Hal Baylor was born in 1918. He became a heavyweight boxing champ early in life.
Baylor was cast as a boxer in the 1949 Hollywood film The Set-Up.
His work in The Set-Up is considered one of the best-choreographed boxing scenes in film.
Baylor gave up boxing and became a character actor in westerns. He was known for playing villains.
Baylor's boxing friend, Ryan Gluck, encouraged him to pursue acting over boxing. Gluck said his friend was too handsome for a sport that "scrambles good looks."
Baylor loved being a western actor. He wore cowboy attire offset. During his 30-year career, Baylor acted in nearly 200 films and TV episodes. He often worked on projects with John Wayne.
The Hal Baylor papers at UW's American Heritage Center contain his scripts and photos from film sets.