Rex Trailer
Encyclopedia
Rex Trailer is a Boston, Massachusetts based television
personality, broadcast pioneer, and Country and Western recording artist. He is best known as the host of the children's show Boomtown
.
Rex Trailer was born in 1928 and grew up just outside of Fort Worth, Texas. He learned his cowboy
skills while spending summers on his grandfather’s ranch. As a rodeo
performer, he met western movie star Gabby Hayes who hired him to work at his Catskills summer ranch for kids. Hayes encouraged him to break into television as an on-air personality.
in New York City
as a production coordinator. He later became the host of the network's Oky Doky Ranch. The show featured Rex Trailer as a cowboy and Oky Doky was a cowboy puppet. This format has some obvious similarity to the Howdy Doody
show. Oky Doky had already been established in local television before being moved to the network, so there is some debate as to who came first.
After the Oky Doky series ended, Trailer heard that the Westinghouse TV station in Philadelphia (WPTZ) needed a host for a Western-style children's show. Rex Trailer and his horse "Gold Rush" moved to Philadelphia and hosted television shows from 1950 until 1956. "Ridin’ the Trail with Rex Trailer" featured him as the host for movie westerns. He also had a daily 15-minute program featuring songs, games and dances with Trailer and his guitar. This show went by various names, including "Hi-Noon with Rex Trailer", "Saddlebag O' Songs" and "Rex Trailer's Ranch House".
and his Saddlemates, who gained fame later as Bill Haley and His Comets. In 1955, Cowboys Don't Cry and a song later used regularly on the Boomtown
show, Hoofbeats, were released together in the 78 rpm and 45 rpm vinyl record formats. Trailer released at least two 33 rpm 12" vinyl albums, as "Rex Trailer and the Playboys", one titled Country and Western in 1960 and one titled Good Old Country Music, released by Crown records (CLP 5484 monaural), date unknown. Another album with some overlap in playlists also exists, by "Rex Trailer and his Cow Hands", titled Western Favorites, which was released in 1961 on Spin-O-Rama records.
on WBZ-TV
. This series proved to be his greatest success, airing through 1974 and establishing Trailer as a major local celebrity within the signal of Boston's TV Channel 4. Rex performed songs while playing guitar, and showed off his authentic cowboy skills with horse-riding tricks, rope tricks, skilled use of the bull-whip, and shooting (though he banished weapons from the show after JFK’s assassination in 1963). He led the studio audience of children in sing-alongs and simple contests of skill, and introduced cartoons and other children's programming segments. He was aided by many guests and by various sidekicks over the years, including "Pablo" from 1956 to 1967 (played by actor Richard Kilbride), then "Cactus Pete" from 1967 to 1969 (played by Terrance Currier), and finally "Sgt. Billy" played by actor Bill O'Brien.
Rex Trailer's fame, good name, and crowd-pleasing talents made him a popular draw at many personal appearances in the area. He was also able to successfully team with a local travel agency in chaperoning children on an annual series of large-scale school-vacation trips to California tourist attractions. In the early 1960s, Trailer (and Gold Rush) led an actual wagon train
across the state of Massachusetts ending at the State House in Boston, to call public attention to the needs of the mentally retarded, and the organization The A.R.C. ( then called the Association for Retarded Citizens.) In addition, Trailer also encouraged his young fans to hold neighborhood charity fund-raisers called "Backyard Carnivals Against Dystrophy", offering how-to kits on air.
Trailer was inducted into the Massachusetts Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. He was included in the first group of honorees inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in Brockton MA on May 5, 2007.
A documentary film titled, Rex Trailer's Boomtown
was produced by Milford, Massachusetts
native Michael Bavaro
. The film was broadcast on WBZ-TV
on June 18, 2005 as a special and was nominated for a New England Emmy
award for best historical documentary. Jay Leno
, Jimmy Tingle
, Mayor Tom Menino, Steven Wright
and more than 100 grown-up kids share their Boomtown memories, and attest to the enduring stature of its host. The broadcast version of the film and archive material were presented to and are now part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Television & Radio
in New York City
. The film enjoyed an encore presentation on WGBH
Boston on August 26, 2010.
in Boston. Trailer had a minor role in the 1990 Cher
/Winona Ryder
movie Mermaids
. He still makes regular personal appearances, and performs live on occasion, even performing at Boston rock clubs in the last few years as a special guest. Rex Trailer is also a perennial participant in Natick Massachusetts' annual July 4 parade, in which he rides Goldrush.
