Rex Trailer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rex Trailer
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Rex Trailer meets a young fan in Worcester, Massachusetts, on December 10, 2006
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Rex Trailer
September 16, 1928 Thurber, Texas, U.S.
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| Died | January 9, 2013 (aged 84) Miami, Florida, U.S.
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| Occupation | Cowboy, actor, singer, film producer |
| Years active | 1947–2013
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Rex Trailer (born September 16, 1928 – died January 9, 2013) was a famous Boston TV star. He was a pioneer in broadcasting, a real cowboy, and a Country and Western singer. Rex Trailer was best known for hosting the children's TV show Boomtown. This popular show ran from 1956 to 1974.
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Early Life as a Cowboy
Rex Trailer grew up in Thurber, Texas, near Fort Worth. He spent his summers on his grandfather's ranch. This ranch had many quarter horses. When he was only four or five, Rex rode his first horse, named "Bamboo."
The cowboys working on the ranch were rodeo stars. They taught young Rex amazing skills. One taught him trick roping, another taught him how to use a bull whip. A third cowboy showed him how to play the guitar. Rex later said, "I was the only one who could do all three!" By age 11, he was performing with these cowboys in Texas rodeos.
As a teenager, Rex found more ways to use his talents. At 16, he started his own band, "The Ramblin' Rustlers." They performed local shows. Rex loved to entertain people. He could sing, play guitar, and tell stories. He also started calling square dances.
When he was 18, Rex joined the national rodeo circuit. He traveled all over the country. Audiences loved seeing a teenager doing trick riding, roping, and singing.
In 1948, Rex met Western movie star Gabby Hayes at Madison Square Garden. This meeting changed his life. Hayes was impressed and hired Rex to work at his summer ranch for kids. Rex became the entertainment director. Hayes saw Rex's special talent and told him to try children's television.
Becoming a TV Star
Around 1947, Rex Trailer started working for the DuMont Television Network in New York City. He began by painting scenery. But he quickly moved up to production coordinator, then assistant director. In 1949, he tried out for a TV show that needed a cowboy who could do stunts. Rex got the job! He became the host of Oky Doky Ranch. On this show, Rex was the cowboy, and Dayton Allen operated Oky Doky, a cowboy puppet.
Oky Doky Ranch was a hit, but it ended when the company went out of business. Rex then heard that a TV station in Philadelphia (WPTZ) needed a host for a Western kids' show. So, Rex and his horse, "Gold Rush," moved to Philadelphia. From 1950 to 1956, he hosted many shows there.
- "Ridin’ the Trail with Rex Trailer" showed movie Westerns on Saturday mornings. Rex would appear in live parts, making it seem like he was in the movie!
- "Hi-Noon with Rex Trailer" was a daily 15-minute show. It featured songs, games, and lessons. This show was just Rex and the kids. It was very popular with children coming home for lunch.
- "Rex Trailer's Ranch House" was a half-hour variety show on Saturday nights.
- "Saddlebag O' Songs" was another show where he sang.
A Recording Artist
While working in television, Rex Trailer also became a successful Country and Western recording artist. He recorded for ABC-Paramount Records and other labels. Around 1950, he even recorded with Bill Haley and his Saddlemen. Bill Haley's band later became famous as Bill Haley & His Comets.
In 1955, Rex released two songs: "Cowboys Don't Cry" and "Hoofbeats." "Hoofbeats" was often used on his Boomtown show. He also released several albums with his band, "Rex Trailer and the Playboys."
Later in his life, Rex offered a CD called All the Best on his website. It included his classic songs like "Boomtown," "Hoofbeats," and "Cowboy's Don't Cry." He even recorded special introductions for each song.
The Boomtown Years in Boston
In 1956, Rex Trailer moved to Boston to host a new children's show called Boomtown on WBZ-TV. Rex named the show after a Clark Gable movie. This show became his biggest success. It aired on WBZ until 1974. Boomtown made Rex a huge local celebrity in Boston.
On Boomtown, Rex sang songs and played guitar. He showed off his real cowboy skills. He did horse-riding tricks, rope tricks, and used a bull-whip. He also led the kids in the studio audience in sing-alongs and contests. The show also featured cartoons. Kids loved Rex because he was always kind and good at what he did.
