Gail Davis Movies
Even as an infant, Gail Davis was "playing" characters younger than herself; she won the Most Beautiful Baby in Arkansas contest at the ripe old age of two. While a student at Texas University, Davis performed in a camp show, where she caught the eye of visiting celebrity Gene Autry. Placed under contract by Autry, she co-starred in 15 of his films and twice as many episodes of his various TV series, often cast as a pre-teen tomboy. From 1952 to 1956, she was starred on the Autry-produced TVer Annie Oakley. Even when production ceased on this series, Davis remained under contract to Autry, performing in his traveling rodeo as a rider, roper, and trick shooter. During this period, she was forbidden to cut off her trademarked Annie Oakley pigtails; it wasn't until 1959 that she was able to let down her hair, so to speak, as a guest star on The Perry Como Show. After a few more TV appearances, Gail Davis retired from acting; she later became a partner in a company that managed other celebrities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1948
Roy Rogers stars in the full-color Republic "special" The Far Frontier. This time, Roy deals with a plot to smuggle fugitive criminals into the U.S. Old reliable heavy Roy Barcroft plays Bart Carroll, the head bad guy, who'll mow down anyone--friend and foe alike--to avoid capture. Rogers has a score to settle with Carroll, who previously framed Roy's pal on a bank-robbery charge. Gail Davis, TV's Annie Oakley, plays Rogers' romantic interest, while "Lone Ranger" Clayton Moore appears sans mask. Old reliables Trigger, Andy Devine, and Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage round out the cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, Gail Davis, (more)
- 1949
Many observers felt that western star Monte Hale finally hit his stride with Law of the Golden West. This time, Hale plays young William Cody in his pre-Buffalo Bill days. When his wagon train is raided by bandits and his father is killed, Cody doggedly pursues the villains, with only a hotel-room key as a clue to the head culprit's identity. The bad guys include John Holland as a well-Educated easterner with a predilection for quoting Shakespeare to his nonplussed henchmen (including the inevitable Roy Barcroft) Gail Davis, who went on to play TV's Annie Oakley, is Hale's spirited leading lady, while Paul Hurst provides chuckles as a grizzled hotelier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, (more)
- 1949
A late entry in Monogram's Jimmy Wakely musical Western series, Brand of Fear features a nice performance by Gail Davis, television's Annie Oakley. Davis plays Anne Lamont, whose guardian, Marshal Black Jack Flint (Tom London), hires her as the new schoolteacher of Oreville, AZ. Black Jack, however, is really a reformed outlaw and is being blackmailed by crooked blacksmith Cal Derringer (Marshall Reed). Derringer is in league with outlaw Tom Slade (William H. Ruhl), who plans to rob a shipment of ore. On the side of law and order are trouble-shooter Jimmy Wakely and his sidekick Cannonball (Dub Taylor). They run down the villains, and with his dying breath, Derringer confesses that Black Jack was innocent of the charges leveled against him 20 years earlier and that he is actually Anne's natural father. In between battling the bad guys, Wakely finds time to sing "There's a Rainbow Over the Range" by Tim Spencer and "Cool Water" by the prolific Bob Nolan. Monogram could have done much worse than this tightly packaged piece of Western hokum, and often did. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Not quite as memorable as his previous Riders in the Sky, Gene Autry's Sons of New Mexico is still well up to the star's standard. This time, Gene tries to reform Randy Pryor, a would-be juvenile delinquent, played by Autry-protégé Dick Jones (who later starred in the Autry-produced TV series Range Rider and Buffalo Bill Jr). To this end, Pryor is enrolled at the New Mexico Military Institute, where much of this film was lensed. The kid chafes at the school's regimen and escapes, heading back to his criminal mentor Pat Feeney (Robert Armstrong). Eventually, however, Pryor sees the light, and helps Autry bring Feeney to justice. Featured in the cast is another Gene Autry contractee, Gail Davis, who went on to star as TV's Annie Oakley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Gail Davis, (more)
- 1949
In Frontier Investigator, Allan "Rocky" Lane plays the title character, spending the bulk of the picture searching for the man who killed his brother. The fact that Lane was central to the plotline was an oddity, since in most of his Republic starrers he usually functioned as last-minute problem solver, with the plot intricacies handled by the supporting cast. Lane's co-stars in Frontier Investigator include two actors who'd go on to even greater fame on television. The heroine is Gail Davis, TV's Annie Oakley, while Davis' boyfriend is portrayed by Clayton Moore, the future Lone Ranger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Allan Lane, Roy Barcroft, (more)
- 1949
Republic's well-produced Allan "Rocky" Lane western series was a favorite of fans and critics alike. The series maintained its high batting average with its first 1949 entry, Death Valley Gunfighter. The storyline gets under way when thieves conspire to appropriate a silver mine owned by comedy relief Nugget Clark Eddy Waller. Though he could benefit from some legal help, Nugget doesn't trust lawmen. Thus, do-gooder Lane is forced to protect Nugget without the old man's knowledge. Death Valley Gunfighter culminates in the sort of outsized slugfest for which Republic was justly famous. TV's future "Annie Oakley" Gail Davis co-stars as the love interest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Allan Lane, Eddy Waller, (more)
