Who Is Johnny West

We know that many of the Johnny West character likenesses were based on real people. Some of these associations are guesses others are known facts. But, we don't know who all of them were or who they look like now.

So, I decided to create this page and with your help, expand it over the coming months.

Here's the deal. I'll show the Johnny West character and then 3 other columns, Column one "Then" will be the personality that the figure most resembled (and was probably patterned after) - Remember, these personalities had to look like this prior to the figure being released in the 60's. The next column will be 'Now' - This will show who the figure most resembles in today's celebrity world (could be actors, politicians or the 'man on the street' - could even be you!). The last column 'Ever' will be a picture of the person from any time that most closely resembles the figure - The 'Dead Ringer' type of association ( This could be a living person or a historical figure. The picture could be from anytime in the person's life - a young Jack Nicholson looks quite different from an old Jack).

How you can help - If you're wandering around cyber-space and come across a picture of a person and you say - That looks like Jane West! (or anyone else), please send me the link or picture and the name / age of the person if known. If Sam Cobra looks just like your neighbor - get their permission, snap a photo and send it to me with the details - you get the idea. I'll only keep the two most promising pics on the site at any time so things could change quickly. I'll be the final judge - it is my site afterall ;-).

Thanks and Enjoy - Send photos and details to stewartsattic@gmail.com!

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Johnny West

Other figues with the same head sculpt:

Stony Smith
Sheriff Thomas Goode


Ty Hardin My Speculation - looks pretty good and the time frame for the 'Bronco' show is right. Hair style and cleft chin are good	Eric Fleming Gil Favor on Rawhide - Just modify this comicbook cover a little and you have the Action Cowboy image on the first box

John F. Kennedy Very close match, right eyes and hair but no cleft chin - Favorite of some


Dennis Quaid	Bill Paxton


Ty Hardin Age at picture time - 30 or 31 Bronco TV show (1958-1962) After the end of the American Civil War, former Confederate army captain Bronco Layne seeks his fortune in the lawless West.

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Capt. Maddox

Other figues with the same head sculpt:

Cowboy Kid
James West - Prototype


Robert Conrad My conjecture is that Marx made the head sculpt for the James West figure but did not get the rights from Conrad or CBS to use his likeness or the name James West. They then used the head on Capt. Maddox and saved the body casting work to be used in the future, as it turns out, on Sam Cobra.


Tom Hanks	Jason Patric


Robert Conrad Age at picture time - 30 or 31 As James T. West of The Wild, Wild West TV show (1965-1969)

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Sam Cobra

Other figues with the same head sculpt:

Dangerous Dan
Sir Stuart
Sir Cedric


James Garner From his Maverick Days...Add a beard and moustache???	Photoshopped beard...

Robert Taylor From the Movie Ivanhoe - Fits the Sir Stuart image...


Tommy Lee Jones	Powers Boothe


Jack Nicholson Age at picture time - 30-33

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

General Custer

No Other figues used the same head sculpt


Wayne Maunder This is a rumored association. From the TV show "Legend of Custer" that aired in 1967.


Alan Jackson	Kevin Costner


Wayne Maunder Age at picture time - 30-45

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Jane West 1

No Other figues used the same head sculpt


Gail Davis During the 1950's, the TV series Annie Oakley, starring Gail Davis, captured the hearts of many a child and grown-up alike.	Dale Evans Wife of Roy Rogers


Unknown


Gail Davis Age at picture time - 25-29

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Jane West 2

No Other figues used the same head sculpt


Linda Evans From the TV show Big Valley


Nicolette Sheridan	Kate Blanchett


Nicolette Sheridan Age at picture time - 41 Wow!

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Zeb Zachary

Other figues with the same head sculpt:

Jimmy West


Chris Jones From the TV show "Legend of Jesse James" - 1965


Unknown


Chris Jones Age at picture time - 25

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Sheriff Garrett

Other figues with the same head sculpt:

Bobby Bueno - MX


Dean Martin Lots of specualtion about this choice - what do you think? This shot from the 1959 movie "Rio Bravo"	Dean Martin with a photoshopped moustache...hmmm

Dennis Weaver I think Dennis as Chester on Gunsmoke was too young looking - here he is a little older with a moustache but this would have been well after Garrett came out.


Kevin Kline	Sam Elliot


Dean with Moustache Age at picture time - 41-42	John O. Stewart Sr. My Father - Age at picture time - 50

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Daniel Boone

Other figues with the same head sculpt:

Bill Buck


Fess Parker Marx intended to get the rights to do Fess Parker as Daniel Boone, James Arness as Gunsmoke's Matt Dillon, and others. Daniel Boone was produced but the other deals proved too expensive for Marx and they decided to produce their own generic line. Using the Daniel Boone they already had, they introduced Daniel Boone The Wilderness Scout in 1964.


Tom Selleck	Sean Penn


Fess Parker Age at picture time - 40 No Doubt about it!

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Dangerous Dan
Flocked Hair

No other figues were made with flocked hair so I've treated Dan differently instead of lumping him in with Capt. Maddox:


Robert Conrad Gotta get a picture of Robert with a beard - Got one??


Hugh Jackman	Karl Urban


Robert Conrad Age at picture time - 43 As Canadian trapper - Pasquinel in the 1978 movie "Centennial"

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Jed Gibson

No other African-American figues were made by Marx.


Unknown


Cuba Gooding Jr	Denzel Washington


Unknown Age at picture time - ??

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Geronimo

No Other figues used the same head sculpt


The Real Geronimo Doesn't look anything like him, does it?


Adam Beach	Duane Loken


Unknown Age at picture time - ??

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Chief Cherokee

No Other figues used the same head sculpt


Ed Ames I always thought that he looked like Mingo [Ed Ames] from the Daniel Boone TV show


Graham Greene	Wes Studi


Ed Ames Age at picture time - 37

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Fighting Eagle

No Other figues used the same head sculpt


Woody Strode


Wes Studi	Rodney A. Grant


Woody Strode Age at picture time - 47 As Stone Calf in Two Rode Together (1961) I mocked up this picture

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Princess Wildflower

No Other figues used the same head sculpt


Diana Chamberlain It is currently believed that the Marx model maker "Floyd Joe Chamberlain", used his niece "Diana" as the model for the Princess	Gloria Talbot From the movie "The Oklahoman" in 1957.


Salma Hayek	Rachel Luttrell


Diana Chamberlain

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Jamie West

No Other figues used the same head sculpt


Roger Mobley His character in "For the Love of Willadean, Part 2" looks just like Jamie.


Frankie Muniz	Daniel Radcliff


Roger Mobley Age at picture time - 15-16

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Jay West

No Other figues used the same head sculpt


Jay North From the Dennis the Menace TV show (1959-1963)


Jeremy Sumpter	Unknown


Jay North Age at picture time - 8-10

Figure

Then

Now

Ever

Josie West

No Other figues used the same head sculpt


Unknown


Dakota Fanning	Britt McKillip


Susan Olsen Age at picture time - 8-9 Cindy Brady on the TV show The Brady Bunch - even has the pig-tails! She was born in 1961 so she would have only been 5 or 6 when the sculpt would have been done...