Curley Dresden

Curley Dresden was a familiar gang member in scores of westerns. His Hollywood career lasted fifteen+ years, from the late 1920s through the mid 1940s. However, there are marriage records for Curley which indicate he was a motion picture actor working in silent films in the early 1920s.

The earliest tradezine mention that I found on Curley had him in the cast of THE DOUBLE REWARD (Rogell-Halperin Prod/Western Pictures, 1922) which starred Bob Reeves. And in the "Chatter" section in the March 25, 1936 issue of the Variety tradepaper: "Curley Dresden hit by flying missile during filming of war scenes at 20th-Fox." (The film is probably Howard Hawks' THE ROAD TO GLORY (20th Century Fox, 1936) which starred Fredric March and Warner Baxter.)

Les Adams has Dresden identified in about 160 sound films and of these, 137 are westerns and 16 are serials. Most of his film appearances were unbilled/uncredited and he often played a henchman, but also essayed background roles such as a townsman, rustler, posse rider, barfly, etc. The years 1937-1943 were a very busy period for Curley. But his workload slows in 1944 followed by only a couple films in 1945-1946. After that, he disappears from Hollywood.

Albert James Dresden was born on July 17, 1899 in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Anna and Franz Dresden who were both from Germany. Note that the spelling of the family name is Dresden with an "S", not Drezden with a "Z". In addition to Curley, there were two brothers and two sisters, and father Franz/Frank passed away circa 1910.

James Albert 'Curley' Dresden lived at the Norland Hotel in Spokane, Washington. He was hospitalized for over two weeks and passed away on June 7, 1953 at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, Washington from acute liver failure due to cirrhosis of the liver.

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has film appearance information on Curley Dresden: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0237523/

The Google newspaper archive has articles on the Norland Hotel in the Spokane (Washington) Daily Chronicle. It was an inexpensive (cheap) hotel for single men. It closed in 1973 and was demolished in 1976. The second link has a photo showing the small size of the rooms:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vU9OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5fgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6834,1062492&dq=norland-hotel&hl=en
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FPpLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6vgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6542,1541605&dq=norland-hotel&hl=en

The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), death certificate and Newspaper Archive (subscription) have information on Curley Dresden:

1910 census - 36 year old Anna Drezden [sic] (born Germany), 16 year old son August (born Illinois), 14 year old son Frank (born Illinois), 10 year old son Albert (born Illinois) and 2 year old daughter Francis [sic] (born Illinois) are living in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MK83-5PQ
Ancestry had the 1910 census takers worksheet - the Drezden [sic] family resides at 4840 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois.
World War I draft registration dated September 12, 1918 - Albert J. Dresden is living in Webster, Day County, South Dakota. His birth date is July 17, 1899; occupation is "Thresher hand"; and his contact is mother Anna in Chicago: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-26280-21399-36?cc=1968530&wc=M9SL-1TY:n176162985
November 27, 1921 marriage license of 22 year old Albert J. Dresden (born Illinois; parents were Frank Dresden and Anna Troike) to 25 year old Margaret Valborg Axelgard (occupation "artist"; born Denmark) in Los Angeles. Dresden's occupation is "Actor - Motion Picture Studio", and this is the first marriage for both: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-29950-10048-32?cc=1804002&wc=M9MJ-QJ1:139430545
Newspaper Archive had the April 8, 1923 issue of the Oakland (California) Tribune. In the Amusement Section, there's an article titled "Love Tales of Hollywood" and a bunch of people are named who are marrying, divorcing, etc. Quote from that article: "... Bertha Axelgard Dresden, motion picture equestrienne, has been denied alimony in her divorce suit against Albert Curly Dresden, on the ground that the wife makes more money than the husband."
October 15, 1924 marriage license of 25 year old Albert J. Dresden (parents were Frank Dresden and Anna Troike) to 29 year old Alma C Heinfeld (born Ohio) in Santa Ana, California. Alma is single. Dresden reports he was divorced and this was his second marriage; his occupation is "motion picture actor": https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-29896-3242-84?cc=1804002&wc=M9MJ-QTK:n1141443436
1930 census - 29 year old Albert J. Dresden (born Illinois) is a lodger residing in Los Angeles: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XC84-8L4
1930 census takers worksheet - Albert J. Dresden is single; a lodger living with the Arnold and Grace L. Crause family in Los Angeles; occupation is "Actor - Motion Pictures"; and he was a World War I veteran: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR4H-ZG9?cc=1810731
1940 census - 39 year old Albert Dresden is living in the Los Angeles area: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9HK-ZZQ
1940 census takers worksheet: Albert Dresden (born Illinois) is alone and renting at 14542 Magnolia Boulevard, Los Angeles, and he lived in Los Angeles in 1935. His occupation is "Actor - Motion Pictures" and in 1939, he worked 36 weeks and earned $2100.00. The "M" designation for married is lined through and replaced by a question mark: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-27797-973-80?cc=2000219&wc=MMYH-F82:46131196
Death certificate - 52 year old Albert Dresden was born July 17, 1900. Birth location and parent's names are unknown. He is single, not a military veteran, and occupation was "newsboy - Review Chronicle". He was hospitalized for 19 days at the Sacred Heart Hospital, Spokane, Washington, and passed away there on June 7, 1953 from acute liver failure and cirrhosis of the liver - severe. Death certificate informant was "Welfare Records". Funeral director was Riplingers, Spokane, Washington and burial at Holy Cross Cemetery, Spokane, Washington.
In addition to brothers August and Frank and sister Frances, there was another sister - Rosalie Anne was born July 4, 1910 (several months after the 1910 census was taken). In the 1930 census, 56 year old mother Anna and 19 year old daughter Rose are living in Chicago with Curley's sister Frances, her husband Chester Gorzynsky, and their two children: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XSL6-XJ6
Ancestry had the 1930 census takers worksheet - Chester Gorzynsky is the head of household; they are renting; and his occupation is "Electrician - Elect Shop". Mother-in-law Anna has both the W (widow) and D (divorced) designations. Her 19 year old daughter Rose is single and occupation is "Upholster - Own Business".

Find A Grave confirms that Curley Dresden is interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Spokane, Washington: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10061649/albert-j-dresden

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Smith Ballew, Frank Ellis (masked), Armand Wright, Evelyn Daw and Curley Dresden (with his arms in the air) in PANAMINT'S BAD MAN (1938), Ballew's last starring western.

(Courtesy of Bart Romans)

From L-to-R are Curley Dresden (sans moustache), John Wayne and Olin Francis in a scene from PALS OF THE SADDLE (Republic, 1938), one of the Three Mesquiteers series.

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

From L-to-R are Curley Dresden, John Wayne and Olin Francis in another production still from the Three Mesquiteers adventure PALS OF THE SADDLE (Republic, 1938).

(From Old Corral collection)

Above from L-to-R are John Merton, Dave 'Tex' O'Brien, Buster Crabbe (seated), Lynton Brent and Curley Dresden in a lobby card from SHERIFF OF SAGE VALLEY (1942), one of the entries in Crabbe's long running series at PRC during the 1940s. Crabbe had a dual role in this oater, and "the other Crabbe" is facing him on the far left.

(Courtesy of John White)

Above from left to right are Curley Dresden, Jess Cavin, Carl Mathews, Jimmy Aubrey and Dan White in a scene from the Buster Crabbe VALLEY OF VENGEANCE (PRC, 1944). Aubrey, Cavin and White are settlers, while Dresden and Mathews play gang members employed by Lynton Brent and Jack Ingram. All five in this photo are unbilled. This was one of Dresden's last film appearances.