Max Aronson couldn’t ride a horse before he became the first real Westerns star. He got a start in “The Great Train Robbery,” and by 1904, he’d taken on the screen and real life persona of Broncho Billy Anderson.
Between 1907 and 1915, he cranked out an estimated 375 oaters, most 10-15 minutes long. They cost about $800 to produce and made up to $50,000 per. Anderson was a Hollywood powerhouse.
By 1916, Broncho Billy had screen rivals in William S. Hart and Tom Mix. His career was basically finished soon after.
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