"Rodeo Ben" - The Polish Cowboy

[Chuckwagon]

"Rodeo Ben" - The Polish Cowboy
Who made all those fancy western britches for Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and other famous film stars during the 1940`s? Why... Rodeo Ben of course! You know... the "Polish Cowboy" named Bernard Lichtenstein. "Ben" was born in Lodz, Poland in 1893 and eventually immigrated to the United States. In 1920, he opened his own tailoring store and seemed to do very well. However, after his 50th birthday, during the late 1940`s war years, Ben was found working for the Blue Bell Corporation designing Wrangler Jeans in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Here he not only designed those "too tight in the crotch" and "too blue" jeans, but tailored those beautiful cowboy outfits - sequins and all - seen on the silver screen. The thirties, forties, and fifties, were kind to the cowboys of Hollywood and soon "Rodeo Ben" Bernard Lichtenstein, the "Polish Cowboy", had a waiting list of all those colorful characters we saw in the matinee features. My favorites were "Lash LaRue" and "Hopalong Cassidy". Who were yours?
Bernard Lichtenstein, the Polish Cowboy known as Rodeo Ben, born in Lodz, Poland, passed away in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at age 92! See if you can recall any of these western cowboys. Yeee Hawww! Next, name their horses! (I`ll bet I can get most of them).

Art Acord
Bob Allen aka "Tex" Allen
Rex Allen
Bronco Billy Anderson
Gene Autry
Bob "Tumbleweed" Baker
Ballew Smith
Red Ryder (Jim Bannon)
Red Barry
Buzz Barton (shortest cowboy 5`2")
Rex Bell (Married to Clara Bow)
Johnny Mack Brown
William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy)
Smiley Burnette
Harry Carey
Sunset Carson
Lane Chandler
Bill Cody
Wild Bill Elliott
Dale Evans
Kirby Grant (Sky King)
Hoot Gibson
Monte Hale
William S. Hart
Gabby Hayes
Jack Holt (son was Tim Holt)
Buck Jones
Tom Keene
Fuzzy Knight
Allan "Rocky" Lane
Lash LaRue
Bob Livingston
Jack Luden
Jock Mahoney
Ken Maynard
Tim McCoy
Tom Mix (Hollywood`s first Western "megastar")
Clayton Moore (The Lone Ranger)
Pete Morrison
Jim Newill
Dorothy Page
Slim Pickens
Jack Randall
Duncan Renaldo (The Cisco Kid)
Tex Ritter
Roy Rogers
Reb Russell
Buddy Roosevelt
Charles Starrett (The Durango Kid)
Bob Steele
Fred Scott
Peggy Stewart
Fred Thomson (silent movies)
Tom Tyler
Jimmy Wakely

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

[el Ducko]

Is it true that Roy Rogers had Trigger stuffed and mounted, standing near his fireplace?
...and weren't Roy Rogers and Dale Evans married in real life?
...and was Dale really a cowBOY?

(It's those pesky Inquiring Minds, again!)