From the Marth Retsch collection
Martha Retsch was initially one of hundreds of subscribers to the Sons of the Pioneers' fanzine, Sam Allen's Tumbleweed Topics. Some of her poetry was featured in them. However, because of World War II and the fact that the Pioneers were exceptionally busy at this time, Tumbleweed Topics gradually faded out. Retsch decided it was time to get a Sons of the Pioneers' fan club going, so she started one in 1943, complete with a newsletter called The Prairie Prattler.
Sam Allen put her in touch with Charles Reed Jones, who was with Republic Pictures’ New York office, and Jones sent her photos for her covers, information about the Sons of the Pioneers’ work schedules, etc. By 1944, the little newspaper had become four pages, professionally printed. The national fan club grew quickly. Both magazines, Tumbleweed Topics and The Prairie Prattler, contain much information useful to Sons of the Pioneers historians.
Retsch was careful to keep her paper informative and factual, avoiding the drollery of the Tumbleweed Topics. She included her own eyewitness accounts of the Pioneers’ appearances at rodeos, banquets, and even the Republic set when The Man from Oklahoma was being filmed.
The snapshots and publicity stills below were originally from Retsch’s personal collection. We are grateful to John Fullerton, to whom Retsch gave the originals, for the images and to Josh Heston for scanning them.
The Sons of the Pioneers with fan club president Martha Retsch. Sunday, October 10, 1943 at the Astor Hotel, New York City.
Caption on the back reads: Martha Retsch, president of the Sons of the Pioneers Club, Virginia Sullivan (Massachusetts Ranch Boss), Roy Rogers, and Virginia Shaw (Pennsylvania Ranch Boss) at a Fan Club party in honor of Roy on Sunday October 10, 1943.
Left: Marth Retsch, Tim Spencer, and Virginia Gallick. Right: Tim and Velma Spencer
March 5, 1945
Hugh Farr and Tim Spencer on the Republic Studios set of “Man from Oklahoma,” March 27, 1945
Fan Emma Hackett with Hugh Farr (left) and Tim Spencer (right).
Reading, Pennsylvania October 20, 1945