Roy Rogers and Dale Evans made their first movie together in 1944, and so began a dazzling partnership with a devoted public following that lasted 52 years. In HAPPY TRAILS, a unique and captivating collection of photographs and memories chronicling the lives of the King of the Cowboys and the Queen of the West by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss, readers meet the talented young man and woman who would eventually become the royal couple of B-rated Westerns, a reign that would last more than a decade. The dynamic pair, adored by fans for both their acting and their singing abilities, costarred in 29 movies and recorded more than 200 albums together, eventually parlaying their fame to the small screen with a half-hour television hit The Roy Rogers Show, as well as a comic book series and a long list of merchandise (including clothes, boots, and toys), bearing their names.
In these pages, rarely seen personal photos and striking publicity shots capture all aspects of Rogers’ and Evans’ life, including:
- The rise of their stardom, from the box office to Broadway.
- The mutual friendship that evolved into a proposal of marriage, delivered from the back of Roy’s famous Palomino horse, Trigger.
- Trigger himself—the “golden boy” of the horse world.
- The nine children they adored, and the heartbreaking loss of three.
- Their time spent visiting children in hospitals and orphanages.
- The strong faith that held them together through the years and the challenges they faced, professionally and personally.
With a complete list of filmography for both stars and a look back at the artifacts once visible to the public at the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum, this book transports nostalgic readers back to a time when the good always save the day and lovers ride off together into the sunset to the now-famous tune written by Evans that would become the couple’s theme: “Happy Trails.” It is both a classic reminder for aficionados and a beguiling introduction to new fans, demonstrating how even when both career and family are in the limelight, they can still be well-lived.
170 pages | 157 photographs
Watch the book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voWxW6Dl9mQ
Praise for HAPPY TRAILS:
“The teamwork of Enss and Kazanjian bringing us the rich history of the Old West and the old Western movies is unparalleled. There is no one else I would turn to, to learn about our Western heritage. Chris and Howard have given us wonderful insights into Roy and Dale with their acclaimed The Cowboy and the Senorita. This addition brings even more powerful emotion to a look back at the wonderful universe surrounding one of the greatest Hollywood partnerships of all time, both on and off screen. I can’t wait to share it with my friends and family.” —Clint Black, Award Winning Country Music Artist
“This gorgeous book shows why Roy Rogers and Dale Evans had an impossible-to-exaggerate influence on American culture in their prime. As revealed in these impressive photographs and informative texts, Roy and Dale’s behind-the-scenes story is as powerful and often heartbreaking as any story in their films.” —David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of First Blood
About the Authors:
Howard Kazanjian is an accomplished film and television producer and entertainment executive. Kazanjian has produced several blockbuster films including Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. During his seven years as Vice President of Production at Lucasfilm Ltd., Kazanjian also oversaw the production of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
Throughout his 40-plus years in the film industry, Kazanjian has been privileged to work with some of cinema’s finest directors. Kazanjian advanced his craft on many films as an Assistant Director and Producer working closely with legendary filmmakers such as: Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Sam Peckinpah, Robert Wise, Joshua Logan, Elia Kazan, Clint Eastwood, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas.
Kazanjian’s films have garnered more than a dozen Oscar nominations and have won ten Oscars. He also won an Emmy for a TV documentary. Kazanjian has coauthored 12 books with writer Chris Enss.
Chris Enss is a New York Times best-selling author who has been writing about women of the Old West for more than 20 years. She has penned more than 40 published books on the subject. Her work has been honored with five Will Rogers Medallion Awards, two Elmer Kelton Book Awards, an Oklahoma Center for the Book Award, and was a Western Writers of America Spur Finalist. Her book The Pinks: The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency has been optioned by NBC and is currently in development to become a television series. Enss’s most recent works include According to Kate: The Legendary Life of Big Nose Kate Elder, Love of Doc Holliday and No Place for a Woman: The Struggle for Suffrage in the Old West.
For more information about this book and the authors, contact Rebecca Didier (rdidier@trafalgarbooks.com)
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Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and videos, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont. We’ve published books “for the good of the horse” for over 35 years.