Rex Trailer is still involved in helping people with disabilities and supporting The Arc. He was honored for his lifetime of contributions to people with mental and intellectual disabilities at the 50th anniversary Gala for The Arc of Massachusetts on September 10, 2005.
On December 10, 2006, Rex performed several songs (including the Boomtown theme and some of his own Christmas songs) and signed free autographs for hundreds of fans
at That's Entertainment
in Worcester, Massachusetts
. The event was part of Trailer's official 50th Anniversary of Boomtown celebration tour. Then Worcester Mayor Tim Murray officially proclaimed it "Rex Trailer's Boomtown Day" throughout the city to mark the occasion.
In 2011, Trailer donated his three .45-caliber revolvers with staghorn handles to the Massachusetts State Police
Museum in Grafton, Massachusetts
. The gun shop where they had been stored went out of business, and the guns very nearly went on the auction block before Trailer and Michael Bavaro
learned of the situation and retook possession.
On September 11, 2011, Trailer appeared at That's Entertainment
in Fitchburg, Massachusetts to meet fans, sing songs and sign free autographs. Trailer sang a song he wrote to honor the victims of 9/11, I Appreciate You. He had first performed the song on 2002/09/10 at the Comedy Connection in Faneuil Hall. He explained prior to that event, "Ever since 9-11, the world has changed for all of us. We have to stick together, protect each other, and let those you love, respect, and admire know how much you appreciate them."
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
personality, broadcast pioneer, and Country and Western recording artist. He is best known as the host of the children's show Boomtown
Boomtown (1956 TV series)
Boomtown was a weekend children's show on WBZ-TV in Boston, Massachusetts that ran from 1956 through 1974. Boomtown was hosted by Rex Trailer, a singing cowboy...
.
Early life
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
skills while spending summers on his grandfather’s ranch. As a rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
performer, he met western movie star Gabby Hayes who hired him to work at his Catskills summer ranch for kids. Hayes encouraged him to break into television as an on-air personality.
Television pioneer
In 1947, Trailer went to work for the DuMont Television NetworkDuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as a production coordinator. He later became the host of the network's Oky Doky Ranch. The show featured Rex Trailer as a cowboy and Oky Doky was a cowboy puppet. This format has some obvious similarity to the Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody is an American children's television program that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows...
show. Oky Doky had already been established in local television before being moved to the network, so there is some debate as to who came first.
After the Oky Doky series ended, Trailer heard that the Westinghouse TV station in Philadelphia (WPTZ) needed a host for a Western-style children's show. Rex Trailer and his horse "Gold Rush" moved to Philadelphia and hosted television shows from 1950 until 1956. "Ridin’ the Trail with Rex Trailer" featured him as the host for movie westerns. He also had a daily 15-minute program featuring songs, games and dances with Trailer and his guitar. This show went by various names, including "Hi-Noon with Rex Trailer", "Saddlebag O' Songs" and "Rex Trailer's Ranch House".
Recording artist
Trailer recorded Country and Western Music for ABC-Paramount Records, among other labels. At one time, c. 1950, Trailer recorded with Bill HaleyBill Haley
Bill Haley was one of the first American rock and roll musicians. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and their hit song "Rock Around the Clock".-Early life and career:...
and his Saddlemates, who gained fame later as Bill Haley and His Comets. In 1955, Cowboys Don't Cry and a song later used regularly on the Boomtown
Boomtown (1956 TV series)
Boomtown was a weekend children's show on WBZ-TV in Boston, Massachusetts that ran from 1956 through 1974. Boomtown was hosted by Rex Trailer, a singing cowboy...
show, Hoofbeats, were released together in the 78 rpm and 45 rpm vinyl record formats. Trailer released at least two 33 rpm 12" vinyl albums, as "Rex Trailer and the Playboys", one titled Country and Western in 1960 and one titled Good Old Country Music, released by Crown records (CLP 5484 monaural), date unknown. Another album with some overlap in playlists also exists, by "Rex Trailer and his Cow Hands", titled Western Favorites, which was released in 1961 on Spin-O-Rama records.
