Spade Cooley Movies
- 1951
Despite its Latino title, Casa Manana was an all-American production from Monogram studios. The title refers to the nightclub where songstress Linda (Virginia Welles) works. Linda's boyfriend Larry (Robert Clarke) has purchased the nitery, hoping to transform his lady love into a big star. The fly in the ointment is brutish Horace (Robert Karnes), who is also in love with Linda and who isn't too particular about the methods he uses to win her away from Larry. Guest stars in this musical melodrama include the Rio Brothers, Eddie Le Baron Orchestra, Spade Cooley, Yadira Jimenez, Zarco & D'Lores, the Mercer Brothers, Armando & Lita, Betty & Beverly, Olga Perez and Davis & Johnson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Clarke, Virginia Welles, (more)
- 1950
Produced at Agoura, CA, and directed by silent film action star Richard Talmadge, this minor Western starred bandleader and early television personality Spade Cooley. Actually, Cooley had very little to do in the film other than offer name recognition to a cumbersome Western tale of a special agent (Bill Edwards) unravelling a series of rustlings on and around Cooley's dude ranch. The rustlers, as it turns out, are in league with a smuggler known only as the Phantom Raider. The contraband in question was originally slated to be dope, but vehement objections from the Breen office, the Hollywood watchdog, caused it to be changed to diamonds. At one point in the film, the Cooley ranch hands are seen practicing acrobatic feats under the leadership of director Richard Talmadge, a veteran stuntman. The act was billed as "The Six Metzetti Boys," an obvious reference to Talmadge's real name, Sylvester Metzetti. Popularly known as "The King of Western Swing," Spade Cooley created less than admirable headlines in 1961 when he was convicted of beating his estranged wife to death. He died of a heart attack in 1969 while on a leave from Vacaville prison to perform in a benefit concert. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spade Cooley, Maria Hart, (more)
- 1950
By the standards of low-budget Lippert Productions, Everybody's Dancin' is an "A" picture. Country-western favorite Spade Cooley (who also co-produced and co-scripted) heads the enormous cast of this innocuous musical comedy. Setting the plot in motion is fast-talking Dick Lane, playing a phony entrepreneur who hopes to rescue a bankrupt ballroom called "Waltzland." The climax is the standard-issue Big Show, staged at the studios of Los Angeles television station KTLA (where Dick Lane was gainfully employed as a sportscaster). Featured acts include The Sons of the Pioneers, the Chuy Reyes Orchestra, The Flying Taylors, the Great Velardi and the Medians. Also thrown into the stew are a bunch of guest stars, including Roddy McDowall, western stars Jimmy Ellison , and Russell Hayden, and UPI columnist Virginia McPherson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spade Cooley, Richard Lane, (more)
- 1950
Produced 16 mm color stock by television personality Spade Cooley in 1947, The Silver Bandit was not released until April of 1950 when distributor Raymond Friedgen had it blown up to 35 mm. Cooley starred as a mild-mannered bookkeeper shipped West by his boss, Vanfleet Stoglehammer (Dick Elliott), to investigate problems at the Green Valley Mine. From pretty Molly Doren (Virginia Jackson), Cooley learns that a masked bandit has been terrorizing the area's silver mines. Falling into an abandoned mine shaft, the intrepid Easterner discovers the bandit's lair and discarded spare costume. Trying on the suit, Spade is mistaken for the real bandit, but escapes the sheriff's posse. After sundry ill-conceived B-Western clichés, Cooley is able to unmask the real bandit, who proves to be none other than Molly's erstwhile boyfriend (Bob Gilbert). A classically trained musician turned country & western bandleader, Spade Cooley became a household name starring on The Hoffman Hayride, one of television's earliest successes. Still performing by 1961, Cooley created headlines once again when he was convicted of beating his estranged wife to death. He died while on a furlough from Vacaville Prison in 1969. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spade Cooley, Bob Gilbert, (more)
- 1949
Lippert's Square Dance Jubilee was aimed squarely at the rural movie market. Don Barry and Wally Vernon play a pair of talent scouts, searching for authentic country-western performers to appear on Spade Cooley's TV show. Somehow, the duo finds time to rescue a lovely young rancher (Mary Beth Hughes) from cattle rustlers. The plot is serviceable but hardly necessary: the sole "raison d'etre" for Square Dance Jubilee was its parade of C&W talent. In addition to Spade Cooley, the musical roster includes Cowboy Copas, Ray Vaughan, Claude Casey, Johnny Downs, The Broome Brothers, Smiley and Kitty, the Elder Lovelies and the Tumbleweed Tumblers. Yee-hah! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Beth Hughes, Wally Vernon, (more)
- 1949
Produced and directed by the veteran Oliver Drake and filmed at his ranch near Pearblossom, CA, this minor musical Western starred Spade Cooley, a bandleader known as the "King of Western Swing." In between performing such numbers as "Cowboy Serenade" and "Gower Gulch Is Home Sweet Home to Me," Cooley wins the rodeo on the feared T.N.T (he was doubled by the later so notable Richard Farnsworth), beats up a few bad guys, including stuntmen Bob Woodward and Boyd Stockman, and romances pretty girl singer Wanda Cantlon. The Kid From Gower Gulch was apparently produced in 1947 (in 16 mm, according to Drake himself) but was not released until 1949. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1947
Gene Autry is back near the saddle, trying to help out a crippled jockey. Gene is certain that the jockey can ride in the Big Race if the lad can regain his self-confidence. Meanwhile, Gene and comical sidekick Sterling Holloway have another problem on their hands: A rogue stallion has "kidnapped" Gene's prize mare. Piloting a plane, Autry seeks out and locates the stallion. The jockey and mare enter the race, and win. Director John English keeps Trail to San Antone constantly on the move, resulting in one of the better postwar Gene Autry vehicles for Republic Studios. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Peggy Stewart, (more)
