Texans Never Cry (1951)

Director:

Frank McDonald

Writer:

Norman S. Hall (written by)

Release Date:

15 March 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Music | Western

Tagline:

AUTRY BEATS MURDER TO THE DRAW IN GUN-SCORCHING LOTTERY CLEAN-UP! (original ad - all caps)

Plot:

Texas Ranger Sergeant Gene Autry (Gene Autry) and his pal, Pecos Bates (Pat Buttram), save from eviction the family of Nancy Carter (Gail Davis)...

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Mexican | Courier | Eviction | Daughter

Cast

Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry
Champion	...	Champion
Mary Castle	...	Rita Bagley
Russell Hayden	...	Steve Diamond (as Russ Hayden)
Gail Davis	...	Nancy Carter
Tom Keene	...	Tracy Wyatt (as Richard Powers)
Don C. Harvey	...	Blackie Knight (as Don Harvey)
Roy Gordon	...	Frank Bagley
Pat Buttram	...	Pecos Bates

Runtime:

66 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:Approved (PCA #14855)

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Gene Autry Productions

Quotes:

Mrs. Carter: Which one of you is a good hand at bees? You know, I got some startin' to swarm and I gotta get them in the hive.
Gene Autry: There's your man.
[Points to Pecos Bates]
Gene Autry: That's all he did before he joined the Rangers.
Pecos Bates: Bees? I don't even know my A's!

Soundtrack:

Ride, Ranger, Ride

Gene shows no love for lottery ticket counterfeiters

Texas Ranger Gene Autry and his men arrive just in time to prevent the foreclosure of rancher Dan Carter (Harry Tyler) and his family after Carter finds himself unable to repay his loan to swindler Tracy Wyatt (Tom Keene). Gene and sidekick Pecos (Pat Buttram) soon find themselves in the middle of murder and a lottery counterfeiting scheme run by Wyatt and his henchmen Blackie Knight (Don Harvey) and Rip (Holly Bane).

At a running time of 66 minutes Gene has time to become involved in a romantic triangle with Gail Davis and Mary Castle and Pat gets time to contribute his comedic antics in a surprisingly humorous skunk spraying incident. Ex Hopalong Cassidy Sidekick Russell "Lucky" Hayden also shows up in this one, cast off-type as Wyatt's out-of-town hired gun. While this is one of Gene's more action oriented westerns he does get in two nice, well placed tunes, including an opening sequence rework of Ride Ranger Ride from his earlier film of the same name.

This is one of the movies that was filmed in what I think was the sweet spot of Gene's career. Wedged between his Automobile-Age Musicals and his later budget-restrained Horse Operas, it highlights Gene at his best.