Fred Astaire may be one of my favorite movie stars. His films still delight me no matter how many times I watch them. However, he did much more than just movies. One of the other endeavors he took part in was radio. This following article from a 1936 issue of Radio Stars magazine talks about his foray into radio.
If you have trouble reading the following article, click on the pages below and use your touch screen to zoom in.
He is a wonderful dance number Fred Astaire did with Cyd Charisse in the film, The Band Wagon (1953).
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing Thank You God. Something we too often forget to do is to give God that thanks he deserves. It is impossible to overstate just how blessed we are. We have our friends, our family and a breathtakingly beautiful world to live. Too often we take these things for granted and don't reason, just how much God loves us and just how much he has given us.
Hank Williams Jr. has always been very influenced by blues music. Even though he is better known for his country and southern rock songs, blues has always been a strong part of his music. Ever since the 1980's Hank has been talking about making a blues album. Well, he finally has. Earlier this month, Hank released his first full length blues album, Rich White Honkey Blues. This album mostly consists of covers of classic blues songs. Today's musical selection includes a song off this album. It is his cover of Lighting Hopkin's Jesus, Won't You Come By Here.
Next Leadbelly sings Let it Shine on Me. In this great version of the hymn, Leadbelly shows how a hymn was sung differently by different churches but the same basic message stayed the same.
This is followed by The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1948 recording of The Old Rugged Cross. The song dates back to 1913 and was written by evangelist, George Bennard. Actually the first verse was written in 1912. It was written while Bennard was a part of a series of revival meetings in Albion, Michigan. He was worried about the complete disregard for the gospel around him and wrote this verse as a repose. Of writing it Bennard said, "I seemed to have a vision ... I saw the Christ and the cross inseparable." The song wouldn't be completed for several months, when he was leading meetings at a local church in Pokagan, Michigan. He played it for Rev. Leroy (the sponsoring pastor) and his wife, Ruby Bostwick, both of whom found themselves moved to tears. It was then incorporated into a service at that church on June 7, 1913. The song has the same effect today as it must have back then.
Next is Glen Campbell with He's Got the Whole World in His Hands. It is unknown who exactly wrote this song because it had been passed down through oral tradition long before it was ever published. However we do know that it was first published in 1927 in a Hymnal titled Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New. In 1933 Frank Warner, a folk art collector and singer, heard Sue Thomas sing this in North Carolina. Frank Warner then preformed and introduced this song throughout the U.S.A. In 1941 Robert Sonkin recorded a version of this wonderful hymn. Glen Campbell's version comes from his 1970 gospel album, Oh Happy Day.
Now Randy Travis sings The Heart of Worship.
Now Loretta Lynn sings Softly and Tenderly. The song was written by an Ohio businessman named Will Thompson in 1880. As well as writing gospel songs Thompson also wrote quite a few secular songs and parotic songs. When the songs he wrote were rejected by publishers he created his own company, Will L. Thompson & Company. This company would not only publish music by sell musical instruments. Softly and Tenderly first appeared in 1880's Sparkling Gems, Nos. 1 and 2, a collection of songs from the company. When evangelist Dwight L. Moody was on his death bed he told the songwriter, "Will, I would rather have written ‘Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling’ than anything I have been able to do in my whole life." This was appropriate as Will decided to make songwriting his career while at a meeting held by Moody.
Today's musical selection ends with Gene Autry with his 1946 recording of When its Round Up Time in Heaven.
Now for the trailer for one my favorites among the John Ford and John Wayne westerns, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949).
And here is John Wayne in a radio version of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.
Showman's Trade Review, 1949
Next is C.S. Lewis' essay, Myth Became Fact.
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7
And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. Mark 10:52
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:6
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21
Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:5
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
Thanks for joining me. come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
As well as comic strips and animated cartoons, Popeye the Sailor also had a career on radio. The following is a 1936 article from Radio-Mirror discussing this new radio show./
Hello my friends. As many of you know as well as film, I am also a fan of music, especially country music. One of my main introductions to country music was watching Hee-Haw on TV as a kid. Naturally like many country fans, watching that show also made me quite a fan of one of the greatest country comedians to ever step foot on The Grand Ole Opry. This was the one and only Minnie Pearl (born Sarah Ophelia Colley). The Minnie Pearl character was never a caricature of hillbillies, but rather some one who seemed completely real. People tuned into their radio or TV sets to visit their old friend Minnie, who was as real to them as their own family.