The Boomtown/Boston years
In 1956, Rex Trailer moved to Boston and hosted a weekend-morning children's show BoomtownBoomtown (1956 TV series)
Boomtown was a weekend children's show on WBZ-TV in Boston, Massachusetts that ran from 1956 through 1974. Boomtown was hosted by Rex Trailer, a singing cowboy...
on WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
. This series proved to be his greatest success, airing through 1974 and establishing Trailer as a major local celebrity within the signal of Boston's TV Channel 4. Rex performed songs while playing guitar, and showed off his authentic cowboy skills with horse-riding tricks, rope tricks, skilled use of the bull-whip, and shooting (though he banished weapons from the show after JFK’s assassination in 1963). He led the studio audience of children in sing-alongs and simple contests of skill, and introduced cartoons and other children's programming segments. He was aided by many guests and by various sidekicks over the years, including "Pablo" from 1956 to 1967 (played by actor Richard Kilbride), then "Cactus Pete" from 1967 to 1969 (played by Terrance Currier), and finally "Sgt. Billy" played by actor Bill O'Brien.
Rex Trailer's fame, good name, and crowd-pleasing talents made him a popular draw at many personal appearances in the area. He was also able to successfully team with a local travel agency in chaperoning children on an annual series of large-scale school-vacation trips to California tourist attractions. In the early 1960s, Trailer (and Gold Rush) led an actual wagon train
Wagon train
A wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. In the American West, individuals traveling across the plains in covered wagons banded together for mutual assistance, as is reflected in numerous films and television programs about the region, such as Audie Murphy's Tumbleweed and Ward Bond...
across the state of Massachusetts ending at the State House in Boston, to call public attention to the needs of the mentally retarded, and the organization The A.R.C. ( then called the Association for Retarded Citizens.) In addition, Trailer also encouraged his young fans to hold neighborhood charity fund-raisers called "Backyard Carnivals Against Dystrophy", offering how-to kits on air.
Recognition
The retrospective book Rex Trailer: The Boomtown Years by Shirley Kawa-Jump was published in 1997.Trailer was inducted into the Massachusetts Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. He was included in the first group of honorees inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in Brockton MA on May 5, 2007.
A documentary film titled, Rex Trailer's Boomtown
Boomtown (1956 TV series)
Boomtown was a weekend children's show on WBZ-TV in Boston, Massachusetts that ran from 1956 through 1974. Boomtown was hosted by Rex Trailer, a singing cowboy...
was produced by Milford, Massachusetts
Milford, Massachusetts
Milford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It had a population of 27,999 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Milford, constituting the center of the town, please see the article Milford ,...
native Michael Bavaro
Michael Bavaro
Michael Bavaro is a filmmaker based in Manhattan. Born in 1959, he grew up in Milford, Massachusetts and graduated from Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts with a B.S. degree in communications. In 1980 while at Fitchburg he produced a 16mm documentary film about his hometown of...
. The film was broadcast on WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
on June 18, 2005 as a special and was nominated for a New England Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
award for best historical documentary. Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, Jimmy Tingle
Jimmy Tingle
Jimmy Tingle is an American comic and occasional actor.-Life and career:Tingle was the American correspondent for Sir David Frost’s show for PBS and the BBC, The Strategic Humor Initiative. He completed two seasons with 60 Minutes II on CBS as the humorist / commentator in the Andy Rooney spot...
