Hollywood Hoofbeats Page 5

  In the Phantom Empire series, Gene Autry played himself as the cowboy star of the Radio Ranch radio program who gets involved with a subterranean colony of technologically advanced aliens, the Muranians. The series also featured a terrific young trick rider, Betsy King Ross. In the series, the Muranians have a mounted army that surfaces to pursue their foes. Dubbed the Thunder Riders by Betsy and her serial brother, Frankie Darro, the alien cavalry prompts the kids to start their own club of junior Thunder Riders. It’s quite something to see the caped and silver-helmeted Muranians galloping along the prairie, with a gaggle of kid mock aliens wearing customized silver buckets on their heads tearing along on their own horses. Autry’s mount in the series varied, but sometimes his horse is a blaze-faced sorrel with three stockings, sometimes one with four. Whether any of these horses went on to become the original Champion is not certain, but clearly Autry’s preference for the color combination was evolving.

  Original Champion—Wonder Horse of the West

  The success of Phantom Empire led to Gene Autry’s first feature-length star vehicle, Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935), which also introduced Champion. Although uncredited, the original Champion is easy to spot because of his three white stockings and distinctive T-shaped blaze. A 1939 promotional spot showing Autry putting Champion through his paces revealed that the gelding also had a large patch of white on his belly, visible only when he rolled on his back.

  There has been much confusion about the number of Champions, their markings, and their origins. Autry, probably hoping to perpetuate the myth of a single Champion among his fans, was not particularly helpful when questioned on the subject. In one interview, he stated that the original Champion had come from Oklahoma and in another that he had acquired Champion from the Hudkins Brothers Stables, a company that provided horses for Autry’s films. It has been widely accepted that the Hudkins brothers owned the original Champion and perhaps he originally came from Oklahoma. Regardless, the dark sorrel gelding was chosen because he photographed well. With three white stockings and one dark right foreleg, he can be easily distinguished from subsequent Champions, who all had four white stockings of varying height. The T-shaped blaze starting high on his forehead and extending over his muzzle further distinguishes the original Champion.

  Autry and producer Armand Schaffer reportedly chose the name Champion, deciding that “Champion” reflected “the best of everything.” It was a fitting name for the clean living hero who championed a strict code of ethics known as the Cowboy Code. Champion first received billing in 1935’s Melody Trail. As his partnership with Autry solidified, the gelding began to be billed as the “Wonder Horse of the West.” Trained by Tracy Layne, he could untie knots, roll over and play dead, bow, nod his head for yes and shake it for no, and come to Autry’s whistle. Wearing his signature bridle featuring bit shanks in the shape of pistols, he carried Autry safely through many adventures. Sometimes he merely had to stroll along the prairie looking sharp while Autry sold a song from his saddle. That might sound like easy work, but it takes a special horse to mosey along carrying a singing cowboy while being photographed by a motion-picture crew and its attendant paraphernalia. Sometimes such scenes were photographed on a soundstage with the horse on a treadmill and the scenery projected in the background. On other occasions, Autry and Champion are clearly riding through the sagebrush outdoors.

  The original Champion starred with Autry in all his Mascot and Republic Studios pictures until the actor’s screen hiatus during World War II. His last picture was The Bells of Capistrano (1942). It has been written that in 1943 Champion, approximately seventeen years old, died of an apparent heart attack on Autry’s Melody Ranch, while his master was in the army. Johnny Agee, who was employed by Autry to train and care for his horses, reportedly buried Champion. An obituary notice in the January 26, 1947, edition of the New York Times tells a different story, reporting that the original Champion was retired in 1943 and died on January 25, 1947, at age seventeen. Perhaps the former story was concocted to romanticize Autry’s loss of his original horse, who may well have been retired due to lameness—a not uncommon side effect of toiling in Westerns. Even though he had multiple stunt doubles, Champion did do quite a bit of galloping over hard ground in his early movies, which over time damages the tissues and bones of a horse’s legs.

  Champion Jr. and Little Champ

  Returning to films in 1946’s Sioux City Sue, Autry rode a new horse, who would be billed as Champion in Autry’s first three postwar films. In 1947’s Saddle Pals and Robin Hood of Texas, the same horse is billed as Champion Jr., but when The Last Round Up was released later that same year, the “Jr.” had been dropped and the mythical “Champion” returned.

