Roy and Dale - Cowboy Royalty

Estelita Rodriguez, Roy Rogers, Pat Brady, Dale Evens

Signed by Roy and Dale

When Andy Slye was told of a shoe factory hiring in Los Angeles and asked his son Leonard (the future Roy Rogers) to join him in applying there for work, Leonard, having seen the joy that his guitar and singing had brought to the destitute around the campfire, hesitatingly told his father that he was going to pursue a living in music. And the rest, as they say is history!

Leonard moved to California to become a singer. After four years of little success, he formed the Sons of the Pioneers with Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer. A lucky break occurred in 1938, when Gene Autry temporarily walked out on his movie contract, and Leonard was suddenly renamed "Roy Rogers" and assigned the lead in Under Western Stars.

Roy first met Dale in 1944, and by 1947 they were married at the Flying  L Ranch in Davis, Oklahoma.

With money from not only his films, but from his public appearances going to Republic Pictures, Roy brought a clause into a 1940 contract with the studio where he would have the right to his likeness, voice and name for merchandising. There were Roy Rogers action figures, guns and play sets,

 This, of course led to the Popular Saturday afternoon TV series, The Roy Rogers Show.

Roy and Dale were well known as advocates for adoption and as founders and operators of children's charities. They, themselves adopted several children. In Apple Valley, where they made their home, numerous streets and highways, as well as civic buildings have been named after them in recognition of their efforts on behalf of homeless and handicapped children.

Roy left us in July 8, 1998, and Dale followed, less than three years later, on February 7, 2001. Thanks Roy and Dale! You will be missed. It is so good that the movies live on!

The Search for Charles Herbert

Autographed Photo of Susan Gordon 

and Charles Herbert, from The Boy and the Pirates.

One of the wonderful things you come upon in Autograph collecting is the chance to get in contact with some of your favorite stars and personalities. In my case, collecting stars, mostly from the past, many, if not most of my autographs come from dealers or the internet. In the case of some of the child stars, I sometimes get lucky. My search for Charles Herbert was just such a case.

If you don't remember Charles Herbert by name, I couldn't blame you. He was one of my favorite child actors of the 1950's and 60's, but I did not remember his name, if indeed, I ever knew it!

I have contacted, and received autographs from Jon Provost, who played "Timmy" on television's "Lassie", and noticed on Jon's website a picture from his 13th birthday party.

It shows, from left to right, Flip Mark, Anglia Cartwright, Susan Gordon, Jon, Charles Herbert, and Jay North. I recognized Charles right away, and was thrilled to learn his name. I attempted to find him on the internet to no avail.

Charles can now be found regularly at Si-Fi Conventions and Autograph Conventions, but back then, he was hard to find. I wrote to Jon Provost, telling him how I had seen Charles in his 13th birthday picture, and wondered where he was now, and if he knew how to contact him. Jon, very helpfully, wrote back that he had lost contact with Charles, but said that he was in contact with Susan Gordon, and that he believed she was in touch with Charles.

Again, I have to admit, I was at a loss as to who Susan Gordan was, apart from the familiar girl in Jon's birthday picture. When I wrote her, I immediately recognized her from Twilight Zones, Gunsmoke, and I couldn't tell you how many other things I had seen her in. And she was so nice.

Susan Gordon and James Arness

in the 1961 Gunsmoke episode

"Little Girl"

Susan told me that Charles was sometimes hard to reach, but would relay a message. I told her I would like an autograph from them both, and chose the picture from the Boy and the Pirates. Susan and Charles were old friends. They had appeared together on the Twilight Zone, and in 1960, in the "Pirates", which was directed by Susan's Father, Burt I. Gordon, the well known adventure and fantasy director.

Susan eventually sent me the autographed picture, and conveyed my best wishes to Charles. Charles had been one of the "lost" child stars, his years after his career being anything but pleasant. But finding that he is remembered fondly has brought him out of obscurity, and as I said, he can now be found at Movie conventions, and Si-Fi conventions all across the country. Apart from his work in television, he is remembered for films like 13 Ghosts,

and perhaps, his most popular film, 1958's The Fly, with Vincent Price and Patricia Owens.

Patricia Owens and Charles Herbert in The Fly.

Autographed by Charles Herbert.

Thanks for all the entertainment Charles! And, oh yeah, thanks to Susan and Jon. Without all your contributions, our childhoods would have lost a lot.

William Boyd - Alias, Hopalong Cassidy

Pencil signature of William Boyd, in an old Autograph Book.

Actor William Boyd has been one of my favorite Western Stars all my life. Born in 1895, in Hendrysburg, Ohio, Boyd went on to Hollywood in the 1920's, where he became a leading man in Silent film romances, earning an annual salary of 100,000.

He was the lead actor in Cecil B. De Mille's The Volga Boatman (1926) and in DeMille's extravaganza, The King of Kings, helping Christ carry the cross, as Simon of Cyrene.

After a long period of unemployment, due to a scandal involving an actor with a similar name, and partly due to age, in 1935, at age 40, Boyd was offered the supporting role of Red Connors in the movie Hop-a-Long Cassidy. Boyd ask to be considered for the title role and won it.

The original Hopalong Cassidy character, written by Clarance E. Mulford  for pulp fiction, was changed from a hard drinking, rough-living wrangler

Mulford's Hopalong Cassidy

 to its eventual incarnation as a cowboy hero who did not smoke, drink or sware and who always let the bad guy start the fight.

The Hopalong Cassidy series ended in 1947 after 66 films, with Boyd producing the last 12.

Anticipating television's rise, Boyd spent $350,000 to purchase the rights to the Hopalong Cassidy character, books and films. In 1949, he released the films to television, where they became extremely popular and began the long running genre of Westerns on television.

Both Bill Boyd, and his wife, Grace signed many contracts with the television studios in those early years. I was fortunate enough to acquire one a few years ago, from a contract signed in 1951.

Boyd's wife Grace took a chance right along with her husband, and in the end it payed off. I have a wonderful picture of Grace, before she retired from the screen, which she has signed, "Mrs. Hopalong". It is a real treasure.

Bill Boyd so identified with his character, he often dressed as a cowboy in public. He appeared regularly as Hopalong Cassidy on the cover of numerous magazines, including the June 12, 1950 issue of Life, 

and the November 27, 1950 issue of Time.

William Boyd passed away in 1972 in Laguna Beach, California, but he will always be remembered, by a generation of "little buckaroos" all grown up, who owe a debt of gratitude to a great man that taught them how to be honest, and true.