Roy Rodgers

[Reel 224]

This a sad time;




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Subject: FW: HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU



"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." ~~Abraham Lincoln


HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU


The Roy Rogers Museum in Branson, MO has closed its doors forever. The contents of the museum were sold at a public auction.

Roy Rogers told his son, if the museum ever operates at a loss, close it, and sell the contents. He complied.

Note the follow-on article truly the end of an era.

Here is a partial listing of some of the items that were sold at auction.

Roy's 1964 Bonneville (Pontiac) sold for $254,500. It was estimated to sell between 100 and 150 thousand dollars.

His script book from the January 14,1953 episode of This Is Your Life sold for $10,000 (EST. $800-$1,000).

A collection of signed baseballs (Pete Rose, Duke Snyder, and other greats) sold for $3,750.

A collection of signed bats (Yogi Berra, Enos Slaughter, Bob Feller,  and others) sold for $2,750.

Trigger 's saddle and bridle sold for $386,500.
 
One of many of Roy's shirts sold for $16,250 and one of his many cowboy hats sold for $17,500.

One set of boot spurs sold for $10,625. (He never used a set of spurs on Trigger)

A life size shooting gallery sold for $27,500.

Various chandeliers sold from $6,875 to $20,000, very unique and artistic in their western style.

A signed photograph by Don Larsen taken during his perfect game in the world series against the Dodgers on Oct. 8, 1953, along with a signed  baseball to Roy from Don, sold for $2,500.

Two fabulous limited edition BB guns in their original boxes with Numerous photos of Roy, Dale, Gabby (Hayes), and Pat (Brady) sold for $3,750.

A collection of memorabilia from his shows entertaining the troops in Vietnam sold for $938. I never knew he was there.

His flight jacket sold for $7,500.

His set of dinnerware plates and silverware sold for $11,875.

The Bible they used at the dinner table every night sold for $8,750.

One of several of his guitars sold for $27,500.

Nellybelle (the Jeep) sold for $116,500.

A fabulous painting of Roy, Dale, Pat, Buttermilk, Trigger, and Bullet sold for $10,625.

One of several sets of movie posters sold for $18,750.

A black and white photograph of Gene Autry with a touching inscription From Gene to Roy sold for $17,500.

A Republic Productions Poster bearing many autographs of the People that played in Roy's movies sold for $11,875.

Dale's horse, Buttermilk (whose history is very interesting) sold below the presale estimate for $25,000. (EST. 30-40 K).

Bullet (stuffed) sold for $35,000 (EST 10-15 K). He was their real pet.

Dale's parade saddle, estimated to sell between 20-30 K, sold for $104,500.

One of many pairs of Roy's boots sold for $21,250.

Trigger (stuffed) sold for $266,500.

Do you remember the 1938 movie The Adventures of Robinhood, With Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland?
Well, Olivia rode Trigger in that movie.

Trigger was bred on a farm co-owned by Bing Crosby. Roy bought Trigger on a time payment plan for $2,500.

Roy and Trigger made 188 movies together.

Trigger even outdid Bob Hope by winning an Oscar in the movie Son of Paleface in 1953.

It is extremely sad to see this era lost forever. Despite the fact that Gene and Roy's movies, as well as those of other great characters, can be bought or rented for viewing, today's kids would rather spend their time playing video games.

Today it takes a very special pair of parents to raise their kids with the right values and morals

These were the great heroes of our childhood, and they did teach us right from wrong, and how to have and show respect for each other and the animals that share this earth.

You and I were born at the right time. We were able to grow up with these great people even if we never met them.

In their own way they taught us patriotism and honor. We learned that lying and cheating were bad, and that sex wasn't as important as love. We learned how to suffer through disappointment and failure and work
through it.

Our lives were drug free.

So it's good-bye to Roy and Dale, Gene and Hoppy (Hop-a-long Cassidy), the Lone Ranger and Tonto.

Farewell to Sky King (and Penny), and Superman, and (Dragnet) Sgt Friday.

