Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935)

After a five year absence Gene returns home to find his father murdered and his boyhood pal accused of the dastardly deed.

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writers:

Alan Ludwig (story), Ford Beebe (screenplay)

Stars:

Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Lucile Browne

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette	...	Smiley
Lucile Browne	...	Jerry (as Lucille Browne)
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Dr. Parker (as George Hayes)
Norma Taylor	...	Janet Brooks
Edward Hearn	...	Barney Craven
Eugene Jackson	...	Eightball
Jack Rockwell	...	McWade
George Chesebro	...	Henchman Connors
Frankie Marvin	...	Shorty

Storyline

Traveling with Doc Parker's medicine show, Gene finds his old friend Harry Brooks wounded and the Sheriff after him for murdering his father. Gene also sees that Craven and his gang are looking for Brooks. Finding clues that Craven was behind the murder, Gene has a plan utilizing the medicine show wagon that will trap the gang.

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Plot Keywords:

medicine show | father | murder | trap | song in title | 

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Taglines:

The Screen's New Singing Cowboy Star

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Genres:

Music | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Boiadeiro Trovador

Filming Locations:

Bakersfield, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,500 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,000,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

61 min 58 min (2004 restoration) 54 min (edited) 61 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor High Fidelity Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is Gene Autry's first picture for Republic, and also the first directing job at Republic for long-time Autry and Roy Rogers director, Joseph Kane.

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Quotes

[Gene and his friends chase away a would-be murderer]
Shorty: You shoulda shot the polecat when you had a chance!
Smiley: Yeah, but I ain't got no huntin' license.

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Connections

Remade as Carolina Moon (1940)

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Soundtracks

"The Cowboy Medicine Show"
(1935) (uncredited)
Written by Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette
Sung by the Medicine Show group and townspeople

User Reviews

Anyone can dance if they are properly persuaded

Surprisingly enjoyable Western where Gene solves the murder of his father, rights the wrongs attributed to his old friend, and gets both the horse and the girl – all in just over one hour! The writing is clever and Gene's acting is both more fluid and his lines more subtle than in many follow-on films. The substance of the dispute – water rights: a very real part of the history of the American West.

George "Gabby" Hayes (it appears with all his teeth) does yeoman service as Doctor Parker. Smiley Burnette is good as the sidekick that cannot quite find the mate to a missing spur.

Good songs and the use of a modern record player allow Gene to trap three of the bad guys. Good chase scene. Best line in move is when the good guys line up the three bad men and Smiley (angry that they just shot a hole in his guitar) tells them to dance. The bad guys say that they can't dance and the response is "anyone can dance if they are properly persuaded." Sure this is a low budget Saturday matinée special, but it appears that someone was trying very hard to show that this team of actors and director Joseph Kane would be able to produce a winner that could be replicated. Highly recommended.