Woodward Maurice Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

, a popular singer and actor from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (son

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

, grandsons

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...

and

Tyler Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...

, and granddaughter Carly). He is a member of the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

Early life

Woodward Maurice Ritter was born on January 12, 1905, in Murvaul, Texas, to Martha Elizabeth (''née'' Matthews) and James Everett Ritter. He grew up on his family's farm in

Panola County, Texas Panola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,491. The county seat is Carthage. Located in East Texas and originally developed for cotton plantations, the county's name is derived fro ...

, and attended grade school in

Carthage, Texas Carthage is a city and the county seat of Panola County, Texas, United States. This city is situated in deep East Texas, 20 miles west of the Louisiana state line. Its population was 6,569 at the 2020 census. History Carthage was founded in 1847 ...

. He attended South Park High School in

Beaumont, Texas Beaumont is a coastal city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat, seat of government of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, metropo ...

. After graduating with honors, he entered the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

in 1922 to study pre-law and major in government, political science, and economics. After traveling to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

with a musical troupe, he entered

Northwestern Law School Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law is the law school of Northwestern University, a private research university. It is located on the university's Chicago campus. Northwestern Law has been ranked among the top 14, or "T14" law sch ...

Career

Radio and Broadway

An early pioneer of country music, Ritter soon became interested in show business. In 1928, he sang on KPRC-AM in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

,Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 558. a 30-minute program of mostly cowboy songs. That same year, he moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and landed a job in the men's chorus of the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

show ''

The New Moon ''The New Moon'' is an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel, and Laurence Schwab. The show was the third in a string of Broadway hits for Romberg (after ''The Student Prince'' (1924) ...

'' (1928). He appeared as cowboy Cord Elam in the Broadway production ''

Green Grow the Lilacs Green Grow the Lilacs is a folk song of Irish origin that was popular in the United States during the mid-19th century. The song title is the source of a folk etymology for the word '' gringo'' that states that the Mexicans misheard U.S. troops ...

'' (1931), the basis for the musical ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

'' He also played the part of Sagebrush Charlie in ''The Round Up'' (1932) and '' Mother Lode'' (1934). In 1932, he starred in New York City's first broadcast Western, ''The Lone Star Rangers'' on

WOR-AM WOR (710 AM) is a 50,000-watt class A clear-channel AM radio station owned by iHeartMedia and licensed to New York, New York. The station airs a mix of local and syndicated talk radio shows, primarily from co-owned Premiere Networks, inclu ...

, where he sang and told tales of the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

. Ritter wrote and starred in ''Cowboy Tom's Roundup'' on WINS-AM in 1933, a daily children's cowboy program aired over two other

East Coast East Coast may refer to: Entertainment * East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop * East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017 * East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004 * East Coast FM, a ra ...

stations for three years. He also performed on the radio show '' WHN Barndance'' and sang on

NBC Radio The National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (known as the NBC Red Network prior to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in operation from 1926 through 2004. Along with the NBC Blue Network it was one of the first t ...

shows; and appeared in several radio dramas, including CBS's '' Bobby Benson's Adventures''.Terrace, Vincent (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 48.

Movies

In 1936, Ritter moved to Los Angeles. His motion picture debut was in ''

Song of the Gringo ''Song of the Gringo'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by John P. McCarthy. The film is also known as ''The Old Corral'' in the United Kingdom. The film was the debut of singing cowboy Tex Ritter. It was co-written by former outlaw an ...

'' (1936) for

Grand National Pictures Grand National Films, Inc (or Grand National Pictures, Grand National Productions and Grand National Film Distributing Co.) was an American Poverty Row motion picture production-distribution company in operation from 1936 to 1939. The company ha ...

. He went on to appear in 70 movies as an actor, and 76 on movie soundtracks. He attracted special attention in 1952 for his rendition of "

The Ballad of High Noon "The Ballad of High Noon" (also known simply as "High Noon", or by its opening lyric and better known title, "Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin'") is a popular song published in 1952, with music by Dimitri Tiomkin and lyrics by Ned Washington. It ...

