Early on Gene had met silent movie cowboy star Hoot Gibson. And he didn't like what he saw, as Gibson was dressed in a fancy sports coat and two-toned wing-tipped dress shoes. He made up his mind, then and there, to always dress Western to present a consistent image for his fans.
Gene's movies released in 1936 were "The Old Corral," "The Big Show," "Ride, Ranger, Ride," "Oh Susanna," "Guns and Guitars," "Singing Cowboy," "Comin' Round the Mountain," and "Red River Valley".
Looking back at these early films many years later, Gene once remarked: "I moved like my parts needed oiling, and I didn't like the way I looked or sounded" (quoted by David Roth, The Gene Autry Book, p. 96).
"The Old Corral" filmed in 1936 presented star Gene Autry in a fist-fight with Dick Weston. Who was Dick Weston. He was a fellow from Ohio by the name of Leonard Slye. That unknown bit player would soon become famous as "Roy Rogers".Gene had a big hit song in 1936 with "Mexicali Rose," which became the title of one of his 1939 films.
1937 His 1937 movie releases were "Boots and Saddles," "Git Along, Little Dogies," "Serenade of the West," "Public Cowboy No. 1," "Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm," "Round-Up Time in Texas," "Springtime in the Rockies," "Manhattan Merry-Go-Round, " and "Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge".
NOTES: Wild Bill Elliott, aka Gordon Elliott, played a villain in "Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm". The setting for most of "Round-Up Time in Texas" was in, of all places, Africa. And silent screen star William Farnum appeared in six of Gene's films.
1938 Gene Autry's movie releases in 1938 were "Gold Mine in the Sky," "The Old Barn Dance," "Rhythm of the Saddle," "Western Jamboree," "Prairie Moon," and "Man from Music Mountain".
Autry bought several hundred acres of land near Berwyn, Oklahoma (about 20 miles west of his hometown of Ravia, and just north of Ardmore, OK).
1939 In 1939 Gene saw these movie releases: "Blue Montana Skies," "Colorado Sunset," "In Old Monterey," "Mexicali Rose," "Rovin' Tumbleweeds," "South of the Border," "Mountain Rhythm," and "Home on the Prairie".
His hit songs in 1939 included one that would become his signature song: "Back in the Saddle Again". And he made his first appearnce in New York's famous Madison Square Garden arena. He was the very first Western singer to appear in concert at the Garden.
Gene took his concert show overseas in 1939. How well was "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy" received in Europe? Well, more than 500,000 lined the streets of Dublin, Ireland to watch him parade by.
Interestingly, a couple of composers pitched a song to him while he was on this tour in the British Isles. Michael Carr and Jimmy Kennedy were, respectively, an Englishman and an Irishman. They had never, ever been to the United States. Nor had they ever been to Mexico. Still, they wrote a song about romance along the U.S.-Mexican border and Gene agreed to record it. The song was "South of the Border." Another mega-hit. Carr died on Sept. 16, 1958 in London. Kennedy passed away on April 5, 1984 in Cheltenham. [See a nice essay on the two--plus the sheet music for "South of the Border" -- in Jim Bob Tinsley's wonderful book, For A Cowboy Has To Sing (Orlando, FL: University of Central Floriday Press, 1991), pp. 211-16.]
1940
On Jan. 7, 1940, Gene's weekly "Melody Ranch" radio show began airring nationwide on CBS, sponsored by the Wrigley Gum Company. It was introduced as being "where the pavement ends and the West begins." Autry initially earned $1,500 per week. Later he took home $5,000 per week. His sidekick on the show was Pat Buttram, who squeeked out his boss's name as "Mister Artery". And Gene's lead guitarist was fellow Oklahoman Johnny Bond.
This same year, 1940, Autry bought a 290-acre ranch in Luarel Canyon in what is now the city of Santa Clarita, CA. He named it "Melody Ranch". His home was a two-story affair with lots of pine panneling. He built an indoor horse training ring, complete with an air conditioned stable (22 stalls). He could walk from his house to the ring and stables without ever going outdoors.
His home was just down the hill from the large estate of famed silent screen cowboy William S. Hart. Shoot-fire, boys, I went to junior high school at "William S. Hart High School" and didn't have the foggiest idea who Hart was. And I only lived about 20 miles west of town, but never knew that my cowboy hero-- Gene Autry --was within spittin' distance. But I did feel a bit better when in 1999 I got to perform cowboy poetry on the grounds of the restored Melody Ranch movie lot and toured the estates of both William S. Hart and Harry Carey, Sr. Hey, better late than never.
Gene Autry's movie releases in 1940 were "Carolina Moon," "Rancho Grande," "Shooting High," "Rodeo Dough," "Melody Ranch," "Tenderfoot, Ride," "Gaucho Serenade," and "Men with Steel Faces". Only actors Mickey Rooney, Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable were ranked ahead of him at the box office. His salary for one film, "Shootin' High," was $25,000.
His hit songs in 1940 included "South Of The Border".
Another of Gene's "firsts" occured in 1940. He was working on a film in Hollywood and when it ended he had just two days to be in New York at a rodeo. He arranged for Trans World Airlines (TWA) to fly his horse, Champion, from California to New York. That was the first flight for any horse anywhere.
1941
Autry's 1941 movie releases were "Back in the Saddle," "Down Mexico Way," "Ridin' on a Rainbow," "Sierra Sue," "The Singing Hill," "Sunset in Wyoming," and "Under Fiesta Stars."
He had a very good year in the music field in 1941, with such hits as "You Are My Sunshine," "It Makes No Difference Now," and "Be Honest With Me".