  Champion Jr., the second screen Champion, was a high-spirited sorrel stallion—who was eventually gelded—with a flaxen mane and tail and four high white stockings. He had a narrower blaze than his predecessor, and it ended in a snip on his nose. Remarkably, he also had a white patch on his belly. He was a show horse originally called Boots and owned by Charles Auten of Ada, Oklahoma. Having heard that Autry was looking for a new Champion, Auten supposedly hauled the four-year-old Boots to Fort Worth, Texas, when Autry was appearing at a rodeo there. The actor reportedly bought the horse for $2,500, even though he later claimed he had never paid more than $1,500 for a horse. The name Boots certainly seems an apt one for Champion Jr., as his flashy stockings extended well up to his knees.

  Champion Jr. became known only as Champion, and his status was elevated from “Wonder Horse of the West” to “World’s Wonder Horse” when Autry moved from Republic Pictures to Columbia Studios. More highly trained than the original Champion, he could dance as well as perform an impressive array of tricks. He made some personal appearances with Autry and appeared with him at Madison Square Garden in 1946.

  Starring as a wild stallion, Champion (Jr.) showed off his talent in a remake of the Ken Maynard vehicle The Strawberry Roan (1948), Autry’s first color film. The film also marked the debut of Little Champ, a foal supposed to be Champion’s son. Little Champ grew up to become a well-trained trick pony, featured in two more films, Beyond the Purple Hills (1950) and The Old West (1952). He also appeared at Gene Autry’s Madison Square Garden rodeo in 1948 and traveled with the 1949 national tour of “The Gene Autry Show.” A junior version of the Champions, he, too, was a blaze-faced sorrel with four stockings. There’s no record of how long this little crowd-pleaser lived, but based on the great care Autry took of all his horses, Little Champ doubtlessly had a good life.

  As for Champion Jr., he and another Champion named Wag were put to sleep at Melody Ranch on December 29, 1969, “due to old age,” according to a handwritten note found in Autry’s personal archives.

  The four high white stockings of Champion Jr. earned him the nickname Boots.

  The Touring Champions

  Autry made quite a few appearances with at least three more Champions. The touring Champions were also sorrel geldings with white blazes and four stockings, instead of three. All were highly trained trick horses.

  One of these was known as the Lindy Champion because he was born in 1927 on the day of Charles Lindberg’s first flight over the Atlantic. Originally from Nashville, Lindy was a registered Tennessee Walking Horse trained by Johnny Agee. He had also been used by Tom Mix in live appearances. Distinguished by an oval-topped blaze and a black dot on his nose (sometimes powdered or bleached), he made aviation history of his own when he became the first horse to take a transcontinental flight. In September 1940, he flew in a customized stall aboard a TWA plane from Burbank, California, to New York City for the opening of the Gene Autry rodeo show at Madison Square Garden. It is not known how long the Lindy Champion lived, but since he was born in 1927 and was still working at thirteen, he undoubtedly had a long life.

  The horse most commonly known to insiders as the Touring Champion appeared with Autry in the late 1940s and the 1950s at rodeos and stage shows, including Madison Square Garden in 1947. He joi
ned Autry on a publicity tour of England in 1953 and accompanied him into the Savoy Hotel. Widely photographed, this Champion is also the horse immortalized by his hoofprints next to Gene Autry’s handprints at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. He can be identified by his medium-wide blaze, which veers to the right side of his forehead. It’s possible that the “Touring Champion” was the one called Wag who, like Boots, was euthanized in 1969. The final Touring Champion, and Autry’s last horse to be honored by the name, had a crooked blaze that feathered into his roan color on the left side of his face. Yet another sorrel with four white stockings, he was a stockier gelding than his predecessors. He never worked in films but accompanied Autry on personal appearances from the late 1950s until 1960. He also joined the star on the Merv Griffin and Ed Sullivan television shows. This final Champion, called Champion III by Autry insiders, died at Melody Ranch in 1990. He was forty-one.

