Major funding for this program was provided by the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs State Historic Preservation Office.

Additional funding was provided by Nevada Humanities and the Nevada Arts Council.

MUSIC >>Marla Carr: Hi I'm Marla Carr Welcome to House with a History.

When the uninitiated think of Reno, Nevada, they conjure up casinos and divorce courts.

But what about the cowboys who could ride, and rope, handle a six-shooter, and crack a bull whip?

They made a living herding cows or divorcees, and may have traveled the rodeo circuit.

These buckaroos were just as colorful as the gangster or the high-roller.

And there were the cowgirls.

They worked the ranch, competed in the barrel races and may have dreamed of becoming a Rodeo Queen.

Josephine Ruth Clarke realized that dream in 1945 just before her first substantial role in a Monogram Studio western.

She took the name Reno Browne, and she could ride and rope better than Whip Wilson or Johnny Mack Brown.

She slipped into Hollywood as a stunt woman, but was celebrated, briefly, as a western starlit.

She grew up in Reno.

At twenty-five Brett Harte Street.

MUSIC >>Carr: In 1928, Mr. and Mrs. John Robb Clarke built a house on a newly developed street, Brett Harte.

They settled in the Spanish Mission Revival home with their 7-year old daughter, Ruth.

Today, the ivy creeps up the walls, trees shade the house, and the yard.

The grass is lush.

The swimming pool, thought to be one of the first in Reno, is cool and inviting.

But the home was initially on a barren piece of property.

>>Alicia Barber: I think it's really fascinating to look at the early photographs of this house because it looked quite different from the outside.

Not only was there a lot less vegetation around because we, we think of this neighborhood now as having a lot of trees, and it does.

But, initially, it didn't.

Um, so, the, the turret part of the outside is very striking, but also it was only one story.

So, you see the flat roof that is typical of, of a Mission style, uh, toward the right side of the facade of the original home.

Now, they, you know, they, they built up that second floor quite, quite soon, I believe.

And, so what was traditionally sort of the top of that roof-line had been transferred into kind of a nice, decorative line that is just the transition into the second floor that now has the, the gabled roof.

>>Carr: Though the second floor addition may originally have been used for entertaining, present-day owners, Mary and Peter Conklin, have converted it into the master bedroom.

>>Barber: Well, the house is a really good example of a kind of an eclectic Spanish Revival style, and that was a style that became popular around the opening of the Panama Canal in about 1915 and continued in popularity till about the beginning of World War II.

And, it was, had some distinctive elements that were really the kind of the result of this craze for everything sort of Spanish and Mediterranean and Latin influence.

So, of course, you notice the stucco right away.

And, the stucco is a, an important component of this kind of Spanish Revival.

That here you can see it's been applied really lavishly.

I mean, it has a great texture to it so you really see that hand-applied, you know, with a trowel, um, idea for stucco.

Um, and then you see the red tile roof.

And, red tile roof, these are actually made of, of barrel tiles which are that sort of cylindrical kind of tile and it's very durable, it's made of clay.

Initially they were made when the artisans would make that, that barrel shape by putting it over their leg.

Um, but these would have been machine-made and, and they generally are today.

>>Barber: Um, another distinctive feature is going to be arched windows.

And, you see these beautiful windows that, that are on this house with that arched style.

So Spanish Revival will have that.

What you notice about the wall is that the wall's actually a Mission style.

You see that distinctive silhouette that is associated with missions that is on this stucco wall, um, and then creates this sense of a really nice interior courtyard with the pool and the wrought iron fences, and creates that kind of idea of a little internal village-like feel, I think.

MUSIC >>Carr: The entry way is a bit of a surprise.

The round turret has tile floors, a high ceiling and it echoes.

The interior walls continue the stucco found on the exterior.

The starkness of the white gives the space a sense of added dimension as well as coolness.

The two decorative tiles in the wall of the turret are original, and are repeated in the tiles that appear on the stair riser.

The tiles that run 'round the room were added by Mary and provide a colorful and historically consistent touch.

>>Barber: The kind of tiles they have here were very popular in the '20's and '30's.

There were about a hundred tile companies that sprung up in Southern California around this time because there was this big craze for Spanish Revival houses and the Spanish Revival style was actually the most popular style in Los Angeles during the '20's and '30's.

MUSIC >>Carr: The house has several levels, and we ascend two steps into a dining room.

This is a fairly large space and was used by the Clarke's as a living room.

The Conklin's decision to transform it into a dining room makes perfect sense given Mary's fondness for entertaining, and the fact that she raised three children in this house.

Most of the details remain.

