Movie Bad Man Morgan Woodward Remembers Real & Reel Heroes Audie Murphy, James Arness, Joel McCrea!

Morgan Woodward’s license plate read BAD MAN. For a man known for his villainous roles, Morgan (1925-2019) was one of the nicest men in the business. Born in Arlington, Texas, Morgan was one of five high achieving brothers. Attending University of Texas, his fellow classmates were future actors Fess Parker, L.Q. Jones and Pat Hingle. Morgan’s voice was a key to his success, but originally, he wanted to sing…opera. When Fess Parker landed the role of Davy Crockett on “Disneyland,” Parker became a superstar. Morgan headed to Hollywood where Fess introduced him to Walt Disney and was cast in THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE starring Fess in 1956. Shortly thereafter Morgan was cast as the fictional character “Shotgun Gibbs” on THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP. With his Texas drawl, tall stature, rugged looks and unforgettable voice, Morgan was soon working in seemingly every western TV series being produced.
This Texan also worked with World War II hero, and fellow Texan, Audie Murphy in two feature westerns. RIDE A CROOKED TRAIL (1958) and GUNPOINT (1966). He was a bad guy, of course.
Morgan’s most remembered role is that of the rifle wielding guard known as “The Man with No Eyes” from COOL HAND LUKE. Naturally, he is the one who shoots and kills Paul Newman. Morgan appeared as a different major character in 19 episodes of the classic western, GUNSMOKE. Morgan also appeared in the original STAR TREK…twice. In the episode “Dagger of the Mind,” Morgan, as Simon Van Gelder, becomes the first person to be given the “mind meld” by Spock. Morgan also discusses those episodes in this interview.
With over 100 film and TV roles to his credit, multiple awards, and a legion of fans, Morgan was always a welcome sight (and frequent guest) for our tapings of A WORD ON WESTERNS. One of them, from January 17, 2017, has never been aired because the audio from that day was never found. Only the audio recorded on the cameras was saved and the echoes, coughs, and all kinds of noises in the auditorium made the hard-to-hear conversation practically unusable. Of course, since we did the interview, Morgan passed away. But now, with RJ using AI, we have been able to salvage the conversation that day and finally air Morgan’s last AWOW guest appearance. It’s still far from perfect, but we think it’s good enough for us to share with Morgan’s fans and film buffs.
We sure miss spending time with Morgan. He left a legacy of fine performances and many friends who have loving memories of the (Good) Bad Man. R.I.P.
#awordonwesterns #morganwoodward #hollywood #texas #filmhistory #characteractor #westernfilms #audiemurphy #audie #gunsmoke #jamesarness #mattdillon #joel #joelmccrea #horses #horsemanship #badguy #paul #paulnewman #characteractor #startrek #spock #mrspock #leonardnimoy #rip #interviewer #interview #robword #podcast #talkshow

[@DEEBARNES-xb7jy]

Loved the short with RJ and Morgan! Cool props..I remember him in most films- thanks Rob! Especially, story of Audie pulling a gun..Fantastic🎉

[@AWordonWesterns]

Thanks, Dee. It was a fantastic day shooting that video.

[@judylawson8786]

What wonderful memories!! I loved Morgan Woodward, he was a great actor and from all accounts a wonderful man.

[@prycerobertson4695]

He could play both bad and good very well.

[@spockboy]

My introduction to Morgan was (as mentioned) on Star Trek, playing Dr Simon Van Gelder driven insane by a machine, then playing a very tough but corrupt starship Captain (Captain Ron Tracy) Completely different performances, both excellent. He had a magnetism you don't really see in actors today, Thanks for posting! RIP Morgan.

[@mikesullivan6422]

Morgan was a very very good bad guy. Fine actor..

[@jeffreyoldham55]

RIP Morgan Woodward...the actor we loved to hate. _Shaking over here, boss!_

[@stevenwoodward5923]

He was alway one of my favorites. My step grandfather last name was Morgan and mine is Woodward.

[@Waynegilchrist-r2h]

Thank you Rob Word! You are the "Word on Westerns" and we all owe you an unpayable debt for your work to preserve this greatest of American Legacies. Loved Morgan Woodard, good guy, bad guy and everything in between, he was a great interview to the very end. RIP Morgan.

[@JimWagonerRadioAwesome]

Morgan Woodward is/was also one of the foremost acting coaches & teachers in the film business 👍👏💯

[@DarrylWhiteguitar]

Thank you, Rob. Morgan Woodward has always been my favorite bad guy.

[@johnwayne5289]

He was the best bad guy. loved watching him.

