Riders in the Sky (1949)

When asked about the Ghost Riders song he sings, Gene Autry (Gene Autry) tells this legend: Gene is about to resign as an investigator for the county attorney and go into the cattle ... See full summary »

Director:

John English

Writers:

Herbert A. Woodbury (story), Gerald Geraghty (screenplay)

Stars:

Gene Autry, Champion, Gloria Henry

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry
Champion	...	Champ, Gene's Horse
Gloria Henry	...	Anne Lawson
Pat Buttram	...	'Chuckwalla'
Mary Beth Hughes	...	Julie Stewart
Robert Livingston	...	'Rock' McCleary
Steve Darrell	...	Ralph Lawson
Alan Hale Jr.	...	Marshal Riggs
Tom London	...	Old Man Roberts
Hank Patterson	...	Luke, Stagecoach Driver
Ben Welden	...	Bartender Dave
Dennis Moore	...	Henchman Bud Dwyer
Joseph Forte	...	Engineer Agnew (as Joe Forte)
Kenne Duncan	...	Henchman Travis
Frank Jaquet	...	Coroner

Storyline

When asked about the Ghost Riders song he sings, Gene Autry (Gene Autry) tells this legend: Gene is about to resign as an investigator for the county attorney and go into the cattle business with his pal Chuckawalla Jones (Pat Buttram) but decides instead to help Anne Lawson (Gloria Henry) clear her father, rancher Ralph Lawson (Steve Darrell' ), of a false murder charge. He looks for the three witnesses who can testify that Lawson shot only in self defense in killing a gambler, but the witnesses are terrorized by another gambler, town boss Rock McCleary (Robert Livingston), who shoots witness Pop Roberts (Tom London)Morgan. Fatally wounded, Pop gives Gene the information needed to clear Lawson, then dies crying the "Ghost Riders" are coming for him. Gene then heads for a showdown with McCleary.

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Plot Keywords:

ranch | self defense | killing | legend | rancher | 

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Taglines:

Gene and Champion Ride To Glory!... as the range echoes to the stirring strains of the great cowboy ballad!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 1953 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Beyond the Purple Hills

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gene Autry Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Former Forest Ranger Stan Jones wrote "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky," a hit big enough that it crossed over from country-western charts to standard pop music. A chance meeting with Jones led Gene Autry to buy the rights to the song, and he gave Jones a part in the film. A nearly-complete Autry movie, "Beyond the Purple Hills," was quickly retooled to include the song. Jones himself appears as a cowboy riding herd with Autry in the opening and closing scenes, singing along with Gene's rendition of the spooky song. That same year, Vaughn Monroe had topped the charts with his version (#1 US Pop for 22 weeks). Over the years, many others have recorded it including Peggy Lee, Willie Nelson , Frankie Laine, Johnny Cash, The Marshall Tucker Band and The Doors. Stan Jones would later compose the title song to the classic TV western series Cheyenne.

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Goofs

When Gene puts McCleary in the stage at the end of their fight, it appears that McCleary still has a gun in his holster.

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Quotes

Chuckwalla Jones: Oh, ah, say Gene, you didn't have no trouble gettin' the, ah...
[makes money sign with thumb and forefinger]
Gene Autry: Got the money right here in my pocket - a roll big enough to choke Champ on.
Chuckwalla Jones: Oh, don't give him no ideas. He'd eat it, too, if it was green enough.

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Connections

Edited into Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (1976)

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Soundtracks

"It Makes No Difference Now"
Written by Jimmie Davis and Floyd Tillman
Sung by Gene Autry

User Reviews

I love it

Being a twenty two year old female, westerns from before my Mom was born aren't what you'd expect me to be watching... but here I am. I have to confess, I love Gene Autry and I love cheesy old westerns. Cheesiness is part of their charm! The Singing Cowboy- how much more Americana can you get? I adore Pat Buttram, too, and I have to admit that he's half the reason I had this movie ordered special from FYE. Anyway, I'm a huge sucker for this song and for old-timey westerns, and if this sounds like your cup of tea go for it- and if it doesn't, give it a shot anyway. It's adorable, funny, stirring, and it's got some cool fight scenes too. One minute you're laughing at Pat Buttram getting throwed off Gene's horse Champ, and the next minute you're biting your fingernails going "oh no he's going for his gun!" or something like that. Go on, watch it, it's fun.