(1920–1999)
“The last of the singing cowboys,” so Allen was billed in his later acting years, along with Monte Hale. After World War II, Republic developed these two singing cowboys. Allen made only 19 Westerns, beginning with The Arizona Cowboy (1950). To be billed as a clean-cut role model for young fans, Allen, as part of his contract with Republic, pledged to not smoke or drink in public and to always wear cowboy dress. As a veterinarian in Border Saddlemates(1952), Allen’s character, who is treating a boy’s pet fox that is about to die, assures the boy that God loves animals the same as humans. Then he sings about God saving the animals in Noah’s ark. Allen’s production unit folded in 1953. Known for his deeply mellow voice, Allen turned to recording and to being a longtime narrator for Disney films.
Historical Dictionary of Westerns in Cinema. Paul Varner. 2012.