We are excited to announce that actor Herman “J.R.” Johnson will be portray the real life character “The Oklahoma Kid” in our film Texas Red, which is one of our 12 Westerns, starting production in late January of 2020.

Johnson, who auditioned in July at our 12 Westerns casting call in Jackson (where the picture above was taken) will play this key supporting role in our true story of Texas Red and the Oklahoma Kid, two African-American men who went on the run from a posse in 1940. Johnson has appeared in many New Stage Theatre productions, which is where I first saw one of his performances.

Our film Texas Red tells a true story of a manhunt which took place in the winter of 1940 in the Southwest region of Mississippi.  Texas Red was a successful juke joint owner in a racially integrated community called Freewoods, a rare thing during this time period in the South.  A group of white men led a raid on Texas Red’s cabin one night, leading to the killing of a young deputy named Hilliard Hall. Red and his partner the Oklahoma Kid, fled and were chased through the wilderness for a month by hundreds of men, including the FBI and National Guard. Red and the Kid were reported to have robbed establishments in the area before this raid but that has never been confirmed. The film follows the incredible chase, a powerful struggle for survival and justice.

Texas Red is one of our 12 Westerns in 12 Months. Click here to visit our IMDb page. Production begins in late January in Mississippi. We will be back with more casting announcements for Texas Red in the near future. To follow details about the project, please join our Facebook group Texas Red and follow the 12 Westerns in 12 Months.

-Travis Mills