October 30 Birthday Wishes

Dale Evans [1912 - 2001]

Howdy Manco!!

What more can we say about Dale Evans?? Queen Of The Cowgirls, Queen Of The West, although I'm sure that Gail Davis and several more female western stars would object to that term. The wife and co-star of Roy Rogers, my personal favorite of the 40's cowboys. Dale made her screen debut in 1942 and in 1943, she was paired with John Wayne in, In Old Oklahoma and the following year, she was paired with Roy in, Cowboy And The Senorita. She would go on to appear opposite Roy in approx 30 films, including The Bells Of San Angelo, Apache Rose and My Pal Trigger. After the matinee films faded, her and Roy would have their own t.v. show during the 50's, which was one of the kid's favorites. With first, George "Gabby" Hayes and then Pat Brady and his Jeep, "Nellie Bell", along with Roy's beautiful Palomino horse, Trigger and his German Shepherd, Bullit, they rounded up crooks all over the west. Dale actually wrote the song, Happy Trails, which was the theme song for their t.v. show, along with the spiritual favorite, The Bible Tells Me so. In 1976, both her and Roy were inducted into the Hall Of Western Performers, in the National Cowboy And Western Heritage Museum. After their t.v. show cancelled, both Dale and Roy continued to make guest appearances on many of the popular t.v. shows through the years, while running the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans museum in Victorville, Calif. After Roy passed away, the museum was moved to Branson .MO. and after Dale passed on, it was eventually sold off by their son. I, and millions of other 'Boomers" will never forget the lyrics to their theme song.
Happy Trails To You
Until We Meet Again
Happy Trails To You
Keep Smiling Until Then

Although their films weren't adult or realistic westerns, but were always slanted towards the kids, they nevertheless made western film history and will never be forgotten by the millions of their fans.

Michael Landon made his film debut in, Those Wilder Years, in 1956 as an uncredited actor. He began to make the rounds of the t.v. westerns, like The Adventures Of Jim Bowie and Sheriff Of Cochise. In 1957, he was chosen to play the lead in one of the many " I Was A Teenage Vampire, Frankenstein etc" films that were being produced during that time. His film was titled, I Was A Teenage Werewolf. With his good looks, after a couple of more t.v western appearances on Trackdown and Cheyenne, he was chosen over Robert Fuller and Robert Blake, to play "Little Joe Cartwright" on the 1959 western series, Bonanza. The show was a success for 14 years and after it cancelled, he took on the role of Charles Ingalls on another hit t.v. series, Little House On The Prairie, which ran for 8 years. It was with this show, that Michael began to write, produce and direct and star in the series. Next up came Highway To Heaven with Victor French, a former "bad guy" in the mold of Jack Elam and Robert.J.Wilke, which Michael also wrote, produced, directed and starred in. Michael Landon never became a box office film star the likes of John Wayne or Gary Cooper, but is probably better known to people all over the world than they are, because of the wordwide syndication of his 3 series. When all is said and done, Michael was one of the most successful actors ever in t.v. He left us at the young age of 54, due to pancreatic cancer, which spread to his liver and stomach.

Ed Lauter has been around for what seems like forever, but in reality, he first showed up in an episode of the t.v. show, Mannix, in 1971. Next up came a part in, The Manificent Seven Ride and then Dirty Little Billy with Michael.J.Pollard. In 1974, he snagged the role of the supervisor of the prison guards and a member of the warden's ( Eddie Albert's) football team, in The Longest Yard with Burt Reynolds. This film really launched his career. Roles then came in, French Connection II, Death Hunt and Breakheart Pass with Charles Bronson. He has also appeared in Death Wish III, again with Bronson, The Rocketeer, and Seraphim Falls with Pierce Brosnan. In a career that has lasted over 40 years, Lauter has proven himself to be an excellent character actor in both film and t.v. The role that sticks in my mind, is his role of John Slade, in the western comedy, Wagons East with John Candy. It was a combination of John Astin's role in Evil Roy Slade, Kirk Douglas' role in, The Villain and Wile. E.. Coyote from the Roadrunner cartoon. It's good to see him still acting in 2012.

Ed

Also today:

William Campbell (1923-2011) appeared in several Westerns such as Escape from Fort Bravo, Man Without a Star, Backlash, and Love Me Tender, but is most remembered as Trelane in the Star Trek episode Squire of Gothos, as well as the Klingon Koloth in The Trouble With Tribbles. He would reprise the role of Koloth 30 years later on the Deep Space Nine episode Blood Oath.

Couple more: Leon Rippy, who played Tom Nuttall in HBO's late great "Deadwood," and Michael Winner, who directed Death Wish and a few Westerns including Chato's Land and Lawman (the movie w/Burt Lancaster, not the TV series).