Off The Beaten Trail: When Roy Rogers Met Wonder Woman

“Say “Roy Rogers” in a game of word association and you’ll probably hear “Dale Evans” as the response. Unless you’re in certain parts of the Northeast where the Roy Rogers Restaurants are located — then the response is likely to be “roast beef” or “fried chicken.”

“Still, Dale was certainly Roy’s most beloved co-star, both on- and off-screen. But in 1977, the King of the Cowboys spent a memorable hour with another illustrious legend that also knew how to handle a lasso.

“Wonder Woman was a television adaptation of the DC comic book starring Lynda Carter as the Amazon princess. From the series’ first season, set during World War II, an episode called “The Bushwhackers” featured Roy as a cattleman who supplies beef to the troops, and opens up his Diamond H Ranch to war-orphaned children.

“Rustlers attempt to close down his operation, with help from an unlikely inside source. Roy calls an old army buddy in Washington, and Col. Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner) is dispatched to find the cattle thieves. He is captured almost immediately upon landing in Texas, but as always Wonder Woman is nearby for the rescue.

“Lynda Carter, perfectly cast as Wonder Woman, was also an experienced rider, which boosts the authenticity of the scenes where she and Roy ride side by side to round up the rustlers. While Wonder Woman first appears in her familiar comic book costume, Carter spends most of the episode in a fetching, albeit more modest, western-themed variation on the iconic Wonder Woman outfit. It’s been rumored that the change was made because Roy was uncomfortable around the sight of so much super-cleavage.

“The series, which lasted three seasons, was rarely as memorable as its leading lady, and indeed the best moments in “The Bushwhackers” are those where the viewer can just sit back an enjoy the teamwork between two American heroes, joining forces for the first and last time.”

This video shows Wonder Woman riding various horses but the first cut includes a scene with Roy.