Biography
Rex Trailer was born in Fort Worth and grew up just outside the city. He spent summers at his grandfather's quarter horse ranch in Thurbur, Texas, where he owned his first horse. The ranch hands were rodeo riders who taught him trick roping, bull whip handling, and guitar playing. Trailer was also a square dance caller and sang with a group called "The Rambling Rustlers." Eventually, he joined a rodeo and, while touring, met movie star Gabby Hayes. He was hired to work at Hayes' summer ranch for children in the Catskill Mountains of New York. This meeting changed Trailer's life, as Hayes encouraged him to pursue children's television as an on-air personality.
In 1947, Trailer worked for the Dumont Television Network in New York City, starting as a scenery painter before quickly advancing to production coordinator and then assistant director. He eventually became the host of his own show, Oky Dokey Ranch, in which he played a cowboy alongside Oky Dokey, a cowboy puppet. Trailer then moved to Philadelphia after hearing about an opening for a host on a western-style children's show. He starred in "Ridin' the Trail With Rex Trailer," which aired from 1950 to 1956. When the TV station was sold to NBC, Trailer still had two years left on his contract and was offered a job with Westinghouse in either Cleveland or Boston. He chose Boston, where "Boomtown" was created. The show’s name came from the Clark Gable movie, and Trailer composed the theme song on the day he was hired. "Boomtown" became his greatest success, running from 1956 to 1974.
Throughout the show's run, Rex had several sidekicks. His first was "Pablo," played by Richard Kilbride. After Kilbride passed away in 1967, "Cactus Pete," played by Terrance Currier, became the sidekick, followed by "Sergeant Billy," played by Bill O'Brien. During this period, Trailer made numerous appearances throughout the Boston area and partnered with a local travel agency to chaperone children on trips to California theme parks called "Rex Trailer Goes West." He was also recognized as an advocate for children with disabilities.
After "Boomtown" ended, Trailer hosted a syndicated science series called "Earth Lab" until 1979. Beyond his cowboy persona, Rex was a licensed pilot, skydiver, scuba diver, and water skier. He was also an accomplished singer, recording two songs in 1950: "Cowboys Don't Cry" and "Hoofbeats." The song "Hoofbeats" was used on "Boomtown" to transition scenes between the bunkhouse and the main set.
Trailer was married to Karoline "Cindy" Trailer from 1956 until her death in 2010. In 2012, he continued to appear at events across Massachusetts. He passed away at the age of 84 in Florida on January 9, 2013.
