Everyone knows that Westerns have been popular at the box office since the beginning of moving pictures.However, it wasn't until the 1930's that cowboys came equipped with guitars and voices made for crooning.
These days, most people aren't familiar with Singing Cowboys or the Musical Western genre at all.That's surprising because,believe it or not,audiences loved everything about them when they first came onto the scene.
I've chosen my Movie of the Month,but first,here's a write-up on the star of said movie.
Tex Ritter
Born January 12, 1905
Died January 2, 1974
Born as Woodward Maurice Ritter, but later nicknamed for the place he was born: Murvaul, Texas.Ritter showed an early interest in theater and film.He was first known as one of the voices of KPRC-AM, a popular radio program in 1928 that broadcasted "cowboy songs." By 1934, Ritter had starred in four Broadway productions as, you guessed it, a singing cowboy.He also snatched the lead voice-over role of the radio program The Lone Star Rangers.
Ritter made the official move to Hollywood in 1936,the same year his first film, Song of the Gringo, was released.Audiences nationwide could now put a face with the voice they had come to know and love.Throughout his career in movies, he made 71 films, 40 of which he starred in between the years 1938 and 1945.He also remained active in recording music until his death by heart attack in 1974 at the age of 68, his last single being released posthumously.
MOVIE OF THE MONTH
Song of the Gringo
1936
Starring Tex Ritter, Monte Blue,Martin Garralaga, and Joan Woodbury
The main protagonist, Tex (Ritter) is a lawman on an undercover mission.He poses as an outlaw in order to nail two real outlaws.Unfortunately,he's just a little too convincing and is spotted by the sherriff (Blue), who chases after him during a stormy night.Tex takes refuge at the home of Don Estaban Valle (Garralaga). Valle's business partner, Evans, is there at the time, and decides to use Tex's supposed skills as an outlaw to further his own "business" ventures.So, Tex is welcomed into the Valle home, where he quickly falls in love with Senor Valle's daughter, Lolita(Woodbury).She nurses a wound that Tex had recieved while fleeing from the sherriff.Evans, who "finances" failing mines in the area and then takes the property for himself once the owners mysteriously vanish, recruits Tex as a hired gun to help him take over the Henderson-Conklin mine.He orders Tex to kill the owners,thereby hoping to force Tex to show his true colors.Tex,being a good man,successfully fakes the deaths of the mine owners, and then tells them to go into hiding for their own good.Tex returns to Valle's home and remains there until a fiesta for Lolita's birthday, when Valle finds Tex and his daughter embracing.He forces Tex to leave,after bringing such shame to his home.While they argue about what Valle really saw, Valle is suddenly shot.Evans appears, and quickly points the finger at the innocent Tex.The sherriff comes, and a maid (whom Evans has previously paid off) is used as a witness against Tex.Tex is arrested for killing the miners and shooting Valle.Tex proves his innocence at his trial,when he arranges for the mine owners to come out of hiding and vouch for him.Evans, who is present at the trial, panics, and tries to shoot Tex, but is gunned down by the sherriff.In the end, Tex returns to Valle's home, where he finds Lolita, who has nursed her father back to health, and tells Tex that Valle has given them permission to marry.
Don't forget that July still isn't over.
You can catch more Singing Cowboy films on Turner Classic Movies every Friday, beginning at 8:00 pm.
And make sure you tune in for Star of the Month and Movie of the Month in August.It's Turner Classic Movie's Summer Under the Stars month, so I'll be picking my favorite actor/actress out of the 31 that they've chosen.
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