Hooray for Applewood! · 11:15pm Jul 6th, 2018
Howdy, everyone! If you've read the first chapter of my latest story, "Saddle Song the Singing Cowpony," you'll know that this OC is a music and movie star. There are a few details you may not have picked up unless you're a major film buff, or you're up to speed on your singing cowboy history. So cinch up your saddles for some fun facts and allusions this campfire tale has to offer!
First of all, the title of this post is a reference to the song, "Hooray for Hollywood." Now let's get to the story. As a fan of classic Hollywood and of the singing cowboy, I wanted to help that legacy live on, and thus Saddle Song was born. While Saddle Song's rise to fame is a nod to singing cowboy legend, Gene Autry, he is meant to pay tribute to all of Hollywood's singing cowboy stars. His father's name, Line Rider, refers to a ranch hand who patrols the ranch (and also comes from the Riders In The Sky song, "The Line Rider"). His mother's name, Blue Bonnet, comes from the Riders In The Sky song, "Blue Bonnet Lady." Saddle Song's mentor, Troubadour, represents the cowboy balladeers who sang their songs to the cattle and around the campfire before early cowboy recording artists, such as Jules Verne Allen, stepped foot into a studio. He is partly inspired by Don Edwards. The name of the cowpony band, The Foals of the Frontier, is a reference to The Sons of the Pioneers.
Let's take an even closer look. All Aboard's call,
Three-ten to Manehattan
is an allusion to the film, 3:10 to Yuma. Saddle Song's bidding happy trails, is a reference to singing cowboy, Roy Rogers', song, "Happy Trails." When the movie director, Flick Double-Flash, tells Saddle Song to
Act naturally
this is a nod to the song, "Act Naturally."
Rounding up this post, we have Friendship Ranch Studio, a reference to Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio. Introduced in the opening of Saddle Song's film is his sidekick, Gray. Every singing cowboy had a sidekick. Just as Saddle Song pays homage to the singing cowboys, Gray pays homage to the sidekicks such as Smiley Burnette and George "Gabby" Hayes. Lastly, the stars attending Saddle Song's film, Clark Stable, Hoofrey Bogart, Mare-ilyn Monroan, D.W. Griffon, Horson Welles, star of Citizen Mane, and filly star, Curly Top, are respectfully, nods to Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, D.W. Griffith, Orson Wells, star of Citizen Kane, and child star, Shirley Temple.
I hope you found this post an interesting one, and I hope you enjoy reading about Saddle Song as much as I did researching and writing. Time for me to saddle up and write the next chapter of this here story. See you on the trail!