Here is a 1953 article from Radio TV Mirror talking about the woman who we all knew and loved as Minnie Pearl. If you have any trouble reading the pages click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in.
Hello again my friends. As you know I am a fan of old singing cowboy movies and that means I am a fan of Gene Autry. Gene and his biggest competition in the singing cowboy genre (Roy Rogers) are two of my favorite people to research as they come off as just as nice of people offscreen as they were on screen. With that in mind I'd like to share this 1955 article from TV Radio Mirror about Gene. While historians and biographers have been skeptical (to say the least) about the authenticity of the Will Rogers story, this article I feel captures all that I have read and heard about Gene as a person over the years.
If for any reason you have trouble reading this article click on the images and use your touch screen to zoom in.
As a bonus here is Gene performing the Jimmie Rogers song, In The Jailhouse Now in a clip from his feature film, Prairie Moon (1938). Gene started his singing career in the late 1920's as a Jimmie Rogers imitator. However this movie was from after Gene discovered his own style of singing.
Happy fourth of July my friends. To celebrate let's enjoy Gene Autry singing some classic patriotic songs.
First up comes Don't Bite the Hand That's Feeding You. This song dates back to 1915 (decades before Gene recording it), and was meant to raise patriotism for World War One. This Gene Autry version was released during World War 2, another time when patriotism was all over entertainment. This version is from Gene's feature film, Bells of Capistrano (1942). Interestingly this song was going to be in another 1942 movie, but was cut out. Judy Garland was going to perform it in For Me and My Gal (1942). Next comes a lovely patriotic spiritual, God Must Have Loved America. Gene co-wrote this song with the legendary Fred Rose (Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, Home in San Antone, Pins and Needles). This version comes from an episode of Gene's radio show dating to July 26, 1942. Last comes There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere. This version was also from Gene's Radio show, this one coming from an episode dated August 2, 1942.
Welcome to a new weekly instalment on this blog entitled Cowboy Church. A Cowboy Church post will go up every Sunday. Each post will feature some classic country gospel music, some bible verses and various items about one of more old western movies.
First up our music selection begins with one of country music's all time finest singer-songwriters Hank Williams, performing his own self penned I Saw the Light on one of his rare TV appearances, look for a young June Carter (before she married Johnny Cash) in this video. Next up comes Willie Nelson and Dyan Cannon performing the old gospel tune, Unclouded Day in the movie, Honeysuckle Rose (1980). How can you have Cowboy Church without Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Here we have them performing a gospel song each. Gene sings a great gospel song written by Johnny Lange, Hy Heath and Sonny Burke, called Somebody Bigger than You or I. This version is from Gene's feature film, The Old West (1952). Roy sings the gospel classic Peace in the Valley. This recording comes from the 42nd episode (The Rene Eigen Case) of Roy's radio show. After this comes Johnny Cash performing his self penned I Was There When it Happened on TV. Next Charlie Daniels Band's version of Somebody Was Praying For Me. We end with the Hee Haw Gospel Quartet (Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Grandpa Jones, Kenney Price) performing Where Could I Go but to the Lord on a 1980 episode of Hee Haw.
“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’" Isaiah 12:2
"“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Movie preview for King of the Cowboys starring Roy Rogers.
An article from Hollywood Magazine About Gene Autry, from 1940.
Now to end with here is a silent short western film starring none other than Tom Mix. So enjoy, Sagebrush Tom (1915).
I have expressed before on this blog my fondness for old Gene Autry westerns. The reason for this is quite easy. The movies are very fun (plus I am a country music fan as well as a movie fan). However also contributing to this is that there is something about Gene's screen presence that is incredibly inspiring. How can you watch one of these movies and not want to be a cowboy, riding a beautiful horse, saving the day and of course singing a song or two along the way. He was a larger than life role model, that every red blooded American boy could look up to and each time I watch one of his movies or TV episodes (as well as listening to his music and radio show as well) I become one of those red blooded American boys. Though naturally he was human and was not as perfect as his onscreen character, still the more I read about him as a person the more I like him. For an example here is an article from TV Radio Mirror (dated May 1956), entitled "Hooray for Gene."
