 | The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc. |
| The man with many names ... | ||
 Gene Alsace, 1936  Gene Alsace as "Rocky Camron", 1946 |  | Gene Alsace Gene Alces Buck Coburn Rocky Camron Rocky Cameron Rockford Gene Camron Birth name: Vivien/Vivian Gene Herzinger |
 (From Old Corral collection) Above - Tom Keene is wrestling a Winchester away from Gene Alsace in the title lobby card from RIDING THE SUNSET TRAIL (Monogram, 1941). Stuntwoman and great rider Betty Miles is shown on the right. Below - let's flip that Keene and Camron image and do another lobby card in the set ... nobody will ever notice. Robert Emmett 'Bob' Tansey was producer and director.  (Courtesy of Les Adams) |
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Sources have his real name as Gene Alsace, Rocky Camron, Rockford G. Camron. But there were many other name variations which are detailed further down this webpage. He also had five wives and several occupations other than movie actor.
He was born Vivien Gene Herzinger on August 4, 1900 or 1902 in Salida, Colorado. He did World War I service in the Navy from August 20, 1918 to February 7, 1919. According to his World War II draft registration, he was 5 feet, 8 inches tall, and weighed 150 pounds. He came to Hollywood circa 1919, and here's a few tidbits on his early days:
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 1939 at Rancho Alamo  1946 at Circle J. Ranch | Top left is a 1939 newspaper ad for Gene Alsace managing the "Rancho Alamo" horse boarding and training facility in Van Nuys, California. Gene, widowed mother Olive, and widowed sister Helen were living at that 14041 Moor Park address at the time of 1940 census. Newspaper ad underneath is from November, 1946, and Rocky Camron is looking for a laborer to care for horses at the Circle J. guest ranch in Newhall, California.  |
| The June 12, 1942 Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet newspaper has an article on a horse show at the Rancho Alamo stable presented by stable manager Gene Alsace: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121050753/rancho-alamo-horse-show-presented-by/ | |
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His movie career spanned about twenty years, from 1930 to the early 1950s. And he had billed and uncredited roles in about 70 films, and most were B westerns along with a few western themed cliffhangers. Not a large quantity of Hollywood paydays. But he had many other jobs including horse trainer, stable manager, stable and ranch owner ... and he also played a guitar, sang, and wrote poems and tunes.
At the bottom of this wepbage is a contract with Samuel Goldwyn Productions for him to do a bit as a "sheriff's man" in the Eddie Cantor WHOOPEE (Samuel Goldwyn, 1930). Poverty Row producer Willis Kent churned out exploitation films and some westerns starring Lane Chandler and Northwestern University All-American fullback Reb Russell. Kent made Alsace the hero and star of GUN SMOKE / GUNSMOKE ON THE GUADALUPE (Willis Kent, 1935). In that, he was billed as "Buck Coburn". (Guessing "Coburn" was chosen as that was the maiden name of wife #4, actress Dorothy Coburn.) In 1935 - 1937, he was in ten Dick Foran oaters at Warners. And he was a member of a quartet of singers in the Dick Foran Technicolor short THE SUNDAY ROUNDUP (Warners, 1936). Then a few serials: GREAT ADVENTURES OF WILD BILL HICKOK (Columbia, 1938) with Bill Elliott; ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER (Republic, 1940) with Don Barry; and he was reunited with Dick Foran in WINNERS OF THE WEST (Universal, 1940). Perusing his filmography, Alsace was fairly busy in 1938 - 1950 at Monogram, Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC), and Eagle-Lion Films. And most of his movie jobs during this period were with producer, director, and jack-of-all-trades Robert Emmett Tansey (1897 - 1951). Alsace did 26 films with Bob Tansey. Some speculation on their connection. Over twenty years ago, I did bios on the Tansey family with many photos and input from Dave Tansey, and his uncle was Bob Tansey. Bob loved horses, horse racing, and bettin' on the ponies. From an e-mail from Dave:
"I remember Bob's wife Kitty on the phone with the race horse bookies betting, what as a kid I thought was a huge amount, probably in the low hundreds or even less. The horse races were big to Bob he finally owned a horse that he ran at Caliente."
Perhaps the Tansey relationship was due to Alsace's involvement in horse training, stables, et al ?
"Honeymooning in Las Vegas are Mr. and Mrs. Rockford Camron of the Circle J Ranch, Newhall. The bride is the former Vera Townshend of Hollywood."
In later years, he and 'Jeri' resided in Paradise, Butte County, California. (Paradise is in northern California, above San Francisco and Sacramento.)
