I suspect that the majority of the members of this great forum are not old enough to have gone to a movie theater when a Roy Rogers film was showing. That was back in the days when all theaters had a live projectionist (who incidentally always looked like Ray). Regardless of age, hunters will enjoy the new 26,000 square foot Roy Rogers � Dale Evans Museum now under construction in Branson, Missouri. It will open to the public in June or July of this year.

Roy was an avid hunter and a reportedly a good shot. He evidently saved everything. In addition to the huge movie memorabilia collection he has a very impressive collection from his hunting travels in Africa, Alaska and elsewhere.

As the architect for this museum I went to California a few months ago to view the collection to be displayed in the new building. Roy �Dusty� Rogers Jr. told me the family was unsure about how much hunting stuff should be displayed because in California there seemed to be growing opposition to seeing displays of hunting guns and mounted heads of animals. What a odd fate for the museum of a man whose horse was named Trigger and dog was named Bullet - a man whose passion was hunting and camping.

I assured Dusty that the family would not have to worry about encountering opposition to hunting from the visitors to Branson, Missouri so if you visit, please compliment them on their hunting display and add your encouragement.

I have on my desk the following inventory of trophy room stuff to be incorporated into the museum and thought it would be interesting to share with you.

2 mounted heads � Roan antelope
Mounted head � Wildebeast
2 mounted heads � Waterbuck
2 mounted heads � Sable antelope
2 mounted heads � greater Kudu
mounted head � Cape buffalo
Leopard skin rug w/head
Anaconda skin � South America � native tanning
Anaconda skin - commercial tanning
Zebra skin rug
Pair elephant tusks � 17� diameter x 6�
Elephant feet stools � set of 4
Mounted head � large elephant from Africa
Mounted head � rhinoceros
Mounted alligator 9� from Louisiana
Mounted lion from Africa
Mounted head � Grant�s gazelle
3 mounted heads � Baboon (see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil pose)
Mounted full body � Duiker
Lion skin rug w/head
Mounted head - Nyala
2 mounted heads - Hartebeast
Mounted Dik Dik
Mounted lizard
Mounted Hyena
Mounted Otter
Mounted Red fox
Mounted Bobcat
Mounted Belted fox
Mounted Golden eagle
Mounted Silver fox
Mounted Gray timber wolf
Mounted Black timber wolf
Mounted Silver timber wolf
2 pair mounted Moose horns
2 pair mounted Caribou horns
3 Zebra skins
Mounted greater Kudu horns
Mounted Water buffalo horns w/skull
2 mounted Pheasants
Full mount California bobcat
Mounted Texas Javelina head
Full mount albino Raccoon
Wild black Russian boar head w/front legs
2 mounted Canadian honkers
Large mounted pheasant
Half body Grizzly bear � Canada
Mounted sheep head
Full body albino Skunk
Wyoming Antelope head
Rocky mountain sheep head
Dall sheep head
Full mount California raccoon
Canadian honker in flight
California brown bear head
Full mount California bobcat
Russian boar head
Mounted white tail deer head
Coyote head
Wood duck taken by Dale
Pair carved African ivory tusks � alligators 2�x15� � 1 as is
African ebony open carved base w/hippo
Hand carved tusk of African animals
Pair hand carved Elephant tusks � 32�
4 Hippo tusks on wood base w/ hand pounded brass gong in center
57�x80� 35 Reesa monkey rug
2 mounted African Reedbuck heads
2 African Masai shields 2�x3�
Mounted Hartebeast head w/hoops
Mounted Impalla head
Full body mount Badger
Full body Roadrunner
2 full body Coyote
2 horse skulls
3 steer skulls
1 sheep skull w/horns
Ebony wood and metal hand carved African knife
Handmade African crossbow
16 ebony hand carved African figures
2-mahogany hand carved African figures
2 mounted rain forest African hog heads
Mounted African red bush duck (sic) (think Bushbuck) head
Mounted African Dik Dik
Old India hand carved rocker w/inlay
African zebra skin drum
Primitive African bow and arrow
Pair mounted African Impala head on wood plaque w/feet
Mounted Marmot on board
African gourd for water
Tiger skull
Lion skull
2 mounted Topi heads w/feet
Hand made blow horn
Zebra belt
Hand made horn powder flask
Horn
Pair Elephant foot stools
Water buffalo feet made into cigarette humidor
African bush knife w/leather sheath w/ beaded belt
African machete
4 Zebra legs w/feet made into stool
Mounted on wood plaque- African Duiker w/feet
2 mounted African warthog heads
Mounted African black Bushbuck head
Pair mounted African Thompson�s gazelle heads
Primitive African handmade ax
3 African hand carved tall ebony figures
Old hand carved mother of pearl inlaid table from India
4 rhino feet made into 3 ashtrays and one cigarette humidor
African ebony hand carved 3-leg table base
4 hand made African Masai spears approx. 70�
African Masai shield
Hand made African bow w/3 arrows
Ebony wood hand carved African knife.

