Eldridge "Kit" Carson was born in Texas, the son of Frank Carson and Alice Helena Gordon. He came from a large family with seven brothers and sisters. He married Rosemonde James, an actress at Republic Pictures who appeared in a number of films in 1945. They had one son, John David Carson, born March 6, 1952. Rosemonde, nicknamed "Boots", became a fashion model and was elected President of the Mannequins Association of Los Angeles in 1968. Johnny acted in a number of films including The Day of the Dolphin (1973) from 1971 to 1990. Kit danced in early films but spent most of his career doing western films. He struck up a friendship with Dale Robertson, and they worked together on many films and television programs. After he retired, he returned to Abilene, Texas, to be near his family. He died February 12, 1978, in Taylor, Texas.