Smiley Burnette
Date of birth: 1911-03-18
Place of birth: Summum, Illinois, USA
Known for: Acting
Also known as: Lester 'Smiley' Burnett, 'Smiley' Burnette, George 'Smiley' Burnette, Lester 'Smiley' Burnette, Lester Alvin Burnette, Ole Frog, Lester Alvin Burnett
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lester Alvin Burnett (March 18, 1911 – February 16, 1967), better known as Smiley Burnette, was a popular American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry and other B-movie cowboys. He was also a prolific singer-songwriter who could play as many as 100 musical instruments, some simultaneously. His career, beginning in 1934, spanned four decades, including a regular role on CBS-TV's Petticoat Junction in the 1960s. Description above from the Wikipedia article Smiley Burnette, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Movie Credits
Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs
2000-01-01
This documentary traces the history of the B-Western from it's silent movie origins to its demise in
Ride, Ranger, Ride
1936-11-30
It is the story of Gene's, a Cavalry scout, who manages to quell an Indian uprising.
Boots and Saddles
1937-10-04
Young Englishman inherits ranch which he wants to sell, but Gene's gonna turn him into a real wester
Springtime in the Rockies
1937-11-13
Ranch owner Sandra, fresh from animal husbandry school, brings a flock of sheep into cattle country.
Red River Valley
1936-03-02
Gene and Frog set out to find out who has been causing the accidents at a dam construction site.
Billy The Kid Returns
1938-09-04
After Pat Garrett kills Billy the Kid, Billy's look-alike Roy Rogers arrives and is mistaken for him
The Big Show
1936-11-16
At the Texas Centennial in Dallas Autry confuses two girls by being himself and his own stunt double
South of the Border
1939-12-15
A federal agent and his partner hang out in Mexico to check a revolution.
Under Western Stars
1938-04-20
In his starring debut, Roy gets elected to Congress in order to bring water to the ranchers in his d
The Old Corral
1936-12-21
As the sheriff of a small western town, Autry sings his way into a relationship with Eleanor, a sing
Oh, Susanna
1936-08-19
Oh, Susanna! is a 1936 American Western musical film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Gene Autry
King of the Cowboys
1943-04-09
Roy Rogers, Smiley Burnette and the Sons of the Pioneers go undercover to help Texas Governor Russel
The Kids in the Shoe
1935-05-19
The old lady who lives in a shoe has a bit of trouble with her gaggle of children. They won't eat th
Streets of Ghost Town
1950-08-03
The Durango Kid and his sidekick look for stolen gold with a history.
Git Along Little Dogies
1937-03-27
When war breaks out between oilmen and cattle ranchers, Gene sides with the ranchers until he learns
Heart of the Rio Grande
1942-03-11
As foreman of a dude ranch, Gene has two problems. One is a guest, the spoiled daughter of a million
Down Mexico Way
1941-10-15
Like 1940's Melody Ranch, the 1941 Gene Autry vehicle Down Mexico Way was designed as a "special", t
Heart of the Golden West
1942-11-16
Lambert owns the trucking line that ships cattle to market. When he raises his rates Roy decides to
Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm
1937-05-12
Gene and Frog, out to stop a bunch of cattle rustlers, assume the identities of what they believe to
The Old Barn Dance
1938-01-29
Autry and his buddies have a horse selling business which is threatened by a tractor company which c
Call of the Canyon
1942-08-17
A radio saleswoman helps a singing cattleman trap a shady meat buyer with a bogus broadcast.
Man from Music Mountain
1938-08-15
Scanlon is pulling off a land swindle by selling lots in a ghost town claiming the power company is
Guns and Guitars
1936-06-22
A wrongfully-imprisoned man becomes determined to find who was responsible for the death of a local
Dick Tracy
1937-02-20
Dick Tracy's foe for this serial is the crime boss and Masked Mystery Villain The Spider/The Lame On
Stardust on the Sage
1942-05-25
A singing cowboy (Gene Autry) and his partner (Bill Henry) thwart a foreman who wants their mine.
The Singing Cowboy
1936-05-11
A rodeo singer funds a little girl's operation with a show, on television.
