In the 1980s, the major male players in country music were George Strait, Hank Williams Jr., Randy Travis, Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, and, of course, Kenny Rogers. Between 1977 and 1987, Rogers scored 20 No. 1 hits on the country charts, and a few of those hits were also crossover successes. However, Rogers was not only a country musician, but also one of television’s leading men, and on this day, Kenny Rogers graced television screens across America as Ex-Rodeo Rider Matt Cooper in the TV movie for CBS, Wild Horses.
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Kenny Rogers’ CBS TV movie, Wild Horses, was the country singer’s fifth movie. Prior to starring in the film, Rogers starred in films, The Gambler, Coward of the County, Six Pack, and Gambler: The Adventure Continues. Needless to say, Rogers found his niche as an actor, and that niche was portraying rogue Western souls on the silver screen and on the television screen.
The Legacy of Kenny Rogers’ ‘Wild Horses’
On this day, November 12, 1985, people across the country tuned into CBS for the premiere of Wild Horses. As one might imagine, the movie has not gone down in history as a meaningful and artistically nuanced piece of cinema. However, it served and still serves a very valuable purpose, and that is entertainment.
While the movie might be overly predictable, a bit cliché, and generally not moving or mind-bending, it is entertaining. After all, what American doesn’t like a good old-fashioned Western movie about a cowboy from Texas who stands up against corruption and discovers a new love interest in the process? Seemingly, not too many, as directors and producers have remade this kind of movie countless times.
Even though Kenny Rogers didn’t star in the next Fistful of Dollars, his appearance in the film showcased his versatility as an artist and his domestic appeal as a celebrity. Rogers might not have been an actor first, but networks don’t just cast anybody into movies they pour millions of dollars into. So, in all, don’t expect to be moved to tears when you watch this movie. Rather, expect to be entertained for 91 minutes with guns, horses, cowboy hats, and romance.
Following this film, Kenny Rogers went on to pursue his film career in movies such as The Luck of the Draw, Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story, and Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story.
Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
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