Louis Burton Lindley Jr., a big, lanky, fifteen-year-old
California ranch kid, walked into the rodeo manager's office and said, “Mister,
I want to sign up for the calf-roping but my paw says I ain't allowed to. So, I
can't use my right name.” The manager said, “Son, no matter what name you use,
it'll be slim pickin's (meaning a small chance of prize money) out there today.”
Louis said, “That's as good a name as any. Put me down as Slim Pickin's.” The
manager spelled it “Pickens.” The boy won four hundred dollars that afternoon. After
high school, Slim became a popular rodeo clown. He joined the Army during World
War II. When the recruiter asked his profession, he misheard “rodeo” and wrote “radio.”
Slim spent his entire recruitment working at a radio station in the Midwest.
After that, he moved to Hollywood, where he needed no stunt double. His film
career spanned four decades.
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