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Reminiscence - Cowboys
"Reminiscing promotes emotional well being
and reduces isolation, loneliness and depression"
In these pages we will try to coax you into remembering just
a little (or a lot) from earlier days. At least we can let you
read about other peoples memories - you may be surprised how
common some of the memories can be!!
Cowboys
This cowboy section is still being developed - I started with
the idea of just one page but I got hooked and I will be adding
more!!
Howdy Ol? Timer!
In almost every western ?B? movie the hero was supported by an
older man and he was nearly always referred to as ?Old Timer? or
?ol? timer?. As well as providing much needed advice the old
timer was also the comic relief.
| In the 1940s and 1950s,
when us Ol? Timers? were somewhat younger, we
frequented the matinees at the local cinema (or as
it was affectionately and often, accurately known,
the ?fleapit?). At the matinees we watched all of
those Cowboy Heroes that helped form our childhood
ideas of the "Code of the West?" What great screen
heroes they were, and what flashy outfits they wore!
On screen they rarely missed a shot from the hip and
they were faster with a six gun than the meanest
gunslinger. Their guns NEVER ran out of bullets!! |
Johnny Mack Brown
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Cowboy ?B? movies were the strong favourites and we were
usually more interested in the ?second feature? (as they are now
known) than the ?big? picture.
The plots in these low budget pictures were slight variations on
a theme. The hero and his ?sidekick? (the ?goodies?) drift into
town and very quickly, get involved in rescuing a pretty damsel
in distress from the clutches of a villain called Jake. It turns
out that Jake is part of a gang, organised by the man who owns
most of the town and who is the leader of the ?baddies?. It
later transpires that the goodies are either Texas Rangers or US
Marshals or are working undercover for the Railroad Company,
Wells Fargo or the Cattleman?s Association. The ?baddies? were
usually trying to steal all or part of the local land from the
?nesters?, so that they can somehow make a fortune.
James Ellison, Gabby Hayes &
William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy
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The picture climaxes with a posse, led
by the ?goodies?, trapping the ?baddies? at their
hideout. A shooting war breaks out and both sides use
the famous western ?six-gun? ? which never needs
reloading. As the ?baddies? show signs of losing the
leader sneaks away on his horse. The hero spots him and
goes after him. After a furious chase the hero jumps
from his horse and pulls the baddie to the ground. In a
short scuffle the hero knocks out the baddie with a
single punch. |
Later the hero and the Ol? Timer ride off into
the sunset to the cheers of us youngsters.
As the film ended the doors were thrown open and
we all surged out into the open air.
We galloped home, smacking our hips (pretending to be on
horseback) and shooting off imaginary six-guns. There were very
few toy guns around in those days but those that could - made
the gunshot noises, the rest of us just went Bang! ? Bang! The
older boys and girls acted more dignified but occasionally, when
they thought nobody was looking, you could see them doing a
?fast draw? ? with a bent trigger finger around the imaginary
six-gun.
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Through time we noticed that most of the
cowboy films seemed to be filmed in the same area
Monogram Studios (later acquired by Universal) made 750
"B" westerns at the Melody ranch before selling it to
singing cowboy Gene Autry in 1952. Cowboy actors,
including William S. Hart, Gary Cooper, Tom Mix, Roy
Rogers, Bill Boyd, and John Wayne filmed their westerns
here until 1962 when a fire swept through the Canyon
destroying the main western street.
We all had our favourite cowboy stars. Mine was Johnny
Mack Brown and his sidekick ol? timer Raymond Hatton.
Johnny Mack Brown made over 120 western films and
serials, and over half of these were at Monogram. He was
reputed to be the most proficient in twirlin' and
spinnin' a six-shooter, and he did this often in his
films.
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Gene Autry
was perhaps the greatest of the singing cowboys
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Gene Autry's Cowboy Code
1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man,
or take unfair advantage.
2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust
confided in him.
3. He must always tell the truth.
4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and
animals.
5. He must not advocate or possess racially or
religiously intolerant ideas.
6. He must help people in distress.
7. He must be a good worker.
8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech,
action, and personal habits.
9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation's
laws.
10. The Cowboy is a patriot.
Roy Rogers - King of the Cowboys. As a movie
buckaroo, he shot the straightest and rode the fastest
(on Trigger, "The Smartest Horse in the Movies"). His
co-star was usually Dale Evans "Queen of the West? and
his sidekicks were Ol? Timer Gabby Hayes or Smiley
Burnette.
George
'Gabby' Hayes
Although George only made one movie with Roy Rogers in
1943-1944, he made some 10 movies with Wild Bill Elliott
(Republic Pictures), two with John Wayne (RKO Radio
Pictures) and one with Hap Selby/Richard Arlen/Robert
Livingston (Republic Pictures).
Just prior to coming to Republic Pictures, George worked
with William Boyd at Paramount making several 'Hopalong
Cassidy' movies. George's character in most of those
pictures was 'Windy Halliday'. Lucky ???
The comic relief in Roy's movies, just prior to George's
arrival, was being provided, at first, by Smiley
Burnette and then by Raymond Hatton. After George's
final movie with Roy, Andy Devine (as Cookie Bullfincher)
initially took over these duties.
After 1946, George made only a few movies every year.
These were mainly with Randolph Scott. Gabby's last
movie was The Caribou Trail (1950).
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