Charles Starrett's athletic endeavors on the Dartmouth College football team initially led to a stint as a football extra in the 1926 film The Quarterback. This experience sparked his interest in acting, prompting him to transition into vaudeville, regional stage work, and eventually, Broadway productions.
Scouted by a Paramount talent agent, Starrett was subsequently signed to play the romantic lead in the 1930 film Fast and Loose. Over the next couple of years, he remained busy, but his roles were relatively unremarkable.
In 1933, Starrett played a key role in the formation of the Screen Actors Guild, an organization that would go on to advocate for the rights and interests of actors in the film industry.
In 1936, he signed with Columbia Pictures and went on to star in an impressive 115 westerns over the next 16 years. During this period, he became synonymous with his on-screen persona, often taking on roles with names that incorporated the nickname "Steve," a common moniker on the "B" circuit.
Throughout the 1940s, Starrett consistently ranked among the top ten western stars, taking on various roles as sheriffs and rangers before ultimately becoming renowned for his portrayal of the "Durango Kid."
The Durango Kid first appeared in 1940 and would go on to become a staple of Starrett's filmography, with him playing the character in nearly every movie towards the end of his career, despite showing signs of aging.
When the "B" movie western genre began to decline in the early 1950s, Starrett brought his acting career to a close, effectively hanging up his spurs for good.
