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versal and Columbia, and supervised his his last film was "Dawn on the Great
scripts to insure that excessive violence Divide," released· early in 1943. THE WAY
was avoided and that the finished picture
would have an appeal for all ages. A THE ENTRY of America into World
Buck Jones Production was simply that. War II meant a busy time for Buck
Unlike Tom Mix, off screen Buck was Jones. Along with other movie stars, he
a quiet, studious person. He rarely wore combined his numerous radio and per- TRUE WEST and FRONTIER TIMES
cowboy clothes in public because he felt sonal appearances with bond-selling tours never get out of date. Filled with the
it looked as if he were showing off. He to aid the war effort. timeless sagas of the Old West, the back
lived quietly on his ranch in the San "He sold millions of dollars' worth, and
Fernando Valley and was devoted to his autographed every bond sold," Mrs. issues are fascinating to read, and to
wife and daughter. To millions of kids Jones recalled. keep. Begin the interesting hobby of
everywhere Buck Jones was the per- On November 15, 1942, he left Holly- collecting them, and watch their value
sonification of the hero, a fact that may wood and went East on another bond-
puzzle this generation which has no time selling tour. At Philadelphia, on Novem- grow as they become more and more
for hero-worship. So great was his popu- ber 26, he was made grand marshal of scarce. As soon as we sell out of a back
larity that when he organized the Buck Uncle Wip's Toyland Parade, and then issue, collectors immediately begin ask-
Jones Rangers, the world-wide member- he was off to Boston.
ship soon exceeded three million. Silver During the afternoon of Saturday, ing $1, $5 or more for a copy-and
shared his fame and became a featured November 28, Buck visited a children's getting it!
player in every picture. There were, in hospital. This was an unscheduled stop Issues on this page are available now,
fact, four horses which bore the name, as he had originally intended to go to
but it was the original Silver that was New York prior to returning home. But but won't be for long. Why don't you
to remain Buck's special pet even when he was asked if he would visit the hos- take advantage of this offer-pick a few
he retired the horse in 1937. pital, and immediately agreed. Later in back issues to try. Each issue has the
Anxious never to off end his young
fans, Buck Jones devoted his time to the evening he was the guest of honor same high quality, factual Old West
at a dinner held at the Cocoanut Grove
writing and producing pictures which night club. The place was crowded with material you expect and get from current
would appeal to them. The hero-worship people, many of them youngsters cele- issues.
they extended to him meant a great
deal. When a small boy named Joe Col- brating the result of a college football And don't forget that TRUE WEST and
game.
lins fell from an apartment window in FRONTIER TIMES are really the same
the Bronx, and severely injured himself, Suddenly the place was filled with type magazine-we are just sneaky
he amazed his doctors by stating, "I'm smoke and flames. Someone, later al-
leged to be a fifteen-year-old boy, had
not going to cry. Buck Jones wouldn't enough to issue them under different
cry." brushed a cigarette against one of the titles so they will stay on the newsstands
Buck was so touched that he arranged palm leaves which surrounded the walls longer. Order now, before it's too late!
for the presentation of a radio to the and it burst into flames. As panic spread
boy and personally flew to New York and exits became jammed, many were
to see him. In fact, the presence of his trampled, burned or suffocated. Buck WESTERN PUBLICATIONS
idol contributed much to the boy's re- Jones got out unharmed, but immediately Box 3668-BI Austin, Texas 78704
covery. fought his way back to help the injured Notice: Westem Publications will give 10% discount on
Youngsters from all over the United and became himself a victim.. all beck Issue orders totaling $30.00 or more.
States and overseas fashioned their lives Some 491 people died that night and
on Buck Jones. Some even ran away Buck Jones was one of the 181 critically
from home and went to Hollywood con- burned victims taken to the city hospital.
vinced that Buck would put them on the For two days doctors fought to save his
road to fame. Usually the screen star life, but on the afternoon of November
was able to convince them of the pitfalls 30, Buck Jones was dead. The tragedy
ahead and put them on the road home was to shock not only Hollywood, but
to a more normal life. his fans all over the world.
His own prowess as a sportsman was I vividly recall the morning of Decem-
a strong factor in his publicity. Buck ber 1, when, as a small boy in England,
was an accomplished boxer and yachts- I listened to the B.B.C.'s morning news
man (he took part in several big races and was horrified to hear that Buck
with his eighty-five-foot diesel-engined Jones was dead. At that moment some-
schooner Sartaria) as well as a pilot and thing of my boyhood also died.
racing car enthusiast. By 1938 he was Buck's body was flown back to Calif-
at the peak of his fame, and even when ornia where it was cremated. "Buck's 64TW-35c
the singing cowboy, Gene Autry, came ashes were strewn over the ocean that
on the scene Buck had little cause for he loved so much by his dearest and best
worry. friend," Mrs. JOnes told me. "This was
When Tom Mix was killed in a car his wish."
crash on October 11, 1940, Buck, sad- The full impact of the star's death
dened by his old friend's death, _readily came to his family some months later
agreed to accept a small part in Univer- when his original Silver, who had pined
sal's mammoth fifteen-part serial "Rid- for him, began to weaken. "I had to put
ers of Death Valley," which was to be him to sleep in 1943," Mrs. Jones re-
dedicated to Mix, and as a special tribute called sadly. "It seemed . he missed Buck,
to Buck, -part of the theme music _ was and stopped eating. We hand-fed him,
called Buck Jones' Ride. Starring with but he kept going downhill and that was
Buck was Dick Foran, Leo Carrillo, the only thing to do. He was very old
Charles Bickford, and Buck's son-in-law, for a horse-thirty-four years. The
Noah Beery, Jr., who had married Max- others I kept until I had to do the same.
ine, on March 30, 1940. "Riders of Death They are all buried on the ranch with
Valley" proved to be Buck's last serial, markers.
perhaps his most famous being "White "I still have Buck's silver and gold
Eagle" made for Columbia back in 1933. mounted saddle and all the trappings.
In 1941 Buck played two entirely dif- including his gold and silver gun and
ferent roles-as a villain in Chester Mor- belt. Someday I may give them to my
ris' "Wagons Westward" and the lead grandson, Buck Beery, if he is still in-
in a new series for Monogram called terested in horses-at the moment he has
"The Rough Riders." The Rough Riders turned to cars."
series is on record as being one of the The revolver she ref erred to was
most successful ever produced in Holly- Buck's Colt single action army model of
wood. Teamed opposite Colonel Tim Mc- 1873, the 5½-inch barrel version. Pur-
Coy and Raymond Hatton, Buck made chased for a Christmas present to Buck 30FT-35c
eight action-packed pictures. Ironically, in 1925, it was engraved by Edward H. 27FT-35c 29FT-35c
64 True West