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Behind the Scenes ...



(From Old Corral collection)

Above in the top row, from L-to-R are B-western heavy/henchman Tex Terry, Pat Starling, William Boyd and Bob Nolan.  Bottom row from L-to-R are Roy Rogers, a mystery lady named "Mrs. Peters", and Spade Cooley. Patricia/Pat Starling did a few westerns, including a Jimmy Wakely and four of Sunset Carson's later films which were NOT at Republic Pictures. This photo is from the 'Western Hall of Fame Hoss Opera' at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on November 28, 1948. It was organized by Tim Spencer (Sons of the Pioneers) and singer/song writer Cindy Walker ("You Don't Know Me" and more, including nearly all of the Bob Wills songs in the Russ Hayden films).

October, 2011: Joe Hyatte is the owner of the Rock Run Cafe and Bakery in Parke County Indiana (formally owned by movie badman/henchman Tex Terry who called it "Tex's Longhorn Restaurant"). Tex had sold the restaurant to Joe's parents, and the property included a bunch of movie memorabilia as Tex had saved just about everything from movie days. "Mrs. Peters" was Dorothy Peters and she was married to Tex before he married his agent Isabel Drasemer.




(Courtesy of Theresa Schuyler)

L-to-R are Russell Hayden, Tim Spencer (of the Sons of the Pioneers singing group), William Boyd and Roy Rogers in another photo from the 'Western Hall of Fame Hoss Opera' at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on November 28, 1948.



(Courtesy of Minard Coons and Tracy Terhune)



Above - Chicago radio station WLS had the National Barn Dance, and their star performers were doing shows on the road.  On the far left, with the light colored suit and cowboy hat is Gene Autry.  Seated in the bottom row are Max Terhune, wearing suspenders and fanning a deck of cards. To his left and wearing the cowboy hat is Lester Alvin 'Smiley' Burnette. The two ladies wearing the vests and cowboy hats are Millie Good (Mildred Fern Good; 1913-1993) and Dolly Good (Dorothy Laverne Good; 1915-1967), and they billed themselves as "The Girls of the Golden West". Terhune was called "The Hoosier Mimic" because of his Indiana background along with the barnyard calls and bird whistles.

Tracy Terhune, Max Terhune's grandson, noted that "The WLS Barn Dance photo was taken in 1934.  On my grandfathers own copy, he hand wrote on the back that it was taken the day Gene got his telegram to come to Hollywood and listed the year, 1934." Autry and Burnette would head to California to begin work with Poverty Row producer Nat Levine at Mascot Pictures.  Gene and Smiley would appear in a pair of Ken Maynard starrers, the IN OLD SANTA FE (Mascot, 1934) feature and MYSTERY MOUNTAIN (Mascot, 1934) cliffhanger.  Soon after, Autry would be given the lead in Mascot's THE PHANTOM EMPIRE (Mascot, 1935) cliffhanger.




(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

L-to-R are Jimmy Wakely, Preston Foster, Johnny Mack Brown, Ken Murray and Buddy Baer (brother of one-time heavyweight boxing champ Max Baer).  They - and many other B western players - were working on THE MARSHAL'S DAUGHTER (1953).


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