Quotes

[on working with Roy Rogers in Heart of the Golden West (1942)] It was a lot of fun, because Roy was a lot of fun. He joked with us; he was so sweet. Gabby Hayes [George 'Gabby' Hayes], Smiley Burnette and the Sons of the Pioneers were all in it--all people Roy had worked with over and over; so he was comfortable. It was one of the films I made in Lone Pine.

[on working with Gene Autry] I did Call of the Canyon (1942) with Gene Autry, my first western. Two things I remember about the picture and Gene Autry. First, I never ever talked to the man! He did speak to the fellows on the picture, but not with the girls. I never said anything to him, nor he to me. I don't even recall him saying "Good morning". We just did the scenes and that was it. The other thing I remember is he kept us waiting one night. Gene was a very big star then, and he had it in his contract he wouldn't have to work after 6 pm. Gene was punctual, knew his lines; always there in the morning. But on the last day of shooting, they needed another two hours. They didn't want to bring everybody back the next day for just a couple of hours shooting. They argued with Gene about breaking his rule, just this once. He firmly said, "No". Finally, he said, "Okay, let's eat dinner". He never came back--he left us all there, waiting on his return, which didn't happen until the next morning! A lot of people got an extra day's pay as a result, but not me as I was under contract to Hughes [Howard Hughes].

[on being under contract to Howard Hughes, who at the time owned RKO Pictures, and how she wound up at Republic Pictures] Howard was notorious for having women stashed all over town. When he found out I wouldn't give him anything, he sold me to Republic.

[about Republic Pictures chief Herbert J. Yates, her boss for several years] He was a mean man--very cheap--a tyrant, especially when it came to money! I guess Vera [wife Vera Ralston] ended up with all his money--she earned it, for putting up with him all those years!