Perhaps even more interesting is Roy�s gun collection. He was a friend of Roy Weatherby so there are some custom Weatherby�s but also many others � primitive guns from other countries, movie rifles and pistols, shotguns and personal hunting rifles.

Perhaps the most famous mount of all is Trigger (that is or was a horse Buell) � well actually two Triggers � Trigger and Trigger Jr. Roy suggested that when he died he wanted to be skinned out and put up on Trigger. He isn�t.

He had a great collection of Remingtons (the artist not the guns). Also to be displayed are Buttermilk, Bullet (their dog), Gabby 's (or was it Walter�s) jeep Nellybelle and a bunch of parade cars with six guns for door handles, parade saddles, western outfits etc.

Included in the building will be a couple of theaters � one showing film clips and one for live performance by Roy�s son �Dusty� and his band who will sing Roy�s songs and tell his stories. Ray and I well remember the songs of the Sons of the Pioneers � Tumbling Tumbleweed, Cool Clear Water � etc.

Possibly this �trophy room� will not top Saeed�s but it will be open to the public and it is a whole lot closer for some of us than Dubai. Come and see it if you are in the Midwest.

Finally! A reason for me to visit Branson, Missouri! It will be a pleasant day's drive for this Kentuckian. I will not require the Blue-Hair Tour Bus to get me there with all the old folks going to see the usual attractions.

Are you sure that was a 17" diameter on that 6' elephant tusk pair? Helluva thick set of tusks!

I remember the songs and the movies and TV shows from my youthful TV rerun viewing. Nice to know Roy Rogers had such good habits and passions (except for the cigarette humidors ). He was a swell guy. Thanks for bringing the news.
Cheers!

how about the albino skunk,now they take some handling haha

Palmer,

Museum sounds great. By the way, the Jeep was not the vehicle of choice of Gabby Hayes, it was driven by Pat Brady.

Joe

I grew up going to Roy Roger's movies and one of the very first things I did when I moved to California (late '70's) was take my family to visit his museum in Victorville and it was everything I had hoped it would be.

I was standing in front of an exhibit that housed a Winchester Model 12 TrapGun. It looked well used and the sign on it said Roy had purchased it from Clark Gable and used it to win his class at the Grand American Trap Shoot one year. I was trying to read the date on the photo when I heard a familiar voice behind me....it was Roy and I was almost speechless. Turns out he used to spend a lot of time in his office at the museum and he told us he liked to come out and talk to the tourists and "play Roy Rogers" for them. He proceeded to take me, my wife, my two sons and my parents on a complete tour of his museum...he must have spent 30 minutes with us and treated us like we were long lost friends. As we were leaving he shook our hands and said he really enjoyed meeting his fans....no matter how old they were.

Happy Trails Roy! I know the tourists will enjoy the museum in Branson but they will never know the moment I had when I met the King Of The Cowboys....a real gentleman.

You had to BE either Roy Rogers or Gene Autry when you were a kid. They were in a class by themselves, followed by Hopalong Cassidy, The Cisco Kid, Lash LaRue, etc.

I was always Roy Rogers as a kid, until I grew a little older, then I became Willie Mays. A lot of my friends were Mickey Mantle. Willie Mays was "The Man" in my book.

I was surprised to hear in a documentary last month that the President, George W., was Willie Mays too.

Roy Rogers (and his wife Dale) - pure class 'til the day they died. Great role models for all of us.

I'm old enough to remember when Roy actually played a "bad guy" in a movie and he wsn't suffering from amnesia....the one movie I can remember his chracter dying. That man was pure silk on a horse.

Pat Butram was with Gene Autry.

[ 02-02-2003, 20:59: Message edited by: Nickudu ]

I watch the westerns channel a lot and came up with this web site...

http://www.surfnetinc.com/chuck/trio.htm

The "western" Roy played the bad guy was a Civil War picture. I seem to remember John Wayne was in it, too.

Nope....he was confused in that one, not bad. The one I'm referring to he had very modest billing and was only in half a dozen scenes.

[ 02-02-2003, 21:51: Message edited by: DB Bill ]

Mac37,

Your age is dulling our, I mean your memory.
Nick and I, being much younger, were told by people that knew, we're much too young to remember
ourselves, that Pat Burtram was with Gene Autry.
Pat Brady definitely drove Nelliebelle. Between the three of us, we have a whole memory, remember?

Life is good,

Joe

Mac......pleeeze watch your spelling when referring to the King of the Cowboys......you missed his last name...always with "R" never "r".

As I recall Roy played the younger, somewhat impetious brother, of the blond co-star that both Walter Pigeon and John Wayne were after.

