The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph courtesy of Cookie Curci-Wright

Straight Shooter: Roy Rogers lived up to his squeaky-clean image. He lived his life, on and off the screen, in a way that made children of the 1950s proud to be called his little buckaroos.

Roy Rogers triggers fond memories for a generation

By Cookie Curci-Wright

To me, and to a generation of "baby boomers," Roy Rogers was, is and always will be the quintessential King of the Cowboys. As kids, we sat in darkened theaters every Saturday afternoon watching Roy, Trigger, Dale and Gabby round up the bad guys. And we knew there was more to a Roy Rogers movie than just shooting and riding; there was a message to be heard and a lesson to be learned.

The love affair between my generation and Roy Rogers began more than 50 years ago, when we gathered at the kiddie matinee to pay homage to our hero and his golden palomino.

When the theater lights dimmed, our enthusiasm swelled. We knew we were about to be transported into another world, a realm of fantasy and imagination--Roy's world, where a wrong deed never went unpunished and an act of kindness was always rewarded. Where Roy, Dale and Trigger stood for all that was good. We were captivated by the battle of good vs. evil and re-enacted it often at play.

I remember how I loved to sit in the front row at the Garden Theater. My imagination soared with excitement as I waited for the curtain to rise. When Republic Studio's proud eagle flashed on the screen, I snuggled deeper into my seat in anticipation. Munching on a bag of Mom's homemade sandwiches and reaching deep into my Crackerjack box satisfied my craving for food, while Roy and the big screen fed my appetite for adventure.

Later, in the 1950s, Post cereal brought "The Roy Rogers Show" to the TV screen. Filmed entirely at Roy's ranch in Chatsworth, Calif., the show was an instant success. Every Saturday afternoon, I rushed into my living room at exactly 3 p.m., opened the mahogany doors on our new Packard Bell TV cabinet and tuned into another thrill-packed adventure at Roy's Double R Bar Ranch. It was there that Roy, Dale, Trigger, Pat Brady, Nellybelle and Roy's wonder dog, Bullet, all pitched in to corral the villains.

Eventually, television's popularity brought an end to those kiddie matinees. Why go to the theater when Roy and Trigger could be seen in our very own living rooms?

Despite my typical 1950s little-girl wardrobe of frilly dresses, white gloves and bobby sox, I chose to wear my Dale Evans cowgirl outfit and my Roy Rogers six-shooters at every opportunity, much to Grandma's chagrin. And when I asked for a pair of spurs and cowboy boots for my birthday, Grandma was mortified. She was sure I'd never outgrow my tomboy years.

But I wasn't the only tomboy in my neighborhood. Most girls my age owned their own Roy Rogers holsters and hats and played cowboys and Indians with the boys. My two-wheeler became my Trigger, and we rode the streets of my old neighborhood together in search of the bad guys.

A decade later, when rock & roll and Elvis came along, I put away my cap pistols and little girl toys and placed Roy in that secret, special place reserved in our hearts for childhood heroes.

My affection for Roy Rogers has endured throughout my adolescence, my middle age and into my senior years. And to tell the truth, my heart still beats a little faster when I hear the mention of his name. The years have proven that I chose my childhood hero well and never had cause to be disappointed. Roy Rogers lived his life, on and off the screen, in a way that made us proud to be called his little buckaroos.

I'm glad Roy Rogers was there for my generation of kids who grew up in the 1940s and '50s, when the world was in need of a hero. Throughout the years, Hollywood has created a lot of heroes, such as Batman, Tarzan, Superman, Captain Midnight and Flash Gordon. But Roy Rogers was different. Roy Rogers was for real.

[ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ]