Actors, Singers and Businessmen
May 6, 2009 (Wednesday)
Yesterday’s blog mentioned the singing cowboys of the movies. Do you know who the screen’s first singing cowboy was? Wait!
Before you answer, I’ll give you a clue. The answer will probably surprise you. The clue? He wore a black hat. Can you win the prize (the satisfaction of knowing you knew the answer) by naming the cowboy, the year of his first singing movie, and the name of the film?
Give up? It was John Wayne. The movie was “Riders of Destiny” in 1933.
The only problem for him was that he didn’t sing very well and the voice heard by the audience was not his. They dubbed a voice for him, so that when he moved his mouth, someone else’s singing voice was heard.
Real question. Who were the two greatest “singing cowboys” of the movies (and later, television), and which one came first? And what were the names of their horses?
Answers: Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Autry came first. He started singing on the radio in 1928, and made his first movie in 1934. He was chosen to replace John Wayne as the singing cowboy. Champion was his horse’s name. He quit the studio in a disagreement over his contract in 1937, and Roy Rogers took his place. Rogers had played in a movie with Autry under his real name, Leonard Slye. Autry sold more records and was tremendously successful, but when he went into the Army Air Corps during World War 2, Rogers became known as “The King of the Cowboys.”
His horse’s name, as if you didn’t know, was Trigger. Bonus question: What were their trade mark songs? Answer: “Back in the Saddle Again” and “Happy Trails.” Other singing cowboys were popular also, but these were unquestionably the top two.
Both men were rich, successful and known as men of good moral character. Roy and Dale Evans, his wife, were known among Christians as dedicated believers in Christ. Their influence lives on.