[@BethDavis-d9v]

Oh, how I loved you, Morgan! R.I.P.

[@terryhurlburt9113]

Morgan Woodward projected the kind of "bad guy" that didn't have to talk, to let you know that your day wasn't going to go well. There were a lot of actors that played bad men and did it very well. Morgan was in the top echelon. Great Interview. Thank You for running it, Rob!

[@rickpat-x9u]

Morgan had a younger brother Lee Woodward who lived in the Tulsa, OK area for most of his life. He was a part-time actor, & FULL-TIME WEATHERMAN for the CBS station in Tulsa for at least 20-25 yrs... He was one of the last "non meterologist" Weathermen around the country that was truly a better weatherman than any of the 7 "meterologists" working for his competitor stations.... Morgan visited Tulsa on several occassions, especially during the period _Dallas_ was on since Tulsa is a major oil & cattle city for over 100 yrs.

[@danielcombs3048]

Oh Man, Mr. Woodward would scare the ever Lovin ba Jesus out me with just a stare. When I was a kid. And his acting paralyzed me. Just one of the greatest. Thank you Mr. Word for another fantastic interview.

[@AWordonWesterns]

Thanks, Dan. Glad we could restore the audio. Love Morgan!!!

[@tombankwel4822]

Great interwiew with a great actor, rob your boots looks awsome, Morgan dressed like paladin 😊😊thanks lord rob, from Tom your friend 😊😊😊😊😊

[@tablature6121]

Kudos and many thanks to R.J.for his tech expertise in the restoration of the audio for this interview. You have a very multi-talented and smart son there, Rob -- a chip off the old block. Woodward and L.Q. Jones were two of my favorite "bad guys," so I really appreciate this interview. Thanks.

[@derekmurray1462]

Saw him as a sheriff in bonanza a few times, Star Trek and cool hand Luke as the chain gang guard , scary lookin dude !

[@frankdodgee]

I’ve long admired WOW and I now know why. FACTS!! Every episode is provable by historic print, film or by the actors themselves. I loved that Audie Murphy got a bad guy in real life 😮❤. I hope he’ll never be forgotten.

[@nancyborden5860]

What a great bad guy ! ❤

[@stephenBeecher-i2x]

I Knew Morgan Woodward, every year there was a pre-cowboy poerty festival BBQ which i attended with Morgan, he was a very nice warm hearted man, we all miss him.

[@wesmcgee1648]

Saw Morgan on a Gunsmoke the other day. He is missed.

[@desertfox3860]

Loved him in Cool Hand Luke!

[@erikramaekers63]

One of the greatest bad guy characters in movie history

[@richelliott9320]

I could listen to Morgan for hours. What a life he led

[@sailordude2094]

He makes everything better. Loved him in shows like Star Trek! Thanks for the video and interview! Time for me to break out my Trek DVDs with him! BTW, great ending!

[@lescook9021]

Morgan holds the record for guest starring the most times on Gunsmoke. A great actor. I've told the story, that he told on WOW, many times of why he quit acting. I think it says a lot about Hollywood these days.

[@sc2824]

I'm always pleased when you post videos on the AWOW channel. This was another quality interview. Thanks.

[@jimross7648]

Morgan Woodward was a presence in every film or TV show he appeared in. This was the case even in his early performances. The camera loved him whether he spoke or not. That is why he worked pretty regularly for such a long time.

[@trenttuttle603]

I always smile when i spot Morgan Woodward in something, thanks in large part to videos like these. A real strange role of his, for me, is Cayman in Roger Corman's "Battle Beyond the Stars." Im so used to seeing him in a cowboy hat, so instead finding out that was him buried under a ton of makeup took me by surprise!

[@rogertemple7193]

Morgan Woodward was one of favorite tv and movie bad guys in many genres but westerns was his best roles and his brother was a tv weatherman in Tulsa Oklahoma for many years and i really enjoyed seeing him in this interview and to me the supporting actors in films and tv shows were the real actors thank you Rob. 🇺🇲🤠🐴🇺🇲

[@AWordonWesterns]

Thanks, Roger.

[@AmericanPatriot-q6h]

Morgan Woodward was the best at being a Bad guy in movies and TV. His ' #BossNoEyes look is iconic. Thank you Rob for this interview with Morgan. Please keep up the stories from such an iconic era in Hollywood. Westerns are my favorite.. RIP Morgan. You are truly missed.

[@Rangersly]

Well said right there at the beginning Rob: a western is only as good as it's villains. And Morgan Woodward certainly was one of the best at being bad.