" over the opening credits of the celebrated film '' High Noon'', and later sang it at that year's Academy Awards ceremony, where it won

Best Original Song This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

Recording

Ritter's recording career was his most successful period. He was the first artist signed with the newly formed

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

. In 1944, he scored a hit with "

I'm Wastin' My Tears on You "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You" is a song written by Frank Harford, and recorded in 1944 by Tex Ritter Woodward Maurice Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of American country music, a popular singer and actor from the ...

", which hit number one on the country chart and number 11 on the pop chart. An article in the trade publication ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' noted 14 years later that with that song, he "reached the style of rhythmic tune that would assure his musical stature". In 1952 Ritter recorded "

" for the film '' High Noon''. He performed the track at the first televised

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

ceremony in 1953, and it received an Oscar for Best Song that year.

Television

When television began to compete with movies for American audiences, Ritter began to make appearances on the new medium following 71 straight movie appearances. In 1953, he began performing on ''

Town Hall Party ''Town Hall Party'' was an American country music program, firstly broadcast on radio and then television The first radio broadcast was in Autumn 1951 by stations KXLA-AM in Pasadena, California and KFI-AM in Los Angeles, California The televis ...

'' on radio and television in Los Angeles. In 1957, he co-hosted ''Ranch Party'', a syndicated version of the show. He made his national TV debut in 1955 on ABC-TV's ''

Ozark Jubilee ''Ozark Jubilee'' is a 1950s United States network television program that featured country music's top stars of the day. It was produced in Springfield, Missouri. The weekly live stage show premiered on ABC-TV on January 22, 1955, was renamed ' ...

'' and was one of five rotating hosts for its 1961 NBC-TV spin-off, ''

Five Star Jubilee ''Five Star Jubilee'' is an American country music variety show carried by NBC-TV from March 17–September 22, 1961. The live program, a spin-off of ABC-TV's '' Jubilee USA'', was the first network color television series to originate outside ...

''.

Later work

Ritter became one of the founding members of the

Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enha ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, and spearheaded the effort to build the

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amas ...

into which he was inducted in 1964. He moved to Nashville in 1965 and began working for WSM Radio and the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

, earning a lifetime membership in the latter in 1970.

Senate campaign

In 1970, Ritter entered Tennessee's Republican primary election for United States Senate. Despite high name recognition, he lost the nomination to United States Representative

Bill Brock William Emerson Brock III (November 23, 1930 – March 25, 2021) was an American Republican politician who served in both chambers of the United States Congress from 1963 to 1977 and later in the United States Cabinet from 1981 to 1987. He was ...

, who then defeated the incumbent Senator

Albert Gore, Sr Albert Arnold Gore (December 26, 1907 – December 5, 1998) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1953 to 1971. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative fr ...

. in the general election.

Personal life

Tex Ritter grave marker Port Neches Texas

Ritter had a heart attack and died in Nashville in 1974, ten days before his 69th birthday. He was survived by his wife and two sons, one a popular actor

. Following the death of his son John at the age of 54 from an

aortic dissection Aortic dissection (AD) occurs when an injury to the innermost layer of the aorta allows blood to flow between the layers of the aortic wall, forcing the layers apart. In most cases, this is associated with a sudden onset of severe chest or ...

in 2003, the family now believes that Tex died of it as well, as the condition appears to run in the family.

Legacy

For his contribution to the recording industry, Ritter has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

at 6631

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

. In 1980, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native Americans in the United States, American Indian art works and Artifact (archaeology), ar ...

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. He was a member of the charter group of inductees into the

Texas Country Music Hall of Fame The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, located in Carthage in Panola County in East Texas, honors those who have made outstanding contributions to country music and were born in the state of Texas. This includes singers, songwriters, disc jocke ...

in Carthage, in 1998. In 1986, Ritter was honored posthumously with a

Golden Boot Award Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...

for his work in Western films. Ritter can still be heard as the voice of Big Al, an

audio-animatronic Audio-Animatronics (also known as simply Animatronics, and sometimes shortened to AAs) is the registered trademark for a form of robotics animation created by Walt Disney Imagineering for shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequent ...