MUSIC >>Barber: Some very typical to the Spanish Revival components in here are the use of sconces.

Also the use of the dark brown wood as accents.

So, that really plays off the white stucco walls very well and becomes very dramatic.

You also see these inset, um, little eaves.

Um, another important component is this fireplace that I'm sitting in front of that has, again, a very eclectic kind of feeling because it has that feeling of a traditional Kiva Style adobe fireplace more associated with the Pueblo tradition, but with those rounded edges and with the tapering towards the ceiling.

But, it also has these Western elements.

It has a very flat mantle.

And, then, of course, the opening is, is more rectangular, so it's again an example of just picking and choosing.

>>Carr: If we were to cross the dining room to the right, we would enter a hallway that would lead us to the original three bedrooms and bath.

However, we turn to descend into the sitting room.

The handrails were made by Reno Iron Works, and have a Spanish influence.

The archway is flared at the bottom and extremely thick, giving it a feeling not only or prominence, but again, that mission or Spanish influence.

MUSIC >>Carr: The tiled risers beneath the steps match those in the entry.

The ceiling boasts beams, dark, matching the flooring, but accented with just a touch of red.

The flooring in both the dining area and sitting room is original to the house, and has aged with grace.

MUSIC >>Carr: This room was initially the dining room, but Mary thought it too small for her purposes.

She therefore converted it into a sitting room.

It's a perfect place to spend the morning, with light coming through the French doors.

In the summer they can be opened to extend the room onto the patio.

A doorway that is arched takes us into the kitchen.

MUSIC >>Carr: This has been the second kitchen remodel that Mary has undertaken in her seventeen years in the house.

Though containing modern elements - the lights - the stainless steel - the funky knobs that dress the cabinets - this space has somehow maintained the feeling of the house.

The dark floors mirror those in other rooms.

The table and chairs pick up colors from the dining room.

The valances over the windows match the upholstered chairs in the sitting room.

And, oddly enough, one's senses bring it all together.

MUSIC >>Carr: The kitchen has been enlarged to add an eating area.

Around the corner is a small office, a laundry area and a half bath.

We move back through the sitting room.

From the stairs we view the family room.

It's dominated by a fireplace of Truckee River Rock.

The maroon colored grout is most unusual.

>>Barber: Well, of course, when you descend into that room and, again, it, it makes a statement just to, to walk into it.

Um, you see that fireplace directly in front of you and it's gorgeous and it's huge and it's using that local river rock.

But, then there are other touches that are still going along with the Spanish Revival theme and it's the combination that makes it so unique.

These beautiful sconces that are so intricate and remind me very much of the Spanish Colonial, Spanish, um, type of design in the intricacy, in the metalwork.

Um, and, and so having those on those, those walls, very, very striking in the look of it.

And, then, of course, the big windows that we saw from the outside that are just a visual statement now from the exterior fill that room with light.

Um, and it's just gorgeous.

>>Carr: Can you picture Ruth Clarke, her mother, her father, curled up in front of this fireplace?

Warming themselves during a Nevada winter?

She was just seven when she came to live here.

During that time she would have learned to ride and rope, taken ballet and drama lessons.

In 1944, after a quick Las Vegas wedding, she returned to this house for a formal ceremony in front of the fireplace.

The marriage lasted less than a year and afterwards she seemed to focus on her career.

>>: Here's the letter that you've been waiting for from the telegraph company dad.

>>Carr: She knew early on that she wanted to act.

She dropped out of the University of Nevada to be schooled at the Pasadena Playhouse.

The fact that she ended up in grade B westerns may not have been her first choice of venue, but her unusual skills gave her entrée into a tough, competitive business.

>>: This is your fault Joe we won't need you around here anymore.

Kathy give him his tie.

>>Robin Holabird: Sometimes it's hard for us to remember back to the '50's and the attitudes that people had about the roles of men and women.

And, women were basically school teachers and nurses or looking for a husband.

A cowgirl was different, somebody who had horse riding skills who could shoot and all that, it really didn't fit the image.

It was hard for a mass public to take that then.

You were supposed to be, it was 'Father Knows Best' and Jane Wyman is the nice housewife.

She doesn't tote guns or anything.

>>: What do you want here?

>>: A little talk with Johnny and Joe and you're going to call them for me or I sing out.

>>: What makes you think I'd do that?

>>: You'd better.

MUSIC >>: Johhny, Joe, come in a minute.

Larry's here!

>>Carr: Reno Browne did everything right during her brief career.

From 1946 thru 1950 she made 14 films - "eight day wonders" only an hour long, with similar scripts, and familiar landscapes.

