Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935)

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writers:

Alan Ludwig (story)
Ford Beebe (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 September 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

The Screen's New Singing Cowboy Star

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Medicine Show | Trap | Gunfire | Father Son Relationship | Bandit

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chuck Baldra	...	Nester Rider (uncredited)
Frank Brownlee	...	Cattleman (uncredited)
Ralph Bucko	...	Rancher (uncredited)
Roy Bucko	...	Rancher (uncredited)
George Burton	...	Sheriff Manley (uncredited)
Bob Card	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Horace B. Carpenter	...	Town Drunk (uncredited)
Bartlett A. Carre	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Champion	...	Autry's Horse (uncredited)
Steve Clark	...	Cowhand (uncredited)
Tommy Coats	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Ken Cooper	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Tex Cooper	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Oscar Gahan	...	Musician (uncredited)
Joseph W. Girard	...	Autry Sr. (uncredited)
Herman Hack	...	Nester (uncredited)
Henry Hall	...	Nester Leader (uncredited)
Jack Hendricks	...	Crowd Member at Medicine Wagon (uncredited)
Otto Hoffman	...	Nester (uncredited)
Cornelius Keefe	...	Harry Brooks (uncredited)
Charles King	...	Henchman Blaze (uncredited)
Tracy Layne	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Tom London	...	Henchman Sykes (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Bud McClure	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Iris Meredith	...	Girl (uncredited)
Lew Morphy	...	Townsman (uncredited)
George Morrell	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Herman Nowlin	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Fred Parker	...	Nester (uncredited)
Bud Pope	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Archie Ricks	...	Cowhand (uncredited)
Tom Smith	...	Autry Cowhand (uncredited)
Arthur Thalasso	...	Blacksmith (uncredited)
Wally West	...	Posse Rider (uncredited)
Slim Whitaker	...	Foreman Higgins (uncredited)

Directed by
Joseph Kane

Writing credits
Alan Ludwig		(story)
Ford Beebe		(screenplay)

Produced by
Nat Levine	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Ernest Miller		(photographed by)
William Bradford		(photographed by) (uncredited)

Film Editing by
Lester Orlebeck

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mack V. Wright	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Roy Granville	....	sound effects
Terry Kellum	....	sound engineer

Stunts
Tommy Coats	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ken Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ted Mapes	....	grip (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Joseph H. Lewis	....	supervising editor

Other crew
Armand Schaefer	....	supervisor

Production Companies

• Republic Pictures (I)

Distributors

• Republic Pictures (I) (1935) (USA) (theatrical) (states rights system)
• Hollywood Television Service (1955) (USA) (TV) (edited version)
• Gene Autry Entertainment (2004) (USA) (TV) (restoration)

Other Companies

• Autry Museum of Western Heritage Research Center  additional funding (2004) (restoration)
• Autry Qualified Interest Trust and the Autry Foundation  copyright holders (2004) (restoration)
• Friends of the National Captioning Institute  closed captioning (2004) (restoration)
• RPG Productions  film restoration (2004) (as RPG)
• Westerns  funding (2004) (restoration) (as Encore Westerns)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:58 min (2004 restoration) | 54 min (edited version) | 61 min (original version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor High Fidelity Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Bakersfield, California, USA

Company:

Republic Pictures (I)

Trivia:

This picture was produced and copyrighted by Mascot Pictures in 1935. Its boss, Nat Levine opted to roll it into newly formed Republic Pictures, making it one of the company's first releases. With the creation of Republic, Mascot Pictures folded.

Quotes:

Dr. Parker:Well, if this is the way squatters live, I should think that they'd have been glad to get run off. I know I never could stand squatting.
Smiley:I never knew it was possible.
Dr. Parker:You never knew what was possible?
Smiley:To stand squatting.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Gene Autry: White Hat, Silver Screen (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Corn-fed and Rusty

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.