Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 6, 1994 TAG: 9408090070
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: S-13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DOUG NYE KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
Usually the sculpture is surrounded by dozens of admiring Autry fans. But on this night it goes almost unnoticed. That's because a few feet away sits the real Gene Autry, graciously accepting the handshakes of the many people who stopped to speak.
He's 87 years old, somewhat hard of hearing and has been slowed by a couple of operations in recent years. But that mattered little to those who gathered around him.
They remembered the Gene Autry of their youth who rode the range in dozens of motion pictures and television shows, gallantly bringing justice to the Old West.
And he'll ride again in a television special, "Gene Autry: Melody of the West," which will premiere in October as part of American Movie Classics' second annual Film Preservation Festival.
To promote the festival, AMC staged a western hoedown at the Autry Museum recently during a meeting of television critics from across the country. And as a Western swing band played a medley of Autry tunes, the old cowboy reminisced about his career.
"We tried to keep our movies clean and we tried to make a good picture that the kids would like and the grown-ups, too. Kids could see any film I made and the parents would not be embarrassed about them."
After much success on radio and records, Autry came to Hollywood at the invitation of producer Nat Levine. He and his pal Smiley Burnette had bit parts in a Ken Maynard film, and then Levine cast him as the star of a 12-chapter serial, a fantastic combination of Western and science-fiction elements.
"After I saw the picture, I remember telling Ina [his first wife] that we should go back to Chicago," Autry said. "I doubted very, very seriously that I was cut out to be an actor."
The critics agreed, but the public didn't.
"The Phantom Empire" became a huge hit, and Levine quickly began a series of Gene Autry features at Republic Pictures. Autry became one of the top box-office western stars of all time.
"I guess being the first singing cowboy was, well, something different for the fans," Autry said. "And believe me, any time you think you can do without fans, you're crazy. My fans have been the most loyal group of people that I have ever known.
"Sometimes maybe you get a little tired of the things they do and say. But believe me, if you stick with them, they can help you go a long, long way."
They did, indeed, help Autry go far. He parlayed his entertainment success into a multimillion-dollar empire, which includes radio and television stations, hotels and the California Angels baseball team.
And, of course, there's the museum - which, by the way, is not devoted to promoting Autry's career. It is what the name implies: a showcase of America's Western heritage, from Indian artifacts to a dazzling collection of authentic Old West firearms.
"You ought to see the storage room," said Lem Morris. "It's another museum in itself."
Morris is the filmmaker who is producing the documentary on Autry.
"We called a dozen people about appearing on the special, and they all said yes without hesitation," Morris said. "It's very clear the love and loyalty people have for this man.
"Legend is a word that you hear, and `cowboy hero' is another phrase you often hear. I think they're both appropriate for Gene."
by CNB