- 1949
Someone is unhappy with Steve Downey taking over his murdered brother-in-law's gold mine -- the Tavishes, for example, brothers Scotty and Tommy (Lee Roberts and Richard Emory) and their sister Molly (Gail Davis), who blame runoff from the mine for poisoning their cattle. When Tommy is killed, Scotty points the finger at Steve (Charles Starrett), who is promptly arrested by Sheriff (Smiley Burnette). Smiley's innocence allows Steve a free reign, however, and the hero is able to don his usual disguise as the Durango Kid, defender of all that is right and decent. Smiley Burnette performs his own inimitable "When You Go" and "The Ever-Lovin' Marshal" while country-swing artist Tommy Duncan takes care of "Saturday Night in San Antone" and a very unusual version of "Rock-a-Bye Baby." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1949
- NR
"This boy...and this girl...were never properly introduced to the world we live in." With this superimposed opening title, director Nicholas Ray inaugurates his first feature, They Live by Night. Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell play a "Bonnie and Clyde"-type fugitive couple, who in trying to escape their past are hell-bent down the road to Doom. Despite their criminal activities, Bowie (Granger) and Keechie (O'Donnell) are hopelessly naïve, fabricating their own idyllic dream world as the authorities close in. The entrapment -- both actual and symbolic -- of the young misfit couple can now be seen as a precursor to the dilemma facing James Dean in Ray's 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause. A box-office disappointment upon its first release, They Live by Night has since gained stature as one of the most sensitive and least-predictable entries in the film noir genre. The film was based on a novel by Edward Anderson, and in 1974 was filmed by Robert Altman under its original title, Thieves Like Us. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cathy O'Donnell, Farley Granger, (more)
At first glance, Cow Town seems to be a documentary, as an unseen narrator describes the changes made in the Old West by the advent of barbed wire. Before long, however, the audience is assured that this will be a typical Gene Autry western. Autry plays a ranch owner who incurs the wrath of his neighbors by placing barbed wire around his turf. The local cowboys are certain that the new "invention" will mean the end of their jobs, since there will no longer be a need for ranch hands to keep the cattle from roaming free. Feeding into these fears is a group of "concerned citizens," who turn out to be a band of cattle rustlers. Autry manages to round up the baddies, smooth the ruffled feathers of the cowboys, and sing several old favorites. The supporting cast includes Gail Davis, who'd later star in the Autry-produced TV series Annie Oakley, and ace stunt men Jock Mahoney and Ted Mapes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Gail Davis, (more)
Columbia's final release for 1950 was the Gene Autry western Indian Territory. Set during the Reconstruction Era, the story finds Autry working as an undercover agent for the U.S. cavalry. His mission: to neutralize a former Austrian army officer named Curt Raidler (Phil Van Zandt), who is leading a group of renegade Indians on a series of destructive raids. A subplot concerns the friendly rivalry between Autry and Union lieutenant Randolph Mason (played by Kirby Grant, later famous as TV's Sky King). Like most of Gene Autry's films from this era, Indian Territory co-stars Pat Buttram and Gail "Annie Oakley" Davis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, (more)
- 1950
Aired originally on September 3, 1950, and restored by Gene Autry Entertainment in 2000, this The Gene Autry Show series entry features Stanley Andrews as Carl Meachem, the owner of the "Flying M" cattle ranch. Determined to keep the range free of fences, Meachem bars a right of way for neighbor Tim Carson (Francis McDonald) when the latter puts his part of the valley up for sale to settlers. The feud leads to murder, and Meachem is arrested. But foreman Gene Autry knows that his boss is innocent and puts his own life on the line to catch the real culprit. In between duking it out with a vicious land grabber, Gene sings his own "That's My Home." Leading lady Gail Davis went on to star in the 1954-1956 series Annie Oakley, also produced by Gene Autry's Flying "A" Productions. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1950
Charles Starrett goes up against an entire family of criminals posing as respectable citizens in this entry in Columbia's long-running Durango Kid Western series. When one of the Mahoneys is killed in a jail break, the greedy family frames the masked avenger by having Chick Mahoney (Don Harvey murder rancher Hyland while masquerading as the Kid. The head of the family, Mrs. J.C. Mahoney (Mira McKinney), pretends to comfort the murder victim's children, Mary Ellen (Gail Davis) and young Tod (Tommy Ivo), but her clan is in reality attempting to take over the Hylands' water supply and gain control of the entire valley. Aided by old friend Smiley Burnette, Steve Armitage, aka the Durango Kid (Starrett), manages to convince the Hyland kids of the Mahoney family's treachery, and when the dust settles, the valley is once again safe from Ma Mahoney and her brood. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1950