, Mayor Tom Menino, Steven Wright
Steven Wright
Steven Alexander Wright is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is known for his distinctly lethargic voice and slow, deadpan delivery of ironic, philosophical and sometimes nonsensical jokes and one-liners with contrived situations.-Early life and career:Wright was born in Mount Auburn...
and more than 100 grown-up kids share their Boomtown memories, and attest to the enduring stature of its host. The broadcast version of the film and archive material were presented to and are now part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Television & Radio
Museum of Television & Radio
The Paley Center for Media, formerly The Museum of Television & Radio and The Museum of Broadcasting, founded in 1975 by William S...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The film enjoyed an encore presentation on WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
Boston on August 26, 2010.
Later career
Rex Trailer continues to work in the television industry, and teaches on-air performance at Emerson CollegeEmerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
in Boston. Trailer had a minor role in the 1990 Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
/Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
movie Mermaids
Mermaids (film)
Mermaids is a 1990 comedy-drama film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder , and Christina Ricci in her first film role...
. He still makes regular personal appearances, and performs live on occasion, even performing at Boston rock clubs in the last few years as a special guest. Rex Trailer is also a perennial participant in Natick Massachusetts' annual July 4 parade, in which he rides Goldrush.
Rex Trailer is still involved in helping people with disabilities and supporting The Arc. He was honored for his lifetime of contributions to people with mental and intellectual disabilities at the 50th anniversary Gala for The Arc of Massachusetts on September 10, 2005.
On December 10, 2006, Rex performed several songs (including the Boomtown theme and some of his own Christmas songs) and signed free autographs for hundreds of fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
at That's Entertainment
That's Entertainment (comic shop)
That's Entertainment is an Eisner Award-winning comics and collectibles store in Worcester, Massachusetts. Michael Warshaw concisely referred to the store in a Worcester Magazine article on 5/5/05 as "the pop culture emporium located in the ancient former auto dealership at 244 Park Ave." The...
in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. The event was part of Trailer's official 50th Anniversary of Boomtown celebration tour. Then Worcester Mayor Tim Murray officially proclaimed it "Rex Trailer's Boomtown Day" throughout the city to mark the occasion.
In 2011, Trailer donated his three .45-caliber revolvers with staghorn handles to the Massachusetts State Police
Massachusetts State Police
The Massachusetts State Police is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security responsible for criminal law enforcement and traffic vehicle regulation across the state...
Museum in Grafton, Massachusetts
Grafton, Massachusetts
Grafton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,765 at the 2010 census. Grafton is the home of a Nipmuc village known as Hassanamisco Reservation, the Willard House and Clock Museum, and the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine...
. The gun shop where they had been stored went out of business, and the guns very nearly went on the auction block before Trailer and Michael Bavaro
Michael Bavaro
Michael Bavaro is a filmmaker based in Manhattan. Born in 1959, he grew up in Milford, Massachusetts and graduated from Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts with a B.S. degree in communications. In 1980 while at Fitchburg he produced a 16mm documentary film about his hometown of...
learned of the situation and retook possession.
On September 11, 2011, Trailer appeared at That's Entertainment
That's Entertainment (comic shop)
That's Entertainment is an Eisner Award-winning comics and collectibles store in Worcester, Massachusetts. Michael Warshaw concisely referred to the store in a Worcester Magazine article on 5/5/05 as "the pop culture emporium located in the ancient former auto dealership at 244 Park Ave." The...
in Fitchburg, Massachusetts to meet fans, sing songs and sign free autographs. Trailer sang a song he wrote to honor the victims of 9/11, I Appreciate You. He had first performed the song on 2002/09/10 at the Comedy Connection in Faneuil Hall. He explained prior to that event, "Ever since 9-11, the world has changed for all of us. We have to stick together, protect each other, and let those you love, respect, and admire know how much you appreciate them."
External links
- Rex Trailer - Official Site
- http://www.universalhub.com/node/8632 - Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame
- http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=50732&fr= Boomtown Video Clip from Digital Freeway
- Wagon Train Rex Trailer footage of 1959 Wagon ride for The Arc.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC0W7O3PQY8 - "I Appreciate You" by Rex Trailer. A video of Rex singing with Dave Shaheen at Rex's studio in Waltham, MA.