For some reason, Jac Chambliss's Christmas story of long ago in the
opinion section today reminded me of a news story published in the Chattanooga newspaper long ago.
It was in the late forties when the cowboy movies were the hottest thing coming out of Hollywood. There was Roy Rogers known as the "King of the Cowboys" and his horse Trigger, Gene Autry "The Singing Cowboy" and his horse Champion and many, many more. I remember the first Roy Rogers color movie (Technicolor) and we couldn't wait to see it.
Also,you never missed a chapter on any of the series that ran every Saturday.
The hottest Christmas present you could give a young boy in those days
was a cowboy outfit with two six shooters, hat, chaps, boots and the
whole works. They made some very nice outfits for the smallest tikes right up to the ten-year olds.
Well, some little tyke woke up on Christmas Day and under the tree was
a genuine Gene Autry cowboy outfit the little boy had been dreaming
about since Gene was his favorite cowboy of them all. He couldn't wait
to suit up and try out those two shiny six shooters and play cowboys
and Indians with his buddies and show off his new outfit.
Unfortunately, in all his excitement he backed up too close to the fireplace. His cowboy suit caught on fire and he was severely burned and rushed to intensive care in critical condition. His family was poor and had no insurance. Someone heard of the incident and told Gene Autry about it. He flew to the kid's hospital and stayed with him
considerable time and paid all the hospital bills and probably a lot
more because that was the kind of person he was. People back then
didn't sue people. We didn't even know what a lawsuit was.
Gene Autry is the only entertainer with five stars on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame. Made over 640 recordings; wrote and co-wrote over 300 songs and don't forget "Rudolf The Red Nose Reindeer." He also owned
the LA Angels. A list of his accomplishments would fill a book.
There was never a scandal attached to his name. Too bad we don't have more
Gene Autrys.
Bill Watkins
Ooltewah Tn.