Several folks have asked about books and print media related to cowboy films and cliffhangers.  I'm not peddling books and periodicals, but the following info and weblinks may help you locate some interesting readin' and reference material.

Two new books by Bobby Copeland and Richard B. Smith, III are now available from Empire Publishing. One covers the life and career of Sunset Carson and the other is on prolific sidekick, musician and song writer Smiley Burnette. Both are 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 softcovers and contain 160 and 176 pages, respectively. Both contain loads of photos, a filmography, and comments from people with whom they worked. Each is $18.00 plus $3.00 shipping/handling in the U. S. from Empire Publishing, 3130 US Highway 220, Madison, North Carolina 27025-8306. Empire's website is at: http://www.empirepublishinginc.com/, but as of December 8, 2007, details on either book were not yet posted on their site. If you want Bobby to autograph, you can order either book directly from him for the same price of $18.00 plus $3.00 shipping/handling. If you'd like more info on book content or want to order, contact Bobby at: bobbycopeland@comcast.net Bobby Copeland, 104 Claremont, Oak Ridge, TN 37830-7114

For those of you who fondly remember Ray "Crash" Corrigan ... and/or you were a visitor to his Corriganville Movie Ranch, you should be pleased with several books authored by Jerry L. Schneider. Jerry is the proprietor of the Movie Making Locations website at: http://employees.oxy.edu/jerry/index.html. CORRIGANVILLE: The Definitive True History of the Ray "Crash" Corrigan Movie Ranch 500 page hardcover, $49.95: http://www.lulu.com/content/1046377 500 page paperback, $39.95: http://www.lulu.com/content/1045383 CORRIGANVILLE: The Reel Story of Ray "Crash" Corrigan and His Movie Ranch: 286 page hardcover, $34.95: http://www.lulu.com/content/241108 284 page paperback, $24.95: http://www.lulu.com/content/35394 Corriganville Movie Ranch Pictorial Souvenir Book (26 page paperback, $10.00): http://www.lulu.com/content/146239 Covers are shown on the left and right.

Stephen Lodge is an author and screen writer. His Nickel-Plated Dream is fiction intertwined with his 1950s experiences and remembrances when he strapped on a six-shooter and worked as a performer at the Corriganville Movie Ranch. Chock full of nuances about real western movie heroes, locations and films, this 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 softcover is about $15.00. You can find more on the book at the Behler Publications website: http://behlerpublications.com/titles-lodge-dream.shtml Stephen Lodge's personal website is at: http://stephenlodge.bravehost.com/ His 'Behind The Scenes' website has some great info and dozens of photos of TV shows and movies being made (such as ANNIE OAKLEY, WILD BILL HICKOK, a Johnny Mack Brown western, more): http://employees.oxy.edu/jerry/bts/index1.htm

Gene Autry Westerns - America's Favorite Cowboy by Boyd Magers was published during Summer, 2007 and is a detailed look at all of the Autry films and TV shows and includes plot synopsis, negative costs, info on cast members, tunes, stunt folks, etc. Autographed copies are available at the pre-publication price of $40.00 plus $5.00 shipping direct from: Boyd Magers Western Clippings/VideoWest 1312 Stagecoach Road SE Albuquerque, NM 87123 Boyd's e-mail address is: vidwest@comcast.net and website: http://www.westernclippings.com/ Rather than summarize all the nitty-gritty details in the book, click HERE for a jpg image of the back cover which has all kinds of info.

An Illustrated History of Trigger - The Lives and Legend of Roy Rogers' Palomino by Leo Pando - with a foreword by Corky Randall - is now available from McFarland & Company. Trigger was a composite of the original horse, a number of look-alikes and one extraordinary double (rarely acknowledged by Rogers) named Little Trigger. The book covers the life story of the original horse and the look-alikes, as well as the story of Trigger the legend. Includes photographs, tables, notes, filmography, bibliography, index. Illustrations include many rare (some previously unpublished) photographs gathered from Trigger collectors nationwide. This 7 x 10 hardcover is $55.00. More info at the McFarland website: http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3037-6 You can also order from Amazon.com. Click HERE for the amazon.com page on the book.

Public Cowboy No. 1 - The Life and Times of Gene Autry by Holly George-Warren is the ultimate biography on Gene. The hardbound book is $28.00. The official Gene Autry website has more about the book: http://autry.com/news/2007/pc_biography.html More info is available at the Oxford University Press website: http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Music/PopularMusic/?view=usa&ci=9780195177466 You can (pre)order the book from the Oxford University Press link above or through: http://www.autrynationalcenter.org/storedetail.php?category=2&productid=10847

Australian John Reid loves movies ... and that includes the A and B grade western. Four of John's books are shown on the left - these are trade paperbacks with glossy covers, the size is about 8 x 11, page quantity on these four books is between 220-275 pages, and each has lots of film reviews/details. There's also some B&W photos, posters, lobby cards, etc. John has authored a lot more books on the cinema and I asked him for some background on his prolific writings: "Westerns and B movies were always super-popular in Australia. Mind you, moviegoers didn't have much choice. The film exchange that represented both Republic and Monogram also owned the nation's largest cinema chain. Gene Autry was my number one favorite, but when he left Republic, his films disappeared with him. I'd never seen any of his Columbia movies until two or three years ago when they started appearing on DVD. It was great to catch up with them at last, but I still prefer his Republic movies. So from Saturday matinees, I graduated into a part-time movie critic. The job didn't pay much, but I got to see all the new movies for free. Revivals as well. For a good time, I was actually working for two rival weekly newspapers, so I had to use a pseudonym for one of them. Of course, the editors knew all about this. In fact, one introduced me to the other. Fortunately, the first paper concentrated on new cinema releases, while the second mostly reviewed the movies upcoming on TV! This meant keeping a system of file cards on every movie I saw. So that's how the film books evolved." His books on westerns are about $20.00 each, and you can order from various online book outfits like amazon.com. You can find out more at his website: http://www.filmclassics.info John's e-mail is: johnreid@mail.qango.com

