The Highwaymen and B.M. Gault

[Tom Givens]

The Highwaymen, and Ranger Captain B.M. Gault

The 2019 theatrical movie, The Highwaymen, is a stylized account of the hunt for Bonnie & Clyde, undertaken in 1934 by former Texas Ranger Captains Frank Hamer and B.M. “Manny” Gault. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Highwaymen_(film) . If you have an interest in Depression era law enforcement techniques and equipment, I highly recommend the movie.

In addition to robbing banks and killing people, the criminal couple murdered several peace officers, incurring the wrath of the Texas law enforcement establishment. The Governor authorized the head of the Texas Department of Corrections to hire former Texas Ranger Captain Frank Hamer, a famous manhunter, to track them down. Upon accepting the job, Hamer requested Captain B.M. Gault, who went by “Manny” to be his partner on this intensive and highly dangerous manhunt. Hamer knew Gault well from years spent together in the Texas Rangers and he knew Gault as a capable detective and a very dangerous man in perilous situations.

In the movie, Kevin Costner portrays Frank Hamer, and does a fairly good job of presenting Hamer’s quiet, dogged determination. During his lifetime, Hamer shunned publicity, and refused to talk about his 50+ gunfights in the Tex/Mex border area during the turbulent first 30 years of the 20th century. Woody Harrelson played Gault, and this is my only real criticism of the movie. Although they appear to have made an attempt to portray Hamer fairly accurately, the character of Manny Gault in the movie is an unshaven, rumpled, drunk who is well past his prime. When asked about this in an interview, Harrelson said the Gault character was a composite of several historic Ranger personalities. That’s fine, except they used Gault’s name.
I feel this does Captain Gault a real dis-service, so I decided to set the record straight. On one of my frequent forays into Texas, I stopped by the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco to do some research. Attached to the museum is the Tobin and Anne Armstrong Research Center, library and archives of the Texas Rangers. There, I was able to look through Captain Gault’s personnel file and get a better picture of the real B.M. Gault.

B.M. Gault joined the Texas Rangers in 1929. In 1937 he was promoted to Sergeant and in 1938 to Captain. Captain is the highest rank in the Rangers, under their chief, a Senior Captain. Each Captain heads up a Ranger office for a geographic area of the state of Texas. On his death in 1947, Gault was the Captain in charge of the Lubbock, Texas, district. This is an impressive record.

During the 1930’s, Texas Rangers typically worked alone, sometimes with a partner, and without mobile telephones, two-way radios, and other communication devices. Once on the trail, they were completely on their own, handling investigations involving murders, kidnappings, organized gambling and liquor operations, and other major crimes. Gault made the rank of Captain in just nine years, which indicates a dedicated, honest, and courageous lawman. At one point he was assigned to Ranger headquarters in Austin, indicating a man good at administrative tasks as well as at leading hard men in dangerous assignments. I’d like to see him get the credit he deserves.

[jnc36rcpd]

Well spoken, Tom. I understand the need for dramatization in quasi-historical entertainment, I think Gault's portrayal could have been more accurate while still keeping dramatic license. That said, I did like the overall theme of the movie.

[Le Français]

While I would perhaps hesitate to equate rapid ascendance through the ranks and a headquarters tour with the positive attributes you generously assign, it certainly seems that Mr. Gault was an accomplished lawman indeed.

Thank you for taking the time to post this.

I worked a death scene with a Texas Ranger recently, in what became a federal case. To this day, they seem to be ready — and expected — to operate with great autonomy in the handling of difficult and important investigations.

[Wayne Dobbs]

Hollywood always has to smear good folks in their depictions of law enforcement. Hamer, Gault and others were likely the very best that could be had in those days and while they'd be hated and criticized today, they got the job done well. Hamer was a problem solver all over Texas and as an insight to his character, he saved somewhere around 13 black male defendants from lynchings by his actions of courage. One of those involved Hamer physically covering up the defendant in a swamp in SE Texas as a mob searched for them literally within feet. He was the real deal and I'd be proud just to clean his pistols or shine his boots. He was likely the very best lawman of the 20th Century (or at least the first half of it).

While a Texas LEO, I had several dealings with the Rangers, TXDPS Narcotics and TXDPS Intelligence. I'll stack them against anybody, anywhere for getting the job done professionally, effectively and with superior conduct and competence. The TXDPS Highway Patrol is the gold standard for what an agency in that role should look like and act like in all respects.

The Rangers have had a well deserved reputation for kicking ass and killing LOTS of bad guys over the years and while I think that's not on the front burner anymore, they still have that capability. They're best at their main mission, which is to provide a major case investigative capability to the little PDs and SOs that don't have the resources for such matters. They also investigate public corruption and LE OIS and in custody deaths for an objective approach to such events. Sometime, off line and in person, I can give you some Ranger stories that I was part of, or aware of that will give you some insight into the Rangers and how they got things done.

Thanks for presenting this @Tom Givens!

[bshnt2015]

An entertaining movie with strong performances from the actors.

[Rex G]

It was sad that so much effort was put into portraying a “real” Frank Hamer, but that Manny Gault was so very fictionalized. I agree that such a fictionalized or composite character should have a fictional name, in the movie. It was also sad that the so-called “massacre,” which was not portrayed in the movie, but was mentioned and discussed by the characters, was so fictionalized. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed most of the movie. I have watched it at least twice, on the Netflix app, and have recently app-mapped several potential scenic-loop routes that include the scene of the final OIS that ended the days of the principal outlaws. (I have no affection for the disgusting outlaws.)

[Trooper224]

Thanks for this Tom.

I enjoyed the movie and have watched it several times, but the depiction of Gault was the one thing that bothered me. Hollywood always feels the need to give characters feet of clay in order to make things more dramatic and "interesting". I'm sure their intent was to provide some kind of counterpoint to Hamers resolute single-minded portrayal. Unfortunately, they show little concern for the memory of the very real people they portray. I dealt with the Rangers a few times during my career and was always impressed with their demeanor. To be honest, I was always a bit envious of the TXDPS as a whole. I've met a couple of Texas Troopers I'd like to smack in the face, but everyone has those. We certainly had our share. Overall, they're a crack agency.

[Zincwarrior]

Wait, I thought the Gault character was excellent. He had excellent dialogue and Harrelson played him very well. Gault and Hamer paired very well in the show.

[PD Sgt.]

I also enjoyed the movie, though it was a fictional account it was much truer to the character of Hamer than previous cinematic accounts.

My understanding was in reality, Hamer had a much better relationship with the feds, and Gault joined him much later in the hunt than depicted in this picture.