Alive | 1969 | Cain | |
The Dirty Dozen | 1967 | Samson Posey | |
Maya | 1966 | Hugh Bowen | |
The Night of the Grizzly | 1966 | Jim Cole | |
The Lucy Show | 1965-1966 | TV Series | Frank / Frank Wilson |
None But the Brave | 1965 | Capt. Dennis Bourke | |
Send Me No Flowers | 1964 | Bert Power | |
Kraft Suspense Theatre | 1964 | TV Series | David Wolfe |
77 Sunset Strip | 1963 | TV Series | Cal Jasper |
Cheyenne | 1955-1962 | TV Series | Cheyenne Bodie / Ace Black / Jim Thornton Merritt |
Gold of the Seven Saints | 1961 | Jim Rainbolt | |
Maverick | 1960 | TV Series | Cheyenne Bodie |
Requiem to Massacre | 1960 | Custer | |
Yellowstone Kelly | 1959 | Luther 'Yellowstone' Kelly | |
Fort Dobbs | 1958 | Gar Davis | |
The Travellers | 1957 | Cheyenne Bodie | |
The Ten Commandments | 1956 | Sardinian Captain | |
Jungle Gents | 1954 | Tarzan Type (uncredited) |
Soundtrack
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
The Night of the Grizzly | 1966 | writer: "Pine Tree Tall" - uncredited | |
The Jack Benny Program | 1963 | TV Series performer - 1 episode | |
Cheyenne | TV Series 1 episode, 1961 performer - 2 episodes, 1957 - 1962 |
Self
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Lookin' Back with O.W. Bandy | 2014 | Video documentary short | Himself |
The Infamous Killer Cain | 2014 | Video documentary short | Himself |
The Legend of Big Jim Cole | 2012 | Video documentary short | Himself |
The Lonely Gunfighter: The Legacy of Cheyenne | 2006 | Video short | Himself |
Armed and Deadly: The Making of 'The Dirty Dozen' | 2006 | Video documentary short | Himself |
ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration | 2003 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
100 Years of the Hollywood Western | 1994 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
All-Star Party for 'Dutch' Reagan | 1985 | TV Special | Himself |
Oklahoma Passage - A Story of Mobility | 1982 | Documentary short | Narrator |
The John Davidson Show | 1982 | TV Series | Himself |
ABC's Silver Anniversary Celebration | 1978 | TV Special | Himself |
The Troy Cory Evening Show | 1974 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | 1972 | TV Series | Himself |
Allen Ludden's Gallery | 1969 | TV Series | Himself |
Operation Dirty Dozen | 1967 | Short documentary | Himself |
The Joey Bishop Show | 1967 | TV Series | Himself |
The Eamonn Andrews Show | 1966 | TV Series | Himself |
The Linkletter Show | 1964-1965 | TV Series | Himself |
The Jack Benny Program | 1963 | TV Series | Himself |
Stump the Stars | 1963 | TV Series | Himself - Guest Panelist |
The James Dean Story | 1957 | Documentary | Himself - 'Giant' premiere footage (uncredited) |
Archive Footage
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
La tele de tu vida | 2007 | TV Series | Kodiak |
Private Screenings | 2001 | TV Series | Cheyenne Bodie in 'Cheyenne' |
Hollywood Remembers Lee Marvin | 2000 | TV Movie documentary | Samson Posey |
Rock Hudson's Home Movies | 1992 | Documentary | Bert |
Gold, Glory and Custer | 1964 | Cheyenne Bodie |
Awards
Won Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | Golden Boot | Golden Boot Awards | ||
1960 | Star on the Walk of Fame | Walk of Fame | Television | On 8 February 1960. At 1505 Vine Street |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
6 Comments
I am 67 born in Jersey City and I always would watch Cheyenne and I truly liked Clint Walker. I am watching the Western show Cheyenne on TV and now my wife is getting to see the western also. He is one of the Greatest actor and will be missed. I know that he is with our Lord and Savior and with his friends and family. May he rest in peace. William Russ
I have always loved him in all the western shows he was in and just any thing he was in;a great actor and so handsome with that nice voice he had ;They sho’ don’t make them like him any more;I watch all his shows every day;I wish his family the best,because, He was the best of all !!!! Tamie Jones,Flovilla,Georgia;;I had a twin brother also!
Sorry to hear of his passing. A great talent with a sense of humor but who can forget his amazing stature, 6’6”, deep voice and handsome good looks. See you in my dreams, Clint 😇
Clint was a good actor, right up there with John Wayne and so many great actors from yesteryear.
I don’t remember watching Cheyenne until I was in a skilled nursing facility with a broken femur the Summer of 2021. I absolutey fell in love with this western and now I never miss a rerun on our Western channel. Clint was the epitome of a man and there will never be another one like him. How I wish I could have met him. It’s sad how life eventually takes a persons youth away.
I,m 73 years old & I still have my signed photo that Burbank Studios sent to me as a fan in 1960. MY HERO
Very Kindest Regards,
Mick. (RIP)
STAY SAFE.