Gaucho Serenade (1940)

A bunch of businessmen are out to kidnap a former partner's son so he won't squeal on them. Guess who must stop them.

Director:

Frank McDonald

Writers:

Betty Burbridge (original screenplay), Bradford Ropes (original screenplay)

Stars:

Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, June Storey

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette	...	Frog Millhouse
June Storey	...	Joyce Halloway
Duncan Renaldo	...	Gaucho Don José
Mary Lee	...	Patsy Halloway
Clifford Severn	...	Ronnie Willoughby (as Clifford Severn Jr.)
Lester Matthews	...	Frederick Willoughby
Smith Ballew	...	Buck Benson
Joseph Crehan	...	Edward Martin
William Ruhl	...	Henchman Carter
Wade Boteler	...	Rancher
Ted Adams	...	E.J. Jenkins
Wendell Niles	...	Radio Announcer
The Velascos	...	Mexican Dancers
José Eslava's Orchestra	...	Cantina Musicians (as Jose Estava's Orchestra)

Storyline

Gene Autry and sidekick Frog Millhouse depart Madison Square Garden and NYC heading west for home in their car and a horse trailer carrying Gene's horse, Champion. They discover that Ronnie Willoughby, a young boy just off the boat from school in England, has hitched a ride, thinking that Gene and Frog were sent by his father to meet him. Ronnie thinks his father is a big rancher in the west and doesn't know that his father, Alfred Willoughby, is serving time in San Quentin prison because of a frame-up by the officials of a packing company. To keep the father from testifying against them, the packing company officials, Carter, Jenkins and Martin, have arranged for the boy to be kidnapped. Along the way a runaway bride, Joyce Halloway, and her young sister Patsy join the troupe. Various members of the cast sing and dance their way through The Singing Hills, Gaucho Serenade, Give Out With a Song, Heading For the Wide Open Spaces, 'Tis Be, Keep Rollin' and A Song of Sunset before every ...

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Plot Keywords:

horse | song | bride | singing | rancher | 

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Taglines:

GENE AUTRY...THE SIX-GUN ACTION KING...BACK IN ANOTHER RANGELAND HIT! (original pint ad-all caps)

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Drama | Music | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

10 May 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Keep Rollin'

Filming Locations:

Jack Garner Ranch - State Highway 74, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min 66 min (1998 restoration) 54 min (edited) 66 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Joyce Halloway: There ought to be a law against road hogs like you!
Gene Autry: Yeah, and there ought to be a law against women driving down the road at 100 miles an hour.
Joyce Halloway: Don't you dare tell me how fast I was going, I was only going 45.
Gene Autry: A hundred!
Joyce Halloway: Forty- five!
Gene Autry: A hundred!
Joyce Halloway: Forty-five!
Gene Autry: A hundred!
Patsy Halloway: You were doing eighty!
Gene Autry: Hooray! I finally won an arguement with a woman!

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Soundtracks

"Keep Rollin' Lazy Longhorns"
(uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Gene Autry and Johnny Marvin
Performed by Gene Autry, Mary Lee, Smiley Burnette and chorus

User Reviews

One of the better Autry movies

One of Gene Autry's most amusing films, all the better for taking the star out of his familiar horse opera surroundings. Of course, Autry is accompanied on his journey by usual sidekicks Smiley Burnette and Champion "The Wonder Horse," but the fact is that it takes him across the country with a pair of engaging girls. One of them (Mary Lee, I think) is sort of a country-western version of Judy Garland and the other plays an engaging young heiress on the lam from marriage. There's also a boy running from mobsters who try to kidnap him to blackmail his father into not testifying against their boss. There's a lot of funny situations, of course some fast riding and straight shooting, plus lots of pretty good songs. Pure escape and worth the trip.