In Old Santa Fe (1934)

Kentucky loses his horse in a rigged horse race and gets framed for the murder of a stagecoach driver.

Directors:

David Howard, Joseph Kane (uncredited)

Writers:

Wallace MacDonald (story), John Rathmell (story)

Stars:

Ken Maynard, Tarzan, Evalyn Knapp

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ken Maynard	...	Ken - aka Kentucky
Tarzan	...	Tarzan
Evalyn Knapp	...	Lila Miller
H.B. Warner	...	Charlie Miller
Kenneth Thomson	...	Matt Korber - alias Mr. Chandler
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Cactus (as George Hayes)
Wheeler Oakman	...	Tracy
George Burton	...	Red - Henchman
George Chesebro	...	Nick - Henchman
Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry

Storyline

Gangster Chandler and his accomplice Tracy arrive at a dude ranch. Cowboy Kentucky arrives at the same time. When Tracy double-crosses his boss and has the stage robbed, Kentucky finds the outlaws and brings them in. Tracy frames him for the murder of the driver but his pal Cactus gets him out of jail. He returns just as Chandler shoots Tracy and Kentucky finds himself arrested for another murder.

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Plot Keywords:

cowboy in tight pants | cowboy horse relationship | dude ranch | rigged horse race | planted evidence | 

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Taglines:

THE WORLD'S GREATEST COWBOY SINGER (original poster--all caps)

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 November 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

Down in Old Santa Fe

Filming Locations:

Mojave Desert, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mascot Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

64 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (International Sound Recording Company)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is essentially Gene Autry's screen test. After Ken Maynard's quarrelsomeness got him fired by Mascot Pictures' head Nat Levine, Autry won his first starring role in The Phantom Empire (1935), originally intended to star Maynard. Many years later Autry quietly helped support Maynard when he was old, broke and alcoholic.

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Connections

Featured in Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs (2000)

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Soundtracks

That's What I Like About My Dog
Music by Harold Lewis
Lyrics by Bernie Grossman
Sung by Ken Maynard
Dubbed by Bob Nolan

User Reviews

Quiet and rich

In Old Santa Fe has come down to us as the debut film for both Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette both off the Old Barn Dance radio show. But aside from Gene's singing and Ken Maynard's dubbed singing it's not a bad modern day western with a bit of comedy and mystery thrown into the film as a bargain.

A pair of villains Kenneth Thomson and Wheeler Oakman arrive at H.B. Warner's dude ranch. Years ago Warner was a crook, but he left the big city and lives quiet and rich due to his dude ranch's popularity and the fact he's got a goldmine on the premises.

Which attract Thomson and Oakman. Thomson also has a Snidely Whiplash like interest in Warner's daughter Evelyn Knapp. But of course she can only see cowboy hero Ken Maynard.

Big mistake Thomson and Oakman make was setting up a race horse where they trick Maynard's sidekick Gabby Hayes into putting up Maynard's horse Tarzan to cover a bet. You just don't do that to a cowboy hero especially since the race is rigged for them to win.

Maynard nails these two with some modern type forensic investigation and all's well that ends well as the Bard put it. This was the kind of plot that you would see a lot of in the Forties in Roy Rogers' westerns.

Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette make their debuts in a country dance at the dude ranch. Autry was grateful to Maynard for his big break and helped him out a lot when he was old, broke, and alcoholic. Maynard became his personal charity.

In Old Santa Fe holds up quite well for today's viewers.