Media Path Podcast Roy Rogers & Dale Evans: A Granddaughter's Love
They were the King and Queen of TV westerns but this week’s guest called them, Grandma and Grandpa.
Julie Rogers Pomilia’s father Tom was Dale Evans’ son. Roy and Dale were warm and attentive grandparents and Julie had the run of the Double R Bar Ranch as her backyard.
In her book, Your Heroes, My Grandparents: A Granddaughter's Love, Julie details cherished memories spent with Roy, Dale, a gaggle of sisters and cousins and Trigger. Her idilic, special scrapbook moments are filled with birthdays, Christmases and recitals and they are seasoned with Hollywood events, backstage explorations, movie sets and TV appearances. Then there’s the time her second grade teacher asked her if she could identify the cowboy on the cover of her Weekly Reader. Julie said, “That’s my grandpa,” and went home to ask her mom why Grandpa is famous.
Julie grew up singing with her sisters and parents, sometimes backing up her grandparents at shows, parades and rodeos. Iconic show biz figures were in and out of the ranch but mostly, Grandpa hung with Clark Gable because they shared hobbies and Nudie Cohn because he designed Grandma and Grandpa’s cosutmes.
Julie shares her most precious memories of riding on the back of Grandpa’s motorcycle and gunning it back and forth across an empty air strip, pheasant hunting… not because she likes it but because she loved making memories with Grandpa, traveling to Scotland with Grandma who made every adventure an event and the true story of Dale Evans’ heartbreaking journey towards stardom which required her to keep her son Tom a secret.
Also, whatever did happen to Trigger? Is he stuffed or mounted and/or living forever in our hearts? How did Roy and Dale jump start the merchandising industry? And so much more.
Plus, Fritz and Weezy are recommending Under the Banner of Heaven on Hulu and Great Expectations… pick an adaptation and read the Dickens classic.
And, Fritz’s newest special, Unassisted Living is streaming now on Tubi!
Path Points of Interest:
Your Heroes, My Grandparents: A Granddaughter's Love
Unassisted Living Starring Fritz Coleman