Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Smiley Burnette...superstar, January 10, 2008
Smiley Burnette: We Called Him Frog
B Western historians Bobby Copeland and Richard B Smith, III have been busy writers. Not only has he published his book on Sunset Carson, but also a heartfelt study of the life and films of Smiley Burnette, Frog Milhouse.
Lester Alvin (Smiley) Burnette was born to co-ministers, George Washington and Almira Heslip Burnette on March 18, 1911. He was an incredible musician, and was able to not only write songs, but also play as many as 100 instruments! His early career as a broadcaster in Tuscola, Illinois forced him to perform, write, and sing in as many styles as possible. It was this ability to entertain that led Gene Autry to hire him away from the station as a `mere' accordion player.
He never looked back, and performed with Gene on his tours, and co-starred in his films for Republic and Columbia. Short associations with Roy Rogers, and Sunset Carson filled out his film credits but it was his Durango Kid roles with Charles Starrett that both made the Kid films popular and sustained him from the mid 40's to the early 50's.
Not only did he act, and sing, but he also wrote hundreds of songs. "Ridin' Down the Canyon" is his most famous, and his childrens music is still popular today. Ever hear "Big Rock Candy Mountain"? Smile wrote that in 1935!
He also had a radio show, a short lived comic book, and was a savvy merchandiser. But, to his co-stars, his strong Christian upbringing turned him into a loveable sidekick and co-star. Starrett and Rogers may not have always appreciated his antics, but kids loved him!
The book is packed with film synopsis and short reviews of all his films, comments from fans and co-stars (good and bad), star popularity listings, his role on Petticoat Junction, and his thoughts on Gene Autry. Written by fans, for fans, the book summarizes what people love about Smiley and always wished they could find in one volume.
Like any Empire book, the volume is well done, with great photos. My only complaint about the art is that the movie posters have been stretched to fit the page! It really takes a lot away from the work Copeland and Smith did on the book.
Did they miss information about Smiley? Probably. Someday the stories behind the stories will come out. Stephen Smiley Burnette (his son and film professional) could tell some great tales I'm sure.
Thanks Bobby and Richard for writing and compiling the long awaited volume on Smiley.
Tim Lasiuta
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"We Called Him Frog ... Smiley Burnette ... Empire Publishing (2007)", December 16, 2007
Empire Publishing presents "SMILEY BURNETTE: WE CALLED HIM FROG" (Perfect Paperback) - by Bobby J. Copeland (Author) and Richard B. Smith III (Editor), one of a kind book on this beloved sidekick during the Golden Age of B-Westerns --- Lester Alvin (Smiley) Burnette, an American singer songwriter who could play as many as 100 different musical instruments, was a successful comedy actor in Western films over three decades --- At a time when Hollywood was searching for talent for Western films, Burnette and Autry got their first small role in the 1934 Ken Maynard Republic Pictures film, "In Old Santa Fe" --- Burnette appeared in several bit parts until the following year's release of the Rin Tin Tin hit film, "The Adventures of Rex and Rinty" (1935) in which he had a secondary but more prominent role --- By then, Autry was already being cast in a lead role and the rotund Burnette would team up with him as a lovable comedy sidekick named Frog Millhouse (or plain Frog and sometimes as Smiley) --- Their association would produce more than 60 feature length musical Westerns.