Rex had many helpers on the show. These included John MacFarland for "Critter Corner." He also had different sidekicks over the years. "Pablo" (played by Richard Kilbride) was his sidekick from 1956 to 1967. Then came "Cactus Pete" (Terrance Currier) from 1967 to 1969. Finally, "Sgt. Billy" (Bill O'Brien) joined the show.
Rex Trailer was very popular and often made personal appearances. He also helped organize trips for children to California tourist spots during school vacations.
Rex was a strong supporter of children with disabilities. In 1961, Rex and Gold Rush led a real wagon train across Massachusetts. They ended at the State House in Boston. This was to bring attention to the needs of people with intellectual disabilities. Rex always made sure to include children with disabilities on his show. He was one of the first TV hosts to do this.
Rex also encouraged his young fans to hold "Backyard Carnivals Against Dystrophy." He gave them kits to help raise money for charity. Because of these efforts, Rex became known as the "cowboy with a conscience."
Rex said that Boomtown was the most fun he ever had. He believed they were doing "educational TV before there was educational TV." He wanted kids to learn to "take care of each other."
After Boomtown ended on WBZ-TV, Rex hosted Earth Lab. This was a science series that aired across the country. Boomtown also had a short second run on WXNE-TV in Boston in the late 1970s.
Rex Trailer also appeared in a TV commercial for the "I Love New York" tourism campaign in 1982. He had a small role as a doctor in the 1990 movie Mermaids, starring Cher and Winona Ryder.
Besides his cowboy and TV skills, Rex had many other talents. He was a licensed pilot and could fly planes, helicopters, and gliders. He often arrived at events in his helicopter, sometimes with Santa Claus! He was also an expert sky diver, scuba diver, and water skier. Rex also worked as a travel agent.
Later Years and Legacy
In his later years, Rex Trailer continued to work in TV. He owned a video production company. He also taught TV performance at Emerson College in Boston until he passed away. Some of his students became famous news anchors and reporters.
Rex still made personal appearances and performed occasionally. He was a regular in the Natick July 4 parade, riding Goldrush. He did this every year until 2012. In 2013, he was named "grand marshal in memoriam" for the parade.
On December 10, 2006, Rex performed songs and signed autographs for hundreds of fans in Worcester, Massachusetts. This was part of his "50th Anniversary of Boomtown" celebration. The mayor of Worcester even declared it "Rex Trailer's Boomtown Day."
In 2011, Rex donated his three .45-caliber revolvers to the Massachusetts State Police Museum. These guns were very special to him.
On September 11, 2011, Rex appeared in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He met fans, sang, and signed autographs for the 55th anniversary of Boomtown. He also sang a song he wrote called "I Appreciate You," to honor the victims of the September 11 attacks.
Rex Trailer passed away in 2013 while visiting family in Florida. He got pneumonia and died on January 9 at age 84. A memorial service was held at Emerson College to celebrate his life. The Rex Trailer Memorial Fund was created to support the causes he cared about.
Comedian Jay Leno, who was a fan of Rex as a boy, said, "I’ve met a lot of people, a lot of important people, but no bigger star than Rex."
Recognition and Awards
- A book about him, Rex Trailer: The Boomtown Years, was published in 1997.
- He was inducted into the Massachusetts Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.
- He received the Governor's Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 2005.
- He was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2007.
A documentary film called Rex Trailer's Boomtown was made by Michael Bavaro. It was shown on WBZ-TV in 2005 and was nominated for an Emmy. Many famous people, like Jay Leno, shared their Boomtown memories in the film. The film is now part of the permanent collection at the Paley Center for Media.
Rex was honored for his work with people with mental and intellectual disabilities in 2005. In 2011, an event called "All Aboard the Arc!" was held. It was like the wagon train Rex led 50 years before. Rex was honored at this event too.
In 2012, there was a bill to make Rex Trailer the official "state cowboy" of Massachusetts. Senator Eileen Donoghue said, "His history and connection to Massachusetts is very strong. Not only is he a cowboy from Massachusetts, but he is a wonderful role model who gave a lot back.” The bill passed the Senate in 2014.
