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A
collector
When I say there is nothing
I enjoy more than Friday night at the movies I’m not talking
about any ordinary movie and I’m not talking small. I own
what is probably the largest amateur collection of B-Western
movies, especially Gene Autry horse operas. I began
collecting 36 years ago and have already amassed more than
1,000films including 92 of the 93 flicks which Gene Autry
sang and galloped his horse Champion from 1934 to 1953.
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These Cowboy
and Indian movies are what drew kids byte millions
to the Saturday afternoon matinees in the late30's
and 40's for only 10 cents for an afternoon of great
fun and wonder. I first went to see Autry anteaters
in Ottawa, ottoman Aurora where I grew up. Now 71, I
remember Genes someone a kid could lookup to. The
good guys wore white hats and the bad guys wore
black hats. Today you can't tell the good guys from
the bad. In those days the kids knew who their
heroes were. It was make believe, sure, but it was
fun. Gene’s movies had some singing, a good simple
storyline, a fair amount of action and not too much
violence. Part of the fun of watching these old
B-Westerns is to recognize the mistakes that were
made, because the B-Westerns were made with such low
budgets, they were sometimes shot in two weeks and
many of the errors were left in |
| My
library contains Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Hopalong
Cassidy, Tom Mix, Ken Maynard, Tim McCoy, Harry
Carey, Hoot Gibson, Charles Starrett (the Durango
Kid), Johnny Mack Brown, Don Red Barry, Rod Cameron
(a Canadian), Buster Crabbe, Wild Bill Elliott (I'm
just a peaceable man), Tim Holt, Buck Jones, Allan
"Rocky" Lane, Lash LaRue, Audie Murphy, Randolph
Scott, Bob Steele, John Wayne, The Texas Rangers,
Trail Blazers, The Range Rustlers and many more.
Aside from the western cowboy films, my library also
contains many serials (212 at last count).
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Durango Kid |
Remember how you went back each week to see another
chapter. All week you and your friends would be
coming up with all kinds of ideas as to what would
happen next. Smiley Burnette was Autry's comic
sidekick and Pat Buttram played the best pal role
except the role of Champion who was always Gene's
best pal. But despite my enthusiasm, I am the first
to admit the day of the B-Western is over. They
really died in the late50's when television became
so popular. It got to the point where the times were
changing and the way the movies were made was
changing also. |
| So I collected
all Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy
half-hour TV. shows. Also in my collections are "B"
Mysteries, with Charlie Chan, Mr. Moto, Boston
Blackie, Dick Tracy, Falcon, The Saint, The Thin
Man, Michael Shane, The Whistler, Philo Vance, The
one Wolf, Nick Carter, Bulldog Drummond, Nancy Drew,
Alfred Hitchcock, Shirley Temple, Bob Hope, Danny
Kaye, Lucille Ball, and old rare films such as all
the Tarzan movies with Johnny Weissmuller plus other
Tarzans; all the Blondie and Dagwood movies and
posters; Bud Abbott and Lou Costello movies and
posters; Dead End Kids, Dead End Kids and Little
Tough Guys, East Side Kids Primer, Bowery Boys, all
the Three Stooges and little Rascals; all store
bought Disney goes with collection; Ma and Pa
Kettle, Charlie Chan, Laurel and Hardy, Marx
Brothers, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Red Skelton,
Ester Williams and all the Honeymooners. |
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I started with 16 mm film
on super 8mm film then to Beta to VHS to super VHS. and now
I’m too tired to go to DVD. I also have hundreds of books on
Westerns and the movies they made in addition to many
autographs, pictures, lobby cards and inserts, all framed. I
also have records from the 30's - 40's - 0's - 60's -70's -
80's; TV guides from the 90's to end in 2003; and trading
cards. If you are interested you can bid on the entire
collection starting at $15,000 of which I will donate 25 per
cent to Southlake Hospital. This is from one collector to
another collector for more information; call me at
905-727-9829.
Ron Cundell
Kettleby |
