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September 6, 2008

Actor took drawl to screen

Muskogee accent stayed with Gulager in Hollywood

By Jonita Mullins

William Martin Gulager was born in Holdenville in 1928. He was named for an uncle who owned a home in Muskogee and served in the state Legislature in the 1920s. Like his uncle, Gulager was given the nickname “Clu” which is said to be Cherokee for bird. The Gulagers were Cherokee and related to family of Will Rogers.

Clu and his family settled in Muskogee in 1925 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 Gulagers 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. He was a co-star of the western television series “The Tall Man” from 1960 to 1962. His acting career spanned near 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. Gulager is retired from acting and lives in Los Angeles today.

Reach Jonita Mullins at jonita@netscape.com.

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