Burnette was born in Summum, Illinois. He began singing in childhood and learned to play a variety of instruments while still a boy. In his teens, he worked in vaudeville and at a local radio station. His break came when he was hired to perform on the National Barn Dance on Chicago's WLS radio station where Gene Autry was the show's major star --- The popularity of Burnette's Frog Millhouse character, with his trademark floppy black hat, was such that when Autry left for World War II service he did sidekicks duties with Eddie Dew, Sunset Carson and Bob Livingston, plus nine other films with Roy Rogers --- After leaving Republic Pictures in 1944, Burnette became the sidekick to Charles Starrett at Columbia Pictures in the long Durango Kid series --- Starrett starred in the series from 1944 until 1952, and that pairing resulted in more than 50 films --- After the Starrett series was over, Burnette joined Autry for his final six films, all released by Columbia Pictures in 1953. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
TABLE OF CONTENTS: (Title and Page Numbers)
Meet Smiley Burnette - 7
Smiley Speaks - 24
Frog's Friends - 28
Frog Friction - 34
Frugal Frog - 38
They're Writing About Smiley - 41
Western Film Fans Speak - 47
Frog's Fan Club - 58
Smiley the Songster
Burnette and John Cason - 71
Smiley Snippets - 72
Pat Buttram and the Cannon - 77
Gene Autry on Strike - 80
Popularity Rankings of Smiley - 89
Burnette at Republic and Columbia Pictures - 90
Smiley's Film Roles - 101
Dual Roles - 165
Obituary - 170
Selected Bibliography - 171
About the Authors - 172
BIOS:
1. Smiley Burnette (aka: Lester Alvin Burnette)
Date of Birth: 18 March 1911 - Summum, Illinois
Date of Death: 16 February 1967 - Encino, California
Smiley Burnette wrote over 400 songs and sang a significant number of them on screen --- His compositions have been recorded by numerous popular singers, including such diverse ones as Bing Crosby and Ferlin Husky.
SPECIAL BONUS MATERIAL:
1. How he got the name Smiley
2. His vast music contribution to his films
3. What Smiley thought of Gene Autry
4. Comments by those who loved him and those who didn't
5. Film Historians' opinions of his place in Western Film History
6. His roles in his many films
7. Many great photos
8. Plus -- A lot about Gene Autry's strikes against Republic
9. Pat Buttram's near death experience - made it possible for Smiley to end his film career the way it started - with Gene Autry
Check out a new book from Empire Publishing - "SUNSET CARSON: THE ADVENTURES OF A COWBOY HERO" (Perfect Paperback) - by Bobby J. Copeland (Author) and Richard B. Smith III (Editor), Sunset Carson was an American B-western star of the 1940's --- Read about -- 1. His Life Good and Bad -- 2. The truth about his real name and birth date -- 3. Sunset talks about himself and his fellow actors -- 4. Remarks by actors with whom he worked -- 5. Fans' and writer's opinions of Sunset and his films -- 6. Filmography and his films in detail --- Catching the attention of Republic Pictures executive Lou Grey, he was signed to a contract and given his own series of B-westerns, along with having his name change to "Sunset Carson" --- Within two years, Carson was on the top-10 list of money makers for western stars --- Was given a horse named "Cactus", and starred in a string of semi-successful western genre films --- In 1944 he starred in "Bordertown Trail", "Code of the Prairie", and "Firebrands of Arizona" --- 1945 was by far the peak of his career, with his first film of that year being "Sheriff of Cimarron" --- He followed that up with "Sante Fe Saddlemates", "Bells of Rosarita", "Oregon Trail", "Bandits of the Badlands", "Rough Riders of Cheyenne" and "The Cherokee Flash" --- This book is available at Amazon or Empire Publishing, pick up your copy soon.
Hats off to Rhonda Lemons and her staff at Empire Publishing --- authors Bobby J. Copeland and Richard B. Smith III, have given us the Ultimate Smiley Burnette Book --- everything you wanted to know about Smiley's career on the big silver screen and television films --- If you're into the memories of the Smiley's (Frog) B-Westerns, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --- Copeland, Smith and Empire Publishing have captured the moment, please stand up and take a bow --- all my heroes have been cowboys!
Total Pages: 176 ~ Empire Publishing ~ (11/30/2007)
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
This book has many errors, Don't bother wasting $18, June 15, 2008
If you want factual information on Smiley, don't waste your money on this book. This author does his best at making Smiley appear in a negative light. It is a shame that Bobby doesn't do his homework and contact the Burnette's for authorization and authenication of Smiley career, let alone copyright infringement of his image and likeness.
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