Reel Little Cowboy of the Santa Susanas -- Don Reynolds

Don Reynolds (1937 - ) was an American child actor [now retired], and animal trainer.  He is the son of famed horse trainer Fez Reynolds, and he was a champion trick rider from early childhood.

In 1949, he replaced Bobby Blake as the hero's Native American sidekick in the last four films of the long-running Red Ryder series.  Nicknamed "Little Brown Jug," he became a favorite with the series' mostly juvenile viewers.

After appearing in an episode of "The Adventures of Kit Carson" (1951) he ended his professional acting career.  Later in life he became a respected animal trainer, and worked on films such as "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring."

Don Reynolds' Santa Susana locations filmography includes:

Yellow Rose of Texas, The (1944) starring Roy Rogers, Trigger and Dale Evans (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Song of Arizona (1946) starring Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and George 'Gabby' Hayes (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Romance of the West (1946) starring Eddie Dean, Emmett Lynn and Joan Barton (Iverson Ranch)(Corriganville) PRC

Last Round-up, The (1947) starring Gene Autry, Champion and Jean Heather (Corriganville) Columbia

Whirlwind Raiders (1948) starring Charles Starrett, Fred F. Sears and Nancy Saunders (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Ride, Ryder, Ride! (1949) starring Jim Bannon, Don Reynolds and Emmett Lynn (Iverson Ranch) Eagle-Lion

Red Pony, The (1949) starring Myrna Loy, Robert Mitchum and Louis Calhern (Oak Park) Republic

Roll, Thunder, Roll! (1949) starring Jim Bannon, Don Reynolds and Emmett Lynn (Iverson Ranch) Eagle-Lion

Fighting Redhead, The (1949) starring Jim Bannon, Don Reynolds and Emmett Lynn (Iverson Ranch) Eagle-Lion

Cowboy and the Prizefighter, The (1950) starring Jim Bannon, Don Reynolds and Emmett Lynn (Iverson Ranch) Eagle-Lion

Beyond the Purple Hills (1950) starring Gene Autry, Champion and Jo-Carroll Dennison (Corriganville) Columbia

Streets of Ghost Town (1950) starring Charles Starrett, George Chesebro and Mary Ellen Kay (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Snake River Desperadoes (1951) starring Charles Starrett, Don Reynolds and Tommy Ivo (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

"The Adventures of Kit Carson" (Season 1, Episode 18) The Teton Tornado (1951) as Ned Bonner

Hey Cowboy -- Sometimes Karma is a Bitch

I've always liked the lyrics of Willie Nelson's song "Little Old Fashioned Karma"

There's just a little fashioned karma coming down 

Just a little old fashioned justice going round 

A little bit of sowing and a little bit of reaping 

A little bit of laughing and a little bit of weeping 

Just a little old fashioned karma coming down 

Coming down coming down just a little old fashioned karma coming down 

It really ain't hard to understand 

If you're gonna dance you gotta pay the band 

It's just a little old fashioned karma coming down 

Karma -- as I understand it -- is that part of the Hindu philosophy that suggests the quality of people’s lives is determined by their behavior.  Good behavior is rewarded, and bad behavior is punished.

I believe an act of kindness is often rewarded, and an act of meanness will bring bad karma and its associated punishment.

This is a tale of one cowboy's bad karma…

It was about 20 years back -- we was at this cowboy gathering in the Rockies.  At the end of the event the promoters decided they'd put together a trail ride for the participants.

As usual I was a bit short of dinero and made a deal with the owner of this dude string to saddle horses and help wrangle the dudes for a free horse to ride.  We were about to hit the trail, when I went back to the truck to get my dog Billy.

Suddenly a voice shouts at me from behind, "you can't take that dog -- he'll scare the horses."  

It was Rance -- we'll call him Rance just in case he or any of his kin are still amongst the living.  He said he was a cowboy from a little place east of the Missouri.  

Rance claimed to be a first-class waddie and ring-tailed rannyhan, but I always had my doubts.  

I couldn't imagine any cowboy worrying about a dog on a trail ride, so I took the time to explain to him that Billy lives with horses back home, and has good trail manners.

Rance was having none of it, and says to me, "If you take that dog on the trail I'll shoot him."   I guess ol' Rance was feeling plumb full of hisself because we was in Grizzly Bear country -- and he was packing iron.

I don't mind tellin' you I was plumb steamed, but I learned a long time ago it's best not the argue with an idiot -- especially if he's a carrying a loaded colt .45.

So, I tied Billy up to the truck, gave him a bucket of water, and hit the saddle.

We weren't a thousand yards out from the corral when I noticed a bunch of dogs running up the trail.  I was still pretty unhappy about Billy, but at least I knew ol' Rance would be plenty spooked every time those pooches raced past him.

I might've gone back for Billy, but I had my hands full tryin' to calm nervous horses and anxious dudes.

A couple of short hours later we arrived at a nice picnic spot where a campfire was already blazin'.  We put out some picket lines, and I was helpin' a couple of dudes while explaining to 'em that you always tie your horse high and short, so they can't roll.

Ol' Rance rode in a few yards away and I heard him decline help from another wrangler.  "I'll tie 'em myself," says Rance.  "This is a brand new custom-made saddle, and I want to make sure the horse can't get loose," says he.

I glanced over and noticed that Rance -- the rannyhan -- had tied a long lead-line.  Well, I thought to myself to might be worth keeping an eye on.

