Rex

Biography

This equine actor was born in Texas, around 1915 - 1916. He was a Morgan stallion named 'Casey Jones'. This all-black horse had a distinguishing small white mark on his forehead. He was sold to a Colorado Boys Reformatory as a young colt. Probably mistreated. He was known to be mean and ornery. Some would say even dangerous. Rumored to have killed a handler in later years. He was sold to the Colorado Detention Home. He was moved from one place to another over the years and ended up being owned by Hal Roach. Roach had Casey Jones stabled at the Fat Jones Stables. It was Jack Lindell who trained this stallion so he could be in motion pictures. Roach changed the horse's name to Rex. In 1924 Rex was the star of his first movie, The King of Wild Horses (1924). He was still a bit mean and ornery, but this trait was used in movies to his advantage. Some of the tricks that he did, like chasing someone and cornering them, or chasing them under a car were used often in his movies. He does away with a few of the villains in his movies by stomping them to death. Oliver Hardy as the evil bad guy in No Man's Law (1927) becomes one of those to receive and end from Rex. Actor Ernie Adams was terrified of Rex in a movie he played in with this horse. One particular scene from The Devil Horse (1926), where Rex battles a painted stallion, has been edited into many other westerns. Apparently during Rex movie career he behaved well enough to perform in twenty movies. This horse became famously known as Rex, King of the Wild Horses. Retired from acting in the late 30's. Rex lived out his life at the Lee Doyle Ranch in Flagstaff, Arizona. Rex lived some twenty-five plus years.