Blue Canadian Rockies (1952)

With the goal of preventing his daughter from marrying, Autry's boss sends him to Canada where she has started a dude ranch and wild game preserve.

Director:

George Archainbaud

Writer:

Gerald Geraghty

Stars:

Gene Autry, Champion, Gail Davis

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry
Champion	...	Champ - Gene's Horse (as Champion World's Wonder Horse)
Gail Davis	...	Sandra Higbee
Carolina Cotton	...	Carolina
Ross Ford	...	Todd Markley
Tom London	...	Pop Phillips
Mauritz Hugo	...	Ed Mitchell
The Cass County Boys	...	Musicial Trio
Pat Buttram	...	'Rawhide' Buttram

Storyline

Montana ranch owner Cyrus Bigbee sends his foreman, Gene Autry, and Rawhide Buttram to his Canadian timber land to stop the marriage of his daughter Sandy to Todd Markey, whom he dislikes. Sandy wants to turn the property into a dude ranch, with Carolina Cotton and the Cass County Boys (Fred S. Martin, Jerry Scoggins and Bert Dodson) among the entertainers, and runs up against local timbermen who want it for cutting timber. When a Mountie is murdered, with suspicion pointing to Todd, Gene finds the real culprit and brings peace to the area.

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Plot Keywords:

canada | horse | actor shares first name with character

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Taglines:

TIMBER! The bigger they come the harder they fall...as Gene and Champ crash through a maze of murder and mayhem on a dude ranch deep in the heart of tall timber country!

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 1952 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gene Autry Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

58 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final film of Carolina Cotton.

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Quotes

Cyrus Higbee: I put the property in Sandy's name. Just a whim, a gesture.
Rawhide Buttram: And to cut down on taxes.
Cyrus Higbee: Never mind the reasons!

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Connections

Referenced in Has Anybody Here Seen Canada? A History of Canadian Movies 1939-1953 (1979)

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Soundtracks

"Big Rock Candy Mountain"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Arranged by Paul Mertz

User Reviews

Two Jim Bridger's

A change of settings - at least story-wise - makes this Gene Autry entry interesting to watch. Though actually shot at Big Bear Lake, California, the scenery looks Canadian to some degree although the mountains are a bit low. Gene and comical sidekick Pat Buttram (Rawhide), are sent northward to check on the boss' daughter, Sandra Higbee (played by Arkansas' own Gail Davis, TV's "Annie Oakley), who has opened a dude ranch must to the chagrin of the local lumber jacks. Gene and Rawhide uncover more than just a feud between the lumber company and the dude ranch and must find the real culprit behind the shady goings-on. There is a hilarious fisticuffs among Gene, Rawhide and two lumberjacks, played by veteran character actors, Gene Roth and John Merton, when Gene and Rawhide first arrive at the dude ranch, that's not to be missed.

Another gal from Arkansas, Carolina Cotton, gets to strut her stuff and even sings two songs she composed, "Yodel, Yodel, Yodel" and "Lovin Ducky Daddy," showcasing her talents as an early rockabilly performer. But, alas, this was her final film. Gene gets to croon the Eddy Arnold standard, "Anytime," and performs the title tune written by the legendary songwriter, Cindy Walker. The Cass County Boys are in good form singing a modernized version of the authentic trail driving folksong, "The Old Chishom Trail." Gene joins them in "Mama Don't Allow No Music," one of the "Honey Babe" variations that permits each member of the band to show off his musical talents on different instruments.

This was one of the last films Gene would make (he made only six more), but it still holds up well and Pat Buttram is always a treat to watch. There's a funny skit in this one when he and the boss show up at a masquerade party unknowingly wearing similar Jim Bridger outfits including a skunk-skin cap and a fake beard.