Gene doesn't ride Champion anymore...

[FastEd]

The other night about 1:00am I was skipping through the channels trying to find something to watch besides, teenagers in their short shorts trying to becoming movie stars or launching cars through down town trying to set a new altitude record. Really not much going on at that time of the morning. Gays kissing each other or rednecks chasing alligators through the swamp is not what I call entertainment.

Suddenly I saw relief on TCM. It looked like Hopalong Cassidy on his white stallion galloping through the desert throwing sand all over everybody. That solid black outfit with the nickel plated pearl handled Colt 45s flashing in the sun backed up by a black saddle with silver conchos. I needed to look no further.

Suddenly all the memories came flooding out, herding all the longhorns and cutting the rustlers off at the pass and the shootouts on Main Street at high noon.

I felt I was 12 years old again sitting in the middle of the Virginia Theater on Saturday afternoon with my trusty cap pistol in one hand and a sack of popcorn in the other.

Those were the great times and how I would love to have them back.

They were the Cowboys, my heroes. Gene Autry, Tex Ritter, Buck Jones, Ken Maynard, John Wayne, Charles Starrett, Wild Bill Elliot, Ben Johnson and Randolph Scott. (and many more)

Gene Autry doesn’t do tricks with Champion anymore and Tex Ritter doesn’t serenade White Flash. Woodward Maurice Ritter, Murvaul, Texas rode off into the Sunset many years ago along with all the other great cowboys. They gave us thousands of hours of entertainment and left us with their Code of the West to live by. I hope that I measured up.

 

[No-1]

Growing up in SoCal in the 50s we were treated at school to visits from the cowboy stars and their horses. I remember seeing Gene Autry, Roy Rogers etc. In the 60s we'd get drag racers when the Winternationals were in town. Today they'd probably arrest all of them for having guns on campus or no epa approval for their cars. Where did my America go?

 

[Bob Wright]

Don Edwards has a song for it: The Campfire Has Gone Out.

Bob Wright

 

[contender]

The good old days are gone,,,,!

 

[SAJohn]

Ed, You forgot to mention all of the radio westerns for kids such as The Lone Ranger, Roy and Gene's shows, and The Cisco Kid. Sitting in the dark with your little tube radio glowing and all the images coming into your mind.

 

[FastEd]

Ed, You forgot to mention all of the radio westerns for kids such as The Lone Ranger, Roy and Gene's shows, and The Cisco Kid. Sitting in the dark with your little tube radio glowing and all the images coming into your mind.

I had a Tom Mix secret decoder ring.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Hey; Don't forget Hopalong Cassidy !!

 

[FastEd]

Hey; Don't forget Hopalong Cassidy !!

Is that the one that played halfback for Ohio State?

 

[steveodtw]

They wished us all Happy Trails. It's still up to us to find our own happy trails.

 

[Colonel Daddy]

Seems these days everything reminds me of a song. "This is the last cowboy song, the end of a hundred year waltz. Voices sound sad as they're singing along. Another piece of America lost."

 

[Chief 101]

to our grandkids this is the "good old days", or will be some day! What happened to the days when you could just take your phone out of your pocked and just talk to somebody?

 

[Fox Mike]

My Mom and Dad took me to the Hippodrome Theater in Baltimore to see Gene and Champion. We watched the movie The Strawberry Roan then, after the movie ended, Gene and Champion came on stage and performed tricks. Gene did some 'twirls' with his six guns and sang a few songs from the movie then Champion showed us how he how he could count and do other tricks. I was just eight but still remember it like it was yesterday.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

"My heroes have always been cowboys.
And they still are, it seems.
Sadly, in search of, but one step in back of,
Themselves and their slow-movin' dreams." -- Willie

 

[steveodtw]

"My heroes have always been cowboys.
And they still are, it seems.
Sadly, in search of, but one step in back of,
Themselves and their slow-movin' dreams." -- Willie

Perfect. Well said Willie.

 

[Selena]

"My heroes have always been cowboys.
And they still are, it seems.
Sadly, in search of, but one step in back of,
Themselves and their slow-movin' dreams." -- Willie

Perfect. Well said Willie.

Now you guys are sounding like my uncle and his old guy songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7ymC7ipQWk

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Well, Dear, there's a reason for that . . .