Autry, Gene (1907)

  Actor. Autry was the first successful singing Western star. His lack of acting ability was countered by the fact that he always played himself: 'Gene Autry' was his only role. The traits of the screen character that he fashioned (the Autry Code) created a 'pure' cowboy, who was never the first to shoot or strike an adversary, and who never smoked or drank. In the contemporary settings of his films, the frontier has long since been settled, and crimes of violence have in the main given way to crimes of intrigue. Both he and his horse Champion were immensely popular in rural America, and with young audiences everywhere; Autry headed the Motion Pic?ture Herald poll of top money-making West?ern stars from 1937 until he entered the army in 1942.