[@frankdodgee]

Ps. Huge thanks to RJ for salvaging the audio since sadly there will never be another interview. Thank you RJ 👍👏

[@ronevans852]

Wow, I’m setting here watching your western with Morgan and I looked up at tv and there was Morgan on Yuma couldn’t believe it. With Clint walker. What an actor Morgan is just one of the best.

[@VincentAgostino-gy6hr]

Fascinating.. I never realized how many roles the man with the shades had played…

[@vendvere1637]

So glad to see this! Such a sweet guy in reality, and a wonderful sense of humor!

[@US_Joe]

As always, another great episode Rob. Thanks & have a great week! 👍👍👍👍👍

[@paulkreider9441]

Big fan of Mr.Woodward. Really enjoyed this interview. Thanks.

[@alabamabandofbrotherscampb8777]

Thanks so much Rob, how grateful I am that You have devoted the time, energy, resources and knowledge needed to produce such an informative and entertaining show. God Bless You and Your Family and may You continue to provide the history and legacy of the Western.

[@RyanCarroll-rx3od]

Morgan and Bruce dern are the 2 best bad guys to ever act Thanks again Rob, it wasn’t an easy interview for you to do but it was great

[@AWordonWesterns]

Thanks, Ryan.

[@troynov1965]

He was also in a movie that i always liked called Small Town In Texas. My older brother and sister in law took me with them to see it on release. I was about 13 or so. I found in on VHS back in early 2000s finally. Its a hard film to find. It has a great cast and of course Morgan Woodward is the top bad guy , Bo Hopkins is his enforcer and corrupt lawman.

[@ginnywalker184]

Great interview. Morgan Woodward was such a great actor and always brought so much to each role he played. I believe he had a role in a western, but I can't remember which movie it was, where he said "it's my valley." I can still hear him saying those words. Thanks for sharing.

[@AceMoonshot]

I think it might be from the TV series, "How the West Was Won." S3-E1 titled 'The Gunfighter.'

[@suev3339]

A WOW!! Morgan Woodward one of my favorite actors, usually bad guy. Exceptional actor of the silent look bad guy. Thanks for making and preserving these open interviews of the stars we love. 👏🤠🌟

[@AWordonWesterns]

Our pleasure, sue. Thanks.

[@karenleemallonee684]

The Bad Guy! Such a wonderful video, you did a great job. You were so wonderful with him when he couldn't recall the line he was looking for. It was a tender moment, it touched my heart, thank you.

[@AWordonWesterns]

Thanks, Karen. Watching it again all these years later, it brings back a lot of memories for me. Morgan was so special, one of a kind.

[@ScotWalt858]

Loved Morgan! Thanks for sharing!

[@AWordonWesterns]

You are so welcome! Thanks, Scott.

[@robertdurocher4764]

Nicely done. That`s the way to cover someone with a failing memory.

[@AWordonWesterns]

Thanks, Robert. It was kinda tricky.

[@mjemigh3304]

AI scares many people and, to be sure, it can be used for bad purposes quite easily. This is a good example of how the technology can be used in positive ways, and you guys deserve congratulations on putting this out there. Great job!

[@barrygioportmorien1]

Love it, Another great interview Rob.

[@christhompson3750]

Love Morgan when he played Boone Walton. It was a sad part to see a man who's time was running out and seemed out of place.

[@patriciaseitz3530]

This is one of his performances that has stood out for me all these years. Also a Gunsmoke where he as a mountain man, friend of Matt Dillon's, who tried to protect a wolf being hunted by the men of Dodge City. And another where he was a rancher out to avenge his wife's death at the hands of Indians. None of these were typical "bad"men. And he was wonderful in them all!

[@JesseOaks-ef9xn]

He was a good bad guy. Sometimes the bad guy makes the picture a classic. Allen Rickman was another great bad guy.

[@AWordonWesterns]

Agreed, Jesse. Thanks.

[@russelldrey8678]

As I was watching this segment Yuma is on the tv. Morgan is the trail boss Arch king. He definitely played an intimidating role in most of his westerns. I never thought of him as a villain.

[@gregdavis19]

Great interview prior to his passing, Rob. Thank you. You know Rob, today if Audie Murphy stopped a gas station robbery in the manner he did in California he would have been under the Red Flag law, and stripped of his 2nd Amendment constitutional rights, what ashamed.

