Bill Elliott and I became very good friends. Did you know Bill was best man at my wedding? He had talked to Herb Yates [Republic Pictures chief
Herbert J. Yates], and I was supposed to do the Red Ryder series. It was all cut and dried. At the time this was happening,
Allan Lane was working on the lot in a hockey picture [
Gay Blades (1946)], and Herb Yates was looking at the dailies one day and, just like that, he decided Lane was going to be the new Red Ryder. I had talked to Yates, and everything was beautiful. But Yates was the kind of guy who would change his mind at the drop of a hat. So that was the end of my deal, and Allan Lane was the new Red Ryder. I had some tough breaks in the business. Then I tried out for
The Lone Ranger (1949) role, and
Clayton Moore got it. When Clayton went on strike, I tried out again, but this time it went to
John Hart.