- 1947
Band singer Freddie Stewart stars in the pure-'40s frivolity Vacation Days. It's a high-school musical romance, with some of the oldest "teenagers" on record. During summer vacation, Freddie and student June Preisser fall for each other. Their relationship is complicated by romantic rivalries carried over from the regular school year. Vacation Days features a spirited musical number by country-western star Spade Cooley, whose ultimate real-life destiny -- he would die in prison after murdering his wife -- retrospectively casts a slight pall on the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1945
In this musical western, the Three Stooges' Moe plays the straight man while Curly and Larry play a pair of aspiring Broadway performers who work as bumbling ranch hands. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Outlaws of the Rockies is the fourth of Columbia's revitalized "Durango Kid" series. Charles Starrett is back in the saddle as the masked do-gooder Durango, aka easygoing sheriff Steve Williams. Accused of being a member of an outlaw gang, Williams is forced to don his Durango disguise to bring the actual criminals to justice. He also helps his pal Tex Harding (played by real-life cowboy crooner Tex Harding) escape from jail. A goodly portion of the film's footage is given over to the singing of Harding and his fellow sagebrush vocalist Spade Cooley. Outlaws of the Rockies was the first of 38 "Durango Kid" entries to be directed by Ray Nazarro. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Tex Harding, (more)
Music, gangster melodrama, and snappy newspaper comedy is blended into the usual Western shenanigans in this unusual Gene Autry vehicle filmed on-location at the Russell Ranch near Agoura Hills, CA. Autry, as always, plays himself, a singing star, with Smiley Burnette and Joe Strauch Jr. as sidekicks Frog and Tadpole Millhouse. The trio is visiting Pop Harrison's (Forrest Taylor) Wyoming dude ranch, where Pop's wastrel son, Tex (James Seay), is in trouble with the law. Tex is involved with one Mr. Crowley (George Gordon), who really a gangster named Luigi. Recognized by newspaper reporters Clem (Fay McKenzie) and Hack (Chick Chandler), Crowley and his men indulges in a bit of skullduggery and are the obvious suspects when Pop Harrison is shot. But as Gene discovers, the gangsters are merely red herrings, the real culprit being a person much closer to home. In between detective work and romancing the girl reporter, Autry finds time enough to warble six songs, including Irving Berlin's then very topical "Any Bonds Today?," the official anthem of U.S. Defense Bond campaign. Despite good performances by Fay McKenzie, the daughter of veteran B-Western personality Robert McKenzie, and the always welcome Chick Chandler, Home in Wyomin' was not wholly appreciated by Autry's legion of fans who wanted their star straight up. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1942
Though it ain't Noel Coward, Chatterbox is the funniest of the two Judy Canova-Joe E. Brown vehicles for Republic. Brown is hilariously cast as Rex Vane, a pompous radio cowboy star who's never been any further west than his living room. When Rex is signed to appear in a film, it becomes painfully apparent that he can neither ride nor shoot. But rambunctious Judy Boggs (Judy Canova) can do both, and it is Judy who helps guide the vain Vane through his moviemaking experiences. Rex proves himself to be a genuine hero in a slapstick finale "borrowed" from Chaplin's The Gold Rush. Naturally, both Brown and Canova are given ample opportunity to sing, as are guest performers Spade Cooley and the Mills Brothers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe E. Brown, Judy Canova, (more)
- 1941
Congress suddenly changes the boundary between Texas and Mexico and the rangers leave the territory to the U.S. cavalry in this fine entry in Republic Pictures long-running Three Mesqueteers western series. Left to fend for himself, the commanding officer, Colonel Langley (Forbes Murray), makes the mistake of trusting LeRoque (Peter George Lynn), a half-breed interpreter who in reality is the feared Commanche renegade Waneeche. Nothing the Three Mesqueteers, "Stony" Brooke (Robert Livingston), "Tucson" Smith (Bob Steele) and "Lullaby" Joslin (Rufe Davis), do or say dissuades Langley from walking straight into a trap and only by taking a typically daring approach are the Mesqueteers able to prevent wholesale slaughter. Gale Storm plays the nominal female lead as the colonel's cheery daughter and comedy relief is provided by spinster-ish Ellen Lowe, as Aunt Amanda, a scalp-hungry Glenn Strange and rube comic Rufe Davis. The latter also performs Smiley Burnette's "Just Imagine That" backed by cowboy swing fiddler Spade Cooley. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Livingston, Bob Steele, (more)
- 1939
A remake of sorts of the 1935 western The Arizonian, this fine George O'Brien oater features Leon Ames as Sheriff Judd Cronan, a slick lawman running Mesa City as if he owns the place. When schoolmarm Virginia King (Virginia Vale) has had enough of both Cronan's capriciousness and his advances and decides to leave town, the sheriff arranges for his henchman Pete (Joe McGuinn) to commit a bit of kidnapping. Unhappily for Cronan and his cronies, Cliff Mason (O'Brien), a retired lawman, happens by and is easily persuaded to stick around and do something about the general lawlessness of the area. Cornered, the sheriff sends for Duke Allison (Henry Brandon), a hired killer. Marshal of Mesa City was the first of six westerns teaming George O'Brien with RKO starlet Virginia Vale, formerly Dorothy Howe and the winner of the "Gateway to Hollywood" radio contest. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George O'Brien, Virginia Vale, (more)