"Some years ago, in the process of joining his rodeo with another, Gene Autry entered a banker's conference room to sign the papers closing the deal. The dealers, flanked by their lawyers were surprised to see Gene arrive alone. As Gene later explained simply 'I trust everybody.....' This trust is one of Gene's outstanding character traits, and to a great extent responsible for his ever continuing success: In 1956 Gene Autry will be celebrating his twenty-sixth year on radio and his sixteenth year for the same sponsor - one of the longest associations of a star and his sponsor in showbusiness history.
"What is there about Gene Autry that wears so well? The answer is to be found in Gene's sincerity, his honesty of heart and manner, simple as one of his western tunes. Plain folks, it seems, never wear out their welcome. And Gene Autry with his simplicity is forever welcome in his listener's homes.
"The love his coworkers have for Gene is well shown in their loyalty and long tenure in his organization - many have been with him for twenty years or more. Louise Moraweck, for example first played viola for Gene's radio orchestra for ten years and has since worked six more years on his radio staff. She describes good friend Gene as follows: 'Gene is consistent and even-tempered. Perhaps I should say he has a complete lack of temperament. So many actors are 'stars.' He is not one of them he is just Gene. He is so unaffected you can't help but loving him.
"'On the other hand he is so full of energy. On the road he doesn't mind a seven day a week schedule, matinee and evening performances, Sunday rehearsal and radio show or visits to the governor, mayor or city officials. Whenever there is a break in the day, his first stop is the children's hospital. He works best when he has the most to do. Yet he never loses his temper - though I can tell you he has had plenty of occasions to do so.
"'I remember when I first went to work for him, I was in charge of his 'original' record collection - relics they were, his first recordings, many out of release and impossible to duplicate. Some had already been destroyed a fire at his home, so that made the remainders even more valuable in his eyes.
"'One day the arranger came to me asking if he could borrow one of the 'firsts,' saying he needed it for a special job on the air show. My conscience hurt when I handed it over, but I did so only on his promise that he would return it the very next day. You can imagine how I reacted when he came in to say he had dropped and broken the record. Gene had every right in the world to lose his temper. But when I told him, he said 'Forget it Louise, you can't cry over spilled records...''
"The people who work with Gene, his friends who know him best, can tell you that no one in Hollywood is more of a 'real person' than Gene Autry. 'One of Gene's most wonderful qualities' says his long time friend and TV producer Lou Gray, 'is that Gene never changes. He is the same quiet unassuming man today that he was twenty five years ago when I first met him... When we go on location to Joshua Tree, Gene is just one of the cowboys. If a call goes out for a crack of dawn scene, he's there and he's still there when the sun goes down. If a hard-riding scene comes up, something that might require a stuntman, Gene says 'Aw come on now, let's don't make a big thing of this,' - and we go ahead and do it.
"'To go back twenty-five years; I first heard of Gene when I worked in a New York agency. Each month the record sales report came across my desk. Gene's records for Sears & Roebuck were beginning to hit the top ten. People in the office began asking, 'Who's Gene Autry?'
"'One day Gene finally got to the New York office. He came clumping in, wearing boots and a big white hat and said 'Howdy' to all the girls. They just gaped. You didn't see many boots on Madison Avenue in those days. Well from then on we referred to Gene as the 'boy in the big white hat.' Of course he's a big man now - point is, as far as I can see, Gene hasn't changed. I still call him 'The man in the big white hat' and he still says 'Howdy.'
"Says his wife Ina, 'Gene talks in plain United States, and I mean the plainest. In fact he spoke so easy it made an impression on me the first day we met. Gene had known my aunt and uncle for some years, and I was staying with them while going to college in Springfield, Missouri. They talked about him and how he was playing on Station WLS. To a kid in college, like me, anybody in Chicago radio was really big.
"'I was a dither when Gene stepped off the train for a visit that morning in 1931, but he spoke more 'Missouri' than my uncle and aunt! And I thought, Now there's a person whose head will never be turned by success. I think I decided there and then 'there's the man for me.' We went back to the house, visited for a spell, and then he took me to a movie. When he left we wrote. Then he visited again, three or four times and finally he wrote to me from St. Louis to come and get married. I did and I've never been unhappy about it a day in my life - and before long we'll have been married a quarter of the century.'
"With nearly twenty-five years of marriage, twenty-six years of radio, and a record of sixteen years with the same sponsor, TV RADIO MIRROR salutes Gene Autry. For - as many of his faithful listeners long ago agreed - to know Gene is to love him... plain folks it seems never wear out their welcome."
