Talk:Montgomery Pittman

Who was he, really?
There's no Montgomery Pittman in either the 1920 or 1930 U.S. census. There was no white male Pittman living in Arkansas in either census year who was born in Louisiana later than 1907 or earlier than 1927. In other words, the story he told Efrem Zimbalist, Jr is full of baloney.

His step-daughter has him as Montgomery Cherlez Pittman, son of John Griffin Pittman (1879-1940)  and Mary Belle Thompson (1883-1920). The U.S. census does have a John G. Pittman, b.1880/1 of Cushman, Arkansas in 1910 and of Waldon, Oklahoma in 1920  who was married to a Mary B. Pittman b.1884/5. That's pretty close. These Pittmans had a son Graylon H. (or Heshal G.) b.1905 and daughters Laura O. (or Opal L.) b.1907/8, Ida G. b.1902, and Johnnie M. b.1913 in the census records. (Apparently John G. liked to play games with the gov'ment.)

If his step-daughter is right, then Monty is probably Graylon Heshal Pittman b.1905; Graylon is missing from the 1930 census, as he would be were he traveling with a carnival selling snake oil. Both parents are also missing from the 1930 census, so Monty could be a second son born to them after 1920. (The family didn't simply vanish. In the 1930 census two of the daughters were married, the third was single and working at a small mill .) However, Mary B. died in 1920 according to the step-daughter.

All we can really say from the records is that his given name wasn't really Montgomery Charles and that he wasn't really born in 1917. Yappy2bhere (talk) 06:38, 5 February 2015 (UTC)


 * Couldn't he also be Johnnie M., born in 1913 (rather than 1917)? With the initial M. standing for Montgomery?  In fact, isn't this actually a little more likely?  Everyone But You (talk) 00:58, 24 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Please take a closer look. Johnnie M. was the youngest daughter.
 * Ah, yes. Well, that does make Graydon Heshal much more likely, doesn't it!  Everyone But You (talk) 19:35, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
 * The 1940 US Census has Johnnie Pittman Bogdon, born circa 1913 in Arkansas, living in Oklahoma City with her husband and younger brother Marty Pittman, age 20, born Oklahoma. The draft registration card for Montgomery Cherlez Pittman, dated Dec 8, 1941, lists his birth date as March 1, 1920 in New Orleans, LA and that he is currently living in Oklahoma City, nearest relation J. E. Bogdon Saratoga Sam (talk) 19:12, 25 December 2019 (UTC)