Ride Tenderfoot Ride (1940)

Director:

Frank McDonald

Writers:

Betty Burbridge (story) and
Connie Lee (story) ...

Release Date:

6 September 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

ADVENTURE... Packed With Action!

Plot:

Overly shy cowboy Gene inherits a meat-packing plant, then faces stiff competition from snooty Ann Randolph, rival owner determined to do him in.

Plot Keywords:

Meat Packing Plant | Cowboy | Railroad Station | Brother Sister Relationship | Fish Out Of Water

Cast

Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette	...	Frog Millhouse
June Storey	...	Ann Randolph
Mary Lee	...	Patsy Randolph
Warren Hull	...	Donald Gregory
Forbes Murray	...	Attorney Henry Walker
Joe McGuinn	...	Henchman Martin
Joe Frisco	...	Haberdasher
Isabel Randolph	...	Miss Spencer (as Isobel Randolph)
Herbert Clifton	...	Butler Andrews
Mildred Shay	...	Stewardess
Si Jenks	...	Sheriff
Cindy Walker	...	Singer with The Pacemakers
The Pacemakers	...	Singers

Runtime:

65 min | 54 min (edited version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #6491) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Company:

Republic Pictures

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Patsy is shown recording the song "Ride, Tenderfoot Ride" onto a record singing only the chorus to the song. At the end of her song, Ann Randolph and Don Gregory come in and begin talking. Later when Patsy's recording is played back, she is recorded as singing the whole song with Ann and Don interrupting her on the last chorus.

Quotes:

[Ann has fired Gene and Frog for causing her to miss her train]
Frog Milhouse: We got back salary comin'!
Ann Randolph: [pointing to a cow] There it is - on the hoof!
Frog Milhouse: Gonna be kind of hard breakin' that into small change.

Soundtrack:

Oh! Oh! Oh!

Unexpectedly deft and charming musical comedy.

Many miles removed from the courtly, stodgy, and synthetic quasi-cowboy epics normally associated with Gene Autry. Spry and amusing script must have been snuck into Republic via some crew member's lunchbox (even the studio's trotting out their complete library of ancient stock footage for an obligatory stampede climax plays as DELIBERATE high comedy). Add a delightful score, an excellent supporting cast, and a young and almost relaxed looking performance from the star and you come up with a very rare package: an Autry that even an audience allergic to cowboy camp can enjoy. All in all a small delight.