  Gene Autry, of course, fulfilled his youthful dream of financial stability and implemented his business skills to build a media empire. Returning to his roots in broadcasting, Autry launched a solo career for his mythical horse with The Adventures of Champion radio serial. Lasting one season, from 1949 to 1950, the show aired on the Mutual Broadcasting system and featured celebrity guest stars.

  Among the first entertainers to understand the power of television, Autry starred in his own production, The Gene Autry Show. Yet another Champion starred with Gene in ninety-one episodes from 1950 to 1955. Trained by Glenn Randall, this horse was a light sorrel gelding with a wide blaze extending over his nose and lower lip. A lack of pigmentation around his eyes was usually covered with make-up. In 1949, at the outset of the horse’s career, as a publicity stunt, Autry took out a $25,000 insurance policy naming this Champion as beneficiary. The same Champion inspired a comic book series, Gene Autry’s Champion. When The Gene Autry Show left the air, Champion remained on TV without Autry in a spin-off of the comic-book series. Named after the radio program, The Adventures of Champion aired on CBS from September 1955 to March 1956, for twenty-six episodes. This Champion had replaced Champion Jr. as Autry’s movie horse in the 1950s, so he appeared in Autry’s final films as well. Gene Autry passed away on October 2, 1998, just a few days after his ninety-first birthday. The great singing cowboy and his iconic horse Champion have been immortalized by a gorgeous life-size bronze sculpture aptly titled “Back in the Saddle,” which graces the plaza of the Autry National Center in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Autry’s last Champion, Champion III, was the life model for the sculpture by De L’Esprie.

  TV Champion and Little Champ flank Gene Autry in this photo.

  Lindy Champion and autry prepare for takeoff in September 1940 with TWA stewardess Esther Benefiel, who fed Champ carrots at takeoff and landing to protect his eardrums from pressure changes.

  Champion Jr. starred with Gene Autry in his favorite movie, Sioux City Sue, but the Touring Champion, with his veering blaze, posed for this lobby card.

  The Touring Champion looks a bit uncertain about becoming the second horse (after Tom Mix’s Tony) to leave his mark in cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Trainer Johnny Agee (in plaid shirt) holds the reins while Gene washes his hoof with the help of theater owner Sid Grauman, on the right. The date was December 23, 1949.

  The King of the Cowboys and the Smartest Horse in Movies

  Gene Autry and Champion blazed the trail for their chief rivals, Roy Rogers and Trigger. The cowboy with twinkling eyes and his beautiful golden palomino stallion still hold a special place in the hearts of many movie fans. Some are lucky enough to have seen the spectacular duo in one of their many personal appearances, as Rogers, bedecked in rhinestone-fringed splendor, galloped into a stadium on his shimmering stallion. The dazzling sight was pure magic.

  Gene is seen here with his last Champion, Champion III.

  Leonard Slye and the Sons of the Pioneers

  Born Leonard Frank Slye in a Cincinnati tenement on November 5, 1911, Rogers overcame his humble beginnings to pursue his dream of a career in show business. Developing his natural musical talents, he eventually headed for Hollywood, where he formed the Pioneer Trio, which landed a KFWB radio spot in 1933. The Pioneer Trio evolved into the Sons of the Pioneers, one of the most successful cowboy groups in history.

  The Sons of the Pioneers appeared in several films, including Gene Autry’s Tumbling Tumbleweeds. But Leonard Slye had his sights set on solo stardom. In 1937, Republic Pictures was holding auditions for singing cowboys. Without an appointment, Slye pulled on his white Stetson and sallied past the Republic gate guard with a group of studio employees. A fan of the Sons of the Pioneers, producer Sol Siegel invited the singer to audition, and on October 13, 1937, Slye signed a seven-year contract with Republic at $75 a week. His name was promptly changed to Dick Weston.

  Dick Weston languished in bit parts until Autry went on strike in 1938 just before the start of his new picture Under Western Stars. Slye/Weston was tapped to replace the star. After the producers decided he needed a catchier name, Slye picked the surname Rogers in tribute to his hero, Will Rogers—ironically the man who had kick-started Autry’s career. Even though the actor didn’t particularly like the name, Roy was chosen because of its pleasing alliteration with Rogers.