Though not as prolific as some of her leading men, she nevertheless was considered successful.

>>: Johnny I could kiss you for this.

>>: Listen honey... >>Carr: Women in early westerns ranked in importance after the hero's sidekick and his horse.

They never profited from the lucrative merchandising.

But Reno found a way to capitalize on her image.

She starred in her own radio show - which ran for 13 episodes.

MUSIC >Carr: She teamed up with the Buckaroos to promote a record.

"My Sweet Little Girl From Nevada" She didn't sing, but put her picture on the album cover to increase sales and garner publicity.

MUSIC >>Carr: Interestingly, the lead singer was none other than Bill Haley, who would later make rock and roll history with his group "Bill Haley and the Comets."

MUSIC >>Carr: Comic books - three to be exact - were released under her name.

The only other cowgirl to share the honor was Dale Evans.

But Dale Evans had one thing that Reno lacked...Roy Rogers.

Roger's fame insured Evans'.

>>Holabird: Roy Rogers, who was a singing cowboy with the smartest horse in the business, Trigger.

And, Trigger always got second billing to Roy which is a good thing as far as Trigger's concerned, but Roy's wife, Dale Evans, was always billed below Trigger.

And, I think that tells you something about women in the industry, the Western industry, in the '40's.

They were not the center of focus.

Yes, they could be eye-candy, entertainment, but the, the star was the cowboy.

MUSIC >>Carr: Reno's biggest supporter was her father, John Robb Clarke.

Described by some newspapers as being a prominent (and wealthy) lawyer, he's known to have bankrolled his daughter's fan club with its 5,000 members.

And her extravagant wardrobe with at least 20 lavish costumes for rodeos and public appearances.

In addition her "palatial Laurel Canyon home" in Hollywood, multiple automobiles, a private plane, and Major - Reno's elegant palomino that cost a hefty $6,000.

Clarke obviously doted on his daughter, believed in her ability to succeed.

In the mid-1940s, he built a restaurant and hotel on 4th street.

The Circle RB was a hot spot in the 1950s.

The hotel next to it was called the El Ruth - and so the businesses were named after his daughter's two personas.

Dick Belaustegui worked in the restaurant from 1952 through '54.

At 16 years old, busing tables was a good job.

>> Dick Belaustegui: The restaurant was called The Circle RB Lodge and it's, it still exists today.

It's now the Mi Casa Too Restaurant on West Fourth Street.

And, then the building next door to us was, uh, the El Ruth Motel, which is, uh, the motel that, uh, Reno Browne's parents owned.

>>Carr: As the "in" place in town, the Circle RB served locals like Charlie Mapes, as well as western stars like Lash LaRue and Wild Bill Elliot.

And, of course, Reno Browne.

>>Belaustegui: She came in on occasion.

Um, she wasn't as, uh, paid as much attention to me, just the busboy, as like Mr. Elliot did.

But, uh, she was there and it, the other people that came in with her always paid a lot of attention to her.

Um, they was, there were cowboy stars that came through.

And, there was always a lot of talk about movie making and that sort of thing when, when those folks were there.

>>Carr: Today, the buildings still stand, though renovated.

The Circle RB has become the Mi Casa Too, and the El Ruth is the Tombstone Territory Motel.

In 1963 Reno Browne and her second husband, Cowboy star Lash LaRue operated the Hotel under the name of LaRue Lodge.

By 1950 Reno was trying her darndest to become genuine heroine - one who could buckle on her guns and rout the rustlers.

When her contract was renewed in 1949, it called for 6 films in the next year, equal billing with the star, and she could ride Major - her own horse.

Up until this time, the animal was considered too beautiful a beast for a mere woman.

No more would she play second fiddle to the hero.

She would be a role model for all those little girls who wanted to catch the bad guy, save the day, ride off into the sunset.

In an interview in late 1950 she talks with a reporter about a television series that was set to begin shooting.

But It wasn't going to be distributed in the United States.

It was to be distributed in South America.

Her dream to become a star here was never realized.

>>Holabird: It's easy to very broad and over-sweeping with all these comments, but Reno Browne did go against the grain of her time and, um, that was a pretty big fight.

Maybe if the timing had been just a little different, a little bit later along, she could've broken into the TV market when it became a little more open and Westerns became more prevalent on it.

Whether or not we watch her movies frequently today, we can watch her movies, at least one of them is available easily to purchase.

But, she made a living at it.

So, that accomplishment is very impressive.

MUSIC >>Carr: The three rooms on the ground floor, off what is now the dining room, were initially all bedrooms.

