The Old Barn Dance (1938)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writers:

Bernard McConville (original screenplay) &
Charles F. Royal (original screenplay)

Release Date:

29 January 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Autry and his buddies have a horse selling business which is threatened by a tractor company which claims horses are out of date.

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Tractor | Radio Station | Contract | Debt

Cast

Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette	...	Frog Millhouse
Joan Valerie	...	Sally Dawson (as Helen Valkis)
Sammy McKim	...	Johnny Dawson
Walt Shrum and His Colorado Hillbillies	...	Musicians (as Walter Shrum and his Colorado Hillbillies)
The Stafford Sisters	...	Trio of Comic Singers (as Stafford Sisters)
Maple City Four	...	Comic Singers
Roy Rogers	...	Singer (as Dick Weston)
Ivan Miller	...	Mr. Thornton
Earl Dwire	...	Clem Handley
Hooper Atchley	...	Maxwell
Ray Bennett	...	Buck - Thornton's Hrnchman (as Raphael Bennett)
Carleton Young	...	Peabody - Thornton's Henchman
Frankie Marvin	...	Cowboy
Earle Hodgins	...	Terwilliger

Runtime:

54 min (edited version) | 60 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:Approved (PCA #3981) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Republic Pictures (I)

Trivia:

Gene Autry left Republic Pictures in a contract dispute after this film. As Republic's "singing cowboy" he was replaced by the young singer in this picture, Dick Weston, whom the studio renamed Roy Rogers.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Ten Little Miles

Gene fights dishonest tractor salesmen

Pretty standard early Gene Autry. Horse Traders, Gene and sidekick Smiley, find themselves suckered into a tractor peddling scheme, designed to swindle the local landowners, by unsuspecting radio station saleslady Sally Dawson (Joan Valerie). When the town blames them Gene and Smiley must prove their innocence and bring the bad guys to justice.

Gene cranks out a fair amount of tunes and Smiley contributes more than a fair share of comic relief in an average oater. This one is really more of a Musical with appearances by Walt Shrum and his Colorado Hillbillies and the Stafford Sisters.

The Old Barn Dance is also notable because it gave rise to bit player "Dick Weston" AKA Roy Rogers who would soon become Republics number one Singing Cowboy.