The Roy Rogers Show

Despite what one reviewer said, the Roy Rogers TV show was an excellent show for us kids in the 50s. If that reviewer did any research he would see that people in Texas, Oklahoma, Nevada, California, etc did ride horses for ranch work and in their daily lives, with cars, including Jeeps being driven in the same era.

As for shooting guns out of the hands of outlaws instead of killing them, that was simply role modelling for kids. The Lone Ranger did it; so did Roy Rogers. It was about values. Disarming an outlaw was more important than killing him. It tried to teach children that the value of a life was important. Respect and dignity were valued. Yes, these were all fantasy shows with unrealistic concepts and ideals, but so are the Star Wars movies.

The violence displayed in today's society is more associated with the TV shows and movies shown decades after the 50s. Perhaps, if those 50s values had continued on into the 60s and 70s, instead of the violent 'reality' displayed on TV and in the movies that became the standard, America and the world might be a better, safer place today. I say, "shame" on the entertainment industry for promoting the violence to children on TV, in the movies, and in the music that has become today's norm.

You say that Roy Rogers went as Roy Rogers just like Dale Evans. Roy's real name was Leonard Franklin Slye. Roy Rogers is just a roll he played. I know it's not in the credits as him being Leonard, but neither does John Wayne list himself as Marion Robert Morrison in the credits of his shows. As far as "King of the Cowboys", what about Daniel Boone being "King of the Wild Frontier"? Check out the "Legendary Cowboy Kings DVD" that has a whole passel of singers listed as "Kings". What I'm saying is that John Wayne can be a "King of the Cowboys" as well as all of the other giants we all know and love. They are all great in my book. Heroes every one. I've just got ten DVDs that I picked up from www.oldies.com of the Roy Rogers Show. I enjoy them all just like I do Gene Autry, another great "King" in my book. Don't forget Dale Evans, "Queen of the West". We'll see them all in Hillbilly Heaven. Fred Salter

One of the previous writers complains of anachronisms and mysteries in the Roy Rogers Show. well, they sure entertained us when we were younger. Heck, I was in my 40's when I realized that Pat Brady's Jeep, Nellybelle ran forever and never was seen pulling into a gas station. I never saw a gas station in the show. I guess that must be Hollywood. Our heroes wouldn't kill someone so they shot the gun out of their hands. Tough shot to make? Not in Hollywood.

It's amazing that anyone could have a problem with this show. Roy had a code for his little buckaroos. The world would be a heck of a different place if just half the population followed that code. Of course, a lot of people do follow it, just under a different name. Call it the Golden Rule, Koran, Torah, whatever. All of them, including Roy's code, gave the rules for treating your fellow man and the world that was provided by a Supreme Being.

Yes, sadly the museum in Victorville closed but I understand it has reopened in Branson. The previous writer should go to the Roy rogers website and read some of the mail. Read Roy and Dale's books. Their life is the epitome of the American dream. Nothing comes easy in life. You'll see that in their books and it was taught in their shows and movies. Yes the museum closed but most likely because we who grew up with Roy and Dale are getting into our last days. One of the best memories of my childhood was shaking Roy's hand at a rodeo in Madison Square Garden in NYC.

So who was your hero in London, Canada?

I just picked a copy of a joint biography of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and the story behind the television series was an interesting one.

Both were winding up their contracts at Republic Pictures where they didn't make much money from the studio itself. Herbert J. Yates ran a pinch penny operation to say the least. Their money came from Roy's shrewd business sense and merchandising of the Rogers/Evans name. But they decided to get into the new medium of television.

The problem they foresaw was Yates selling or leasing their old films for television showing while they were making new product. So Roy and Dale had to go to court to enjoin Yates from selling the films so as not to compete with the weekly half hour western show they were planning. The films eventually made it to television, but not until after the series went into syndication. By that time Republic Pictures was no more.

I certainly remember the show as a kid watching it. It was little more than an extension of the films. No doubt existed that Roy and Dale would rout the bad guys in the end.

Roy operated out of the Double R Bar Ranch and Dale had her own business, very advanced thinking especially for folks as conservative as these two were. Instead of a saloon she ran a small diner type establishment for travelers who were going by car or horse.

What I remember best was Pat Brady though. He was a funny guy who was a friend of Roy and Dale, but he was more of a hindrance at times than a help. Roy had the patience of Job with him, but Dale would really get exasperated at times.

Pat didn't ride a horse, he had a jeep which he named NellyBelle. The jeep I swear had its own personality. One thing you could always depend on, that in a crisis that jeep would always let you down. Pat had his own swear oath, a G rated one to be sure. I've never heard anyone else use the phrase 'mustard and custard' and it was usually directed at that cantankerous jeep NellyBelle.

Roy's show ran for about six seasons and by that time the western was becoming more of an adult enterprise for television as well as the big screen. Still I do have fond memories of it and I even use Happy Trails as my way of saying goodbye.

Yeah, when I watched this as a kid in the 50s I was a little confused about the time period this was set in. i know they didn't have cars or jeeps in the 1880s. Now that the show is in reruns in can see that is is set in the 40s or early 50s. There is electricity and radios and I've even spotted other cars. And horses are still ridden on the roads. It was a couple of years ago I was in Gilbert AZ. at a strip mall and a rider pulled up on a horse and "parked" it into a parking stall. Funny as heck.