He Recently Presented The Prestigious Sir John Templeton Epiphany Prize To Chuck Norris, TV’s star of Present "Walker, Texas Ranger"

By Dan Wooding

HOLLYWOOD, CA (October 9, 1998) Bob "Tex" Allen (born I.E. Theodore Baehr), the original Texas Ranger of the silver screen of the 1930s, died in Oyster Bay, New York, on October 9 at the age of 92, after a brief illness. Allen starred in the original Texas Ranger cowboy movies, including "Ranger Courage" and "Rio Grande Ranger."

His son, Dr. Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of MOVIEGUIDE, said, "My father was a great man of integrity, love, and compassion and they all went together. He wore a white hat not only on-screen but off-screen. He was selfless in his giving and a true friend. He was thoughtful and always put his family first, but even so, he was shocked by rudeness and crudeness.

"He was also a man who respected others and had great dignity. These came naturally to him. doing the right thing seemed to be built into the fabric of his life. As a result, he was deeply loved by everyone who met him."

One of the original Hollywood screen cowboys, Bob "Tex" Allen, was the husband of the late Evelyn Peirce and father of Katherine Meyer (married to Charles) and Theodore "Ted" Baehr (married to Liliana), and grandfather of Katherine Merritt, Charles and Robert (Ted) Meyer, and Peirce, James, Robert, Evilyn Baehr, and great grandfather of Edward, Henry and Robert Merritt, and Caroline, Margaret and Charles G. Meyer the 4th.

MADE PRESENTATION TO CHUCK NORRIS

The veteran movie-star had in July presented Chuck Norris, star of the highly-rated CBS television series, "Walker, Texas Ranger," with the prestigious Sir John Templeton Epiphany Prize. The ceremony took place in Dallas, Texas. The Epiphany Prize is presented annually by the Christian Film & Television Commission, a non-profit organization headed by Dr. Ted Baehr and committed to educating the entertainment industry and the public about the media's impact on society.

Mr. Allen graduated from New York Military Academy in 1924 and Dartmouth College in 1929.

In the 1930s, Mr. Allen was under contract to Columbia Pictures and 20^th Century Fox. He played juvenile lead and starring roles in over 40 films, including movie classics such as: "Perils of Pauline" (1934); "Crime and Punishment" (1935); "Air Hawks" (1935); "The Black Room Mystery" (1935); "Craig's Wife" (1936); "The Awful Truth" (1937); "Fighting Thoroughbreds" (1939); and, "Winter Carnival" (1939). Mr. Allen won the coveted Box Office Award for his lead role as Philip Cameron in "Love Me Forever" (1935) and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Lafayette in the "The Life of Lafayette" (1936).

Mr. Allen was the star of the "Bob Allen Ranger" series, directed by Spencer Gordon Bennett for Columbia Pictures, which included: "Rio Grande Ranger"; "The Rangers Step In"; "Ranger Courage"; and, "Law of the Range." After the first four movies when the Box Office Poll of Western Stars was published in 1937, Bob "Tex" Allen was rated as popular as the renowned Tim McCoy in the list of Western Stars!

After these pictures were produced, Harold Dodds, the Casting Director, was quoted as saying, "Bob, I’m sorry but I’ve got bad news for you. … As you don’t play the guitar, they’ve decided to go with a kid from Ohio they have under contract at $75 a week; a boy named Roy Rogers."

Between 1939 and 1940, Mr. Allen appeared opposite Claudia Morgan in the West Coast company of "The Man Who Came to Dinner" at the Biltmore Theatre in Los Angeles and the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, and when that closed, Mr. Allen rushed back East to play opposite Miriam Hopkins in a revival of "Design For Living".

During World War II, Mr. Allen starred in the USO production of "Over 21" in North Africa and Italy.

After the war, Mr. Allen starred and was featured in the theater on Broadway in such classic plays as: "I Killed the Count"; "Kiss Them For Me"; "Showboat"; "Auntie Mame"; and, the revival of "Whoopie."

Mr. Allen also appeared in highly-successful national tours, such as "The Greeks Had a Word For It"; "Junior Miss"; "Blind Alley"; and, "Time For Elizabeth."

During a 45-year period after the war, Mr. Allen also starred and was a featured player in numerous television programs, movies and many commercials.

Mr. Allen stated, "The years of Hollywood are only a memory, albeit a happy one – and the Bob Allen Ranger films the happiest. Tim McCoy and I got along fine, but my fondest memories are of my wonderful side-kick in the series, Wally Wales (Hal Taliafero)! God Bless his soul. And yours!"

Said Dr. Baehr, "From our post-modern perch, it's hard to look back at the Golden Age of Hollywood and realize that there were men of worth and integrity. Many of them have gone this year -- Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Jimmy Stewart.

"Hollywood may think this is corny. Our modern society may think that people need to indulge their baser natures, but I think we need to realize that there are heroes and we need to find those heroes and manifest those virtues in our own life. My father was one of those heroes."

In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to:

The Christian Film and Television Commission

2510-G Las Posas Rd., #502

Camarillo, CA 93010

For more information, please contact: Dr. Ted Baehr’s secretary, Sandra Bell, at (770) 825-0084; or, Dr. Baehr at (805) 383-2000; or, the funeral home:

Mr. Paul Montelione

Funeral Director

Beney Funeral Home

79 Berry Hill Rd.

Syosset, N.Y. 11791

516. 921-2888

JPEG pictures of Bob "Tex" Allen are available to be sent by e-mail. Just send an e-mail to Dan Wooding at: <assist@compuserve>.

The selection of photographs of Bob "Tex" Allen include:

– Mr. Allen with Ruth Chatterton in "Lady of Secrets"

– Mr. Allen with Peter Lorre in "Crime and Punishment"

– Mr. Allen with horse from Texas Ranger series.

– Mr. Allen with Chuck Norris in July, 1998.

– Mr. Allen presenting Chuck Norris with the Epiphany Prize with Ted Baehr.