May 2018 40 Frontier Doctor was produced by Herbert J. Yates’ television subsidiary, Hollywood Television Service, and ran for 39 episodes from 1958 through 1959. It was during the years following his film success that Rex met a producer who would take him in a different direction. Here’s Rex’s take on that meeting “By the time I got to the west coast, I had done a lot of commercial work in Chicago. Anyway, when I got to the west coast there was a party at Ciro’s nightclub on the Sunset Strip. It’s gone now, but somehow or other, my wife and I got seated at a table with Walt Disney and his wife. We talked for a long time and he said, ‘Did you ever think about narrating films?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said, ‘Well, you just explain the scenes of the film as they see ‘em.’ I said, ‘You think I could do that?”’ And he told me that he thought I could. He said, ‘Next time it’s handy for you to drop by the studio I’d like to talk to you about it.’ I beat him down to the studio the next morning.” Rex would narrate over 150 episodes of Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, plus features and shorts released to the big screen. “It was a lot of fun,” Rex would explain. “They just called me and my wife, and I went out there, and they gave me a Disney statue, and declared I was a ‘Legend of Disney.’ I’m nearly as big as Mickey Mouse.” Voice work for Disney garnered him further voiceover assignments such as Hanna- Barbera’s Charlotte’s Web and, of course, his successful long run as the voice behind the Purina Dog Chow commercials. Besides the success on screen, television and personal appearances, Rex’s recording career thrived garnering him accolades for songs such as the top five hit, 1953’s “Crying in the Chapel” and his 1962 gold record winning, “Don’t Go Near the Indians.” He also returned to television in 1961 as a rotating host for NBC-TV's Five Star Jubilee. In 1982, Rex Allen, Jr. recorded his popular song, “The Last of the Silver Screen Cowboys”, in honor of his famous dad Rex, Sr., and Roy Rogers. The song reminds us of the innocence and excitement of the 1930s, ‘40s, and early ‘50s, when a kid could go to the neighborhood theater, sit in the dark, and watch Roy, Gene, Rex, and the rest, knowing that in an hour the good guys might sing a few songs while prevailing over bad By Charlie LeSueur Charlie LeSueur, AZ’s Official Western Film Historian. Encore Fellow @ Western Spirit, Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. 480.358.5178, azfilmhistorian@gmail.com, www.silverscreencowboyz.com Remembering Rex Allen Part V “It was a lot of fun,” Rex would explain. “They just called me and my wife, and I went out there, and they gave me a Disney statue, and declared I was a ‘Legend of Disney.’ I’m nearly as big as Mickey Mouse.” guys such as, Roy Barcroft, George Chesebro, and Kenne Duncan. Unfortunately, Rex left us on December 17, 1999, from coronary problems. It’s fitting, however, to leave you with his final words upon accepting his Cowboy Spirit Award, at Scottsdale’s National Festival of the West in March 1998. “I hope you all live a thousand years and I never die.” Above: Legend of Lobo - one of his most popular features for Disney. Right: Disney album featuring Rex. Above: Rex Allen Museum in Willcox, AZ. Right: Rex Jr., Senior, and Roy Rogers recording the Last of the Silver Screen Cowboys.