King of the Cowboys, Queen of the West

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

Raymond E. White

Publication Year: 2006

For more than sixty years, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans personified the romantic, mythic West that America cherished well into the modern age. Blazing a trail through every branch of the entertainment industry—radio, film, recordings, television, and even comic books—the couple capitalized on their attractive personas and appealed to the nation's belief in family values, an independent spirit, community.
King of the Cowboys, Queen of the West presents these two celebrities in the most comprehensive and inclusive account to date. Part narrative, part reference, this impeccably researched, highly accessible survey spans the entire scope of Rogers's and Evans's careers, illuminating and celebrating their place in twentieth-century American popular culture. Following the pair through each stage of their professional and personal trajectories, author Raymond E. White explores the unique alchemy of the singing cowboy and his free-spirited yet feminine partner. In a dual biography, he shows how Rogers and Evans carefully husbanded their public image and—of particular note—incorporated their Christian faith into their performances. And in a series of exhaustive appendixes, he documents their contributions to each medium they worked in. Testifying to both the breadth and the longevity of their careers, the book includes radio logs, discographies, filmographies, and comicographies that will delight historians and collectors alike. With its engaging tone and meticulous research, King of the Cowboys, Queen of the West is bound to become the definitive source on the lives of these two great American icons.

Published by: University of Wisconsin Press

Contents
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Book Details

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pp. vii-viii

Illustrations

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pp. ix-xi

Preface

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pp. xiii-xvii

I saw my first Roy Rogers Western in 1939, sitting in the first row of the Princess Theater in Luling, Texas. I liked the slim young cowboy who rode like the wind on a beautiful palomino and who dispatched the bad guys with authority and style. On the other hand, at that time, my favorite cowboy among the Saturday matinee heroes was Gene Autry. My loyalty to Gene lasted until he went off to war in 1942 and Republic Pictures boosted Roy Rogers into the studio's top Western spot and labeled him King of the Cowboys.

Chapter 1 Roy Rogers and Dale Evans: Symbols of the Mythic American West

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pp. 3-23

For more than sixty years Roy Rogers and Dale Evans entertained the American West. From their public appearances, films, recordings, and radio and television performances they molded images that personify American, particularly Western, traditions and values. Their appeal transcended age and gender as millions of Americans, both young and old, male and female, idolized them to the point that they became legendary. Despite their celebrity status, ...

Chapter 2 Radio Roundup: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans on the Air

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pp. 24-44

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans began their radio careers in the late 1920s and early 1930s, Dale in Memphis and Roy in Los Angeles. Radio provided them with the opportunity to perfect their professional skills and was the avenue by which the two performers became movie actors. Although Rogers and Evans started their radio careers separately, their professional lives merged at Republic Pictures in 1944 about the time that they also made their initial radio appearance together.

Chapter 3 Waxing the West: the Recording Careers of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

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pp. 45-66

In 1995 Roy Rogers and Dale Evans released Say Yes to Tomorrow (KTY-9514), an album of sacred music that came nearly sixty-five years after Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers cut their first recordings with Decca Records and Standard Radio Transcriptions and fifty-six years after Evans made her initial commercial recording with the Abe Lyman Orchestra on the RCA Bluebird label.¹ Between 1934 and the late 1990s, Rogers recorded alone, ...

Chapter 4 Quick Draw: The Comics of Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and Trigger

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pp. 67-85

Comic books from 1930 ro 1960 provided hours of entertainment for millions of young Americans as they read, collected, and traded their favorite publications. Collecting and trading was a universal activity among American juveniles of that time, and it was an unusual child who did not have a stack of comic books tucked away under his or her bed, ready for an easy read or trade. These youngsters each had their favorite comic book heroes.

Chapter 5 Adventures in Paradise Valley: The Television Careers of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

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pp. 86-103

With the emergence of commercial television in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans galloped eagerly on ro a new range, recognizing its entertainment possibilities and its potential for financial rewards. First making guest appearances and then developing a production company for their own series, the couple quickly mastered the medium and used it for the next five decades to maintain and expand their careers.¹

Chapter 6 The Bible Tells Me So: Christianity in the Careers of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

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pp. 104-112

In the late 1940s Christianity became an important part of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans's professional lives. Shortly after their marriage in 1947, Dale experienced a profound religious reawakening that significantly affected the personal and professional lives of the two western stars. Following this experience, the couple openly professed their Christianity and incorporated it into their public performances. While both Rogers and Evans grew up in Christian homes and held basic Judeo-Christian beliefs, ...

Epilogue

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pp. 113-115

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans entertained Americans for more than sixty years and, in so doing, created their own special image of the mythic American West, one that was musical, lighthearted, and carefree. They filled their romantic West with singing cowboys and beautiful heroines who overcame tough villains in a majestic setting of prairies, plains, mountains, and deserts.

E-ISBN-13: 9780299210038
Print-ISBN-13: 9780299210045

Publication Year: 2006