Thanks to Capt. Kangaroo, Mr. Rogers, and Capt. Noah and all those people whose lives touched ours, and made them better.

It was a great ride through childhood.

HAPPY TRAILS MY FRIENDS
 
P.S. Don 't send this to anyone under 50.... they won't understand!



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[Benni3]

That was very cool I liked watching roy

[David Hall]

great information Joe, thanks for posting this. Roy was my hero.

[MarkT]

Previously, the museum was in Victorville, CA off I-15.  You could see it on the way to Las Vegas.  It closed in 2007.

The Gene Autry Museum of the American West is in Griffith park next to the LA Zoo.  It's worth going to!

[STRIPER LOU]

Good and interesting read Joe!

Boy, how things have changed, huh!

...........Lou

[Ron Jones]

Went to the museum in 93 or so when it was still in the high desert. (I miss 50 by a couple years.) It is a shame to see it go, but all things come to an end. I Appreciate the post, and we try to be a pair of those special parents. I'm comfortable that anyone would agree that we've succeeded with my adult children so far. I of course wasn't a parent back then, but I'd like to think my children would have learned the golden rule by me and my example as opposed to a man on a horse. Between both my parents I have 9 aunts and uncles. The overwhelming majority have had drug or alcohol problems since before I was born. Reading my history book, their were several opium epidemics in the US before the advent of movies.
Very little has changed, except that we find out about everything all the time now.
The Man.

[Midway Tommy]

Thanks for posting, Joe! It brought back fond memories. Don't forget about Sky King, though.  I wish, most of the time, as a nation, we could go back to those times and have a post "do over"!   

[Frank]

Thanks for posting, Joe! It brought back fond memories. Don't forget about Sky King, though.  I wish, most of the time, as a nation, we could go back to those times and have a post "do over"!   

DITTO!

[Crow]

Yeah, those were real inspirations for us "young un's"......Roy (and Gene, and some of the others) taught several generations of kids to have "good manners", "respect for others", and gave us the concept that "good" should always win out over "bad'.  I still have my "Roy Rodgers Cap gun and holster"

[theswimmer]

Thanks Joe .
Although The Lone Ranger , The Cisco Kid and Zoro were my favorites  , Roy Rogers and Trigger were right up there.
Same values taught and not forgotten......

We need to help our children and grandchildren learn about this part of American history.
My 7 yo grandson watches The Lone Ranger and The Cisco Kid with me every Saturday morning.

[Lunker Larry]

They made Saturday mornings special and topped it off with a feel good song and they didn't have lazers coming out of their eyes. 
What I always noticed in the old westerns is that when you've seen enough of them you start to recognize that they all used the same locations and they seemed to "throw" the bullets out of their guns when shooting.

[theswimmer]

Most were filmed on the east side of the Sierra Nevada in the Whitney Portal area .
There are still some sets out in the area between the Portal and town if you know where to look.
You have the desert and High Sierra ,tall timber within a couple of miles for each other .
Alot were filmed just to the the north of the Portal road . Some of the big boulders are sure landmarks .

[Rivverrat]

This was an interesting post... Jeff

[Swami805]

I believe paramount pictures bought a couple thousand acres in the hills behind Malibu and built a western town there that was in a lot of movies and TV shows. It was bought by the state and turned into a park. I guess it burned in the fire last week, it was close to 100 years old.
On another note I wonder what kids will look back on today that will evoke the found memories we have of those old shows?

[George6308]

In Philly we had Capt Noah, Salley, Star, Gene London, Happy the Clown, Chief Halftown, Wee Willy Weber, Bernie The Bun Yup, Dr Shock, along with Popeye Theatre and the Three Stodges. All on black and white TV with only three channels. Lest I forget also Hoppy (Hop Along Cassidy) and the Long Ranger with Tonto along with other westerns..
Channel 10 at City & Monument also had a live western in the early 50's called "Action In The Afternoon".