Woodward Maurice “Tex” Ritter1907-1974
Woodward Maurice “Tex” Ritter was born on January 12, 1907, in Murvaul, Texas. He graduated with a B.A. from the University of Texas and then he attended law school at Northwestern University. He left the law for a show business career and appeared on Broadway in Green Grow the Lilacs and The Roundup. He also appeared on radio shows including The Lone Star Rangers, Cowboy Tom’s Roundup, Tex Ritter’s Campfire and Death Valley Days. Producer Edward Finney signed him in 1936 to star in a series of Westerns for Grand National. Finney put solid production value and good direction behind the films, many of which are still remembered as western classics. Ritter joined the ranks of the Motion Picture Herald’s top ten Western stars in this 1936 to 1938 series and for some years thereafter. The Grand National films were: Song of the Gringo, Headin’ for the Rio Grande, Arizona Days, Trouble in Texas, Hittin’ the Trail, Sing Cowboy Sing, Riders of the Rockies, Mystery of the Hooded Horsemen, Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts, Frontier Town, Rollin’ Plains, and The Utah Trail. Changing studios, producer Finney and star Ritter continued to turn out first rate films from 1938 to 1941 for Monogram. Film such as Westbound Stage, Rainbow over the Range, Arizona Frontier, and Roll Wagons Roll featured some exceptional production values in the series. In 1941 he starred with Bill Elliott in a Columbia series. In 1942 he starred with Johnny Mack Brown and Fuzzy Knight in a Universal series. In 1944 he starred with Max Tehune in Columbia’s Cowboy Canteen and starred with Dave O’Brien and Guy Wilkerson in PRC’s Texas Rangers series. In 1952 his rendition of the “High Noon” ballad won an Academy Award for the song. In recent years he has guest starred on TV and starred in Screen Gems’ musical Western TV series Tex Ritter’s Ranch Party in 1959 and is still a noted recording artist. In January 1970, Ritter announced what proved to be an unsuccessful candidacy for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee.
From "Western Films Heroes, Heavies and Sagebrush",
by Author F. McClure and Ken D. Jones
by Author F. McClure and Ken D. Jones
Other Links
Tex Ritter
Tex Ritter Museum