For our musical selection today we have a classic gospel song recorded by Gene on June 19, 1952. This song features Johnny Bond on guitar and backing vocals. Bond had a pretty successful career as a country singer himself. This song was written by Jimmy Kennedy. Kennedy had previously written a song called South of the Border which was a huge hit for Autry in 1939, coming for Autry's feature film South of the Border (1939). Today's song is entitled God's Little Candles.
Gene also sang this song in his feature film, Pack Train (1953). Here is that version of the song.
Happy Saturday Morning again my friends. Again that means it is time to share some more classic cartoons.
To start off with let us enjoy some coyote and roadrunner. As well as The Bugs Bunny Show, these two Also had their own TV show made up of theatrical shorts with new bridging sequences, appropriately called The Road Runner Show (1966-1968). Most episodes would start with a coyote and roadrunner cartoon, then shift into a Tweety and Sylvester cartoon and then end with any Looney Tune or Merrie Melodie. The bridging sequences all were quick black out gags with the coyote and roadrunner. These sequences were created by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, who produced the theatrical Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies from 1964-1967 (Update: I wasn't completely right about this as you can see by looking at the comments). The Freleng from DePatie-Freleng was Friz Freleng who had worked on Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies from the very beginning and helped create such classic characters as Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam and Sylvester. The show also has one of the catchiest theme songs ever, a little ditty written by Barbara Cameron. Barbara had been a popular singer in the 1940's, even being a regular vocalist on the Moon River (1930-1970) radio show (another vocalist on that show was an obscure little singer named Doris Day, just getting her start). The following video includes the theme song as well as some of the bridging sequences.
Speaking of Looney Tunes, I have always felt one of the most underrated Looney Tunes directors is Norm McCabe. Most of his Looney Tunes (the ones he directed not the ones with him as an animator) are overlooked partly because all of them are in black and white, but also because most of them are full of World War 2 references. However his cartoons are truly funny and often laugh out loud funny. Our next cartoon is a fantastic example of how great of a cartoon director he was. It is also one of his most World War 2 themed. This is also one of the few Looney Tunes around this time, that did not feature Porky Pig. It was a rule throughout the mid to late 1930's that Porky had to be in every Looney Tunes cartoon. In the early 1940's this rule was starting to get broken sometimes, though Porky still appeared in the majority of Looney Tunes. So without further ado here is, The Ducktators (1942).
Next let us look at one of the funniest of Disney's Goofy cartoons, Hold That Pose (1950). In his must read book The Disney Films Leonard Maltin even refers to this as "one of the funniest cartoons ever made." It certainly is a great one. It is also a perfect example of what director Jack Kinney did best, fast paced gag filled cartoons. Anyone who thinks of Disney cartoons as nothing but cute and sweet should really look at how laugh out loud funny and fast paced Kinney's cartoons are. In this cartoon Goofy tries his hand at being a wildlife photographer. Donald Duck had previously done this in two cartoons, Donald's Camera (1941) and Clown of the Jungle (1947).
During the 1910's many animated cartoons were heavily inspired by newspaper comics. Not only did many cartoons feature characters from comic strips, but many felt like a Sunday comic that moved. A perfect example of this is Krazy Kat Goes a Wooing (1916), which featured George Herriman's famous comic strip character Krazy Kat. Notice that the opening title card states in big letters "A Cartoon by George Herriman" and then in smaller letters "Animated by Leon Searl." Truth is Herriman probably had little input on this cartoon.
Not all animated short films for the golden age of cartoons were silly and funny. Some were very consciously artistic and set out to make political and social commentary. One of the best is Berthold Bartosch's L'idee (1932). In this French film a beautiful and pure idea is shown in the form of a naked woman. However everyone tries to make the idea into what they want it to be instead of accepting it for what it is. This message is just as powerful and true today as it was when the film was originally made.
Stay tooned next Saturday for some more classic cartoons. Until then peace love and cartoons.
-Michael J. Ruhland
The following is an article from the Motion Picture Herald, dated August 24, 1943 and titled A Man, A Horse and a Campaign.
"This is a story of how a star was made. Its is the story of a campaign which added to the integrity of motion picture exploitation and the publicity of the advertising principals and methods of a toothpaste manufacturer.
"The star is Republic's Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger, and this is how it happened.