Sharon Lee Willing has authored No One to Cry To: A Long, Hard Ride into the Sunset with Foy Willing of The Riders of the Purple Sage. Sharon is Foy's widow, and the book chronicles his rise to national popularity on radio, million-selling records, and work in B westerns with Charles Starrett, Monte Hale and Roy Rogers. It also includes his sad career decline and battle with alcohol and drugs. Published November, 2006, the 6 X 9 paperback has about 260 pages and includes a complete filmography, discography, and lots of photos. You can order through the publisher, Wheatmark, Inc., or online at stores including amazon and Borders. The price is about $20.00. More info is available at the Wheatmark website - when you get to this webpage, click on "Art & Entertainment" in the left side menu, and you'll find the book listing: http://www.wheatmark.com/bookstore/

Long, long ago, I was a subscriber to Bill Harper's Pow-Wow newsletter about all things relating to Straight Arrow. Harper has authored a book on this popular radio hero and series. STRAIGHT ARROW: A Complete Radio Log and Definitive Resource for Straight Arrow Media, 1949-1956 by William Harper is about $23.00 postage paid. More info is available at the BearManorMedia website: http://bearmanormedia.bizland.com/id116.html BearManor Media P O Box 71426 Albany, GA 31708

Donn and Nancy Moyer have authored a couple of books, Cowboy Cliffhangers and Cowpokes 'n' Cowbelles Of The Movies And Early TV (both books listed below on this webpage). Their latest is a nice biography and pictorial history of Don Kay "Little Brown Jug" Reynolds who portrayed Little Beaver in the Jim Bannon series of Red Ryder films. Titled The Last Little Beaver of the Movies, the softbounf book has a glossy cover, is 8 x 10 1/2, contains 119 pages and over 180 photos, and is about $24.00 postage paid in the USA. Several pages are available to read and preview on their website at: http://www.wa.net/~djmoyer/cowboy.htm You can order directly from Nancy and Donn: Wild West Publishing Dept. W P.O. Box 8261 Tacoma, WA 98418

Eric van Hamersveld's five year project to find and document all the songs from the films of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans was completed in 2004. There's a songbook and CD sets ... some are expensive, boxed, limited editions while lesser-priced versions are also available. There's about 160 songs in the 28 westerns which starred Roy and Dale. When the films were issued for TV, they were cut down to a running time of about 54 minutes to fit an hour time slot. And most often, the musical portions wound up on the cutting room floor ... and those bits and pieces got lost or tossed. So, about 40% of the songs in this collection have not been heard in 50 years or so. As of November, 2007, the Roy and Dale Happy Trails Children's Foundation and the official Roy Rogers website had the sets available at a substantial discount from the original release prices. Go to: http://www.happytrails.org/inventory-reduction-sale.html and http://www.royrogers.com/store/books.html

Tom Tyler Tales #1 above Tom Tyler Tales #2 above

Tom Tyler Tales #1 was issued in 2004: To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tom Tyler, Calvin Castine, Sid Couchey and Arto Monaco have produced an 8 1/2 X 11 book commemorating Tyler's life. There's a B&W Tom Tyler comic, along with several full color and B&W posters and lobby cards, and a Tyler biography and filmography. Tom Tyler Tales is $7.50 each, with profits going to the mining/railroad museum in Port Henry, New York, for the purpose of providing a Tom Tyler display. Postage is $2.50 media mail and $4.00 priority. Add $.50 postage for each additional book. Tom Tyler Tales Too was issued in 2006: Tales Too is an 8 1/2 X 11 book and is the second of a two-part tribute to Tyler, commemorating his first starring role in FBO's LET'S GO GALLAGHER (1925). There's a B&W comic and over a hundred B&W stills and poster/lobby cards, some in B&W and some in color. This second book will raise money for the purchase of two historic markers to honor Moriah/Witherbee, New York natives Tom Tyler and Dodger pitcher Johnny Podres. Tales Too is $15.00 postpaid. Checks should be made out to Home Town Cable. Order from: Home Town Cable 1477 Ridge Road Champlain, NY 12919. Want more info? Calvin Castine's e-mail is hometowncable@yahoo.com There's also a recent newspaper article about Tom Tyer Tales Too: http://www.pressrepublican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060722/NEWS/607220320/1001/NEWS

February, 2006: New book by Raymond E. White is available on Roy and Dale ... and is chock full of details and nitty gritty. King of the Cowboys, Queen of the West: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (University of Wisconsin Press, 2005) is the most authoritative work on Roy and Dale to date. Ray's website on the book is at: http://www.raywriter.com/ You can order through amazon.com for about $65.00. Click HERE for the amazon.com page on the book.

September, 2005: New Best Of The Badmen book is available. Authored by Boyd Magers, Bob Nareau and Bobby Copeland. Detailed bios, photos and filmographies on 315 men who played outlaws, bandits and polecats on the movie and TV western screen from 1930 to the '60s. $43.00 postpaid. Orders can be sent to Boyd Magers, 1312 Stagecoach Rd. SE. Albuquerque, NM 87123