THREE FORKS HISTORY: Gulager had impressive acting career

Mar. 23—Clu Gulager, a long-time actor, was born in Holdenville, Oklahoma in 1928. He was named for his uncle, William Martin Gulager, who owned a home in Muskogee. William Gulager served as a state senator in the 1920s.

Like his uncle, the younger Gulager was given the nickname "Clu" which is said to be Cherokee for bird. Clu's maternal grandmother was the aunt of Will Rogers who also was an actor with an impressive movie career.

Clu and his family settled in Muskogee after his father John left an acting career on the vaudeville stage. The Gulagers lived on Arline Street in West Muskogee. Clu attended Muskogee schools and managed two paper routes while growing up here. He played in the marching band under director Tony Goetz while attending Central High School.

After graduating from Central in 1945, Gulager went into the military and served in the Marines. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton from 1946 to 1948. When he completed his military service he returned to Muskogee and attended Northeastern State College in Tahlequah. He later transferred to Baylor University where he met his future wife, Miriam Netherly.

Clu and his wife shared an interest in acting and both were involved in productions in college. After graduating they settled for a time in Muskogee. Gulager worked for a while as a disc jockey for KBIX radio here.

But the acting bug, probably inherited from his father, called him to Hollywood and so the Gulahers moved there in 1958. Here they had two sons, John and Tom, both who also worked in the film industry.

Gulager is best known for acting in westerns, but he also appeared in horror films. He was a co-star of the western television series "The Tall Man" from 1960 to 1962. His acting career spanned nearly 40 years and he appeared in scores of television shows from "Wagon Train" to "Walker, Texas Ranger" to "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."

Gulager never lost his Muskogee drawl and his distinctive voice made him easily identified in whatever role he undertook. He also directed productions and taught classes on acting. He lived in Hollywood until his death in 2022.

Reach Jonita Mullins at jonita.mullins@gmail.com