Whirlwind
1951-04-16
A singing postal inspector (Gene Autry) and his partner (Smiley Burnette) save a woman's (Gail Davis
Goldtown Ghost Riders
1953-05-20
A singing frontier judge (Gene Autry) dismisses a case of double jeopardy.
In Old Santa Fe
1934-11-15
Gangster Chandler and his accomplice Tracy arrive at a dude ranch. Cowboy Kentucky arrives at the sa
Back in the Saddle
1941-03-14
Gene returns from the East with new ranch owner Tom Bennett to find everyone's cattle dying. Blaine
Sunset in Wyoming
1941-07-15
By stripping all the timber from the land, a lumber baron threatens everyone with flooding. Gene won
Larceny on the Air
1937-01-11
A doctor working with the Bureau of Pure Foods and Drugs, uses radio broadcasts to expose fraudulent
On Top of Old Smoky
1953-03-25
Poachers are harassing toll road owner Jen Larrabee. They want her land because it holds valuable mi
Code of the Prairie
1944-10-06
Just after the Oklahoma Panhandle was annexed into the united states an ex-lawman turned newspaper m
The Singing Vagabond
1935-12-16
Tex rides to the rescue when badguys led by LaCrosse and Utah Joe kidnap Lettie.
Idaho
1943-03-10
A deputy sets out to prove that a respected judge, who had once been a criminal, is being framed for
Call of the Rockies
1944-07-14
Cowboy Sunset Carson teams up with Frog Millhouse on a routine supply trip to Placer City. Before lo
Rancho Grande
1940-03-22
A ranch foreman (Gene Autry) helps three youngsters protect their inheritance from foreclosure.
The Adventures of Rex and Rinty
1935-08-30
A 12 episode serial starring Rex, the King of the Wild Horses and Rin-Tin-Tin, Jr. Rex is brought fr
Public Cowboy No. 1
1937-06-11
Deputies Gene Autry and Frog go up against modern cattle rustlers. These rustlers use technology suc
The Border Patrolman
1936-06-20
When a border patrolman catches their spoiled daughter smoking in a no-smoking area, parents hire hi
The Laramie Trail
1944-04-03
A cowbody acquires a ranch whose previous owner is believed to be dead.
Tumbling Tumbleweeds
1935-09-05
Traveling with Doc Parker's medicine show, Gene finds his old friend Harry Brooks wounded and the Sh
The Sagebrush Troubadour
1935-12-02
Before he was murdered Grandpa Martin found a gold mine. He failed to record it and now everyone is
A Man Betrayed
1936-12-27
A businessman during the Great Depression discovers that his partners are crooked con-men, and he tr
Melody Trail
1935-10-21
Gene goes after the badguys after they kidnap the baby he should have been babysitting.
Comin' 'Round the Mountain
1936-04-13
His horse Champion steals the show from Gene when what's at stake is a horse race and a bull fight.
Ridin' on a Rainbow
1941-01-24
When the showboat hits town, two men use the parade as a distraction to rob the bank. Their accompli
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
1976-05-01
A Western-genre narrative, loosely woven from old clips from B-Western features.
In Old Monterey
1939-08-14
The U.S. Army takes over a large area of land, over the objection of citizens and corporations who l
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
1937-06-14
The old west range war story transported to Georgia, with Autry as the hero.
Gold Mine in the Sky
1938-07-04
As executor of the owner's will, singing ranch foreman Gene must see that the daughter/heiress doesn
Rhythm of the Saddle
1938-11-06
Gene is the foreman at the ranch owned by wealthy rodeo owner Maureen. She will lose her rodeo contr
Western Jamboree
1938-12-02
Knowing that is contains valuable helium gas, a gang of bad guys first tries to purchase the ranch w
Meet the Boy Friend
1937-07-12
A heartthrob singer, Tony Paige, also known as "America's Boyfriend" decides to wed a Swedish actres
Raiders of Sunset Pass
1943-12-30
World War II is raging and the manpower shortage has hit the range since every able-bodied cowboy of
Silver Spurs
1943-08-12
Jerry Johnson inherits a 50,000 acre ranch. Lucky Miller wants to take over the ranch. Roy is trying
Hollywood Stadium Mystery
1938-02-21
A boxer is killed in the ring, and the only clue is a tune that a man was whistling.
