"Colorado Serenade" opens and closes with Eddie Dean on horseback singing "Home on the Range", though he trades partner Roscoe Ates for love interest Sherry Lynn (Mary Kenyon) by the end of the film. In between, Eddie and Soapy (Ates) help a trouble shooting circuit judge find a long lost son and bring justice to Rawhide City.
When you see them both together, it's remarkable how much Dean and Ates look alike, with Roscoe being an older version. The Soapy character was actually Dean's second screen comedic sidekick, Emmett "Pappy" Lynn worked with Eddie in earlier films.
In the story, a cowpoke named Nevada (David Sharpe) goes undercover to infiltrate a gang that may be robbing gold shipments. At first, Eddie is unaware of Nevada's role, and they really bang it out in a wild saloon fight that's one of the more realistic ones you'll see in a 'B' Western. Later, it's revealed that the mastermind behind the gold robberies is the same villain who Judge Hilton (Forrest Taylor) put in jail thirty years earlier. "Dad" Dillon (Warner Richmond) kidnapped the judge's son when he broke out and raised him as his own. "Duke" Dillon is now the town boss of Rawhide City, who'll learn his true origin just before he eats dust at the hands of "Dad".
Eddie Dean began his film career in the mid 1930's, appearing in back up roles to Hopalong Cassidy. Prior to that, he made his mark as part of a singing trio on Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Program. Dean has his backers that will claim he was the best of the singing cowboys, and that's probably not far from the truth. "Colorado Serenade" showcases his talent quite well with a host of songs, and he finishes one up with a low key yodel.
While many movie cowboys were synonymous with their horses, Dean chose to appear with four different steeds in his films, on the assumption that he wouldn't be upstaged by any of them. His mount in this picture is a palomino named White Cloud. Actually, Dean had a reputation for being fairly generous with his fellow actors, allowing them center stage when the story called for it.
A final bit of trivia - though other Westerns were made before in color, Eddie Dean was the first to do a series of films in color, with five films for PRC in the 1940's. On that account, he managed to beat Roy and Gene to the draw.
When you see them both together, it's remarkable how much Dean and Ates look alike, with Roscoe being an older version. The Soapy character was actually Dean's second screen comedic sidekick, Emmett "Pappy" Lynn worked with Eddie in earlier films.
In the story, a cowpoke named Nevada (David Sharpe) goes undercover to infiltrate a gang that may be robbing gold shipments. At first, Eddie is unaware of Nevada's role, and they really bang it out in a wild saloon fight that's one of the more realistic ones you'll see in a 'B' Western. Later, it's revealed that the mastermind behind the gold robberies is the same villain who Judge Hilton (Forrest Taylor) put in jail thirty years earlier. "Dad" Dillon (Warner Richmond) kidnapped the judge's son when he broke out and raised him as his own. "Duke" Dillon is now the town boss of Rawhide City, who'll learn his true origin just before he eats dust at the hands of "Dad".
Eddie Dean began his film career in the mid 1930's, appearing in back up roles to Hopalong Cassidy. Prior to that, he made his mark as part of a singing trio on Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Program. Dean has his backers that will claim he was the best of the singing cowboys, and that's probably not far from the truth. "Colorado Serenade" showcases his talent quite well with a host of songs, and he finishes one up with a low key yodel.
While many movie cowboys were synonymous with their horses, Dean chose to appear with four different steeds in his films, on the assumption that he wouldn't be upstaged by any of them. His mount in this picture is a palomino named White Cloud. Actually, Dean had a reputation for being fairly generous with his fellow actors, allowing them center stage when the story called for it.
A final bit of trivia - though other Westerns were made before in color, Eddie Dean was the first to do a series of films in color, with five films for PRC in the 1940's. On that account, he managed to beat Roy and Gene to the draw.