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

, at

Disney theme park Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Inc., formerly Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and informally known as Disney Parks, is one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments and a subsidiary. It was founded on Apri ...

attraction

Country Bear Jamboree The Country Bear Jamboree is an attraction in the Magic Kingdom theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort and at Tokyo Disneyland in the Tokyo Disney Resort. The attraction also existed at Disneyland Park. All versions of the attraction are simi ...

at the

Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The W ...

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...

, and

Tokyo Disneyland (local nickname ''TDL'') is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to ...

Urayasu 260px, old Urayasu is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 170,533 in 81,136 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Urayasu is best known as the home of the Tokyo ...

Chiba Chiba may refer to: Places China * (), town in Jianli County, Jingzhou, Hubei Japan * Chiba (city), capital of Chiba Prefecture ** Chiba Station, a train station * Chiba Prefecture, a sub-national jurisdiction in the Greater Tokyo Area on ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, and formerly at

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

Selected filmography

*''

'' (1936) – Tex *''

Headin' for the Rio Grande ''Headin' for the Rio Grande'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Robert North Bradbury and written by Robert Emmett Tansey. The film stars Tex Ritter, Eleanor Stewart, Syd Saylor, Warner Richmond, Charles King, Earl Dwire, Forrest Tay ...

'' (1936) – Tex Saunders *'' Arizona Days'' (1937) – Tex Malinson *''

Trouble in Texas ''Trouble in Texas'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury (as R.N. Bradbury) and starring Tex Ritter, his horse White Flash, Rita Hayworth (billed as "Rita Cansino") and Yakima Canutt. The supporting cast features Earl ...

'' (1937) – Tex Masters *''

Hittin' the Trail ''Hittin' the Trail'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury. It stars singing cowboy Tex Ritter and Hank Worden. Plot Penniless horse traders Tex and Hank meet a stranger in need of a horse. Though he has no money and t ...

'' (1937) – Tex Randall *''

Sing, Cowboy, Sing ''Sing, Cowboy, Sing'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring Tex Ritter and White Flash. Plot Drifters Tex and Duke happen to ride upon the massacre of a group hauling freight for the community by a gang hi ...

'' (1937) – Tex Archer *''

Riders of the Rockies ''Riders of the Rockies'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Robert North Bradbury and written by Robert Emmett Tansey and Norman Leslie. The film stars Tex Ritter, Louise Stanley, Horace Murphy, Snub Pollard, Earl Dwire and Charles K ...

'' (1937) – Tex Rand *''

The Mystery of the Hooded Horsemen ''The Mystery of the Hooded Horsemen'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor. It was singing cowboy Tex Ritter's eighth film for Grand National Pictures. While the film had an original copyright notice, its copyright was not re ...

'' (1937) – Tex Martin *''

Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts ''Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor and starring singing cowboy Tex Ritter and Troop 13 Los Angeles District Boy Scouts of America. The film was shot in Old Kernville, California and premie ...

'' (1937) – Tex Collins * '' Frontier Town'' (1938) – Tex Lansing, alias Tex Rawlins *''

Rollin' Plains ''Rollin' Plains'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by Albert Herman. Plot Texas Rangers Tex, Ananias and Pee Wee put down a range war between sheepmen and cattlemen. Cast * Tex Ritter as Tex Lawrence * White Flash as Tex's horse * ...

'' (1938) – Tex Lawrence *''

The Utah Trail ''The Utah Trail'' is a 1938 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Albert Herman. It was Tex Ritter's final film for Grand National Films. Despite the song and title, the film takes place on the Arizona/Mexico border and not Utah. ...

'' (1938) – Tex Stewart, posing as the Pecos Kid *''

Starlight Over Texas ''Starlight Over Texas'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by Albert Herman and written by John Rathmell. The film stars Tex Ritter in his first film for Monogram Pictures, Carmen Laroux, Rosa Turich, Karl Hackett, Horace Murphy and Sn ...

