 Above, from L-to-R are Smiley Burnette, great rider Betsy King Ross, Gene Autry at the microphone, and Frankie Darro in producer Nat Levine's cliffhanger, THE PHANTOM EMPIRE (Mascot, 1935), which is the third film collaboration of Autry and Burnette. Their first two films were IN OLD SANTA FE (Mascot, 1934) and MYSTERY MOUNTAIN (Mascot, 1934), both of which starred Ken Maynard.  Above from L-to-R are: Kermit Maynard, Smiley Burnette, Gene Autry, Fay McKenzie, Frank M. Thomas, Robert Homans, and Jack Kirk. Tidbit: Frank M. Thomas was the father of Frankie Thomas, star of the cliffhanger TIM TYLER'S LUCK and TV's TOM CORBETT, SPACE CADET.  Above, Eddie Dew with the sixgun and behind him is Smiley Burnette and Charles Miller in this lobby card from Dew's second (and last) starring film, RAIDERS OF SUNSET PASS (Republic, 1943), one of the short-lived John Paul Revere series.  Above, Sunset Carson didn't begin as the star of his own pictures. Top billing went to Smiley Burnette (pictured on the left), who had come to Republic with Gene Autry and co-starred with others including Roy Rogers and Bob Livingston. As the only comic sidekick to be elevated to top billing in a western series --- even if it was only four films --- Smiley's roles were built up more than usual but it was Sunset who carried the action. In each film, Smiley's character was named 'Frog Millhouse'. The last of the Smiley's starring foursome was FIREBRANDS OF ARIZONA (1944), in which he had a dual role as Frog and the notorious outlaw Beefsteak Discoe.  Above, from L-to-R are: Smiley Burnette, Bud Geary, Bob Livingston, George J. Lewis and Leander de Cordova in the last film of the short-lived John Paul Revere series, THE LARAMIE TRAIL (1944). Livingston had been working at PRC as the 'Lone Rider', but got the call to return to Republic to take over the Revere series which had initially starred Eddie Dew. |