John Wayne

Marion Mitchell Morrison was born in America’s Heartland in 1907, but the world would come to know and love the Iowa native by his stage name – John Wayne. On the silver screen, he represented heroism, tenacity, and masculinity of the highest degree, and his image would soon become inextricably tied to the popular movie genre of American Westerns.

Clint Eastwood

Known for his tough-guy stare and cowboy debonair, Clinton “Clint” Eastwood is undoubtedly one of the biggest Hollywood stars of all time. Born in 1930, the San Francisco native boldly followed his dreams of Hollywood, prompting a swift move to Los Angeles after serving in the Army.

Randolph Scott

Handsome, smooth, charming – and of course talented. Perhaps that’s why many of us remember Randolph Scott as one of Hollywood’s most popular Western movie stars. The career of the World War I veteran-turned-film-actor spanned a remarkable five decades. Scott...

Charlton Heston

John Charles Carter was born in Evanston, IL in 1923. He would one day transform into the remarkable, historical, and heroic figure movie lovers adore—Charlton Heston. He created his own stage name by taking his mother’s surname, Charlton, as his first name and adopting his stepfather’s last name as his own.

Audie Murphy

With a public life marked by both tragedy and triumph, Audie Murphy is perhaps most remembered for his leading roles in a number of Western films that spanned the 1950s and 60s. However, Murphy’s gripping life story – which often leaves film critics and fans in perpetual awe – doesn’t begin with acting, but rather on treacherous battlefields.

Roy Rogers

He may have been born Leonard Franklin Slye, but his historic roles in musical Westerns led him to a new Hollywood name: Roy Rogers. Born in Cincinnati in 1911, Rogers would eventually carve out recognizable trademarks as an actor, singer, and as the “King of the Cowboys,” appearing in almost 100 films during the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s.

Charles Bronson

Actor Charles Bronson was born Charles Dennis Buchinsky on Nov. 3, 1921 in Ehrenfield, PA. Bronson was the 11th of 15 children born to his American mother and Lithuanian immigrant father.

Jimmy Stewart

He was a small-town boy from Pennsylvania, yet actor Jimmy Stewart was destined to leave an indelible mark on the American film industry. Stewart — the man who warms our hearts every holiday season with his iconic portrayal of George Bailey in the 1946 classic "It’s A Wonderful Life" — rose from humble beginnings while acting during his college years at Princeton University.