Themes: Righting the Wronged, Heroic Mission, Jewel Theft
Main Cast: Gene Autry, Sterling Holloway, Adele Mara, Bob Steele, Charles Evans
Release Year: 1947
Country: US
Run Time: 54 minutes
Plot
Smugglers are working the border between Mexico and California in this action-filled and, of course, tuneful Gene Autry Western. Autry, sidekick Sterling Holloway, and the Cass County Boys get involved with fiery Elena Del Rio (Adele Mara), a singer in the local cantina who alternately throws knives at them and helps catch a gang of jewel smugglers taking advantage of local refugees. Chasing in and out of Joshua Tree National Monument, our heroes go up against a couple of supposedly law-abiding citizens, a peon (Martin Garralaga) who isn't what he pretends to be, and the local rural residents. Happily, everyone takes time out from the mayhem to perform Jack Elliott's "Twilight on the Rio Grande" and "The Pretty Knife Grinder," Smiley Burnette's "It's My Lazy Day" and "Great Grand Dad," Nat Simon and Charles Tobias' "The Old Lamplighter" and a couple of other selections. In addition to Joshua Tree National Monument, Twilight on the Rio Grande was filmed at Victorville, CA. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Review
Joseph Kane, arguably Republic Pictures' top in-house director in the 1940s, almost manages to give Twilight on the Rio Grande a noir feel. Taking the "twilight" of the title serious, Kane's camera photographs darkened Mexican streets, lit chiaroscuro-style, and some key scenes possess an overall sense of uneasiness. Of course, true to form, menacing footsteps turn out to be Gene Autry's and apprehension quickly gives way to yet another hayseed production number. But Twilight of the Rio Grande remains a typical post-war effort, light years away in style, if not content, from the Autry oeuvre of the late '30s and early '40s. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Frank Hotaling - Art Director, Armand Schaefer - Associate Producer, Frank McDonald - Director, Yakima Canutt - Second Unit Director, Harry Keller - Editor, Morton Scott - Musical Direction/Supervision, Smiley Burnette - Songwriter, Dick Charles - Songwriter, Jack Elliott - Songwriter, Charles Tobias - Songwriter, Larry Marks - Songwriter, Nat Simon - Songwriter, William Bradford - Cinematographer, Armand Schaefer - Producer, John McCarthy - Set Designer, Helen Hansard - Set Designer, Victor B. Appel - Sound/Sound Designer, Dorrell McGowan - Screenwriter, Stuart E. McGowan - Screenwriter, Bob Mark - Makeup Supervisor
