---
name: "John Quade"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-quade"
fi1m_id: "john-quade"
imdb_id: "nm0702723"
tmdb_id: 152701
wikidata_id: "Q1701482"
roles: []
born: "1 April 1938"
died: "9 August 2009"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-04T20:12:32.387972+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# John Quade

## Identity

John Quade

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/john-quade
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** john-quade
- **IMDb ID:** nm0702723
- **TMDB ID:** 152701
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1701482
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Quade, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1701482, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0702723/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/152701

Actor. Born 1 April 1938 in Kansas City, Kansas, USA. Died 9 August 2009.

## Details

- **Born:** 1 April 1938, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
- **Died:** 9 August 2009
- **Active:** 1973–1987
- **Also known as:** John William Saunders, John William Saunders III, جان کواد
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 80 (2), 1980s 69 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 77 to 71 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Crime 3, Comedy 2, Action 1, Adventure 1, Music 1
- **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $338m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Quade, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1701482, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0702723/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/152701

## Biography

John Quade (born John William Saunders III) was an American character actor. He was born on 1 April 1938 in Kansas City, Kansas, and died on 9 August 2009 in Rosamond, California. Before entering acting he worked as an aerospace engineer. He made his television debut in 1968 on an episode of Bonanza and his first film appearance in 1972.

Quade appeared in several Clint Eastwood films, including High Plains Drifter (1973), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and Any Which Way You Can (1980). He was best known for playing Cholla, the leader of the Black Widows motorcycle gang, in the latter two films. Other credits include The Sting (1973), Papillon (1973) and the television miniseries Roots (1977).

He was married to Gwendolyn Rice from 1970 until his death.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, latimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *La Bamba* (1987), Fi1m 72, as Bartender — [page](https://film.one/film/la-bamba.md)
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), Fi1m 86, Actor — [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)
- *Any Which Way You Can* (1980), Fi1m 50, as Cholla — [page](https://film.one/film/any-which-way-you-can.md)
- *Papillon* (1973), Fi1m 74, as Masked Breton — [page](https://film.one/film/papillon.md)
- *The Sting* (1973), Fi1m 85, as Riley — [page](https://film.one/film/the-sting.md)

## Complete filmography (88)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Return to Lonesome Dove* (1993), series, as Martin
- *Lucky Luke* (1992), series, as Frank
- *And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird!* (1991), as Walter Kotzwinkle
- *The Giant of Thunder Mountain* (1990), as Carl (Townsman)
- *Baywatch* (1989), series, as Kyle Rigler
- *Unconquered* (1989), as Guard
- *The Tracker* (1988), as Lomax
- *Longarm* (1988), Actor
- *Tigershark* (1987), as 'Cowboy' Dave Reynolds
- *The Highwayman* (1987), series, as Bartender
- *La Bamba* (1987), as Bartender — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/la-bamba.md)
- *Werewolf* (1987), series, as Storage Shed Owner
- *Houston: The Legend of Texas* (1986), as Sen. Stansbury
- *The B.R.A.T. Patrol* (1986), as Knife
- *Seasons in the Sun* (1986), as Gordie Vickers
- *Hunter* (1984), series, as Jim Holloway
- *Crazy Dan* (1984), series, as Garmes
- *The A-Team* (1983), series, as Garber, McKaydoo
- *Knight Rider* (1982), series, Actor
- *The Fall Guy* (1981), series, Actor
- *Cattle Annie and Little Britches* (1981), as Morgan
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), series, Actor — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)
- *Any Which Way You Can* (1980), as Cholla — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/any-which-way-you-can.md)
- *Trouble in High Timber Country* (1980), as Roy
- *Palmerstown, U.S.A.* (1980), series, Actor
- *When the Whistle Blows* (1980), series, Actor
- *Galactica 1980* (1980), series, as Sheriff Ellsworth
- *Power* (1980), series, as Loading Dock Foreman
- *Paris* (1979), series, Actor
- *Buck Rogers in the 25th Century* (1979), series, as Jolen Quince
- *Flatbush* (1979), series, Actor
- *B. J. and the Bear* (1979), series, as Taker
- *Every Which Way but Loose* (1978), as Cholla, The Biker Leader
- *Vega$* (1978), series, Actor
- *Sword of Justice* (1978), series, Actor
- *Go West, Young Girl* (1978), as Ingalls
- *The Ghost of Flight 401* (1978), as Marshall
- *Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion* (1977), as Adam
- *Escape from Bogen County* (1977), as Sheriff Mason
- *CHiPs* (1977), series, as Reno
- *Night Terror* (1977), as The Derelict
- *How the West Was Won* (1977), series, Actor
- *The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries* (1977), series, Actor
- *Roots* (1977), series, as Sheriff Charlie Biggs — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/roots.md)
- *Quincy, M.E.* (1976), series, Actor
- *Charlie's Angels* (1976), series, as Brown
- *The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West* (1976), as Jake
- *Special Delivery* (1976), as Barney
- *The Outlaw Josey Wales* (1976), as Comanchero Leader
- *The Quest* (1976), series, Actor
- *The Last Hard Men* (1976), as Gant
- *The Bionic Woman* (1976), series, Actor
- *Starsky & Hutch* (1975), series, Actor
- *Switch* (1975), series, as Sheriff Jacobs
- *92 in the Shade* (1975), as Roy
- *Last Hours Before Morning* (1975), as Korbett
- *Rancho Deluxe* (1975), as Circular Face (uncredited)
- *Mr. Ricco* (1975), as Arkansas
- *Baretta* (1975), series, Actor
- *The Godchild* (1974), as Denton
- *Virginia Hill* (1974), as Mousie
- *The Swinging Cheerleaders* (1974), as Belski
- *The Rockford Files* (1974), series, as Tenner — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-rockford-files.md)
- *Police Woman* (1974), series, Actor
- *Planet Earth* (1974), as Kreeg Commandant
- *Honky Tonk* (1974), Actor
- *The Sting* (1973), as Riley — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/the-sting.md)
- *Papillon* (1973), as Masked Breton — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/papillon.md)
- *The Blue Knight* (1973), as Knobby Booker
- *The Blue Knight* (1973), series, as Knobby Booker
- *Kojak* (1973), series, as Colby — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/kojak.md)
- *Faraday and Company* (1973), series, as Hooper
- *High Plains Drifter* (1973), as Jake Ross
- *Police Story* (1973), series, Actor
- *Goodnight, My Love* (1972), as Edgar
- *Kung Fu* (1972), series, as Johnson
- *Bad Company* (1972), as Nolan
- *Deadhead Miles* (1972), as Spud Holder
- *Melinda* (1972), as Cop (uncredited)
- *Hammer* (1972), as Riley
- *Nichols* (1971), series, as Scully One, Zeb
- *McCloud* (1970), series, Actor
- *The High Chaparral* (1967), series, as Bartender
- *Ironside* (1967), series, as Johnny Andrews
- *The Wild Wild West* (1965), series, as Man
- *Bonanza* (1959), series, as Tallman, Telegrapher
- *Gunsmoke* (1955), series, as Shaw
- *The Wonderful World of Disney* (1954), series, as Knife

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/john-quade