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"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.
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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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