Home in Wyomin'
1942-04-29
Radio star Gene Autry returns to his home town of Gold Ridge at the request of his old friend Pop Ha
Carolina Moon
1940-07-14
A singing cowboy and his sidekick encounter misunderstandings and rodeo havoc as they try and save a
Blazing Across the Pecos
1948-07-01
This time the Durango Kid confronts an expert gambler.
Challenge of the Range
1949-04-02
Charles Starrett once more dons the mask of mysterious do-gooder "The Durango Kid" in Columbia's Cha
Prairie Moon
1938-10-07
Gene takes care of three tough kids sent west from Chicago after their father died and left them a c
Beyond the Last Frontier
1943-08-18
Beyond the Last Frontier was the first entry in Republic's "John Paul Revere" western series. Journe
Mountain Rhythm
1939-06-08
Cavanaugh and McCauley are after the ranchers land. When the Government announces the land will be p
Doughnuts and Society
1936-03-27
Kate Flannagan and Belle Dugan operate a downtown coffee shop and, while dispensing their locally-fa
The Singing Hill
1941-04-25
If a young lady gives up her inheritance the local ranchers will lose their free grazing land.
Pride of the Plains
1944-01-05
Dan Hurley wants to sell wild horses and is trying to get the Wild Game Laws that protect them chang
Firebrands of Arizona
1944-12-01
The sheriff camps outside of town and tries to arrest Froggy and Sunset, but a gang of outlaws helps
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride
1940-09-05
Gene inherits a meat-packing plant, then faces stiff competition from snooty Ann Randolph, rival own
Pack Train
1953-07-04
Gene Autry is assigned to safely transport supplies to a band of settlers. The villains, headed by R
Mexicali Rose
1939-03-26
Gene Autry and his sidekick Frog look into a phony oil scam being perpetrated on a mission orphanage
The Rough, Tough West
1952-06-14
Charles Starrett returns as the Durango Kid in Columbia's Rough, Tough, West. For most of the film,
Bells of Capistrano
1942-09-15
America's favorite singing cowboy Gene Autry stars in this vintage tale as an up-and-coming rodeo si
Home on the Prairie
1939-02-03
When shifty cattlemen Belknap (Walter Miller) and H.R. Shelby (Gordon Hart) are caught shipping infe
Frontier Outpost
1950-12-29
Federal agent Steve Lawton works undercover with his assistant, Smiley Burnette, to track down an ou
Ridin' the Outlaw Trail
1951-02-23
Charles Starrett plays lawman Steve Forsythe in Ridin' the Outlaw Trail. Somewhere along the line, o
Pecos River
1951-12-15
Steve is a Government Agent looking for the gang that stole the U.S. Mail. He goes undercover...
Men with Steel Faces
1940-05-02
Re-edited feature version of serial The Phantom Empire (1935). Singer Gene Autry discovers a race of
Sierra Sue
1941-11-12
To fight a poisonous weed, ranchers are burning their land. Gene is the Inspector brought in and he
Whirlwind Raiders
1948-05-12
It's 1873 and the disbanded Texas Rangers have been replaced by the corrupt Texas State Police. Stev
Rovin' Tumbleweeds
1939-11-16
Rancher Autry takes a job singing on the radio to aid farmers and ranchers whose lands were destroye
Quick on the Trigger
1948-12-02
Quick on the Trigger was Charles Starrett's second "Durango Kid" picture for 1949. It all begins whe
Blue Montana Skies
1939-05-03
Gene Autry follows a clue written on a rock by his murdered partner and discovers a fur smuggling op
Phantom Valley
1948-02-19
The Durango Kid, along with assistance from sidekick Smiley Burnett, investigates a pair of murders
Harmony Lane
1935-10-22
The life and loves of composer Stephen Foster, from his early success through his decline, degradati
Manhattan Merry-Go-Round
1937-11-26
In this musical comedy, a crooked record producer uses his mob connections to force performers to do
Under Fiesta Stars
1941-08-25
Rodeo champ Gene Autry inherits half interest in both a ranch and a mine that provides steady employ
Gaucho Serenade
1940-05-09
Gene Autry and sidekick Frog Millhouse depart Madison Square Garden and NYC heading west for home in
Bordertown Trail
1944-08-11
The election to determine if Texas will become a state is near and men opposed are running contraban
Two-Fisted Stranger
1946-05-30
Arriving to become the new Deputy, Steve Gordon takes over as Sheriff instead when he finds the Sher
The Desert Horseman
1946-07-10
The Durango Kid sets out to clear his name after being falsely accused of a payroll robbery.
