When Lash LaRue Came To Town

There were two movie theaters in my hometown when I was growing up. I remember going to both of them. There'd be two feature films with an intermission in-between. That's when the newsreel was shown followed by trailers for upcoming movies. It was also the time to go to the concession stand for popcorn and a coke and a box of milk duds.

Void of any special effects, movies back then were more about the story and most of those stories were westerns-so many westerns and so many famous cowboys like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and John Wayne. But a cowboy who wasn't quite as famous was my favorite. I don't know why I liked Lash LaRue so much. Maybe it was because he dressed all in black-or had a horse with fancy accessories and a saddle which I loved. I wanted my parents to buy me one just like it. I didn't have a horse but it didn't matter. I wanted one just like his. He could ride his horse with ease while getting the bad guys. And he got those guys more often than not with his whip-a bullwhip that he could snap or swirl and save the day-or the damsel in distress.

He could do other things with his whip. I know because I saw him do those things in person. Lash LaRue came to my hometown. He really did. I went with my older brother to one of those theaters to watch him perform stunts with his bullwhip. Despite the size of the audience my brother and I somehow ended up on stage with Lash LaRue. I don't remember how that happened but there we were-me in my pigtails and my older brother in his very own Lash LaRue attire. My brother didn't have a whip but it didn't matter because Lash LaRue let him hold his-and then he let me hold it too! We stood there while Lash LaRue did stunts with his whip just like he did in his movies. No stunt men needed for this genuine cowboy!

From that day on I pleaded even harder for that saddle. I never did get one. I did, however, get some Lash LaRue comic books now and then-and that was fine with me.

Comments

  1. Henny PennyNovember 28, 2013 at 7:15 PM

    Happy Thanksgiving! I remember Lash La Rue! In fact, my brother and I knew (from going to the movie on Saturday) all the cowboys! On our block, I was Dale Evans and my brother was Roy Rogers! Such good memories!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Barbara Briggs WardNovember 29, 2013 at 6:48 PM

    I think my brother was Roy Rogers sometimes, too. But instead of being Dale-I was Roy's horse Trigger!

    ReplyDelete

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