HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Rex Elvie Allen Sr. (December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999), known as "The Arizona Cowboy", was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
nature and
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
productions. For his contributions to the film industry, Allen received a motion pictures star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
in 1975, located at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.


Early life

Allen was born to Horace E. Allen and Luella Faye Clark on a ranch in Mud Springs Canyon, forty miles from Willcox in Cochise County in southeastern
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
, United States. As a boy he played guitar and sang at local functions with his fiddle-playing father, until high-school graduation when he toured the Southwest as a rodeo rider. He got his start in show business on the East Coast.


Early career

Allen began his singing career on radio station KOY in
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
, after which he became better known as a performer on the ''
National Barn Dance ''National Barn Dance'', broadcast by WLS (AM), WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois starting in 1924, was one of the first American country music radio programs and a direct precursor of the ''Grand Ole Opry''. ''National Barn Dance'' also set the stag ...
'' on WLS in Chicago. When
singing cowboy A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal cowboy hero of early Western (genre), Western films. It references real-world campfire side ballads in the American frontier. The original cowboys sang of life on the trail with all the challenges, ...
s such as
Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...
and
Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...
were very much in vogue in American film, in 1949
Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...
in Hollywood gave him a screen test and put him under contract. Beginning in 1950, Allen starred as himself in 19 of Hollywood's Western movies. One of the top-ten box office draws of the day, whose character was soon depicted in comic books, on screen Allen personified the clean cut, God-fearing American hero of the
Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...
, who wore a white Stetson hat, loved his faithful horse Koko, and had a loyal buddy who shared his adventures. Allen's comic-relief sidekick in his first few pictures was first
Buddy Ebsen Buddy Ebsen (born Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr.; April 2, 1908 – July 6, 2003), also known as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen, was an American actor and dancer. One of his most famous roles was as Jed Clampett in the CBS television sitcom ''The Beverly Hillb ...
and then
character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...
Slim Pickens Louis Burton Lindley Jr. (June 29, 1919 – December 8, 1983), better known by his stage name Slim Pickens, was an American actor and rodeo performer. Starting off in the rodeo, Pickens took up acting, and appeared in dozens of movies and TV sho ...
.


Personal life

In 1940, Allen married Doris Windsor, with whom he had one child (Rexine Allen). His second marriage was to Bonnie Linder (m. 1946–1973), with whom he had four children. His third and final marriage was to Virginia Hudson, on November 25, 1992. The couple divorced in 1999. His five children included Rex Allen Jr., who became a singer like his father. Allen was a cousin of the ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...
'' cast members
Glenn Strange George Glenn Strange (August 16, 1899 – September 20, 1973) was an American actor who appeared in hundreds of Western (genre), Western films. He played Sam Noonan, the bartender on Columbia Broadcasting System, CBS's ''Gunsmoke'' televisio ...
(who played bartender Sam Noonan) and Taylor "Cactus Mack" McPeters (who played "Pa" in the episode "Marry Me").


Later career

Allen wrote and recorded many songs, a number of which were featured in his own films. Late in coming to the industry, his film career was relatively short as the popularity of series westerns faded by the mid 1950s. But he starred in a number of B-Westerns during the 1950s. As other cowboy stars made the transition to television, Allen tried too, cast as Dr. Bill Baxter for the half-hour weekly syndicated series ''
Frontier Doctor ''Frontier Doctor'' is an American Western television series starring Rex Allen that aired in syndication from September 26, 1958, until June 20, 1959. The series was also known as ''Unarmed'' and ''Man of the West''.TV Guide Guide to TV. Bar ...
''. In 1961, he was one of five rotating hosts for NBC-TV's ''
Five Star Jubilee ''Five Star Jubilee'' is an American country music variety show carried by National Broadcasting Company, NBC-TV from March 17–September 22, 1961. The live program, a Spin-off (media), spin-off of ABC-TV's ''Ozark Jubilee, Jubilee USA'', wa ...
''. Allen had a rich, pleasant voice, ideally suited for narration, and was able to find considerable work as a narrator in a variety of films, especially for
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...
wildlife films and television shows. The work earned him the nickname, "The Voice of the West." He narrated '' The Legend of Lobo'', '' The Incredible Journey'', ''Yellowstone Cubs'', ''Run, Appaloosa, Run'', and Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar. He also was the voice of the father on
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress is a rotating theater audio-animatronic stage show attraction in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, just outside of Orlando. Created by W ...
, first presented at the 1964 World's Fair and now at
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
. A 1993 renovation replaced Allen with
Jean Shepherd Jean Parker "Shep" Shepherd Jr. (July 26, 1921 – October 16, 1999) was an American storytelling, storyteller, humorist, radio and TV personality, writer, and actor. With a career that spanned decades, Shepherd is known for the film ''A Christm ...
as the voice of the father, but Allen was given a cameo as the grandfather in the final scene. Allen provided the narration for the 1973
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
animated film ''
Charlotte's Web ''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams. It was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. It tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his frie ...
''. He was also the voice behind Purina Dog Chow commercials for many years. After moving to Sonoita, Arizona, in the early 1990s, he was a viable voice talent almost until his death, recording hundreds of national advertising voice tracks at his favorite Tucson studio, Porter Sound. In his later years he also performed frequently with actor Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez. He wrote and sang the theme song for the early 1980s sitcom '' Best of the West''.


