▁ 1 9 2 0 . ▁ ▁St ard om ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁Jones ▁made ▁three ▁films ▁with ▁a ▁very ▁young ▁Car ole ▁Lomb ard . ▁He ▁had ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 6 0 ▁film ▁cred its ▁to ▁his ▁name ▁by ▁this ▁time , ▁and ▁he ▁had ▁ ▁joined ▁H oot ▁Gib son , ▁Tom ▁Mix ▁and ▁Ken ▁May n ard ▁as ▁the ▁top ▁cow boy ▁actors ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁By ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁he ▁formed ▁his ▁own ▁production ▁company , ▁but ▁his ▁independently ▁produced ▁film ▁The ▁Big ▁Hop ▁( a ▁non - West ern ) ▁failed . ▁He ▁then ▁organized ▁a ▁tour ing ▁Wild ▁West ▁show , ▁with ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁featured ▁att raction , ▁but ▁this ▁expensive ▁vent ure ▁also ▁failed ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁fal ter ing ▁economy ▁of ▁late ▁ 1 9 2 9 . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁new ▁talking ▁pictures ▁replacing ▁silent ▁films ▁as ▁a ▁national ▁past ime , ▁out door ▁Western s ▁fell ▁out ▁of ▁favor ▁briefly . ▁The ▁major ▁stud ios ▁wer en ' t ▁interested ▁in ▁h iring ▁Buck ▁Jones . ▁He ▁signed ▁with ▁Columbia ▁Pictures , ▁then ▁just ▁a ▁low ly ▁" B " ▁picture ▁studio , ▁st arring ▁in ▁Western s ▁for ▁$ 3 0 0 ▁a ▁week , ▁a ▁fraction ▁of ▁his ▁top ▁sal ary ▁in ▁the ▁silent - film ▁days . ▁His ▁voice -- a ▁rug ged ▁bar it one -- record ed ▁well ▁and ▁the ▁films ▁were ▁very ▁successful , ▁re - est ab lish