1. A cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
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Gene’s Ten Cowboy Commandments began to evolve from such Autry-related publicity as the item “Nine Cardinal Rules Govern Production of All Autry Films,” which ran in the 1949 press book forRiders in the Sky. As early as August 1947, Gene had pronounced cowboy-code mandates during his Melody Ranch radio show dramas. Gene’s PR team promoted his Cowboy Code, which was referred to in the 1948 Life magazine feature, and fan magazines began to publicize the rules as they evolved. Tenets promoting an ethical, moral, and patriotic lifestyle had an affinity to those of such youth organizations as the Boy Scouts, which developed similar doctrines. The rules were a natural progression of Gene’s philosophies going back to his first Melody Ranch programs – and early pictures.
—Holly George-Warren, Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry.
H/T: Robbie Knight/Facebook, Source: GeneAutry.com