Death

Allen died on December 17, 1999, in
Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
. He had collapsed in his driveway after suffering a heart attack and was then accidentally run over by his caregiver. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at Railroad Park in Willcox.


Legacy

For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Allen was given a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard. In 1983, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the
National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native American art works and Artifact (archaeology), artifacts. The facility also has the worl ...
in
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, Oklahoma. In 1989, his life story was told in the book ''Rex Allen: My Life, Sunrise to Sunset – The Arizona Cowboy'', written by Paula Simpson-Witt and Snuff Garrett. The Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum and Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame in Willcox features an Allen's collection of memorabilia, including photos, movie posters, cowboy outfits, records and musical instruments. His cremated ashes were scattered in Railroad Park, across the street from the museum, near a bronze statue of Allen.


Discography


Albums


Singles


Partial filmography

* '' The Arizona Cowboy'' (1950) as himself * ''
Hills of Oklahoma ''Hills of Oklahoma'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Olive Cooper and Victor Arthur. The film stars Rex Allen, Elisabeth Fraser, Elisabeth Risdon, Robert Karnes, Fuzzy Knight and Roscoe Ates. T ...
'' (1950) as himself * '' Redwood Forest Trail'' (1950) as himself * '' Under Mexicali Stars'' (1950) as himself aka Mike Jordan * '' Trail of Robin Hood'' (1950) as himself * '' Silver City Bonanza'' (1951) as himself * '' Thunder in God's Country'' (1951) as himself * '' Rodeo King and the Senorita'' (1951) as himself * '' Utah Wagon Train'' (1951) as himself * '' Colorado Sundown'' (1952) as himself * '' The Last Musketeer'' (1952) as himself * '' Border Saddlemates'' (1952) as himself * '' I Dream of Jeanie'' (1952) as Mr. Tambo * '' Old Oklahoma Plains'' (1952) as himself * '' South Pacific Trail'' (1952) as himself * '' Old Overland Trail'' (1953) as himself * '' Iron Mountain Trail'' (1953) as himself * '' Sweethearts on Parade'' (1953) as Jim Riley (singing voice, uncredited) * '' Down Laredo Way'' (1953) as himself * '' Shadows of Tombstone'' (1953) as himself * ''
Red River Shore ''Red River Shore'' is a 1953 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Harry Keller and starring Rex Allen, Lyn Thomas and Slim Pickens.England p.140 The film's sets were designed by the art director Frank Hotaling. Plot Cast * Rex ...
'' (1953) as himself * '' Phantom Stallion'' (1954) as himself * '' The Wetback Hound'' (1957, Short) as narrator (voice) * '' The Hound That Thought He Was a Raccoon'' (1960) as narrator (voice) * ''For the Love of Mike'' (1960) as himself * '' Tomboy and the Champ'' (1961) as himself * '' The Legend of Lobo'' (1962) as narrator * ''The Saga of Windwagon Smith'' (1961) as narrator (voice) * ''Yellowstone Cubs'' (1963) as narrator (voice) * '' The Incredible Journey'' (1963) as narrator (voice) * ''Swamp Country'' (1965) as Sheriff Jim Turner * ''Run, Appaloosa, Run'' (1966) as narrator * '' Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar'' (1967) as narrator * ''
The Virginian (TV series) ''The Virginian'' (later renamed ''The Men from Shiloh'' in its final year) is an American Westerns on television, Western television series starring James Drury in the title role, along with Doug McClure, Lee J. Cobb, and others. It originall ...
'' (1971) season 9 episode 20 (''Tate: Ramrod'') : as Square Dance Caller * ''
Charlotte's Web ''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams. It was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. It tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his frie ...
'' (1973) as narrator (voice) * ''Starbird and Sweet William'' (1973) as narrator (voice) * '' Vanishing Wilderness'' (1974, Documentary) as narrator * ''The Secret of Navajo Cave'' (1976) as narrator


See also

* List of actors with Hollywood Walk of Fame motion picture stars


References


Bibliography

* Green, D.B. (1998). "Rex Allen." In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music.'' P. Kingsbury, Ed. New York:
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
. p. 10.


External links

* *
Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum and Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame Web site

Rex Allen Days Web site

City of Willcox Web site


* ttp://iversonmovieranch.blogspot.com/ Iverson Movie Ranch: History, vintage photos.
Rex Allen recordings
at the
Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Rex 1920 births 1999 deaths People from Willcox, Arizona Country musicians from Arizona American country singer-songwriters American male film actors American male singer-songwriters Singing cowboys American male television actors American vaudeville performers American male voice actors Mercury Records artists Jamie Records artists Shasta Records artists Pedestrian road incident deaths Road incident deaths in Arizona 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singer-songwriters Decca Records artists 20th-century American male singers Singer-songwriters from Arizona Golden Boot Awards recipients Disney Legends