Syd Saylor ( born Leo Sailor ; March 24 , 1895 – December 21 , 1962 ) was an American comedic actor and movie cowboy sidekick who appeared in 395 films and television series between 1926 and 1962 . Saylor 's father , George Sailor , was in San Francisco when the big 1906 San Francisco earthquake hit the area . He was never seen again . Syd was a member of several local actors groups and discovered he had a knack for making people laugh . An uncle was a captain in the Los Angeles Sheriff 's Department — and a former member of Mack Sennett 's comedy troupe , The Keystone Kops . Syd 's uncle used his connections in the Hollywood film industry to get Syd 's foot in the door to films . In the silent film days of the 1920s , he had his own series of two-reel shorts
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Syd Saylor