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 (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above is Gene Alsace (credited as "Buck Coburn") in his ONLY STARRING ROLE. He and burly Roger Williams have the drop on the saloon crowd in this scene from GUN SMOKE / GUNSMOKE ON THE GUADALUPE (Willis Kent, 1935). Standing on the far right with his mouth covered is Bud Osborne. Producer Willis Kent was also responsible for western series starring Lane Chandler and Reb Russell.  (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Marion Shilling, Gene Alsace (as "Buck Coburn"), Roy Bucko, Ed Carey, Lew Meehan and Buck Bucko in another still from GUN SMOKE / GUNSMOKE ON THE GUADALUPE (Willis Kent, 1935), Camron's only starring oater.  (From Old Corral collection) ARIZONA BOUND (Monogram, 1941) was the first of eight Rough Riders films. L-R are Tim McCoy, Buck Jones, Tris Coffin, Gene Alsace, and Charles 'Slim' Whitaker. Alsace is wearing his customary tall hat and chaps. He also appeared in the Rough Riders adventure THE GUNMAN FROM BODIE (Monogram, 1941). In both, he played a gang member / henchman. No Bob Tansey involvement in those - producer was Scott R. Dunlap and Spencer Gordon Bennet directed.  (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above is B&W version of the title lobby card included in the pressbook for Tom Keene's WESTERN MAIL (Monogram, 1942), one of the eight 1941-42 releases that Keene did for Monogram. The baddies in the background are L-to-R, Sherry Tansey, Gene Alsace, Karl Hackett, and Fred Kohler, Jr. Robert Emmett 'Bob' Tansey was producer and director and his brother Sherry Tansey played a henchman.  (From Old Corral collection) Takin' a break at Monogram during the filming of OUTLAW TRAIL (Monogram, 1944), one of the Trail Blazers trio westerns. L-to-R are Hoot Gibson, Victor Daniels/Chief Thunder Cloud, Gene Alsace (as hero helper "Rocky Camron"), Jennifer Holt, and Bob Steele. Jennifer Holt was the sister of RKO cowboy Tim Holt, and a frequent leading lady to Johnny Mack Brown, Eddie Dean and Lash LaRue in the 1940s. Robert Emmett 'Bob' Tansey was producer and director.  (From Old Corral collection) Above from left to right are Gene Alsace (as hero helper "Rocky Camron"), Betty Miles, Hoot Gibson, Chief Thunder Cloud (Victor Daniels), and Bob Steele in a scene from SONORA STAGECOACH (Monogram, 1944), the last of Monogram's Trail Blazers series. Another producer and director credit for Robert Emmett 'Bob' Tansey.  (Courtesy of Les Adams) Left is stuntman Cliff Lyons (doubling star Ken Maynard) in a crop from a lobby card from HARMONY TRAIL (Mattox, 1944; re-released in 1947 by Astor as WHITE STALLION). On the right is Rocky Camron. Yup! Tansey was the director and writer on HARMONY. |
 (Courtesy of Phil Arnold) Above is the Free Lance player weekly agreement for Gene Alsace to play a "sheriff's man" in WHOOPEE (Samuel Goldwyn, 1930) which starred Eddie Cantor. Alsace's contract is on two pages. Above is the top of page 1 and the signature area at the bottom of page 2. His pay was $125.00 weekly with a one week minimum. |
 | "SONGS OF A SADDLE TRAMP" by Rocky Camron has a 1964 publication date by Carlton Book Store, Santa Monica, California. Is a 5" x 8" paperback with 64 pages of Camron's poems and songs about cowboys, horses, cattle, etc. The book design and many illustrations were by John Whorrall. Below is the foreward which thanks wife 'Jeri' as the collector of his writings. And a nice illustration of Rocky Camron by Whorrall. | |
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Links
 Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on:Rocky Camron/Gene Alsace/Buck Coburn: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0022490/ His fourth wife, actress Dorothy Montana Coburn (1905 - 1978): http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167997/ Alsace/Camron's film career amounted to about 70 films. 26 of those were for producer / director Robert Emmett 'Bob' Tansey in 1938 - 1950: https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?role=nm0022490,nm0849806 The BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) website has a (clunky) search function. And Rocky Camron was writer / composer of four songs: "Awake Dear Jenny", "Droop Ears", "Sod Buster", and "Willow Weep No More": https://repertoire.bmi.com/
In the late 1920s, Gene Alsace was an athletic trainer at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Here's two 1927 photos of Alsace working out with MGM leading lady Joan Crawford: Alsace must have been friendly with Tex Ritter, as he was one of the many out-of-town guests at the June 14, 1941 marriage of Tex and Dorothy Fay Southworth in Prescott, Arizona: https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-photo-and-announcement/121051760/ March 26, 1943 article by Tex Ritter in the North Hollywood Valley Times mentions that "Gene Alsace, former manager of the Rancho Alamo on Sepulveda Boulevard, now has a ranch of his own near Gorman - dealing, of course, in horses.": https://www.newspapers.com/article/north-hollywood-valley-times-movie-actor/179572946/
Find A Grave website has a photo of the marker for Rockford 'Rocky' Camron (1902 - 1967) at Paradise Cemetery, Paradise, Butte County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91068511/rockford-camron
The Internet Archive and YouTube have films with Alsace/Camron which you can stream or download. Here's a few directed by Robert Emmett Tansey:
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On the trail of ... what's his name?
And he was married five times.
There was info on Gene Alsace and family at Family Search (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), California Death Index, Social Security Death Index (SSDI), death certificate, newspaper websites, more.
1. Married Marguerite Hazel Roberts on May 5, 1922 in Los Angeles.
How and why the Alces surname? In the links below is a 1919 newspaper article on mother Olive petitioning for a surname change from Herzinger to Alces. Her rationale was that the German name Herzinger had a very negative connotation due to World War I. In the 1918 Los Angeles City Directory, mother Olive's last name was Herzinger. In the 1920 census, she's Olive Alces.
Vivien Gene Herzinger
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Early years in Colorado and Los Angeles - mother Olive Davidson/Davison was married to Fleming/Flemming Herzinger ... and a son named Vivian was born circa 1902:
The last name of Alces appears circa 1920. The last name of Alsace begins circa 1930:
In the 1930 census, he reports that he was a World War I veteran, and the death certificate notes WW1 duty in the U.S. Navy. There are two key dates - his August 4, 1902 birth and World War I ended on November 11, 1918 when the Armistice was signed. The duration between those two dates is: 16 years, 3 months, 7 days (excluding the end date). I do realize that he could have lied about his age. If August 4, 1900 was his birth date, then he would have been 18+ years of age at enlistment. As to Fleming Herzinger who was born circa 1867 in Missouri:
There is a F. T. Herzinger/Fleming Herzinger - but he's born circa 1876 in Missouri:
Mother Olive and daughter Helen:
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