Main Cast: Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Virginia Grey, Lucien Littlefield, Morgan Conway
Release Year: 1942
Country: US
Run Time: 78 minutes
Plot
In his final film before entering war service, Gene Autry joins the World Wide Wild West Show, a faltering enterprise about to be taken over by the more powerful Johnson Bros. Rodeo, and his success as the Singing Bronco Buster allows the show to open at San Capistrano instead of the rival outfit. Stag Johnson (Morgan Conway), who is sweet on World Wide's owner Jennifer Benton (Virginia Grey), is inclined to leave things as they are but brother Jed (Tristram Coffin) and jealous show girl Jackie Laval (Marla Shelton) do what they can to sabotage the competition, including forcing Mom (Claire DuBrey) and Pop McCracken (Lucien Littlefield), Jennifer's foster-parents, off the road. Gene at first blames himself for all the troubles but then joins sidekicks Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette) and Tadpole (Joe Stracuh, Jr.) in battling the increasingly desperate Johnson brothers. When not rescuing the heroine from runaway buckboards and other such Wild West shenanigans, Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Joe Strauch, Jr. and company perform "In Old Capistrano", "At Sundown", "Forgive Me", "Don't Bite the Hand That's Feeding You", and "Fort Worth Jail". According to some reports, Bells of Capistrano), which was produced on an impressive budget of $500,000, employed two camera crews in order to finish principal photography prior to Autry's induction into the Army Air Force. Gene Autry Entertainment restored the film to its original length in 2001. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Review
Gene Autry certainly left Republic Pictures on a high note and the studio knew they had a winner. The songs, which have been restored to the film after years of crude television edits, are fine and Autry is his usual laid-back self. But most of the fun is actually provided by the supporting cast, which includes such rare visitors to the range as Virginia Grey, borrowed for the occasion from M-G-M, future Dick Tracy star Morgan Conway and silent screen femme fatale Claire DuBrey. The latter appears here in tandem with another veteran, Lucien Littlefield), and together they make a marvelously funny team, both performers rather obviously basing their characters after Showboat's Cap'n Andy and his indomitable wife, Parthy Hawks. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
William Morgan - Director, Edward Mann - Editor, Milton Ager - Composer (Music Score), Jerry Charleston - Composer (Music Score), Walter Donaldson - Composer (Music Score), Thomas Holer - Composer (Music Score), Sol Meyer - Composer (Music Score), Jimmie Morgan - Composer (Music Score), Fred Stryker - Composer (Music Score), Jack Yellen - Composer (Music Score), Morton Scott - Musical Direction/Supervision, Milton Ager - Songwriter, Jerry Charleston - Songwriter, Walter Donaldson - Songwriter, Thomas Holer - Songwriter, Sol Meyer - Songwriter, Jimmie Morgan - Songwriter, Fred Stryker - Songwriter, Jack Yellen - Songwriter, Reggie Lanning - Cinematographer, Harry Grey - Producer, Lawrence Kimble - Screenwriter
