tv star collector
10-01-2006, 07:42 PM
From TV GUIDE magazine (May 7, 1960):
[These opinions are from "the men who know horseflesh best, the old-time
wranglers and horsemen who for fifty-odd years have been supplying Hollywood
movie and, more recently, TV horses."]
Almost all the horsemen agree that the greatest rider ever to grace any kind of
screen was Tom Mix. Mix was brought up on a horse, rode professionally in
rodeos long before he ever starred in movies, was absolutely fearless, and
could "horseback" any horse. Ken Maynard was almost as good.
From there on in, to quote one disenchanted oldtimer, "Horsebacking went
strictly downhill. By the time Autry and Rogers were kingpins, there was nobody
who, by our standards (Ed note: admittedly high.) could handle a horse well.
"'Course, Roy got to be a pretty fair rider. He improved a lot. But he'd never
take the chances on a horse--not the way Mix did. Then came TV."
Here is how the wranglers rate the TV riders: Dale Robertson (Jim Hardie of
TALES OF WELLS FARGO), George Montgomery (CIMARRON CITY's Matt
Rockford), Dennis Weaver (GUNSMOKE's Chester) and Richard (HAVE GUN,
WILL TRAVEL) Boone (although we found one violent dissenter on Boone)
are regarded as horsewise.
Hugh O'Brian (WYATT EARP), Rory Calhoun (THE TEXAN), Will Hutchins
(SUGARFOOT), Fess Parker (Davy Crockett), Chuck Connors (THE RIFLEMAN), Jack Kelly (Bart Maverick) and John Payne (Vint Bonner in THE RESTLESS
GUN) rate the appelation "pretty fair."
Some, like Jim Garner (Bret Maverick), have been trained "in English riding."
"He sometimes posts," complains one wrangler. "That's the opposite of Western. It's real funny." And Jim Arness (GUNSMOKE's Matt Dillon) is "too
big to be a really first-rate horseman."
And then of course there are the ladies: Amanda Blake and Gail Davis. Each
is an adequate rider but neither is a great one, in the opinion of the experts,
but "They sure do wear their hearts out trying. And show a lot of courage,
too."
[These opinions are from "the men who know horseflesh best, the old-time
wranglers and horsemen who for fifty-odd years have been supplying Hollywood
movie and, more recently, TV horses."]
Almost all the horsemen agree that the greatest rider ever to grace any kind of
screen was Tom Mix. Mix was brought up on a horse, rode professionally in
rodeos long before he ever starred in movies, was absolutely fearless, and
could "horseback" any horse. Ken Maynard was almost as good.
From there on in, to quote one disenchanted oldtimer, "Horsebacking went
strictly downhill. By the time Autry and Rogers were kingpins, there was nobody
who, by our standards (Ed note: admittedly high.) could handle a horse well.
"'Course, Roy got to be a pretty fair rider. He improved a lot. But he'd never
take the chances on a horse--not the way Mix did. Then came TV."
Here is how the wranglers rate the TV riders: Dale Robertson (Jim Hardie of
TALES OF WELLS FARGO), George Montgomery (CIMARRON CITY's Matt
Rockford), Dennis Weaver (GUNSMOKE's Chester) and Richard (HAVE GUN,
WILL TRAVEL) Boone (although we found one violent dissenter on Boone)
are regarded as horsewise.
Hugh O'Brian (WYATT EARP), Rory Calhoun (THE TEXAN), Will Hutchins
(SUGARFOOT), Fess Parker (Davy Crockett), Chuck Connors (THE RIFLEMAN), Jack Kelly (Bart Maverick) and John Payne (Vint Bonner in THE RESTLESS
GUN) rate the appelation "pretty fair."
Some, like Jim Garner (Bret Maverick), have been trained "in English riding."
"He sometimes posts," complains one wrangler. "That's the opposite of Western. It's real funny." And Jim Arness (GUNSMOKE's Matt Dillon) is "too
big to be a really first-rate horseman."
And then of course there are the ladies: Amanda Blake and Gail Davis. Each
is an adequate rider but neither is a great one, in the opinion of the experts,
but "They sure do wear their hearts out trying. And show a lot of courage,
too."