Stardust on the Sage (1942)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

William Morgan

Writers:

Dorrell McGowan (story) and
Stuart E. McGowan (story) ...

Release Date:

25 May 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

The foreman of a mining company is out to steal the mine from its owners, and Gene must stop him. |

Plot Keywords:

Mine | Robbery | Investment | Dynamite | Radio Broadcasting

Cast

Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette	...	Frog Millhouse
William Henry	...	Jeff Drew (as Bill Henry)
Edith Fellows	...	Judy Drew
Louise Currie	...	Nancy Drew
Emmett Vogan	...	Dan Pearson
George Ernest	...	Curly
Vince Barnett	...	Haskins
Betty Farrington	...	Mrs. Haskins
Roy Barcroft	...	Henchman Murphy
Tom London	...	Henchman MacGowan

Runtime:

USA:64 min (2004 restoration) | USA:65 min | 54 min (edited version) | 65 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System) | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #8311) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Republic Pictures (I)

Soundtrack:

Good Night Sweetheart

Gene gets his good name dragged through the sagebrush again!

Because it was filmed on the heels of Heart Of The Rio Grande which also had Edith Fellows starring, and Deep In The Heart Of Texas for one of its songs I've always considered this a nice if slightly weaker bookend for it.

It's goodies vs baddies again with a rather complicated plot involving baddie Emmett Vogan and his henchmen trying to wrest a mine from a weak goodie Bill Henry with a nice sister Louise Currie with a radio station and a singing juvenile sister Fellows who's smitten with the imperturbable Gene Autry when he blows into town with Frog. Gene is framed via the radio and has to clear himself and generally save the day. Although nice to watch I preferred June Storey as the heroine in these tales – Currie here plays a woman named Nancy Drew – but Gene is the only detective here! Short on action but compensated for with plenty of lilting music, my favourites being Goodnight Sweetheart (to Currie changing the car tyre), I'll Never Let You Go (duet with Fellows in the "radio" studio) and the final medley including a sing-a-long version of Deep In The Heart Of Texas for the original cinema audience.

Nothing special but with a rousing climax it's a satisfying film overall to an Autry fan like me, others might have a job getting anything from it.