Mustard and Gravy

by Frank M. Roberts

May 2016

You probably have to be an ultra-knowledgeable western music fan to remember this menu: Mustard and Gravy. Anyway, read on - patiently - and you will see a tie-in with some familiar names.

Frank Rice and Ernest L. Stokes got together in 1933 in The Tarheel State. (Note - Rice was a close personal friend for many years). They worked together for about 20 years - entertaining country audiences. And, they wrote a few folk-style offerings, as well as one rockabilly offering.

The duo hailed from Wilson N. C. where Rice ran a men's clothing store, and broadcast over an area radio station, WGTM, from a studio he set up in the rear of his home.

M & G were both married - to sisters. They got started by winning a local talent contest, then moved on to a bigger radio station. Ah, those were the cozy fun days - no sophistication, just a hunk of down home fun.

Things were looking up. They got a recording contract with RCA's Bluebird label. (That's the 78 that went for 35 cents). They cut some sessions in September, 1938 working out of South Carolina.

Their specialty was country novelty with a hillbilly edge. They also did minstrel numbers and a few cuttings that can be described as early - very early - rock 'n roll. Well, they had some numbers that sort-of anticipated r 'n r.

Mustard and Gravy were discovered by Smiley Burnette who, in addition to keeping Autry fans happy, was a country novelty performer, and a musician-songwriter who played a variety of instruments.

He went to the head honchos at Columbia Pictures and recommended his two friends. Things were definitely looking up. They made eight pictures in 1948, and another in '49.

They appeared with Eddy Arnold and, they toured with that estimable performer as well. After World War 2 they cut a single - "Be Bop Boogie," which was written by Rice. Initially, it was released on the Gotham label. A performer named Harry Gay liked it and recorded it. Then the song was released in pure rockabilly fashion by Don Hager And the Hot Tots.

The Library Of Congress released one of their recordings, a Rice original called, "Circus Parade." (minus the elephants). It is part of that government agency's "Folk Music In America" series, volume 13 ("Songs Of Childhood"). The year for that was 1978.

In an earlier column I wrote about spending the day at Rice's home when he was entertaining his close friends, Burnette and Rufe Davis, when they portrayed the "Petticoat Junction" engineers. Davis was one of the original Three Mesquiteers.

Rice's earliest offerings were in 'silents' in 1922. Often - no surprise - he appeared in many comic bit roles. Most notably, he played the butler in Laurel and Hardy's "Pack Up Your Troubles." That was in 1932, and that was when he did his 'specialty' - the rolling eyeballs.

Beginning in 1931 he semi-successfully pursued a career as a comedy sidekick appearing opposite John Wayne and Buck Jones. As Mustard and Gravy they made about six Arnold movies and one with Charles Starrett.

Not well known, but they kept happily busy making folks happy.

Stokes retired early. Rice died in his mid-40s of complications ensuing from nehpritis and hepatitis.