Lynton Brent

Existing (and very brief) biographies on Lynton Brent note that he was born in Chicago, a World War I Army veteran, a writer, artist and architect, and he did stage plays prior to beginning film work circa 1929 - 1930.

Brent's Hollywood career consisted of about 300 films in a 20+ year span from about 1929 - 1950. Among his movie roles were 66 westerns and 14 cliffhangers ... plus about two dozen of the Three Stooges shorts for Columbia. He was frequently employed by Republic Pictures, appearing in nearly fifty westerns, serials and other films in 1936 - 1944.

Most of his movie appearances were uncredited background / face in the crowd roles. In serials and westerns, Brent was often an unbilled henchman / gang member. But once in a while, he was given a bit more to do, and a couple examples come to mind. In the Ken Maynard serial MYSTERY MOUNTAIN (Mascot, 1934; 12 chapters), he's one of several individuals suspected of being "the Rattler". In the Range Busters' TRAIL RIDERS (Monogram, 1942), Brent plays heroine Evelyn Finley's brother, and has a few lines of dialog and some screen time when he gets involved with Charlie King's gang.

We know that Brent dabbled in writing - while Adele Buffington (using her "Jess Bowers" pseudonym) wrote the screenplay for the Johnny Mack Brown THE TEXAS KID (Monogram, 1943), the original story was by Lynton Wright Brent. And he's credited for the story in the opening titles and appears in the film as one of the gang.

Jack Tillmany had some circa 1929 - 1930 casting directories with mentions of Brent:

He's listed with 10 years experience on the stage.
Quote: "Just closed part of 'Laertes' in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', under the direction of Joseph Schildkraut, opening performance June 27, Windsor Square Theater"
Quote: "Lead in 'Paid In Full' - (Road two seasons); 'Capt. Tarnitz' in 'The Student Prince' - Los Angeles; 'Laertes' in 'Hamlet' - Los Angeles"

He was the son of William Lynton Brent, the president of Merchants Trust Company, a Los Angeles civic leader, and one of the founders and developers of Brentwood / Brentwood Park, a suburb of Los Angeles (which was named for Brent). W. L. Brent passed away on April 5, 1955 at the age of 86.

Lila Ashear did some sleuthing and was able to locate some additional information:

Confirmed that his father was William Lynton Brent and his mother was Lizzie Josephine Wright. An April, 1955 newspaper obituary for William Brent lists three children (which includes Lynton Brent of Los Angeles).
Brent's military service: Address at time of induction, Dayton, Ohio; mustered in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky April 28, 1917, Troop L, 7 Cavalry to 18 Aug 1917; Headquarters Troop 7 Cavalry to Discharge, Musician, third class 15 Aug 1917; Musician, second class, 28 Apr 1918. Honorable discharge 30 Aug 1918, to accept Commission 2nd Lieutenant Cavalry, 31 Aug 1918 from United States Army; Honorable Discharge Ft. Bliss, Texas Dec. 23, 1918. (His maternal grandmother lived in Ohio which may be why he chose that address to enlist.)

His last movie role was 1950. Then he concentrated on writing stories and novels ... pulp fiction type ... and most had risque / adult themes.

He was married twice. His first was to Kathleen Jensen on March 26, 1918 in El Paso, Texas (when he was on military duty at Fort Bliss, Texas). Sixty year old Brent tied the knot with forty-eight year old Luella Alvina Johnson on October 24, 1957 in Los Angeles.

Lynton Brent passed away in the Los Angeles area on July 12, 1981. Found no death announcement or funeral notice for him on Newspapers.com and Newspaper archive.

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Lynton Brent: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0107589/

The Three Stooges net website has a listing of the two dozen Three Stooges comedies in which Brent appeared: http://www.threestooges.net/cast/actor/107/

On the trail of Lynton Brent.

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois birth record for Lynton Wright Brent - he was born August 2, 1897 in Chicago. Parents were William Lynton Brent and Lizzie Josephone Wright: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q23M-F5X1?lang=en
World War I enrollment card dated April 28, 1917 in Frank, Seneca, Ohio for 19 year old Lynton W. Brent. He was born about 1898 in Chicago and lived in Dayton, Ohio: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QR64-87N2?lang=en
March 26, 1918 Texas marriage record for 21 year old Lynton W. Brent and 18 year old Kathleen Jensen in El Paso, Texas. Marriage performed by the Chaplain, 7th Cavalry: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLXH-GX4?lang=en
December 21, 1928 Los Angeles Times article on the play, "The Student Prince", and Lynton Brent has a major role: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-stage-role-for-fut/166381435/
1930 census summary and census takers worksheet - 32 year old Lyntin [sic] Brent was renting at the Karnak Apartments, Los Angeles. He was born in Illinois; a WW1 veteran; and occupation was "Actor - Motion Picture":https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCJB-Q84?lang=en
World War II draft registration dated February 14, 1942 for 44 year old Lynton Wright Brent. He was born August 2, 1897 in Chicago, Illinois; was living at 1556 N. Serrano, Los Angeles; occupation was "Free Lance Actor - Motion Picture Studios"; he was 5 feet, 9 1/2 inches tall and weighed 152 pounds; and contact was his father W. L. Brent in Los Angeles: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGX1-6G5Z?lang=en
January 8, 1943 North Hollywood Valley Times article on former cavalry officer Captain Lynton Wright Brent forming a cavalry unit for the California State Militia and reporting to Colonel Herbert R. Ray [sic]: https://www.newspapers.com/article/north-hollywood-valley-times-actor-and-a/166222696/
1950 census summary and census takers worksheet - 52 year old Lynton W. Brent was one of many lodgers residing at the Strand Hotel, Los Angeles. He was divorced; born in Illinois; and occupation was "Actor - Movie Studios": https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XLB-6SDS?lang=en
October 24, 1957 Los Angeles marriage license for 60 year old Lynton Wright Brent and 48 year old Luella Alvina Johnson. Second marriage for him and her first: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8XK-K28?lang=en
California Death Index and Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for 84 year old Lynton Wright Brent - he was born August 2, 1897 in Illinois and passed on July 12, 1981 in the Los Angeles area:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGG2-4Z4?lang=en
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V3L4-BZZ?lang=en
Find A Grave has no burial details and interment location for Lynton Wright Brent: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83958680/lynton-wright-brent
Find A Grave has no interment location for his second wife, Luella Alvina Johnson Brent. She passed away February 1, 2002 in Los Angeles: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/158970845/luella_alvina_brent

Author and painter Lynton Brent.

August 9, 1945 Arizona Daily Star has a multi-purpose ad for Brent. Coverage included his new historical novel about Tombstone, Arizona titled "The Bird Cage". Also mentions him writing Johnny Mack Brown's THE TEXAS KID. And Brent was residing in Tucson, Arizona and offering writing classes to the general public: https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-star-ad-for-actor-lynton-w/166223316/

Brent authored some books - some were westerns and some were risque / adult. This link will take you to a Google search for books by Lynton Wright Brent: https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Lynton+Wright+Brent%22+%2B%22books%22

Paul Thompson has more on Lynton Wright Brent after Hollywood: "... he became a latecomer in the world of cheap paperback sleaze, publishing a slew of novels at what seemed a single go.": https://whatthehellisart.wordpress.com/2020/08/21/on-the-silent-sex-trail-of-sir-gay-the-pulp-career-of-lynton-wright-brent/

The Ask ART website has a very brief profile on Brent, noting that he painted as a hobby: http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/biography.aspx?artist=11167031