After a pretty good fill-up of burgers and chile the dudes were getting' their land legs back, so it was about time to tighten cinches and mount 'em up.

I'd forgot all about Rance's brand new custom-made saddle when I heard shout, "Somebodies horse is down and rollin'."

A cussing' and a runnin' ol' Rance raced up the hill to examine his brand new custom-made saddle and it's newly broken horn. 

I smiled to myself, thought about Billy tied up back at the ranch, and said, "hey cowboy -- sometimes karma is a bitch."

Reel Sidekicks of the Santa Susanas -- Gabby Hayes

George 'Gabby' Hayes (1885 - 1969) was an American born radio, film, and television star.  He was best known for his colorful sidekick roles in Western films.

He played the part of Windy Halliday, sidekick to Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd), from 1935 to 1939.  In 1939 he left Paramount Pictures over a salary dispute and moved to Republic Pictures. 

Paramount held the rights to the name Windy Halliday, so Republic created a new handle and he became Gabby Whitaker.  As Gabby he appeared in over 40 films between 1939 and 1946, usually with Roy Rogers, but also with Gene Autry and Wild Bill Elliott.

He also played the sidekick role to western icons Randolph Scott (six times) and John Wayne (15 times).

In 1950, he moved to television and hosted "The Gabby Hayes Show," a western series, from 1950 to 1954 on NBC.  In 1956 the show moved to ABC.  He usually introduced the show, whittling on a piece of wood, and would tell some tall tales with the usual Gabbyisms uttering phrases like "consarn it," "yer durn tootin'," "dadgummit," "durn persnickety female," and "young whippersnapper."

Gabby's Santa Susana filming locations roles included:

Albuquerque (1948) - Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Along the Navajo Trail (1945) - Roy Rogers, Trigger, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Arizona Kid, The (1939) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes and Sally March 

Bad Man of Deadwood (1941) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes and Carol Adams

Bells of Rosarita (1945) - Roy Rogers, Trigger, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Big Bonanza, The (1944) - Richard Arlen, Robert Livingston, Jane Frazee

Border Legion, The (1940) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes and Carol Hughes

Bordertown Gun Fighters (1943) - Bill Elliott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Anne Jeffreys

Calling Wild Bill Elliott (1943) - Bill Elliott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Anne Jeffreys

Cariboo Trail, The (1950) - Randolph Scott, George 'Gabby' Hayes and Bill Williams

Carson City Kid, The (1940) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes and Bob Steele

Days of Jesse James (1939) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Don 'Red' Barry

Death Valley Manhunt (1943) - Bill Elliott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Anne Jeffreys

Heart of the Golden West (1942) - Roy Rogers, Smiley Burnette, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Heldorado (1946) - Roy Rogers, George “Gabby” Hayes, Dale Evans

Hidden Valley Outlaws (1944) - Bill Elliott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Anne Jeffreys

In Old Caliente (1939) - Roy Rogers, George “Gabby” Hayes

In Old Cheyenne (1941) - Roy Rogers, Lynne Roberts, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Jesse James at Bay (1941) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Sally Payne

Man from Cheyenne (1942) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Sally Payne

Man from Oklahoma (1945) - Roy Rogers, George “Gabby” Hayes, Dale Evans

Man from Thunder River, The (1943) - Bill Elliott, George “Gabby” Hayes, Anne Jeffreys

Marshal of Reno (1944) - Bill Elliott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Robert Blake

Mojave Firebrand (1944) - Bill Elliott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Anne Jeffreys

My Pal Trigger (1946) - Roy Rogers, Trigger, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Dale Evans

Nevada City (1941) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Sally Payne 

Night Rider, The (1932) - Harry Carey, Elinor Fair, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Overland Mail Robbery (1943) - Bill Elliott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Anne Jeffreys

Rainbow over Texas (1946) - Roy Rogers, Trigger, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Red River Valley (1941) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes and Sally Payne

Return of the Bad Men (1947) Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan, Anne Jeffreys

Robin Hood of the Pecos (1941) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Marjorie Reynolds

Roll on Texas Moon (1946) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Dale Evans

Romance on the Range (1942) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Sally Payne

Saga of Death Valley (1939) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes and Don 'Red' Barry

Smokey Smith (1935) - Bob Steele, Mary Kornman, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Song of Arizona (1946) - Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Song of the Trail (1936) - Kermit Maynard, Fuzzy Knight, George “Gabby” Hayes

Sons of the Pioneers (1942) - Roy Rogers, George “Gabby” Hayes, Sons of the Pioneers, Bob Nolan

South of Santa Fe (1942) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Linda Hayes

Southward Ho (1939) - Roy Rogers, Lynne Roberts, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Sunset in El Dorado (1945) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Dale Evans

Tucson Raiders (1944) - Bill Elliott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Robert Blake

Under Nevada Skies (1946) - Roy Rogers, Trigger, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Untamed Breed, The (1948) - Sonny Tufts, Barbara Britton, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Utah (1945) - Roy Rogers, Trigger, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Wagon Tracks West (1943) - Bill Elliott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Tom Tyler

Wagons Westward (1940) - Chester Morris, Anita Louise, Buck Jones (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Wall Street Cowboy (1939) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Raymond Hatton

Young Buffalo Bill (1940) - Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Pauline Moore

"The Gabby Hayes Show" (1950-1956) TV series