Back in 1938, Gene Autry had bought several hundred acres of ranch land near Berwyn, Oklahoma (Just north of Ardmore, OK. By the way, my paternal grandmother, Mattie Paregien was born in the town long before Gene came around.). He intended to make it into a working ranch, a dude ranch, and his retreat from Hollywood. He named it the "Flying A Ranch".
He had become such a celebrity that the townspeople voted to change the name of their village of some 300 people from "Berwyn" to "Gene Autry," in honor of their Oklahoma son. One thing led to another and before you knew it, a gala event on Nov. 16, 1941 was planned for the change. Gene decided to broadcast his nationally syndicated program, "Melody Ranch," on site that day of the name change.
Word spread and literally thousands of fans --some say 35,000 people-- descended on the tiny town for the ceremony and to see Gene in a parade and hear him perform. However, the crowd so overwhelmed the village that the parade barely got started when they had to stop it because there were so many people in the street. The Wrigley Gum Company, sponsors of Gene's radio show, gave out free spearmint gum to the crowd.
At 5:30 p.m., Gene stepped up to the microphone and began to broadcast his nationally syndicated "Melody Ranch" radio show from the town now named for him. The new town of "Gene Autry, Oklahoma" had its day in the sun and in the national limelight.
Changing of Oklahoma town's name from "Berwyn"
to "Gene Autry". The date was Nov. 16, 1941.
However, just four weeks later the Japanese bombed our Navy ships at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941. And lives were changed forever, including Gene Autry's. And his plans for his ranch. Gene would soon be leaving movie-making for war-making, as he enlised in the Army shortly after the start of World War II.
Interestingly, in 1941 he appeared with one of his main competitors. He did a "short" titled "Meet Roy Rogers," a studio-generated idea of promoting Rogers by having Gene, Gabby Hayes, Will Bill Elliott and other stars appear with him.
Autry returned to his ranch a few times after the big celebration, but he sold the land in 1944 while he was in the Army. He next visited the town named after him in 1956, while peforming at a rodeo in nearby Ardmore. His last visit was on the occasion of his being inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1981.
If, in reading the titles of Gene Autry's films, you are reminded of titles to his songs. That was not by accident. Early on his movies were used as marketing tools to sell his records, songbooks and other products. And of course his recordings inceased the attendance at his movies and concerts. It was an extremely profitable arrangement.
The fact is that "Oklahoma's Singing Cowboy" took the film world by storm. Gene Autry put his own stamp on the look, feel and sound of Western movies made during the 1930's and 1940's. And he made the studios a pile of money in the process. His standard films only cost around $50,000 to produce. And most of them grossed more than $500,000--a 1000% return on their investment!
But that was not all. Gene Autry also gave respectability to the class of music formerly called "hillbilly" or "country." He put a softer, friendlier face on rural music and projected a wholesome image to newfound fans. Those cowboy stars who followed, and particulary the singing cowboys--Roy Rogers, Eddie Dean, Rex Allen, Jimmy Wakely, Tex Ritter, etc.--were direct beneficiaries of the talents of Mr. Autry.
This was a mighty fancy rig for those days. The inside walls of the
horse trailer were padded with cork to protect Champion against injury.
The Army Years: 1942 - 1945 Gene Autry's films released in 1942 were ""Bells of Capistrano," "Call of the Canyon," "Cowboy Serenade," "Heart of the Rio Grande," "Home in Wyomin'," and "Stardust on the Sage."
Interestingly, the Jimmy Wakely Trio sang in Gene's movie, "Heart of the Rio Grande". Jimmy had met Gene when Autry traveled through Oklahoma City on one of his tours. Gene encouraged them to come to Hollywood, and they did. Jimmy Wakely would later star in his own Western movies.
Gene volunteered for duty in the Army, much against the wishes of Republic Pictures, and was inducted in July of 1942. And there would be no new Gene Autry movies for four long years, although Republic did re-release several of his films in hopes people wouldn't forget about him. And he continued to do his radio show, from various locations, during much of his time in the service.
Gene Autry's first duty was in the "Special Services," using his talent to entertain troops, attract new recruits and sell war bonds.
However, he had other plans. He studied hard and became a pilot. And then he won assignment in the "Air Ferry Command". He then spent his time as the co-pilot of giant cargo planes. He helped transport materials and soldiers throughout Burma, North Africa, China and India. And, not surprisingly, he found people in each country who had seen his movies and were delighted to meet him and get his autograph.
When he returned to the United States, he was stationed at Love Field in Fort Worth, Texas. He flew cargo planes from there to the Eastern areas of the country. He racked up more than 1,800 hours of flying time during his service. He did gain an extra fifteen pounds during this period. His squadron commander was a fellow named Barry Goldwater, who later became a U.S. Senator from Arizona and an unsuccessful candidate for president.
It was also during this time that public relations people at Republic Pictures quietly took Gene's title of "King of the Cowboys" and put it on their new singing cowboy, that Leonard Slye fellow from back in Ohio. Yes, it was Roy Rogers.
Autry did have a hit song in 1942 with "Tweedle-O-Twill".
1945
He was honorably discharged after three years in the Army. He went home, regrouped and two weeks later flew off to the Pacific war theatre to entertain the troups.
Gene had a hit song in 1945 with "At Mail Call Today".
Also in 1945, The Cass County Boys singing group joined Gene as a regular part of his touring company and for many of his movies. On one particular tour they appeared in seventy different towns in seventy days. Those tours were usually done during the winter months, as Gene would be into heavy movie production or rodeo appearances the rest of the year.
The Cass County Boys were made up of Fred Martin, Jerry Scoggins and Bert Dodson. Fred (who had been born in Cass County, Texas) and Jerry were staff musicians for WFAA-AM in Dallas, Texas. Fred played the accordian and Jerry played the guitar. Soon they teamed with bass violinist Bert Dodson and performed as "The Case County Boys".
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