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Way Out There on the Triple-R
Dec. 29th, 2012 04:34 pmWay out there on the Triple-R.
Yippee yay, yippee yo.
The horses are the best by far.
Yippee yay, yippee yo.
So saddle up boys and saddle up well,
And listen to the story that I have to tell
Yippee yay, yippee yo.
Tenderfeet come to the Triple-R.
Yippee yay, yippee yo.
They get on a horse but they don’t get far.
Yippee yay, yippee yo.
O around and around and around they trot
‘Till they can’t set down on their tender spot
Yippee yay, yippee yee, yippee hi, yippee ho.
(Theme song to The Adventures of Spin and Marty: 1956)
I suppose the reason some actors have such a significant impact on our lives is because their roles and portrayals tie us to specific times, events, and memories. When some actors die, their passing becomes a personal loss. That was the case today when I learned that Harry Carey Jr. had died at the age of 91.
Harry Carey Jr. was a venerable character actor, most famous for his work in John Ford films with John Wayne. But I knew him first as Bill Burnett, the summer ranch counselor on the Mickey Mouse Club television series called The Adventures of Spin and Marty, in 1956. In an age just dawning to the idea of television programming directed specifically to children and juvenile audiences, Walt Disney productions were huge. The Disneyland theme park, Disney movies, cartoons, and television series dominated the field of children’s entertainment; and with the advent of Spin and Marty, they were expanding into the blossoming teenage market. Although David Stallery (Marty), Tim Considine (Spin), and Annette Funicello (Annette) were the teen stars we identified with in the series, certain adult characters stood out. Mr. Burnett was one such figure. However I never saw his connection to the adult world of cinema until I saw the adult western, The Searchers, with John Wayne. When I knowingly pointed out to my father that the role of Brad, one of the searchers, was played by Spin and Marty’s Mr. Burnett, he gave me a bemused smile. Leaving the theatre he lectured me on that actor – pointing out that he was in fact the son of a famous silent-film, Western star, Harry Carey. Further, he explained, Harry Carey Jr. had already co-starred in the 1948 John Ford western classic, Tres Compadres (3 Godfathers), with John Wayne and Pedro Armendáriz. Of course these clarifying pieces of information were wasted on me at the time. Television and movies were still personal mediums of entertainment for me, and I would have to experience and prize quality films and acting on my own.
It wasn’t until many years later in college that I really learned to appreciate John Ford and Howard Hawks westerns as something more than star-vehicles for The Duke, John Wayne. I also came to recognize and appreciate Harry Carey Jr. as a valued member of John Ford’s Stock Company of actors who populated his movies through the years. This special band of thespians numbered Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen, Ben Johnson, Mildred Natwick, Ken Curtis, Vera Miles, Jack Pennick, Jane Darwell, and many, many more. These men and women worked hard at their craft, movie after movie, and they brought life and substance to the characters they played. Harry Carey Jr. was such an actor.
Henry G. Carey was born May 16, 1921 in Saugus, CA., and died on December 27, 2012, in Santa Barbara, CA. The career of this native son of California spanned 51 years in movies and television, but I will forever remember him as the understanding and patient, summer ranch counselor in The Adventures of Spin and Marty. There, on the Triple-R Ranch, he taught Marty how to ride a horse, how to be responsible, and how to be part of team. Rest in Peace, Mr. Burnett. Yippee yay, yippee yee, yippee hi, yippee ho.
Yippee yay, yippee yo.
The horses are the best by far.
Yippee yay, yippee yo.
So saddle up boys and saddle up well,
And listen to the story that I have to tell
Yippee yay, yippee yo.
Tenderfeet come to the Triple-R.
Yippee yay, yippee yo.
They get on a horse but they don’t get far.
Yippee yay, yippee yo.
O around and around and around they trot
‘Till they can’t set down on their tender spot
Yippee yay, yippee yee, yippee hi, yippee ho.
(Theme song to The Adventures of Spin and Marty: 1956)
I suppose the reason some actors have such a significant impact on our lives is because their roles and portrayals tie us to specific times, events, and memories. When some actors die, their passing becomes a personal loss. That was the case today when I learned that Harry Carey Jr. had died at the age of 91.
Harry Carey Jr. was a venerable character actor, most famous for his work in John Ford films with John Wayne. But I knew him first as Bill Burnett, the summer ranch counselor on the Mickey Mouse Club television series called The Adventures of Spin and Marty, in 1956. In an age just dawning to the idea of television programming directed specifically to children and juvenile audiences, Walt Disney productions were huge. The Disneyland theme park, Disney movies, cartoons, and television series dominated the field of children’s entertainment; and with the advent of Spin and Marty, they were expanding into the blossoming teenage market. Although David Stallery (Marty), Tim Considine (Spin), and Annette Funicello (Annette) were the teen stars we identified with in the series, certain adult characters stood out. Mr. Burnett was one such figure. However I never saw his connection to the adult world of cinema until I saw the adult western, The Searchers, with John Wayne. When I knowingly pointed out to my father that the role of Brad, one of the searchers, was played by Spin and Marty’s Mr. Burnett, he gave me a bemused smile. Leaving the theatre he lectured me on that actor – pointing out that he was in fact the son of a famous silent-film, Western star, Harry Carey. Further, he explained, Harry Carey Jr. had already co-starred in the 1948 John Ford western classic, Tres Compadres (3 Godfathers), with John Wayne and Pedro Armendáriz. Of course these clarifying pieces of information were wasted on me at the time. Television and movies were still personal mediums of entertainment for me, and I would have to experience and prize quality films and acting on my own.
It wasn’t until many years later in college that I really learned to appreciate John Ford and Howard Hawks westerns as something more than star-vehicles for The Duke, John Wayne. I also came to recognize and appreciate Harry Carey Jr. as a valued member of John Ford’s Stock Company of actors who populated his movies through the years. This special band of thespians numbered Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen, Ben Johnson, Mildred Natwick, Ken Curtis, Vera Miles, Jack Pennick, Jane Darwell, and many, many more. These men and women worked hard at their craft, movie after movie, and they brought life and substance to the characters they played. Harry Carey Jr. was such an actor.
Henry G. Carey was born May 16, 1921 in Saugus, CA., and died on December 27, 2012, in Santa Barbara, CA. The career of this native son of California spanned 51 years in movies and television, but I will forever remember him as the understanding and patient, summer ranch counselor in The Adventures of Spin and Marty. There, on the Triple-R Ranch, he taught Marty how to ride a horse, how to be responsible, and how to be part of team. Rest in Peace, Mr. Burnett. Yippee yay, yippee yee, yippee hi, yippee ho.
