HAPPY TRAILS
THE REAL LIFE ADVENTURES OF ROY ROGERS AND DALE EVANS
Book by Marshall Brickman (Jersey Boys, Annie Hall)
Music and lyrics by T Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart, Walk the Line)
Directed by Des McAnuff (Ain’t Too Proud, Jersey Boys, The Who’s Tommy)
Heroes aren’t born; they’re made – with a little bit of luck. Happy Trails – The Real Life Adventures of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans is the world premiere musical about the extraordinary rise of Hollywood’s iconic Western stars. Over 80 million people every year watched the adventures of Roy, Dale, and their sidekicks – Trigger “The Smartest Horse in the Movies” and Bullet “The Wonder Dog.” They are remembered as authentic American heroes, yet their paths to stardom were anything but straightforward. Created by a renowned team of Tony, Grammy, Academy Award, and Olivier Award winners, Happy Trails – The Real Life Adventures of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans will make its world premiere on a date to be announced.
Movie Images
Trigger’s Audition
Roy, Dale, Trigger
Ride Along With Us
Excitement is gathering around the legacy of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (and Trigger and Bullet!):
- A major musical coming,
- Movies available from Mill Creek Entertainment,
- A pristine collector’s edition of some of the original Roy Rogers comic books announced at ComicCon by Hermes Press are now available.
We’ll keep you-to-date and include you as things happen!
Provide your email address and you’ll be included and we’ll share all the developments in real time with regard to the musical opening in 2024.
About Us
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans showed the real power of deep relationship as together they were so much more than they would have been apart.
- Roy and Dale made 88 movies (seen by 80,000,000 people yearly in the 1940’s). They also made 100 episodes of the Roy Rogers television shows with Trigger, Bullet, Nellybelle and an amazing cast of characters, sponsored by Post Cereals (Roy’s picture appeared on 2.5 billion boxes), and other major advertisers.
- Roy’s line of monthly comic books sold at a rate of 1,300,000 per issue (published in multiple languages).
- Roy and Dale served as role models for millions of people worldwide, adopted many children into the family with their own children, some of whom were of different ethnicities, and attended to some with special needs.
- From the 1940’s until the mid-1950’s, Roy had approximately 400 merchandising items, second only to Disney in commercial tie-ups. And from 1945 to 1975, Roy’s manager stated that the public had spent in excess of one billion dollars on the name Roy Rogers.
Thanks Roy. Thanks Dale. You are loved forever!
Music
Roy and Dale composed and performed hundreds of songs for commercial sale, their movies, television series, and their radio shows. The iconic “Happy Trails”, penned by Dale Evans, was the theme song for 100 episodes of the Roy Rogers TV series and also the closing song for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Their ability to draw a live audience, as one example, held box office records at Madison Square Garden in New York City for many years.
From the 1930’s, and throughout his career, Roy performed with the Sons of the Pioneers. His son, Roy “Dusty” Rogers Jr., performed with them around the country until December, 2023. (www.sonsofthepioneers.org)
Movies
Comics
Hermes Press has produced a hard cover collector’s edition of some early Roy Rogers Comic Books. They are on sale now. (buy now)
Roy’s comic books originally sold at an average of 1,300,000 per issue (sold in multiple languages). As well, the Roy Rogers newspaper comic strips were in print up until 1961. Hermes Press did a reissue of the comic strips in 2011 as a hard cover collector’s edition, which quickly sold out.