Sierra Sue (1941)

Gene is a government inspector looking into what's killing cattle. The ranchers want to burn the area to clear of a poisonous weed, but Gene favors chemical spray from an airplane.

Director:

William Morgan

Writers:

Earl Felton (original screenplay), Julian Zimet (original screenplay)

Stars:

Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Fay McKenzie

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette	...	Frog Millhouse
Fay McKenzie	...	Sue Larrabee
Frank M. Thomas	...	Banker Bromfield (as Frank Thomas)
Robert Homans	...	George Larrabee
Earle Hodgins	...	Brandywine
Dorothy Christy	...	Verebel Featherstone
Kermit Maynard	...	Jarvis
Jack Kirk	...	Sheriff Smith
Eddie Dean	...	Jerry Willis - Pilot
Budd Buster	...	Greg Travis
Rex Lease	...	Rancher Rex

Storyline

Gene is a government inspector looking into what's killing cattle. The ranchers want to burn the area to clear of a poisonous weed, but Gene favors chemical spray from an airplane.

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Plot Keywords:

cattle | airplane | weed | inspector | ranch | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Music | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 November 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Terras em Fogo

Filming Locations:

Mammoth Lakes, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

64 min 54 min (edited) 64 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References The Phantom Empire (1935)

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Soundtracks

"Be Honest With Me"
(uncredited)
Written by Fred Rose and Gene Autry
Sung by Gene Autry

User Reviews

Air Power to the Rescue

Better than average Autry programmer. Producers are an often overlooked item in the production crew. However, whoever produced this 60 minutes for Republic (not listed by IMDb) deserves real commendation. There are more thoughtful and expensive touches than usual. The location scenes are excellent with a minimum of process shots. The stampede sequence is central to the action and surprisingly is a real stampede with an actual herd on location. No stock shots, although there are a few shots of Gene against a back projection screen. Also, the aerial shots appear real, without the usual shortcuts. Great location photography of mountains, sky, and clouds-- after all, what else do cowboy movies celebrate but the great American outdoors.

The plot's an interesting mix of old and new. The appeal of the New Deal's federal government is in evidence here. Autry represents the capacity of the feds with their research labs to help the stubbornly independent ranching industry deal with a menace (killer weeds) beyond their usual skills. None of this is meant to take away from the easy-going humor and charm of this Saturday afternoon special that kept me enthralled as a boy and still does as a gray-beard adult.