"Gene Autry top box office western star and for two years high up in the charmed circle of Hollywood's ten biggest money makers, was U.S. Army Bound. Time was short. Republic and its customers wanted a successor in an hurry. So driven by necessity, the studio decided upon a record-breaking apportion for the buildup of the man they hoped to crown 'King of the Cowboys.'
"Promotion Went into High With Rodeo Appearance"By October 25, 1942, nine months ago, the Rogers' promotional campaign was in high gear. On that date he appeared in New York's Madison square garden, at the World's Championship Rodeo. Roy took only the proverbial bull by the horns, leaving the rough stuff for the professional cowboys out for cash prizes, but he got top billing and during his New York visit appeared on Fred Allen's radio program, was photographed at Randolph Field and exchanged with Mayor LaGuardia a pair of silver spurs for the key to the city.
"In the whirlwind campaign that followed, the name of the man who was to be Gene Autry's successor became known to public and exhibitors alike. Autry's rise to fame was slow but steady, but Roy Rogers' name was shot across the cinema horizon like a fighter plane heading for his target.
"Through national magazines, newspapers, rural weeklies, billboards and the airwaves, the campaign has deluged the American public with volumes of Roy Rogers material.
"By topping press and radio publicity and advertising with personal appearances of their Western star, Republic has seen to it that few are the Americans who have neither seen nor heard of Rogers. As a result, exhibitors not only have found themselves with a name to substitute for Gene Autry, but are also finding that their Western-fan patrons are more concerned with who is heading the cast then with the title.
"Engaged in Six-Week Tour of American Army Camps"Leaving New York in October of last year, Rogers appeared with the rodeo in Boston and Buffalo. From Buffalo, he went to Toledo, to participate in the Community Chest Drive. Then followed a six week tour of Army camps, with 136 performances in 20 days. Roy ended that phase of his campaign in Las Vegas, where he was named Grand Marshall of the Helldorado celebration, and where he checked into his hotel astride his horse Trigger who holding a pencil in his mouth signed the register with an X as the cameras clicked.
"When time allowed he took to the road, making personal appearances from coast to coast, calling on children at orphanages in Washington and Texas, performing for soldiers at camps, USO Canteens, Stage Door Canteens and participating in War Bond drives.
"His personal appearances hit a climax two weeks ago when he appeared at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago in conjunction with the first run of his 'Song of Texas.' Even the studio has lost count of the number of his personal appearances.
"In conjunction with the Rogers' tours, Republic has plastered billboards from coast to coast with advertisements of their cowboy star, reading: 'Roy Rogers - King of the Cowboys - 'Trigger' - Smartest Horse in the Movies - Appearing in Republic Pictures - Satisfying America's Demand for Western Romance!' Republic points out that the display concerns Roy and Trigger only, all without reference to the title of any picture.
"There followed in the wake of this combined exploitation and advertising a great flood of publicity in fan and general magazines, daily newspapers and weeklies. Photographs of Rogers, usually in the company of Trigger, appeared in display windows, pamphlets and all types of periodicals. Roy astride Trigger rearing up on his hind legs, decorated the Life Magazine's July 12th issue with a featured story inside.
"In exploitation, all chapters of the Junior Rodeo fans of America, a national organization, are kept informed by Republic where and when Roy Rogers films are showing and in many cases are feeding their local chapters with the same service.
"Past and Present Cowboy Kings Unique Stunt "There are two albums of Roy Rogers Cowboy Songs, published in cooperation with Republic. The company is prepared to provide exhibitors with the sheet music albums at reduced prices for promotional prize contests or tieups with music stores.
"One exhibitor worked out his own exploitation idea. The Skouras Victory theatre in Bayside, N.Y., booked William S. Hart's 'Tumbleweed,' ran it with 'Idaho,' staring Roy Rogers, and advertised the program as 'King of the Cowboys, Past and Present.'
"The first known Western star was Max Aronson, former vaudeville actor, who, as Broncho Billy Anderson, directed, produced and stared in screenplays written by Max Aronson, turning out one a week for 376 weeks. In the season just ended, Roy Rogers starred in eight big-budget (Some $350,000 per picture) films for Republic, with eight more big-budget pictures scheduled for the new season.
"Republic executives have emphasized that through consistent use of trade paper advertising, the exhibitor has been kept abreast of the national campaign, conceived and supervised by Charles Reed Jones, Republic's director of advertising and publicity.
