[on
Harry Lauter] Harry probably saved my life. We were up at Big Bear for a week's location shoot with [
Gene Autry]. Harry and I were doing heavies. I'm supposed to ride by a rock, Gene follows and bulldogs me into the lake for a fight in that cold water. Harry has to ride by with
Pat Buttram pursuing him--Pat bulldogs him and he succumbs to Pat--on dry ground. Now, I had a bad cold all week--real sick, coughing, no medication. Unbeknownst to me, Harry talked to director
George Archainbaud and said, "What's the difference who goes in the water? Let us switch places". So we did. If I'd gone in the water I would have come down with pneumonia and possibly died. To this day, I say Harry probably saved my life. He was always good for a laugh--take a bad situation and make it fun.