The name Roy Rogers seemed to be magical! Dad worked all the time. From 4/20/38 when “Under Western Stars” was released, when he wasn’t starring in his own Western series of films, he was doing cameos and parts in other’s films.

Dad signed his pictures “Happy Trails”
almost from the very beginning of his career.

Dad (Roy Rogers) worked on “A Feud There Was” (a Merrie Melodies cartoon) which was released on 9/4/38; he worked with The Weavers in their Republic film “Jeepers Creepers” that was released 10/26/39.

Then he got to work with an all-star cast on John Wayne’s “Dark Command” which was released on 4/15/40. This is a really good film that co-starred Walter Pidgeon, Claire Trevor and George “Gabby” Hayes. Dad plays Claire’s younger brother but he looks more like a smaller, younger version of John Wayne.

Dad was a guest in the MGM short, “Rodeo Dough” released on 11/9/40.

Next was “Meet Roy Rogers,” a Republic short that was to introduce Roy Rogers to Hollywood and the rest of the world. The short was released on 6/24/41. I made my film debut in this short (I was about 9 or 10 months of age)!  This is also the only piece of film that I know of where my Mommy  (Arline Wilkins Rogers) was included.

Dad again appeared in a Republic film that starred The Weavers, “Arkansas Judge” which was released on 7/16/41. He was one of several stars featured in an RKO short, “Picture PeopleNo. 2: Hollywood Sports” that was released on 10/10/41.

Dad next made a cameo appearance in one of Tito Guizar’s Republic films (Tito appeared in a couple of Dad’s features too), “Brazil,” which was released on 10/20/44. Tito was Mexico’s Roy Rogers.

Dad and Trigger performed the song, “Don’t Fence Me In,” in Warner Bros. USO film, “Hollywood Canteen” which featured just about every actor in Hollywood at the time and was released during the holidays in 1944.  Republic later starred Dad in a film entitled “Don’t Fence Me In.” That’s just about my favorite of all of Dad’s films because the story is built around Gabby. You see this film quite often on TV.  Republic released another film during the holidays that year, “Lake Placid Serenade” which starred Herbert Yates’ wife, Vera Hruba Ralston. Dad sang “Winter Wonderland” in that film.

After The Sons of the Pioneers appeared in three Gene Autry films, Republic offered Dad a stock player contract at $75 per week.  Dad couldn’t believe his luck — $75 every week.  But, he had to get out of the contract he had signed with Columbia Pictures as a member of the Pioneers — and to get out of that contract, he had to replace himself with a new singer/musician that was acceptable to both The Pioneers and Columbia.  Dad and “the Boys” (as Dad and Mom always called the Pioneers) finally agreed on a performer they had seen and heard around the Los Angeles music scene, Pat Brady. Columbia accepted Pat to replace Dad, and Leonard Slye became Dick Weston (a name chosen for their new performer by the Republic execs).

The only picture I have seen that Dad signed as Dick Weston.

Dad made two films for Republic as Dick Weston: “Wild Horse Rodeo,” a Three Mesquiteers film released on 12/6/37; and, “The Old Barn Dance,” a Gene Autry film released on 1/29/38.

After “The Old Barn Dance” was released, Gene got into a dispute with Republic and left the studio for a time.  Gene’s next project would have been “Wall Street Cowboy.”  Since the script was already done, the studio began looking for a new singing cowboy. Thanks in large part to his having worked on the previous Gene films, Dad got a chance to audition to be the new “over night sensation” and he became Roy Rogers and went on to star in 82 films and do cameos and other roles in many more projects.

I will tell you about the cameos and other projects tomorrow, but if you want more information about how Dad’s career and how he became Roy Rogers, you can read my books: “Cowboy Princess: Life With My Parents” and “Cowboy Princess Rides Again.”  Both are available here on my website and “Cowboy Princess Rides Again” is also available on Amazon.com.