Do I really have to tell you who he is? If you are anywhere near my age, you’ll recognize him immediately.
For an extra ten trivia points: What was the name of his rifle?
Before I type another word, I just have to listen to this.
Did you sing along? I did.
I was crazy about Davy and Georgie Russell. (A love affair with Buddy Ebsen that continued right through The Beverly Hillbillies and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. He lost me at Barnaby Jones, though.)
But my crush on all things Western didn’t start with Fess Parker. It started with these guys.
That’s Champion’s owner on the left and Trigger’s owner on the right.
Better known as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.
God, these were guys were my heroes. I idolized them.
And these two ladies also showed a very young me that women could be at home on the range. They didn’t just have to cook on one.
Dale Evans who rode Buttermilk and Gail Davis as Annie Oakley. Her horse was Target.
But The West wasn’t only plains and prairie dogs.
Old California was represented on television, as well.
Buenas Dias, Cisco and Pancho. Andale, muchachos!
(That’s Diablo and Loco they’re riding.)
The Cisco Kid, Duncan Renaldo, may have been born in Romania but Leo Carrillo was the real deal. Born in Los Angles in 1880, he had pure Castilian blood in his veins.
His great-great-grandfather, José Raimundo Carrillo, was a soldier in the Spanish Portola expedition colonization of Las Californias, arriving in San Diego on July 1, 1769!
Father Junípero Serra performed the marriage ceremony for Don Jose and his bride in 1781. And their son, Carlos Antonio, was Governor of Alta California. Leo’s great-uncle was three-time mayor of Los Angeles.
Old California Spanish blood was also dashingly portrayed by this caballero.
That’s Zorro- “The Fox”- portrayed by handsome baritone italiano-americano, Armand Joseph Catalano. AKA Guy Williams.
SPOLER ALERT: Zorro was really Don Diego de la Vega, son of wealthy landowner Don Alejandro. He was kind of a Old Californian Scarlet Pimpernel. Lazy, spoiled fop by day. Daring swordsman and protector of the oppressed by night.
Bonus Trivia Question: What was Zorro’s fiery black stallion called?
(Guy Williams was so handsome and such a heart throb that Annette Funicello was beside herself when she got cast in the series. As a special bonus, Walt Disney sent him over once to take her out on a “date.”)
Enough with the conquistadors. Now it’s time to salute the original owners.
Here was the guy who greeted the Spanish when they got off the boat.
The fabulous Tonto- indelibly played by Jay Silverheels. And the great paint, Scout.
Born Harold Smith on the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation in Ontario, Canada, he was the son of a Mohawk tribal chief.
A terrific athlete, he toured the United States playing lacrosse. (He also found time to become a successful Golden Gloves boxer.)
While touring Los Angeles with a lacrosse team, he was talked into taking a screen test. His new name came from a nickname he had as a lacrosse player. Starting out as a stuntman, he soon found his way into westerns and serials. Work in feature films followed.
Then in 1949, Jay hooked up with this fellow B movie actor.
And the rest is television western history.
Hi Ho, Clayton Moore and the fabulous Silver!
Okay, you got me, Kemo Sabe. I’ve got to play this.
And look what I have.
How I loved Bat Masterson, Maverick, Wagon Train, (Flint McCullough was my guy) Have Gun Will Travel, Sugarfoot, The Rifleman, Wyatt Earp– starring New Trier’s own Hugh O’Brien.
But it seems that all the wonderful westerns of yesteryear went thataway. I miss all my heroes in white hats on magnificent palominos.
But let’s end this roundup on a high note.
Happy trails to them- and to all of you, pardners.
And wait ’til next year.
Ellen, it’s always nice to hear Rossini’s “William Tell Overture,” not to mention when the voice-over extols the merits of element number 47. As for “Happy Trails,” I first heard this song at the old Metrodome, where it was used to serenade opposing pitchers on their ways to the showers after being knocked out by the Twins.
Glad to see your closing note about the ballclub from the North side. Even though the outcome was not what you had hoped for, they have nothing to be ashamed of and their future looks bright. They do better on-screen, though, as shown in my latest crossword puzzle, “Now Playing ….” But back to reality, we’ve also paid tribute to a sports legend in “The Confines’ Friendliest.”
Thanks for the kind words re the Cubs, George. And congrats on your Mets. They played a hell of a series. And I’m glad this comment involves three of your favorite things- classical music, baseball and crosswords. You are the maven in all three.
Ellen, Gail Davis not Gail Russell was Annie Oakley and Zorro’s horse was Tornado! I loved all the westerns you mention. Be sure to catch the new documentary on PBS about Walt Disney as it’s quite fabulous! Rickey
Omg, thanks, Pardner! You are correct, of course, on both counts. I have NO idea why I typed that. It’s been fixed but glad you’ve got my back, Doc Holliday. And I saw the Disney doc. It was a fascinating look at the man who changed the world we all live in. (Although you and I live in it more than most.) Thanks again, Corky and White Shadow
Use to watch all those shows on TV. And, the great serials at the Saturday matinees at The Jeffery Theater on 71st Street (South Side for all you northerners).
What’s happened to our country since then? Too much silly PC. Sad………
Well, we’ll always have Youtube. Thanks, Kemo Sabe.
Unless someone with a gripe wants those banned on Youtube, also!!
It’s not even proper to say, “With truth, justice and the ‘AMERICAN’ way”, anymore!!
Great Caesar’s Ghost! I think that’s probably still ok to say, Clark. Love, Perry White
It’s a shame you weren’t around for Tom Mix. We would sit glued to the floor and listen to the radio. Great days and great memories. Allan
And wasn’t his horse called Tony? Tom Mix was the grandpappy of all the heroes in my post today. Thanks, Pardner.
What follows is one of my great childhood memories. Knowing that I loved cowboys in general and that Roy Rogers was one of my special favorites, my dad got front row seats to see a rodeo featuring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans at the Chicago stockyards. Better yet, he arranged to get us in to the dressing room to meet Roy prior to the start of the rodeo. I was perhaps eleven years old at the time and I still remember being borderline terrified as I looked up at the famous cowboy with a pair of sixguns on his hips, wondering if he was possibly going to suddenly lose it and start firing at everything in sight. Thankfully, he did not!
But the best was yet to come. We took our front row seats, which were behind a wall and perhaps eight or so feet above the dirt floor of the arena. The music started and all of the rodeo participants came out of a tunnel in order to ride around the periphery of the arena prior to the start of the actual rodeo. When Roy Rogers got to our spot, he stopped and reached up to pluck me out of my seat and place me in front of him on Trigger. So, I got to ride around the full circumference of the arena with one of my heroes on his magnificent horse. It doesn’t get much better than that!
This cowgirl thinks that’s coolest childhood memory ever! Thanks, Pecos Bill.
From time to time, I will be ready to leave my house with my wife, and I will say to her, “let’s went.” Poncho still lives!
Ei, Cisco! Vamanos, muchachos!