The B-western came along with the Depression and the coupling of expensive A movies with shorter, less expensive films for the “double feature” now required to give audiences more entertainment for their shrinking dollar. The “singing cowboy” pictures soon followed, almost always in the B format, after Fox developed its sound-on-film system. The first musical western was Fox’s “In Old Arizona” based on O. Henry’s Cisco Kid, and slated to star Raoul Walsh. But Walsh lost an eye in a shooting accident on location and Warner Baxter got the role and an Academy Award while Walsh went on to become an award-winning director.
Here are some of the “singing cowboys”( and girls) who warbled their way through some of the early westerns……
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Roy Rogers
Born: November 5th, 1911 Cincinnati, Ohio. Remarks: Roy Rogers shared the top of the B-list with Gene Autry although both of them had a few A-grade films and some in color after they left Republic studios. Roy took over there when Autry went off to war against the studio’s wishes. Then Rogers segued into television in 1951 with a hit series “The Roy Rogers Show” on NBC. He made over 100 films (in the earlier ones as one of the Sons of the Pioneers ). |
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Dale Evans
Born: October 30th, 1912 Uvalde, Texas (birth certificate) Marriages: Four…the first to Thomas Fox lasted 2 years and produced one child before it ended in divorce. The second (to August Johns) and third (to Robert Butts) also ended in divorce. No children. Her fourth to Roy Rogers lasted until his death. One daughter (deceased) and four adopted children (two deceased). Remarks: Despite her birth certificate, Dale grew up as Frances Octavia Smith. She began her career on radio and went on to do a few unremarkable films with Fox. Her big chance came at Republic when they made her Roy Rogers’ leading lady. They married in 1947 after her divorce from hubby #3. She went on to television with Roy, wrote the theme song for the series “Happy Trails” and two inspirational books. |
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Dick Foran
Born: June 18th, 1910 Flemington, New Jersey Marriages: Two…the first to Ruth Piper Hollings ended in a very public divorce. His second was to Carole Gallagher. Remarks: Foran came from a prominent New Jersey family and went to the best schools but shocked them when he chose a career in show business. His red hair, good looks and fine singing voice made him Warner’s “Singing Cowboy” instead of a geologist and, if his first musical western had opened two weeks earlier he would have beat Gene Autry to the box office. His easy-going good humor and engaging, uncomplicated persona made him a host of friends on and off the set. One Universal starlet loved to tell how he invited her to his dressing room for…a game of jacks! Dick made 91 films. |
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Gail Davis
Born: October 5th, 1925 Little Rock, Arkansas Remarks: Gail was already working in B’s when she was chosen to be GeneAutry’s singing leading lady in “Sons of New Mexico” (1949). They made 12 movies together and, when Autry began his weekly television shows, she was in the cast. Gene created the “Annie Oakley” series on ABC for her and it ran from 1954 to 1958. There were widespread rumors a romance between Gail and Gene Autry but they neither denied or confirmed it. Gail was in 37 films. |
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Tex Ritter
Born: January 12th, 1905 Murvaul, Texas Remarks: Tex Ritter studied cowboy folklore as well as the roots of cowboy music and it set him apart from many of the other singing cowboy stars. It was Ritter who sang the unforgettable theme song in the film “High Noon”. His first acting break came in 1930 on Broadway in “Green Grow The Lilacs” , the Lynn Riggs’ play that later became Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma”. Tex made over 65 films often writing part of the score. He was the father of the late actor John Ritter. |
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Carolina Cotton
Born: October 20th, 1925 Cash, Arkansas Remarks: Carolina began on KYA radio in San Francisco where Dude Martin gave her the provocative stage name. An audition at Republic won her a part in “Sing, Neighbor, Sing” (1944) but it was Columbia Studio that put her in westerns with Charles Starrett, Ken Curtis and Gene Autry. When her career wound down in the early 1950’s, Carolina went back to college and got a master’s degree in education. She taught school in California and Central America until her death in 1997. Carolina made 16 films in all. |
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Sheb Wooley
Born: April 10th, 1921 Erick, Oklahoma Marriages: One…to Linda Dotson that lasted until his death. Linda was also Sheb’s manager. Remarks: Wooley was a Western character actor who began in radio like so many singing cowboys before him. He played a villain in “High Noon”, one of the gunmen who pursued Gary Cooper. Sheb’s biggest hit, however, was his recording of “The Purple People Eater” in 1958. Television opened upnew avenues when he got the role of scout Pete Nolan in “Rawhide” in 1959.Wooley made over 32 other films including “The War Wagon” with John Wayne. |
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Jane Frazee
Born: July 18th, 1918 Duluth, Minnesota Remarks: Jane, with her sister Ruth, begain singing and dancing professionally at age 6. Ruth failed her screen test and abandoned acting to marry director Norman Krasna. Jane continued as leading lady in “B” musicals and Westerns until 1952 when she went into “Beulah” on television. In 1954 She became “Alice McDoakes” in the popular Warner short series “Joe McDoakes” with George O’Hanlon.. After retirement Jane sold real Estate in Newport Beach until her health declined. Jane Frazee made 38 full length films. |
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Bob Steele
Born: January 23rd, 1907 Portland, Oregon Remarks: Son of B western director Robert North Bradbury, Bob appeared with twin brother Bill in a series of nature shorts called “The Adventures of Bob and Bill”. It was Bill, the better singer, who dubbed John Wayne’s voice in the “Singing Sandy” series but he eventually left acting to become a doctor. Bob went on to do non-singing western roles in film and on television (he was Trooper Duffy in “F Troop”). Steele made over 190 films, almost all westerns. |
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Dorothy Page
Born: March 4th, 1904 Northampton, Pennsylvania Remarks: Before Grand National signed her for their series of 3 singing cowgirl films, Dorothy had made 3 movies for Universal and Republic Studios and wrote the music for one of them (“King Solomon of Broadway” 1935). But the public wasn’t ready yet for a woman in the lead role of a western and the series ended Dorothy’s film career. She left to start a new one remodeling old houses to sell at a profit. Dorothy Page made only 6 films. |
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Jimmy Wakely
Born: February 16th, 1914 Mineola, Arkansas Remarks: Jimmy was born in Arkansas but was raised dirt-poor in Oklahoma during the tragic Dust Bowl era. Having a talent for music, he developed an act they named the “Bell Boys” and went on the road. They joined Gene Autry and went to work on his “Melody Ranch” radio program. By the 1940’s, Jimmy and the “Boys” were doing films with stars like Charles Starrett, Johnny Mack Brown and Tex Ritter. But Jimmy went on to star solo in over 28 films. He also had his own series of comic books, his own record company and wrote many of his own songs. One of his hit records was a Christmas favorite “Silver Bells” with Margaret Whiting. Wakely made a total of 60 films. |
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Mary Lee
Born: October 24th, 1924 Centralia, Illinois Remarks: Mary Lee began her career in the late 1930’s with the Ted Weems Band (joining the band’s other older vocalists Perry Como and Marilyn Maxwell) when Republic scouts spotted her. Her first film was “Nancy Drew, Reporter” in 1939 and from there she went into the Gene Autry pictures as Patsy, the troublesome teen. When Gene went into the Army, Mary Lee moved into a few Roy Rogers oaters. She retired in 1945 after doing 19 films. |
