The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

34 THE EXHIBITOR I’m riding your way to wish you the best of everything on your twenty first birthday. TEX RITTER Thanks to you exhibitors for voting me in. Your co-operation in elevating my standing at the box office is sincerely appreciated. Tex Ritter No drug-store cowboy is Tex Ritter, who was born and reared in the state from which he derived his nickname — Nederland, Texas, to be exact. During the years when he was acquiring an education, he was not the least concerned with acting or singing — except for his own personal enjoyment. But, while attending the University of Texas, from which he later graduated, he began to sing his cowboy songs in public, making appearances through the southeast and giving lecturerecitals on ‘ The Texas Cowboy and His Songs.” Thus far it was academic. It was while Ritter was attending Northwestern University in 1930 that he left to come east and appear in the Theatre Guild’s “Green Grow the Lilacs,” in which Franchot Tone was also featured. During the run of this production, he also gave similar lectures to the students of the Washington Square Branch of New York University, arranged by the English Department for the benefit of students interested in balladry. After a successful engagement in “Green Grow the Lilacs,” Ritter appeared in a revival of the old melodrama, "The RoundUp,” in which he played the part of Sagebrush Charlie, a character juvenile, and, incidentally, received the best notices of the play. Followed an appearance for two years in the play, “Mother Lode.” But Texas was in his blood even before this, and he returned to his home for the summer, coming to New York in the fall to become a featured member in a Madison Square Garden rodeo troup. A full and assorted radio career came as the result of his singing with the rodeo, because he was offered a contract to write, sing, and act in a program over WOR called “The Lone Star Rangers” and it became, as a matter of history, the first popular western radio program in the east. From that moment, he became both a dramatic and singing star over the National Broadcasting Company and the Columbia Broadcasting System networks. Edward Finney, who is currently producing these musical westerns, selected Ritter as the outstanding personality of this type of film and signed him. Ritter is 29, stands six feet, and weighs 165 pounds. He has sandy hair and grayblue eyes, and has an ingratiating he-man smile. Roy Rogers Another western star to get his motionpicture start via the radio is Roy Rogers, who in 1932, signed with the Sons of the Pioneers, the unit later picked up by Columbia to give the musical embellishments to the Charles Starrett westerns. While touring the West Coast with the Sons of the Pioneers, Rogers was signed for a role in “Radio Scout,” a comedy with El Brendel. Successful in that assignment, he was given another. In 1937, he was signed by Republic and given a role in a Gene Autry western, and later he was elevated to stardom in his own right. With Rogers, Republic has again proved its showmanly acumen. Not that his voice is not good, or that he illy becomes a singing-cowboy role, but Republic decided Autry should be its singing buckaroo, that Rogers should be its action Caballero, and that the Three Mesquiteers should be its general purpose trio. Thus, there would be no over-lapping of functions, and the three series would be separate and distinct. As Republic gave Autry Smiley Burnette to add strength and appeal to his pictures, so Republic has given Rogers George “Gabby” Hayes, proving that the company knows what it is all about and appreciates the fact that, in this day and age, it takes more than a mere name to make a picture appeal. What has been the cinema’s gain in the acquisition of Roy Rogers has been a loss for dentistry, for it was Rogers’ ambition at one time to study molar mending. When, in 1928, hard times fell upon the family, Rogers quit school to earn his own livelihood, first being employed in a shoe-making establishment. It was while singing at his work cutting out soles, that it was suggested he try for a radio audition. Alappy ^Anniversary To JEP, and Thanks To You Exhibitor Fellers for the High Rating ROY ROGERS Be Seein’ You Soon in “Days Of Jesse James” November 29, 1939