[@grahamhill6340]

MORGAN WOODWARD was one of those actors who was good at being bad, the same caliber as the likes of Leo Gordon... His long career in bad guy rolls and good guy rolls, no matter what he'll always been remembered for the man with the black shades in COOL HAND LUKE... what's even more ironic is Morgan is remembered for not even saying a single word! Keeping the memories of the western stars alive even having to use AI, is always welcome when it's done lovingly for preservation. Let's hope AI doesn't get out of hand!

[@bluey7007]

What a fabulous interview rob..morgan was a fabulous actor and gentleman...ps..rob .rj must get his lòoks and talent from his mom..😂.

[@AWordonWesterns]

His brains, too, Blue!

[@erikramaekers63]

What a lovely man. RIP

[@burthogan3956]

great show i loved it

[@prycerobertson4695]

In your interview with Morgan Woodward a few years ago, he brought up the fact that he did only one half-hour Gunsmoke, the 1957 episode "Potato Road" (he quickly gets killed off in that one). Until 1965 (when he started making frequent appearances in the hour-long shows), he couldn't appear on Gunsmoke because of a run-in he had with a casting director at a different studio. I understand that Woodward never mentioned the man's name, but I think he was referring to a guy named James Lister, who formed a partnership with Lynn Stalmaster (who did casting work on hundreds of TV shows and movies) in 1958. The two went their separate ways in 1964. Lister, who died in 1969, remained casting director on Gunsmoke until 1966, when Pam Polifroni took over.

[@fenwaypark1725]

Excellent trivia on your information. I remember Morgan not mentioning any names on his dispute. Thanks for clarifying that up.

[@AWordonWesterns]

You are correct, pryce. Thanks. Morgan was always the gentleman...off screen.

[@georgeearls3338]

In my opinion, it's people like Mr. Woodward, and Arthur Hunnicutt, Ben Johnson, Harry Carry Jr. and many others that actually, made the films they where in, and made the stars of the film look good. Cool hand Luke, as you mentioned, and one of my favorites, starring Mr. Hunnicutt, The Big Sky.

[@rmcfete]

One actor who if he was in it be it movie or tv it would be worth watch

[@broadwayrealtorsbroadwaypr1175]

Usually thank Rob for these episodes, but today the tributes go to RJ for, as Mr. Scott might say, taming that AI mechanical beastie and allowing us all to enjoy Morgan's final AWOW appearance.

[@AWordonWesterns]

Thanks. I'm sure RJ will read your nice assessment.

[@nobodyspecial7185]

Awesome

[@julieackles7297]

PS. He wasn't always a bad guy. He played a tough sheriff in one bonanza episode, Death at Dawn. Then he had to get shot, but not after telling Little Joe, " Hey, I'm the Sheriff, I'll go first"

[@AWordonWesterns]

Yep. He was often able to show his versatility. Thanks, Julie.

[@paulkitt-er9dr]

Morgan one of the great bad guys built like an oak tree. Don't know why people who play insidious characters seem like the nicest guys off screen.

[@julieackles7297]

Morgan Woodword is one of the best antagonists in Westerns! He was in 8 Bonanzas and 55 Dallas episodes! He was in just about everything! (even the Dukes Of Hazzard! Great interview!

[@vendvere1637]

I'm a co-admin on the Morgan Woodward Facebook page. May I please post this video on it?

[@AWordonWesterns]

Sure. Here's the link to use. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJ6Ye4dogtiXhpYsi=xPKoN37LIqeygsJD

[@vendvere1637]

@@AWordonWesterns Thank you!

[@fr6885]

Don't forget Sam Travis in The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.

[@troynov1965]

The story Morgan says about Audie Murphy and the hold up is a bit off. Audie picked up a hitchhiker in 1946 and the guy tried to rob Audie with a 45. Audie pulled over to a gas station took the gun from the man ( who was much larger than Audie ) an well ....kicked his ass ! if you search "Audie Murphy fights a mugger that tried to steal his car back in 1946 "....you can find a thread about it and even a photo of Murphy , the mugger and a cop. LOL the mugger looks like he has been through hell and Audie is all clean looking still. The guy is about head and shoulders above Murphy too. Its worth the read ! LOL

[@AWordonWesterns]

Thanks, troy. I certainly didn't want to contradict Morgan at this stage.

[@troynov1965]

@@AWordonWesterns I dont blame ya. That may just be the way he recalls it . I find nothing wrong with that. He is 91 after all and I have trouble remembering what I did this morning at 60

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

Was McCrea the gay bloke?

[@johnnewcomb534]

No ,being married to the same great looking FRANCIS DEE for over 40 years and priducing3 sons together,I don't think so

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

@@johnnewcomb534 Fair enough mate. Must of been another gay cow poke i heard of