Lester Alvin Burnett, better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and other B-movie cowboys. He was also a prolific singer-songwriter who is reported to have played proficiently over 100 musical instruments, sometimes more than one simultaneously. His career, beginning in 1934, spanned four decades, including a regular role on CBS-TV's Petticoat Junction in the 1960s.
Charles Robert Starrett was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the Durango Kid westerns. Starrett still holds the record for starring in the longest series of theatrical features: 131 westerns, all produced by Columbia Pictures.
The Rough, Tough West is a 1952 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Charles Starrett, Jock Mahoney and Carolina Cotton. This was the sixty-third of 65 films in the Durango Kid series. At this late date the series relied on cost-cutting measures to stay within a low budget, so this film contains footage from older Starrett westerns.
The Kid from Broken Gun is a 1952 American western action film directed by Fred F. Sears, and starring Charles Starrett, Jock Mahoney, Angela Stevens, Tristram Coffin, and Myron Healey. The film was released by Columbia Pictures on August 16, 1952. This was the sixty-fifth and final film in the Durango Kid series.
The Blazing Trail, known in the United Kingdom as The Forged Will, is a 1949 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Charles Starrett. This was the thirty-eighth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Raiders of Tomahawk Creek is a 1950 American Western film directed by Fred F. Sears and written by Barry Shipman. The film stars Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette, Edgar Dearing, Kay Buckley, Billy Kimbley and Paul Marion. The film was released on October 1, 1950, by Columbia Pictures. This was the fiftieth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
The Hawk of Wild River is a 1952 American Western film directed by Fred F. Sears and written by Howard J. Green. The film stars Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette, Jock Mahoney, Clayton Moore, Eddie Parker and Jim Diehl. The film was released on February 28, 1952, by Columbia Pictures. This was the sixty-first of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Galloping Thunder is a 1946 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Charles Starrett. This was the twelfth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Buckaroo from Powder River is a 1947 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Charles Starrett, Eve Miller, Forrest Taylor, Paul Campbell and Smiley Burnette. The film was released on October 14, 1947, by Columbia Pictures. This was the twenty-sixth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Pecos River is a 1951 American Western film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Charles Starrett, Jock Mahoney and Anne James. The film's sets were designed by the art director Charles Clague. This was the fifty-ninth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Trail of the Rustlers is a 1950 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Charles Starrett, Gail Davis and Tommy Ivo. It is also known by the alternative title Lost River. This was the forty-fifth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Lightning Guns is a 1950 American Western film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Charles Starrett, Gloria Henry and William Bailey. This was the fifty-first of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Frontier Outpost is a 1950 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Charles Starrett, Lois Hall and Steve Darrell. This was the forty-fourth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
The Fighting Frontiersman is a 1946 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by Ed Earl Repp. The film stars Charles Starrett, Helen Mowery, Hank Newman and Smiley Burnette. The film was released on December 10, 1946, by Columbia Pictures. This was the eighteenth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Trail to Laredo is a 1948 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Barry Shipman. The film stars Charles Starrett, Jim Bannon, Virginia Maxey, Tommy Ivo, Hugh Prosser and Smiley Burnette. The film was released on August 12, 1948, by Columbia Pictures. This was the thirty-third of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
South of the Chisholm Trail is a 1947 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by Michael Simmons. The film stars Charles Starrett, Nancy Saunders, Hank Newman and Smiley Burnette. The film was released on January 30, 1947, by Columbia Pictures. This was the nineteenth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Riders of the Lone Star is a 1947 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by Barry Shipman. The film stars Charles Starrett, Virginia Hunter, Curly Williams and Smiley Burnette. The film was released on August 14, 1947, by Columbia Pictures. This was the twenty-fifth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Quick on the Trigger is a 1948 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Elmer Clifton. The film stars Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette, Lyle Talbot, Helen Parrish, George Eldredge and Ted Adams. The film was released on December 2, 1948, by Columbia Pictures. This was the thirty-fifth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Two-Fisted Stranger is a 1946 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Robert Lee Johnson. The film stars Charles Starrett, Doris Houck, Zeke Clements and Smiley Burnette. The film was released on May 30, 1946, by Columbia Pictures. This was the thirteenth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
Terror Trail is a 1946 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Charles Starrett. The film's sets were designed by the art director Charles Clague. It was shot at the Iverson Ranch. This was the seventeenth of 65 films in the Durango Kid series.
