Colorado Sunset (1939)

Gene and his buddies discover that the ranch they bought is really a dairy farm. And worse, it's subject to intimidation from a protection racket that prevents dairy products from safely reaching the market.

Director:

George Sherman

Writers:

Betty Burbridge (screen play), Stanley Roberts (screen play)

Stars:

Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, June Storey

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette	...	Frog Millhouse
June Storey	...	Carol Haines
Barbara Pepper	...	Ginger Bixby
Buster Crabbe	...	Dave Haines (as Larry "Buster" Crabbe)
Robert Barrat	...	Dr. Rodney Blair
Patsy Montana	...	Patsy
The Texas Rangers	...	Texas Troubadors (as The CBS-KMBC Texas Rangers)
Purnell Pratt	...	Mr. Hall
William Farnum	...	Sheriff George Glenn
Kermit Maynard	...	Cyrus Drake
Jack Ingram	...	Henchman Clanton
Elmo Lincoln	...	Dairyman Burns
Frankie Marvin	...	Ranch Hand

Storyline

Gene and the boys arrive at their new ranch to find themselves in the dairy business instead of punching cows. They soon become victims of Doc Blair's outlaw gang that is keeping all milk shipments from reaching the market. Gene eventually learns that Blairs's men get their instructions in code when his medical bulletins are read over the radio. Gene obtains the code and hopes a false message will lead the gang into a trap.

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Plot Keywords:

hot headed brother | actress shares first and last name with character | actress shares first name with character | actress shares last name with character | henchman | 

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Taglines:

A TROUBADOR Who wrote songs in GUNSMOKE! (original print ad)

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Genres:

Action | Music | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song, "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere," was sung at the 1901 funeral of the assassinated President William McKinley, because it was his favorite song.

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Soundtracks

Beautiful Isle of Somewhere
(1897) (uncredited)
Music by John S. Fearis
Lyrics by Jessie B. Pounds
Performed by Gene Autry and Townsfolk at the funeral

User Reviews

Another Good Autry Mix

Notice in these productions from the '30's how often Gene is protecting little guys against big predators. It's a popular theme, I suspect, for that Depression decade. Here he's helping dairy farmers against a conniving outlaw outfit, led by a double-dealing doctor. Then too, these productions liked to work radio broadcasting into the storyline, as they do here with the doc giving orders in code over the air (clever).

It's a typically good Autry oater from the period, with a bang-up climax of hard-riding and buckboard crashes. That's along with two standout songs, especially the one by lakeside, plus little Patsy Montana who can be my cowboy's sweetheart any day.

Watch for Elmo Lincoln in a dairyman's role—he was one of the screen's earliest Tarzans! Quite a trip from the jungles to the Old West. Of course, Frog gets his usual comic relief, but he also gets to battle the bad guys just like Gene. Maybe the biggest surprise is tall, handsome Buster Crabbe as a good-bad guy, and so soon after traveling the universe as Flash Gordon. He's tough competition for Gene, but our hero manages. Anyway, it's another fine matinée special from our friends at Republic and Melody Ranch.

An "8" on the matinée scale.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 July 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der große Milchkrieg von Colorado

Filming Locations:

Agoura, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min (2001 restored) 53 min (edited)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA "High Fidelity" Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1