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Garrett, Pendleton rodeo included in new book on rodeo and Hollywood

McFarland & Company has published a book by Jim Ryan which focuses on the link between rodeo and the entertainment community and includes an entry on former Fallbrook resident Sam Garrett and a list of celebrities who were guests at the Camp Pendleton Rodeo.

“The Rodeo and Hollywood,” which was published in 2006, includes sections on rodeo personalities with a Hollywood connection, individual movie and television actors performing at rodeos, television casts performing at rodeos, and rodeo-related films. Appendices include golden age rodeo personalities, rodeos presenting Western stars, and special rodeos including Camp Pendleton’s. Ryan noted that he featured individuals who were involved in both films or television shows and some capacity of rodeo.

Garrett, who passed away in 1989, lived in Fallbrook for the final years of his life. “I didn’t find a heck of a lot of information on Sam, to tell you the truth, but I think it came out pretty good,” Ryan said. “As I traveled around, once in a while I would find something on him.”

Garrett, who was born in Oklahoma in 1892, was the all-around champion of the Pendleton Rodeo in Oregon in 1914. He later performed as a trick roper in Wild West shows, rodeos, and circuses, and he won trick roping championships in Cheyenne.

Garrett roped before four US Presidents and also roped with Will Rogers. Garrett roped in the 1941 film “Law of the Range” and the 1946 film “The Harvey Girls,” and he was a roping instructor in the 1943 film “I Dood It.” He played Will Rogers in the 1945 movie “The Dolly Sisters” and was also in the 1936 serial “The Vigilantes are Coming” and in two 1931 films with Wally Wales and Buzz Barton.

Garrett also led youth roping contests at the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Rodeos. “He would lead it, coach it, and determine which kids did the best, and he also participated in publicity for the Sheriff’s Rodeo,” Ryan said.

In 1948 Garrett’s loop around the Sheriff and Western actress Phyllis Coates served as the rodeo’s publicity. Ryan obtained a photocopy of that, but the actual photo is in a Los Angeles museum and the picture didn’t appear in the book due to cost considerations. “Their prices were pretty steep,” Ryan said.

In 1967 Garrett returned to Pendleton, Oregon, as the rodeo’s grand Marshall. While a bio-cartoon from the 1930’s notes Garrett as a Burbank resident, the 1967 Pendleton Rodeo documents identify Garrett as living in Fallbrook, and a 1967 article Ryan encountered stated that he lived at Garrett Ranch on South Mission Road. That article noted that at 75 years of age Garrett was still riding frequently and performing, including performances at benefit rides in the Southwest.

Garrett has been inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

Information obtained by Ryan but not included in the book found that Garrett roped with Will Rogers in London and with Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

For 20 years Hollywood personalities known for Western roles attended the Camp Pendleton rodeo. The stars were often guests of the base’s commanding general and typically rode in the grand entry while Roy Rogers and Montie Montana also entertained. Rogers entertained at the 1951 rodeo which also included Dale Evans and Trigger while Montana, a trick roper and trick rider, entertained at Camp Pendleton in 1953, from 1957 to 1959, in 1962 and 1963, and from 1965 to 1970.

Leo Carrillo, who starred in “The Cisco Kid,” appeared at each rodeo between 1956 and 1958. The entire Cartwright family of “Bonanza,” cast of Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon, appeared at the Camp Pendleton rodeo in both 1960 and 1961, and Landon also appeared at the 1962 rodeo. “Rawhide” cast members Clint Eastwood, Paul Brinegar, James Murdock, Steve Raines, and Rocky Shahan were at Camp Pendleton for the rodeo both in 1960 and 1961, while Sheb Wooley was at the 1961 rodeo. Amanda Blake and Milburn Stone from “Gunsmoke” appeared both in 1957 and 1958, while James Arness and Dennis Weaver were also at the 1957 rodeo. Will Hutchins of “Sugarfoot” was at the 1958 rodeo. John Russell of “The Lawman” was at Camp Pendleton in 1963 and 1964. Kathy Nolan was a celebrity at the rodeo in both 1960 and 1961. Frank McGrath and Terry Wilson of “Wagon Train” were both at the 1961 rodeo. Don Collier from “The Outlaw” appeared at the 1962 Camp Pendleton rodeo, as did “The Rebel” star Nick Adams. Whip Wilson was at Camp Pendleton in 1952, Michael O’Shea appeared in 1957, Johnny Washburn was at the 1958 rodeo, the 1960 rodeo also included Abby Dalton and John Newland, Glenn Ford and Bob Denver saw the 1961 rodeo, and Judy Canova and John Agar were guests at the 1964 rodeo.

The book took Ryan approximately eight years to research. The current Colorado Springs resident purchased a van which converted into a bed and took two trips to the east and one to the west. “I did a lot of work over the phone,” he said. “I would write and phone various libraries to ask them if they had the various newspapers for their locality on microfilm.”

If the newspapers were available, Ryan would make the trip. Sometimes he would instead go to the state library, which other than for Texas and California has microfilm copies of all local newspapers.

While Ryan went to Pendleton, Oregon, he did not visit Camp Pendleton. Ryan spoke to a staff member at the Marine Corps base library and obtained a list of performers who appeared at the Camp Pendleton rodeo.

Ryan himself was born and raised in the Boston area. Rodeo occurred at Boston Garden until 1959, and when Ryan was about ten years old in 1949 or 1950 he went to a Boston Garden rodeo where Gene Autry performed. “I went to the Boston Garden rodeo primarily to see Gene Autry,” he said.

Ryan became enthralled by rodeo. In the 1990s he was on a tour of Boston Garden when the arena no longer hosted events other than tour groups. “My biggest thrill really was those rodeos,” he said.

Ryan served as an officer in the US Army Signal Corps and stayed in Colorado Springs after his retirement from the Army. He later went to work for the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, which is located in Colorado Springs.

Ryan’s book originally planned to focus on Gene Autry’s rodeo activity. “It just kind of expanded itself as I went, became a bigger project,” he said.

 

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