"The Gene Autry Show" (1950) TV series 1950-1956

Directors:

George Archainbaud
D. Ross Lederman

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

23 July 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

The already legendary singing cowboy rode with his comic pal Pat from town to town bringing justice, song and his horse Champion to the old Southwest.

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Character Name In Title | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Cast

Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry / ... (91 episodes, 1950-1955)
Champion	...	Gene's horse / ... (91 episodes, 1950-1955)
Pat Buttram	...	Pat Buttram / ... (83 episodes, 1950-1955)
Bob Woodward	...	Stagecoach Driver / ... (43 episodes, 1950-1955)

Also Known As:

Melody Ranch

Runtime:

30 min (91 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (1950-1955) | Color (1955-1956)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Flying 'A' Productions

Trivia:

Pat Buttram's sidekick character had a different name in the initial episodes filmed in this series - as had been the practice in the Gene Autry B-westerns in which Buttram co-starred. Due to the TV series' rapid shooting schedule, Autry frequently forgot the name of the character Pat played from episode to episode, resulting in a number of botched takes. Autry finally ordered his writers to call Pat Buttram's sidekick character "Pat Buttram" in all future scripts to eliminate the problem.

Quotes:

Gene Autry: Even if the world were a chocolate cake, Mary, there'd still be a few crumbs around.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Back to the Future Part III (1990)

The Tycoon Cowboy

In the Fifties the two top singing cowboy stars decided to enter the new medium of television each with a half hour series. Gene Autry for the most part operated out of the Flying Crown Ranch and note that his producing company was Flying Crown Productions while Roy Rogers continued to work out of the Double R Bar Ranch.

We always got a song out of Gene as he managed to do in thirty minutes what he did in his 60 minute B westerns, route the bad guys and kiss the horse. Gene rarely got too romantic with the girl in his films and television was no exception.

In his movies Gene's perennial sidekick was Smiley Burnette playing the vocally challenged Frog. For television he took on a new sidekick Pat Buttram, later to be made more famous by appearing in Green Acres as the lovable country con man Mr. Haney.

This man didn't miss a thing in turning a buck. He produced his own television shows, had a hand in writing a lot of the songs he made famous, and did quite well in the merchandising and personal appearances. And later on he was co-owner of the California Angels.

Pretty good for a kid from Tioga, Texas.