Heading West
1946-08-14
Dakota Indian Agent Steve Reynolds receives a copy of the Bonanza City Nuggett from Jim Mallory and
Landrush
1946-11-18
The Durango Kid rides again in Columbia's Landrush. As ever, the masked do-gooder, alias Steve Harmo
The Fighting Frontiersman
1946-12-10
Cimarron has found a lost treasure and the outlaw gang knows about it. They have made him a prisoner
South of the Chisholm Trail
1947-01-30
When the ranchers of Bearcat are plagued by rustlers, Big Jim Grady offers to buy their herds from t
The Lone Hand Texan
1947-03-06
Steve Driscoll arrives to help a friend who is trying to bring in an oil well. He finds that the wel
West of Dodge City
1947-03-26
Charles Starrett once again dons the disguise of the "Durango Kid" to restore law and order in this
Law of the Canyon
1947-04-23
Freight wagons are being stolen and ransomed back to their owners. Government agent Steve Langtry (a
Prairie Raiders
1947-05-29
Government Agent Steve leases land to Masters so he can bring in horses for the Army. Henley has obt
The Stranger From Ponca City
1947-07-03
A saddle-weary Steve Larkin, also the Duranko Kid, rides into Red Mound, a town filled with cattle r
Riders of the Lone Star
1947-08-14
An outlaw gang is trying to stop the reopening of a mine as they look for the money left there by th
Buckaroo from Powder River
1947-10-13
Steve arrives looking for the person printing counterfeit bonds. He finds his man in Pop Ryland who
Last Days of Boot Hill
1947-11-20
Treasury Department Steve Waring, and also, unknown to others, the Durango Kid, comes to Sunset Pass
West of Sonora
1948-03-25
Western star Charles Starrett was amazing; he kept making the same film over and over, but always ma
Trail to Laredo
1948-08-11
Filmed at the Providencia Ranch (today's Forrest Lawn in Burbank, CA), this typical "Durango Kid" We
Desert Vigilante
1949-04-08
Silver is being smuggled across the border and the secret passage goes through Betty Long's basement
Laramie
1949-05-19
A major Indian uprising is expected and Wyoming military posts are alerted. Colonel Dennison is meet
The Blazing Trail
1949-06-05
Old Mike Brady built Brady Town and was a leader, but a bullet from an unknown assailant has ended h
South of Death Valley
1949-08-08
When Steve Downey arrives to reopen his brother-in-law's gold mine, he finds a war between the ranch
The Hawk of Wild River
1952-02-28
Steve Martin is sent to Wild River to recover stolen gold and finds the town is being terrorized by
Smoky Canyon
1952-01-31
Mahoney is a sheep man who's framed for the murder of a rancher. It's all part of a scheme by a dish
Prairie Roundup
1951-01-15
In Prairie Roundup, Fred F. Sears' direction brings a welcome jolt of vitality to Columbia's aging "
Bandits of El Dorado
1949-10-19
Wanted outlaws have mysteriously disappeared. Ranger Captain Henley and Steve have a plan to find th
Terror Trail
1946-11-21
The Durango Kid (Charles Starrett) returns to Ret Butte intending to sell his cattle ranch. Saloon o
Bonanza Town
1951-07-26
Using marked bills, Steve is looking for the supposedly dead Henry Hardison. Coming to Bonanza Town
Trail of the Rustlers
1950-02-02
Charles Starrett goes up against an entire family of criminals posing as respectable citizens in thi
Snake River Desperadoes
1951-05-30
Starrett tries to prevent a range war between settlers and the Native Americans. Blue and his fellow
The Kid from Broken Gun
1952-08-19
Charles Starrett makes his final appearance as The Durango Kid, this time as Steve Reynolds, a posta
Roaring Rangers
1946-02-14
When Sheriff Jeff Connor of Powder River cannot stop the crime wave, his young son, Larry, writes to
Gunning for Vengeance
1946-03-21
Steve Landry arrives as the new Marshal of a town that is having trouble with outlaws. When an outla
Galloping Thunder