The hallway is the remaining example of the painting that was featured in the house.

This is stenciled in a bold design of orange, yellow and red.

There was a mural in the back bedroom and one on the patio that have since been painted over.

MUSIC >>Carr: The front bedroom has a distinctive arched window.

The room is fairly spacious, though unassuming.

The doors are all have dark wood and the distinctive woodworking that was found in the beamed ceiling of the sitting room.

MUSIC >>Carr: The bathroom has obviously been reworked, and is due for another redesign.

The tub rests under an arch, and there are aches over the commode and the shower area.

The room is quite spacious, and Mary has added a cupboard.

MUSIC >>Carr: The middle bedroom has been converted to an office area.

The room at the back of the house may have originally been the master bedroom.

When the Conklins bought the house, there was a miniscule bathroom.

Mary moved the sink into the bedroom, choosing a small unique shape that fit the period of the house.

This gave her more room for a commode, and then she replaced the shower.

She feels that this small space was at one time a closet - which would mean that the room had possessed two.

Thus the designation of master bedroom.

MUSIC >>Carr: Mary and Peter Conklin's restoration of this house has been a loving task.

They've taken their time, not willing to settle for stopgap measures.

The result is obviously worth their effort.

MUSIC >>Barber: Oh, I think the owners have done a wonderful job.

Not only maintaining the most wonderful aspects that the house had originally, but they've added some touches that, that bring a lot of freshness to the house as well.

Um with the doors and new tiles that, that's been put in.

And, it doesn't take away from this historical nature of the house because the style was so eclectic to begin with.

I think it's an actual sort of respectful nod to the ideas behind the original house itself.

But the house just, just looks amazing and ah I really, I really praise the owners for what they've done with it.

MUSIC >>Carr: In 1987 Reno Browne once again teamed up with the erstwhile Lash LaRue.

By this time the he had been married an estimated 10 times and tried to overcome his alcohol dependency on several occasions.

They toured with their old films, talked about old times, and signed autographs.

MUSIC >>Carr: In 1989 she returned to the family home, knocked on the door and introduced herself to Mary Conklin.

>>Mary Conklin: It was a Sunday afternoon, kind of a dreary day.

And, we were just kind of here in the house, uh, you know, watching TV, and the, uh, the front door knocker, we have a, we don't have a bell, we have a knocker, and, um, I looked through the door here to see who it was 'cause we weren't expecting anyone.

And, there's this kind of odd looking lady standing there.

So, I walked around and opened the front door and she introduced herself, you know, "I'm Ruth Clark and, um, I used to live in this house."

Came inside and we spent the afternoon together.

She had a, an envelope full of old photographs that she, uh, you know, couldn't wait to give me, actually.

And, I was a little anxious because we'd done some things to the house and all I could think of was, oh, she's not gonna like it or she's gonna have her memories and, you know, we're gonna not have done something that she thought we should do, and, but she was very nice.

And, um, she was here about an hour I'd say.

Um, didn't look real healthy at that point.

This was in, I think I said 1989, so, she'd obviously... was sick.

But, it was, you know, very personable and was glad there was a family living here and anxious for us to, uh, know that she had great memories and took me back to the hallway back there, showed me the paintings and, or the stenciling that was done and, um, it was just a nice afternoon.

MUSIC >>Carr: Two years later, in 1991, Josephine Ruth Clarke died in Reno.

She left little behind.

You can find her six-shooters in the Reno Historical Society.

There's a film or two available to purchase online.

But at her death, she was little known, little remembered.

She left no child, no husband to grieve for her.

>>Carr: Reno Browne wasn't contracted to MGM or United Artists.

She wasn't part of that enormous machine that made the A-list stars.

However, she did use some of their techniques.

And one was the publicity stunt.

The following is typical of the times: Reno shows up at a Beverly Hills post office and attempts to get herself airmailed to New York.

She argues that postage is cheaper than airfare.

She buys $83.20 worth of stamps.

Five cents per ounce for 104 lbs.

Of course, the postal clerk refuses to airmail her anywhere, an argument ensues, with Reno pouting.

She declares that they mail chicks, and she is after all, a chick --- a front page story is born.

If you'd like to know more about the Reno Browne house, or any of the houses in our series, go to our website - knpb.org.

Until next time, preserve the architecture and enjoy the heritage in your neighborhood.

House with a History is available on DVD in a three volume set.

Each volume contains three episodes.

To order a copy call 1-775-784-4555 or order online at knpb.org MUSIC Major funding for this program was provided by the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs State Historic Preservation Office.

Additional funding was provided by Nevada Humanities and the Nevada Arts Council.