"Report 100 Per Cent Rise on Rogers Films "At their recent sales meetings Republic officials announced that film rental grosses on current releases had reached a new high surpassing all expectations, and that the gross receipts on the Roy Rogers big-budget films were 100 per cent above last year.
"James R. Grainger, Republic president has attributed the 100 per cent rise in receipts on Rogers' films to the increased production budgets, and the advertising and exploitation campaign on the films. Ad no small percentage of the expenditure went into the personal promotion of Roy Rogers, 'King of Cowboys.'"
Now for our music selection for today. This clip is from the 35th episode (the 6th episode of the 2nd season) of the TV show Hee Haw (1969-1997), which premiered on October, 20, 1970. Also guest staring on this episode was Roy's wife, singing partner, and often film costar Dale Evans and Doug Kershaw. Roy was a popular guest star on this show appearing in 4 episodes in season 2 alone. The song Roy is performing in the script is a Merle Haggard cover, The Fighting Side of Me. This patriotic song was written by Merle. It was released as a single in December 1969, and then was the title track for his 1970 live album.
The following is an article from Radio TV Mirror (Dated May 1954) entitled He's Not Just Acting.
"Roy Rogers, cowboy star and Roy Rogers, family man and Rancher make ideal saddle mates. The personal and professional lives of your favorite radio Western star have much in common and Roy loves them both.
"Typical of his belief in the part he plays and of his loyalty to his fans was Roy's flat rejection of a Texas oilman's recent offer of $200,000 to buy Trigger, Roy's famous palomino horse. Said Roy about the horse with whom he rode to success: 'There's not enough money in the world to buy Trigger!'
"As a cowboy star Roy rarely if ever, gets to kiss his leading lady, Dale Evans. In real life, however, he is married to her. On a rambling, comfortable five-acre ranch in Encino, California, Dale and Roy lead a happy, informal life centered around the family.
"The tremendous appeal Roy has for the junior set stems from his actual deep love of children. A widower when he married Dale, Roy has three children from his first marriage: Cheryl, 13, Linda, 10, Dusty, 7. In 1950 Roy and Dale had a daughter, Robin Elizabeth, a frail child who died two years later. The Rogers had long wanted to adopt a son for Dusty and after Elizbeth's death they decided to adopt a girl as well. They added to the family circle Sandy, now 8, and Little Doe or 'Dodie,' now 2. Little Doe carried an extra special appeal, for Roy and Dale, for she comes from the same Choctaw Indian Strain that also runs in Roy's family and of which he is proud.
"Roy and Dale are both home for dinner with their children every evening that their working schedule permits. Roy has definite ideas on the raising of children and has made the prime family rules: punctuality, honesty and the fulfillment of promises.
"Social life for the Rogers is a family affair, with shared activities about the ranch and hunting and fishing trips. Far from being a 'gentleman farmer,' Roy puts his spare time to working his three acres of cultivated land.
"Furniture at the ranch is a causal Western style that can withstand the rigors of five active children and the inroads of cowboy boots. Roy's professional and hunting trophies trim the walls and share décor honors with a cabinet built by Roy to house his gun collection, which includes a pair of gold pistols, a long barreled rifle once owned by Daniel Boone, a pistol that belonged to General Custer and a pistol that was Davy Crockett's.
"Also in residence on the ranch are several horses, about sixteen dogs, two racoons, racing pigeons, hamsters and whatever stray animals various members of the family rescue and care for until they are able to fend for themselves.
"Roy's love for animals is obvious both on and off stage, and his calm temperament is ideal for training them. This same calm stands Roy in good stead throughout his crowded schedule.
"Roy's busy, happy life is keynoted by one of his credos, which says: 'If You enjoy your work your always on vacation.'"
To see this article in its original context click here and here.
It is great to know that with Roy, what you saw is what you got. Often times learning about an actor's personal life can be disillusioning, but Roy's life actually enhances what you have seen on screen, because it makes it feel even more real. This probably plays a huge part in why Roy is so natural on the screen, because he was always being completely honest with his audience. Articles like this make me love Roy even more.
The fact that someone would try to buy Trigger for only $200,000 shows how much the value of money has changed.
Before we go let's close with a song. This is a performance from the TV show, Hee Haw. This was the 30th episode and it aired on September 15, 1970. The song was written by Leroy Van Drake and Buddy Black.