  Quick on the Trigger

  Roy Rogers shrewdly figured that if he partnered with a unique horse, he would be harder to replace should he fall out of favor with Republic. He tried out several horses owned by the Hudkins Brothers Stable and struck gold with Golden Cloud, a registered palomino, half-Thoroughbred stallion with a wide blaze and one left hind sock. His golden color was highlighted by an exceptionally long snowy mane and forelock. The Hudkins brothers had acquired the horse from the ranch of Ray “Crash” Corrigan, another cowboy star. Golden Cloud’s sire was a Mexican racehorse, and his dam was what Rogers called a “cold-blooded” palomino, most likely a Quarter Horse mix. At only three years old, he had already debuted as Olivia de Havilland’s mount in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). The stallion’s matinee idol’s looks and his amazingly tractable temperament marked him for stardom.

  Roy Rogers once said, “I got on [the horse that was to become] Trigger and rode him down the street and back. I never looked at the rest of them. I said, ‘This is it. This is the color I want. He feels like the horse I want, and he’s got a good rein on him.’ So I took Trigger and started my first picture.”

  According to Cheryl Rogers-Barnett, Roy’s eldest daughter, “Dad always told me there was a genuine connection between the two of them, right from the first time he sat in the saddle. Dad had a gift for handling most animals, but he said there was some sort of instant communication between him and Trigger. In Dad’s case, it was love at first sight.”

  Golden Cloud became Trigger when Rogers and his comic costar Smiley Burnette were brainstorming to find a more fitting name for a cowboy’s horse. “The name came up when we were getting ready to do the first picture,” Rogers once explained. “I believe it was actually Smiley who said, ‘As fast and as quick as the horse is, you ought to call him Trigger. You know, quick-on-the-trigger.’ I said, ‘That’s a good name.’ And I just named him Trigger.” The naming scene is recreated in My Pal Trigger (1946), which depicts the fictionalized birth of the stallion.

  Roy and Trigger are hellbent for justice in 1951’s South of Caliente.

  Costarring with Rogers in Under Western Stars (1938), Trigger, who had just turned four, was indelibly linked to the actor’s success. Realizing Trigger’s long-term value, Rogers arranged in 1938 to purchase the palomino from the Hudkins brothers for $2,500. It was a huge sum for Rogers on his meager salary, but Ace Hudkins agreed to let him make payments. It took several years before Rogers owned Trigger completely, but he never doubted his investment.

  Rogers put Trigger in training with Glenn Randall, who schooled him at liberty and taught him some basic tricks, including how to rear. The stallion had tremendous strength and could hold a spectacular rear far longer than most horses. He
also had great stamina and carried Rogers through many chase scenes. In one movie, Rogers and Trigger jumped a series of 50-gallon drums that rolled off the back of a truck they were chasing. Although unrehearsed, Trigger negotiated the jumps in one take. Billed as the “Smartest Horse in Movies,” he was easily the handsomest. Whether galloping pell-mell with his beautiful long mane flying in the wind or just standing by waiting for action, he was always a magnificent sight.

  Trigger performing his trademark rear as trained by Glenn Randall, with cool-as-a-cucumber Roy Rogers resplendent in eye-catching fringed duds designed by Nudie, the famed Cowboy Couturiere, striking the iconic pose that captured the imaginations of millions of wanna-be cowboys and cowgirls.

  Billed as the “King of the Cowboys,” Rogers was an excellent horseman. He did running mounts and dismounts on Trigger, who took it all in stride. Like most star horses, Trigger had doubles for dangerous stunts and rough-riding long shots. Contrary to rumors that Rogers owned many Trigger doubles, these horses were rentals from Hudkins or Glenn Randall. The good care Trigger received and his overall hardiness meant a horse that was never lame.

  Rogers never gelded Trigger for fear of dulling his famous spark, yet never bred him either. According to Roy’s son Dusty Rogers, “Dad was afraid to breed because he was worried that Trigger might decide he liked breeding better than making movies.”

  Like his famous predecessors, Fritz, Tony, and Champion, Trigger inspired movies that revolved around him. One of the most beloved was The Golden Stallion (1949). Trigger costarred with Roy Rogers in eighty-two movies between 1938 and 1953. Together they made the transition from film to television in December 1951 with the debut of The Roy Rogers Show. Trigger costarred in all one hundred episodes.