And now some more about one of my childhood heroes,
Charles Starrett (aka The Durango Kid).
Starrett was born in Vermont, went to college and played football at Dartmouth... graduated and went to Hollywood to become a leading man... didn't work out that way... instead he became a B-Western star and one of the best... usually ranking in the top 10 at the Western box office receipts each year... sometimes as high as fourth or fifth after John Wayne, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassady.
After playing assorted sheriff and rangers roles, Starrett gained fame for his role as the Durango Kid. The first film in which he played his famous alter-ego character known as The Durango Kid was released in 1940 but, for an unknown reason, Columbia did not see fit to continue with the series at that time.
The character was revived in 1944 and lasted through 1952. Dub Taylor, as "Cannonball", worked with Starrett until 1946. At that time, Smiley Burnette, who had been a very popular sidekick to Gene Autry, was brought in to replace Taylor. Burnette, appropriately enough, played a character aptly called Smiley Burnette. The Durango Kid films combined vigorous action sequences – often with sped-up camera work and spectacular stunts performed by Jock Mahoney, later a star in the Range Rider and Yancy Derringer TV series in the 60s – and western music. Each film featured a singing group... the great Sons of the Pioneers were featured often in Starrett's movies.
No singer himself, Starrett's westerns nevertheless reflected the public's new interest in singing cowboys since the successful advent of Gene Autry in 1935. A definite plus factor to the early Starrett movies was the inclusion of the popular new group, the Sons of the Pioneers (Bob Nolan, Tim Spencer, Hugh and Karl Farr and Len Slye --- soon to become Roy Rogers... the Songs of the Pioneers would later join Roy Rogers in the early 40s when he became a western superstar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC1Pu7bscbw Ken Curtis of Gunsmoke fame sings the solo... he played Festus on Gunsmoke, but was quite a singer.
Athletic and handsome in his white Stetson, black shirt and long flowing scarf, Starrett was solidly entrenched at Columbia as their new western star and turned out top-rated action westerns with titles like MYSTERIOUS AVENGER, STAMPEDE, TWO GUN LAW and OUTLAWS OF THE PRAIRIE. When Charles began the series he approached the wardrobe man to ask about a scarf for his neck. Fifteen minutes later the costumer was back with a beautiful silk scarf. He'd taken a piece of silk from a black nightgown Rita Hayworth used in a film. "It always blew beautifully in the breeze", Charles recalled.
I don't think us 9-year-olds notice that sissy black scarf... pardner, that was a mask to us young 'uns.
You see his fancy holster in the sissy black scarf picture... my guns and holsters were much nicer... eat your heart out, Durango Kid... EC had not one, but two silver, pearl-handled six shooters both in beautiful leather holsters.... but unfortunately, I only had a broomstick to ride around the wild, wild Northwest part of Alabama.
Starrett played in 115 Westerns... 69 as the Durango Kid.
Durango Kid riding high on his trusty steed, Raider.