Now for an autographed photo of Gabby Hayes barber, what was Gabby's profession in the movie? What did John Wayne do when he worked for him? And who was Walter Pigeon's mother?

I had a Roy Rogers bedspread & curtains in my room when I was a kid.

Doc Grunt. What were the first westerns on T.V.?
One of them was done "live" and the other showed old cowboy movies.

Ya Know? ... if we all played it straight, no books or Internet browsing, we could have a fun time with this ... especially with movie and television westerns. Excerpts from the theme songs from what famous TV Westerns and starring who?

1. "... and as he silently rode, where evil violently flowed..."

2. "... where will you be campin' tonight? ..."

3. "He roamed the wilderness unafraid, from Natchez to Rio Grande ..."

4. "Natchez to New Orleans, livin' on .... and beans ..."

5. "...well, he cleaned up the country, the old
wild west country ...."

6. " ...he was panther-quick and leather tough ..."

[ 02-03-2003, 03:36: Message edited by: Nickudu ]

Dagga Ron
When you come over give me a call � Ill challenge you to a match in the Roy and Dale laser-shooting gallery with the loser buying the winner a genuine Roy Rogers BB gun from the Happy Trails gift shop. Give me a few months though. I want to practice up before you get here.

Ovis
Thanks for the correction � Nellybelle was Pat Brady�s jeep.

Db bill
I enjoyed your story of meeting Roy. He probably picked you to talk to because you seemed interested in his guns.

Dusty related that in his later years, Roy had to go to a quite a few celebrity dinners but really didn�t like them. Dusty said Roy would quickly make the rounds of the room speaking to everyone then try to find someone to talk to about hunting. If he couldn�t he would go into the kitchen and usually would find someone back there who was a hunter. If not, he slipped out the back door.

Roy�s hunting genes were certainly passed on. I had the pleasure of taking his grandson Dustin duck hunting this winter. He is about 30 and will be working with his dad to manage the operation here. The cold and mud of a duck blind will usually separate the serious hunters from the curious. Dustin is a hunter.

Nick,

1. Theme from, I think, "Lawman"? All I remember.

2. "Cheyenne"? Clint Walker, met him in an airport once, really big guy,very nice.

3. "Davey Crockett"(really not sure)Fess Parker.

4. I think the lyrics were "livin' on jacks and queens" "Maverick", James Garner & Jack Kelly.

5. Couldn't tell you, no idea.

6. "The Rebel" Nick Adamss as Johnny Yuma?

Joe

Go Ovis!
1. Correct
2. Correct
3. Theme song from Jim Bowie with Scott Forbes
4. Correct (beans!?? )
5. Theme song from Wyatt Earp with Hugh O'Brien
6. Correct

And I thought all the John Wayne & Roy Rogers fans would know the answers.

Gabby Hayes.....frontier dentist.

John Wayne......his job was starting fights so his victims had to go to Gabby for dental work.

Pigeon's mom was played by Majorie Main of "Ma & Pa Kettle" fame.

The reason I knew the things about the DARK COMMAND movie was I have a copy of it, along with many other John Wayne movies! Even some of the old SINGING SANDY movies, one with Laurel & Hardy and the Sons Of the Pioneers in it.

My favorite "OLD" John Wayne movie is ANGEL AND THE BAD MAN with Gail Russell, and Harry Carey!

I grew up on Roy Rogers and it is good to hear

[ 02-04-2003, 02:28: Message edited by: mppharm ]

I grew up on Roy Rogers and it is good to hear that he was an avid hunter and sportsman. There are very few "movie stars" these days that have anywhere near the character that RR had.

I remember an interview with Roy where is stated that in his early years traveling with a band to dances and rodeos(probably during the depression) they were so broke and hungry he would shoot rabbits and cook them on the side of the road. I was and am a big fan of Roy Rogers. He was a good man who was steadfast in his Christian morals and way of life. Roy and Dale were at the Pecos,Texas 4th of July PRCA rodeo one year I was there and Roy walked around behind the chutes and talked to everyone. He was very friendly and down to earth, no hollywood arrogance at all.

Roy was the main host at the Wyoming "ONE SHOT ANTELOPE HUNT" every year, and he was one of the first to win the OSAH with a 300 Wea Mag rifle, that was given to him by Old man Weatherby! He was also on the old TV show AMERICAN SPORTSMEN as a hunter. Almost all the western stars were hunters, and many were hunters in Africa many times! Too bad some of the dummies in Hollywood today are so Anti hunting, anti gun, because, unfortunately people listen to those dip s&@ts!

Roy was a family friend and I can confirm he was a good shot. My grandfather, Ray Whitley, author of "Back In the Saddle Again," and B-Western star knew Roy from when he managed the Sons of the Pioneers briefly in the '30s before starting on his own singer/actor career.