1946-04-24
The cattle herds of some Arizona ranchers are being stampeded and stolen, so the Arizona Stockmen's
Cyclone Fury
1951-08-14
A late entry in Columbia's seemingly endless Durango Kid Western series, Cyclone Fury was augmented
Laramie Mountains
1952-04-19
Markham and his men have found gold on the Indian reservation and are trying to get rid of them by s
Saginaw Trail
1953-09-20
Hamilton's Rangers, led by our hero Gene, must keep the Indians in the northern Michigan territory f
Mystery Mountain
1934-12-02
Ken Williams is determined to discover the identity of the mysterious Rattler, who preys upon railro
Waterfront Lady
1935-10-04
When a young man is befriended by a gambling ship operator and made a partner in the business, he be
Sharad of Atlantis
1936-05-30
Crash Corrigan, a recent graduate of Annapolis, and Diana, a go-getting reporter, join Professor Nor
Hearts in Bondage
1936-05-26
Best friends Kenneth Reynolds and Raymond Jordan are U.S. Navy officers, and Kenneth is engaged to R
Across the Badlands
1950-09-14
Charles Starrett once more hits the trail as "The Durango Kid" in Columbia's Across the Badlands. By
Junction City
1952-07-12
Durango, aka Steve Rollins rides into town with saddle pal Smiley Burnette. The boys go to the rescu
The Kid from Amarillo
1951-10-29
Charles "Durango" Starrett and his pal Smiley Burnette go after smugglers. Our heroes travel incogni
Fort Savage Raiders
1951-03-14
Fort Savage Raiders is another entry in Charles Starrett's "Durango Kid" western series. Starrett on
Texas Dynamo
1950-06-01
Charles Starrett plays The Durango Kid in the 1950 Columbia western Texas Dynamo. As a novelty, Sta
Outcasts of Black Mesa
1950-04-13
Our Hero is accused of a crime he didn't commit. Once again, he breaks jail to find the real culprit
Renegades of the Sage
1949-11-24
The plot finds Steve/Durango attempting to capture ex-Civil War guerilla fighter Miller who may be t
Horsemen of the Sierras
1949-11-22
When Robin Grant inherits a valuable range, certain evil interests try their best to kill off Robin
El Dorado Pass
1948-10-13
Charles Starrett returns as The Durango Kid in Columbia's El Dorado Pass. It all begins when Durango
Six-Gun Law
1948-01-09
In this western, an entry in the "Durango Kid" series of westerns, a corrupt, prominent citizen owns
Raiders of Tomahawk Creek
1950-09-30
Charles Starrett, aka "The Durango Kid", is back in Raiders of Tomahawk Creek. Starrett plays Steve
Lightning Guns
1950-12-01
The Durango Kid rides again in Lightning Guns. As ever, the masked Durango (alias Steve Brandon) is
Cowboy Serenade
1942-01-30
Gene Autry heads a cattlemen's association and calls on the inexperienced Jim Agnew to negotiate the
Beneath Western Skies
1944-03-03
To combat the lawlessness in her town, school teacher Carrie Stokes writes to her former students in
Arizona Bad Man
1935-02-01
The daughter of a notorious cattle thief falls for a stranger at a dance. The stranger is really a l
Winning of the West
1953-01-01
A singing territorial ranger (Gene Autry) spots his younger brother in an outlaw gang.
The Phantom Empire
1935-02-22
When the ancient continent of Mu sank beneath the ocean, some of its inhabitant survived in caverns
Colorado Sunset
1939-07-30
When his well-meaning sidekick (Smiley Burnette) buys a cow farm instead of a cattle ranch, singing
It's Showtime
1976-03-31
A collection of film clips profiling animal actors.
Round-Up Time in Texas
1937-02-28
Gene and Frog arrive with a herd of horses for Gene'e brother, a diamond prospector whose work has a
S.O.S Tidal Wave
1939-06-02
A news reporter-commentator at a combined radio-television broadcasting station gives up his stand a
Gay, Gay Hollywood
1980-01-01
The short shows various clips from Hollywood feature films that, like the title of the film, are ful