'' (1938) – Tex Newman *''

Where the Buffalo Roam ''Where the Buffalo Roam'' is a 1980 American semi-biographical comedy film which loosely depicts author Hunter S. Thompson's rise to fame in the 1970s and his relationship with Chicano attorney and activist Oscar "Zeta" Acosta. The film was p ...

'' (1938) – Tex Houston *'' Song of the Buckaroo'' (1938) – Texas Dan *'' Sundown on the Prairie'' (1939) – Tex *''

Rollin' Westward ''Rollin' Westward'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Albert Herman and written by Fred Myton. The film stars Tex Ritter, Dorothy Fay, Horace Murphy, Slim Whitaker, Herbert Corthell and Harry Harvey Sr. The film was released on Marc ...

'' (1939) – Tex * '' Man from Texas'' (1939) – Tex Allen *'' Down the Wyoming Trail'' (1939) – Tex Yancey *''

Riders of the Frontier ''Riders of the Frontier'', also known as ''Ridin' the Frontier'', is a 1939 American Western film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Tex Ritter and Jack Rutherford.Pitts p.279 It is a remake of the 1936 film ''The Cattle Thief''. ...

'' (1939) – Tex Lowery *'' Westbound Stage'' (1939) – Tex Wallace *''

Rhythm of the Rio Grande ''Rhythm of the Rio Grande'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Albert Herman and written by Robert Emmett Tansey. The film stars Tex Ritter, Suzan Dale, Warner Richmond, Martin Garralaga, Frank Mitchell and Mike J. Rodriguez. The fil ...

'' (1940) – Tex Regan *''

Pals of the Silver Sage ''Pals of the Silver Sage'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Albert Herman and written by Robert Emmett Tansey. The film stars Tex Ritter, Sugar Dawn, Slim Andrews, Clarene Curtis, Glenn Strange and Carleton Young. The film was relea ...

'' (1940) – Tex Wright *'' The Cowboy from Sundown'' (1940) – Sheriff Tex Rockett *'' The Golden Trail'' (1940) – Tex Roberts *''

Rainbow Over the Range ''Rainbow Over the Range'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Albert Herman and written by Robert Emmett Tansey and Roger Merton. The film stars Tex Ritter, Slim Andrews, Dorothy Fay, Gene Alsace, Warner Richmond and James Pierce. The f ...

'' (1940) – Tex Reed * ''

Roll Wagons Roll ''Roll Wagons Roll'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Albert Herman and starring Tex Ritter, Nelson McDowell and Muriel Evans Muriel Evans (born Muriel Adele Evanson; July 20, 1910 – October 26, 2000) was an American film a ...

'' (1940) – Tex Masters *''

Arizona Frontier ''Arizona Frontier'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Albert Herman and written by Robert Emmett Tansey. The film stars Tex Ritter, Slim Andrews, Evelyn Finley, Frank LaRue, Tris Coffin and Gene Alsace. The film was released on Aug ...

'' (1940) – Tex *''

Take Me Back to Oklahoma ''Take Me Back to Oklahoma'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Albert Herman and starring Tex Ritter, Karl Hackett and Bob Wills. Plot Cast Soundtrack * "Village Blacksmith" (by Lew Porter and Johnny Lange) * "Kalamity Kate" (by ...

'' (1940) – Tex Lawton *'' Rolling Home to Texas'' (1940) – Tex Reed *'' Ridin' the Cherokee Trail'' (1941) – Ranger Lt. Tex Ritter * '' The Pioneers'' (1941) – Tex *'' King of Dodge City'' (1941) – Tex Rawlings *''

Roaring Frontiers ''Roaring Frontiers'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring Tex Ritter, Wild Bill Elliott and Ruth Ford.Parish & Pitts p.177 Plot Cast * Wild Bill Elliott as Wild Bill Hickok * Tex Ritter as Tex Martin * ...

