Betty Jeanne Grayson, a diminutive, pig-tailed actress, was hailed as the "perfect western actress" by Gene Autry, a title she lived up to with her prerequisite attributes for the genre.
Born to a prominent Arkansas physician, who later became the State Health Officer, Grayson was trained in drama and dance at the University of Texas. Her athletic disposition, keen swimming, golfing, and tennis skills, as well as her expertise in riding and trick shots, made her a standout in the western genre.
Grayson's arrival in Hollywood occurred in 1946, and her entry into the film industry is shrouded in mystery. Some sources claim she was spotted by an MGM talent scout while working as a hat check girl, while others suggest she met Autry while performing amateur dramatics at an Army Air Force camp show.
The story goes that Autry, who was serving in the military at the time, was so impressed with Grayson that he told her to look him up later at Columbia studios. This chance encounter led to her co-starring opposite Autry in fifteen of his films, as well as appearing in at least a dozen episodes of his TV show.
Grayson's feisty personality, tomboyish aptitudes, and good looks soon made her a staple in outdoorsy films. She became known for doing all of her own stunts, a feat that earned her the nickname "The Queen of the Westerns."
In 1954, Autry produced the TV series Annie Oakley, starring Grayson as the titular heroine, a gun-toting, single-action Colt-wielding heroine who disarmed her screen villains rather than killing them. This role brought Grayson additional prominence, as she became the first female to command the nominal lead in a western TV series.
For her contributions to the western genre, Grayson was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a testament to her enduring legacy as a pioneering female western actress.
