Tom Mix

TOM MIX d1940. American film actor and the star of many early Western movies. Between 1909-1935, he appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent movies. He was Hollywood's first Western megastar and is noted as having helped define the genre for all cowboy actors who followed. On October 12th 1940 (after visiting Pima County Sheriff Ed Nichols in Tucson, Arizona), he headed north toward Phoenix on US Highway 80 driving his 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton. He stopped at the Oracle Junction Inn, a popular gambling and drinking establishment to call his agent and then continued toward Phoenix. About eighteen miles south of Florence Arizona, he came upon construction barriers at a bridge washed away by a flash flood. He was unable to stop in time. The car swerved twice and then rolled into a gully, pinning his body underneath. He had placed a large aluminium suitcase containing a substantial sum of money and jewels on the package shelf behind him. It flew forward and struck his head, shattering his skull and breaking his neck ; the actor was killed almost instantly. Eyewitnesses said he had been travelling at 80 mph. He was 60 years old. The funeral of Tom Mix was held at the Little Church of the Flowers in Glendale California on October 16th 1940 ; attended by thousands of fans and Hollywood personalities.