'' (1941) – Tex Martin (listed as Tex Rawlings) *''

The Lone Star Vigilantes ''The Lone Star Vigilantes'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Wallace Fox and written by Luci Ward. The film stars Wild Bill Elliott, Tex Ritter, Frank Mitchell, Virginia Carpenter, Luana Walters and Budd Buster. The film was releas ...

'' (1942) – Tex Martin *'' Bullets for Bandits'' (1942) – Sheriff Tex Martin *''

North of the Rockies ''North of the Rockies'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring Bill Elliott and Tex Ritter. Plot Western. Mounty rounds up gang of fur smugglers Cast * Bill Elliott as Sergeant Wild Bill Cameron * Tex Ritter ...

'' (1942) – Tex Martin *''The Devil's Trail'' (1942) – Marshal Tex Martin *''

Prairie Gunsmoke ''Prairie Gunsmoke'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by Fred Myton. The film stars Wild Bill Elliott, Tex Ritter, Frank Mitchell, Virginia Carroll, Hal Price and Tris Coffin. The film was released on Jul ...

'' (1942) – Tex Terrell *''

Vengeance of the West ''Vengeance of the West'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by Luci Ward. The film stars Wild Bill Elliott, Tex Ritter, Frank Mitchell, Adele Mara, Dick Curtis and Robert Fiske. The film was released on ...

'' (1942) – California Ranger Captain Tex Lake *''

Deep in the Heart of Texas "Deep in the Heart of Texas" is an American popular song about Texas. The 1941 song features lyrics by June Hershey and music by Don Swander. There were no fewer than five versions in the Billboard charts in 1942. "Deep in the Heart of Texas" s ...

'' (1942) – Brent Gordon *''Little Joe, the Wrangler'' (1942) – Sheriff Bob Brewster *''The Old Chisholm Trail'' (1942) – Montana Smith *'' Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground'' (1943) – Bob Courtney *'' Cheyenne Roundup'' (1943) – Steve Rawlins *'' Raiders of San Joaquin'' (1943) – Gil Blake *''

The Lone Star Trail ''The Lone Star Trail'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor and starring Johnny Mack Brown and Tex Ritter. The supporting cast features Fuzzy Knight and Jennifer Holt and, in a small role as a villain, Robert Mitchum (bille ...

'' (1943) – Fargo Steele *''

Frontier Badmen ''Frontier Badmen'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by Ford Beebe and starring Robert Paige, Anne Gwynne and Diana Barrymore. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. Several members of the cast are offspring of silent sc ...

'' (1943) – Jerry Kimball (cattle buyer) *''

Arizona Trail The Arizona National Scenic Trail is a National Scenic Trail from Mexico to Utah that traverses the whole north–south length of the U.S. state of Arizona. The trail begins at the Coronado National Memorial near the US–Mexico border and moves ...

'' (1943) – Johnnie Trent *''

Marshal of Gunsmoke ''Marshal of Gunsmoke'' is a 1944 American Western film directed by Vernon Keays and written by William Lively. The film stars Tex Ritter, Russell Hayden, Fuzzy Knight, Jennifer Holt, Harry Woods and Herbert Rawlinson. The film was released on ...

'' (1944) – Marshal Ward Bailey *''

Cowboy Canteen ''Cowboy Canteen'' is a 1944 American musical western film directed by Lew Landers and starring Charles Starrett. Plot Entertainers perform on a dude ranch for soldiers. Cast * Charles Starrett as Steve Bradley * Jane Frazee as Connie Gray * ...

'' (1944) – Tex Coulter *''

Oklahoma Raiders ''Oklahoma Raiders'' is a 1944 American Western film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Tex Ritter. Plot In This western, cowboys go to buy fresh horses for the cavalry and end up taking on two badguys and a female vigilante. Cast ...

'' (1944) – Steve Nolan *''

Gangsters of the Frontier ''Gangsters of the Frontier'' (also known as ''Raiders of the Frontier'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1944 American Western film written and directed by Elmer Clifton. The film stars Dave O'Brien, Tex Ritter and Guy Wilkerson, with Patti Mc ...

