Gene Autry starring role by Levine in 1935 in the 12-part serial "The Phantom Empire." Shortly thereafter, Mascot was absorbed by the newly formed Republic Pictures Corp. and Autry went along to make a further 44 films up to 1940, all B Westerns in which he played under his own name, rode his horse, Champion, had Burnette as his regular sidekick, and had many opportunities to sing in each film. Pat Buttram was picked by Gene Autry, recently returned from his World War II service in the United States Army Air Forces, to work with him. Buttram would co-star with Gene Autry
Al Autry the major leagues. Al Autry Albert Autry (born February 29, 1952) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Autry was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the fourth round of the 1969 amateur draft, and started playing minor league baseball with Winnipeg in the Northern League. On September 14, 1976, he was the starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves against the Houston Astros at Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium. He pitched five innings, gave up four hits, three earned runs and struck out three and was credited with the win in a 4–3 Braves victory, in what would be his