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Smiley Burnette

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Actor

The Resume

    (March 18, 1911-February 16, 1967)
    Born in Summumm, Illinois
    Birth name is Lester Alvin Burnette
    Acted in 'In Old Santa Fe,' 'Public Cowboy No. 1,' 'Dick Tracy,' 'Melody Trail,' 'Tumbling Tumbleweeds,' 'Man from Music Mountain,' 'Rhythm of the Saddle,' 'The Singing Hill,' 'Back in the Saddle,' and 'Rovin Tumbleweeds'
    Best known as Frog 'Ole Frog' Milhouse in a popular series of Gene Autry movies
    Also played the railroad engineer Charlie Pratt on episodes of 'Petticoat Junction' and 'Green Acres' (1963-1967)
    Wrote over 400 western songs, many of which he performed in his films
    Played Frog Milhouse in over 80 Westerns, acted in over 100 Westerns overall
    Songs composed included 'Steamboat Bill,' 'Ridin' Down the Canyon (To Watch the Sun Go Down),' 'On the Strings of My Lonesome Guitar,' 'Fetch Me Down My Trusty .45,' 'Ridin' All Day,' 'It's Indian Summer' 'The Wind Sings a Cowboy Song,' 'The Old Covered Wagon,' and 'Western Lullaby'
    Inducted into the Cowtown Society of Western Music Hall of Fame as a Hero (May 5, 2012)

Why he might be annoying:

    He had his name legally changed to 'Smiley.'
    When he wasn't playing Frog Milhouse, he was playing himself.
    He was typecast as the comical sidekick in B-Westerns, usually to Gene Autry or Roy Rogers.
    His singing voice was a hoarse, groggy, raspy variation of his own voice, kind of like a frog's (hence the Frog nickname).
    He was known for his dotty, side-hobby inventions created out of his home, often involving wire hangers.
    One specific 'invention' resembled an organ with pipes, levers, and pull mechanisms - he called it 'the Jassackaphone' (go ahead and laugh).
    He had an affinity with white stallions with black rings around the Left eye.
    His partnership with Gene Autry was broken up when Autry left for service in WWII. When Autry returned, Burnette had signed with Columbia Studios to become Charles Starrett's new sidekick.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He wrote Jimmy Wakely's 1940s theme song.
    He was proficient in close to 100 instruments.
    He took his stage name from a Mark Twain short story.
    His fans maintain an awesome website dedicated to him.
    He remains a fan favorite among B-Western enthusiasts and Encore Westerns viewers.
    He had excellent chemistry with Gene Autry (whom he had both been discovered and mentored by).
    He was the first supporting actor to regularly appear on the Top Ten Western money-maker list.
    He donated his original hat and shirt to the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City in 1962.
    Many believe that Autry's replacement sidekick, Pat Buttram, ran a poor second to the original.
    He traveled so much that he received an award from the National Safety Council for having worn out 27 cars without being involved in a single accident.
    His songs were actually recorded by a wide array of artists, including Bing Crosby, Willie Nelson, Ferlin Husky, Rex Allen, Johnny Lee Willis, Riders in the Sky, and Leon Russell.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 26 Votes: 42.31% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 74 Votes: 44.59% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 9 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 191 Votes: 47.64% Annoying