'' (1944) – Tex Haines *'' Dead or Alive'' (1944) – Tex Haines aka Idaho Kid *'' The Whispering Skull'' (1944) – Tex Haines *''

Marked for Murder ''Marked for Murder'' is a 1945 American Western film written and directed by Elmer Clifton. The film stars Dave O'Brien, Tex Ritter and Guy Wilkerson, with Marilyn McConnell, Ed Cassidy and Henry Hall. The film was released on 8 February 1 ...

'' (1945) – Tex Haines *''

Enemy of the Law ''Enemy of the Law'' is a 1945 American Western film written and directed by Harry L. Fraser. The film stars Tex Ritter, Dave O'Brien, Guy Wilkerson, Kay Hughes, Jack Ingram and Charles King. The film was released on May 7, 1945, by Producers ...

'' (1945) – Tex Haines *'' Three in the Saddle'' (1945) – Tex Haines *'' Frontier Fugitives'' (1945) – Texas Ranger Tex Haines *'' Flaming Bullets'' (1945) – Texas Ranger Tex Haines *'' Holiday Rhythm'' (1950) – Tex Ritter *'' Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory'' (1952) – stock footage from "Where the Buffalo Roam" (uncredited, archive footage) *''

The Marshal's Daughter ''The Marshal's Daughter'' is a 1953 American action film directed by William Berke and written by Bob Duncan. The film stars Laurie Anders, Hoot Gibson, Ken Murray, Preston Foster and Johnny Mack Brown. The film was released on June 26, 195 ...

'' (1953) – Background Singer (singing voice) *'' Wichita'' (1955) – Singer *'' Apache Ambush'' (1955) – Traeger *''

The First Bad Man ''The First Bad Man'' is an American animated cartoon directed by Tex Avery, and features narration by singing cowboy Tex Ritter. It was released by MGM on September 30, 1955. Plot An unnamed narrator tells a story about the history of Texas set ...

'' (1955) – Narrator *'' Down Liberty Road'' (1956) – George *''

Trooper Hook ''Trooper Hook'' is a 1957 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Charles Marquis Warren and starring Joel McCrea as the title character and Barbara Stanwyck as the woman he frees from the Indians. The fact that during her captivity ...

'' (1957) – Title Song Singer (voice) *''Ranch Party'' (1958, TV Series – regular) *''

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...

'' (1965, TV Series) – alternate host *''

Nashville Rebel ''Nashville Rebel'' is the third studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in December 1966 via RCA Victor. It reached #4 on the '' Billboard'' country albums chart. Background After recording two albums for RCA ...

'' (1966) – Himself *''The Girl from Tobacco Row'' (1966) – Preacher Bolton *''What Am I Bid?'' (1967) – Tex Ritter *'' The Marshal of Windy Hollow'' (1972) – Windy Hollow mayor *''Sing a Country Song'' (1973) – Ryan (final film role)

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links

* *
Tex Ritter
at The Old Corral (a reference guide for B-Westerns)
Tex Ritter
at the

Tex Ritter Museum – Carthage, Texas

Tex Ritter / Edward Finney Collection
at the

Autry Museum of the American West The Autry Museum of the American West is a museum in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to exploring an inclusive history of the American West. Founded in 1988, the museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and public programs, including le ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ritter, Tex 1905 births 1974 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers American actor-politicians American country singer-songwriters American male film actors American male singer-songwriters American male television actors Columbia Pictures contract players Candidates in the 1970 United States elections Capitol Records artists Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Decca Records artists Grand Ole Opry members Male Western (genre) film actors Members of the Country Music Association People from Beaumont, Texas People from Carthage, Texas People from Nashville, Tennessee People from Panola County, Texas Shasta Records artists Singing cowboys Singer-songwriters from Tennessee Singer-songwriters from Texas Tennessee Republicans University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts alumni