Every
actor wanted to stretch his abilities. Sunset Carson wanted to play romantic
leads. Don Barry pursued gangster roles. And although he couldn't carry
a tune in a bucket, John Wayne wanted to sing his way through a musical.
An actor who had played a romantic lead or two, played a few gangsters, and
performed in musicals was our favorite western sidekick, George Hayes. His
fame as Windy Halliday, Hopalong Cassidy's sidekick, took him to Republic
Studios where we knew him as "Gabby" Hayes. What he wanted to do there, he
said, was sing for his supper. He had a fine tenor voice, but like
Carson, Barry, and Wayne, was never permitted to shed the on screen image
that brought him fame. Still, he loved working at Republic, especially
with his good friend Wild Bill Elliot, the grinning galoot you see him with
in the photo. A popular actor known for his winning personality, Elliot
was happy just being a cowboy and played one off screen as well as owner
of two large ranches.