The Johnny Mack Brown West of Wyoming concerns the efforts by cattle baron Simon (Stanley Andrews) to prevent the opening up of the rang to homesteaders. Government agent Brown comes calling when Simon begins resorting to cold-blooded murder. The leading lady is Gail Davis, a few years shy of her Annie Oakley TV stardom. Surprisingly, West of Wyoming contains none of the comedy relief that had characterized earlier Johnny Mack Brown oaters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Gail Davis, (more)
- 1951
Take Care of My Little Girl is a genteel "expose" of college-sorority snobbery. Jeanne Crain stars as Liz Erickson a perky coed who is pledged to an old, established sorority. At first amused by such rituals as "rushing" and "Hell week," Liz eventually feels threatened by the tyranny of the sorority caste system. She is particularly upset with her "sisters"' preoccupation with doltish boyfriends and their disdain for their classwork. With the moral support of student Joe Blake (Dale Robertson), Liz finally gets her priorities in order. Take Care of My Little Girl would make a fascinating companion piece with For Men Only (1951), director Paul Henreid's vitriolic attack against the injurious rituals of male fraternities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeanne Crain, Dale Robertson, (more)
The Technicolor adventure epic Flying Leathernecks offers two things that film cultists can never get enough of: star John Wayne and director Nicholas Ray. Filmed at the behest of RKO chieftain Howard R. Hughes, Leathernecks is a paean to the Marine Flying Corps of World War II. Wayne plays Major Dan Kirby, a squadron commander, whose no-nonsense attitude is sharply at odds with the easygoing approach of executive officer Captain Carl Griffin (Robert Ryan). Griffin eventually learns the value of discipline at all costs, while Kirby becomes more humanized as he gets to know his pilots. Jay C. Flippen steals the show as a supply sergeant who "borrows" from other companies to keep his men happy. Though not entirely cliché-free, Flying Leathernecks is one of the more solid war films of the 1950s, and one that has remained readily available in theaters, on TV and in video stores to the present day. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Robert Ryan, (more)
This 1951 Gene Autry vehicle is based on a supposedly true incident. At the close of the Civil War, a band of Southern guerillas disguised themselves as Union soldiers, the better to perform acts of sabotage in Utah. Autry plays a cavalry scout who goes after guerilla leader McQuarrie (Jim Davis). Though heavily outnumbered, Gene manages to come out on top. Hardly plausible, Silver Canyon is enhanced by an excellent supporting cast, including Pat Buttram as Autry's sidekick, Bob Steele as an all-around louse, and perennial Autry leading lady Gail Davis as the spunky heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, (more)
- 1951
In this North Woods adventure, the Mounties investigate a series of payroll robberies and discover that it is an inside job. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Valley of Fire is a fairly gutsy title for this formula Gene Autry western. This time, Autry plays the reform-minded mayor of a wide-open western town. The villain of the piece, Tod Rawlings (Harry Lauter), decides to undermine Gene by convincing a band of disreputable miners to hijack a wagon train which is bringing mail-order brides into the community. Fortunately, the community's "good" miners thwart Rawling's plan and claim the brides for themselves (fear not: the ladies are more than willing to be claimed). One of Rawling's partners in crime is played by Russell Hayden, who only a few months earlier had been the clean-cut hero of Lippert's "Four Star Western" series. Once again, Gene Autry's feminine vis-a-vis in Valley of Fire is Gail Davis, who went on to star in TV's Annie Oakley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, (more)
Gene Autry stars in the 1951 sagebrusher Whirlwind. In this outing, Autry plays a frontier postal inspector known for his lightning speed in the saddle (hence the title). Travelling incognito, Autry and his sidekick Smiley Burnette endeavor to get the goods on the "respectable" head of an outlaw empire. It isn't fair to give away the identity of the villain, though seasoned moviegoers will be able to solve this little mystery in the first reel. Gail Davis, TV's Annie Oakley, once more shows up as Gene Autry's leading lady in Whirlwind. As a bonus, Autry performs three songs, including the title tune. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
If one is a subscriber to cable TV's American Movie Classics, it is virtually impossible to avoid seeing the John Wayne starrer Operation Pacific; judging by the frequency of its showings, the film must be someone's very special favorite down at AMC. Set during WW II, the film casts Wayne as Duke Gifford, two-fisted submarine commander. Patricia Neal co-stars as Mary Stuart, Duke's former wife. Duke's hopes of staging a reconciliation are constantly interrupted by a series of life-threatening circumstances, capped by the rescue of a group of orphans from a Japanese-held island. Featured in the cast are old John Wayne cronies Ward Bond and Jack Pennick, as well as TV's future Jim Bowie, Scott Forbes. Operation Pacific might prove a fascinating companion feature to 1964's In Harm's Way, which reteamed John Wayne and Patricia Neal in another WW II Navy yarn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Patricia Neal, (more)
- 1951
Not to be confused with the 1929 film The Overland Telegraph, this Western from director Lesley Selander stars Tim Holt as a cowboy appropriately named Tim Holt. In order to hinder the construction of a new telegraph line for his own financial gain, scheming shopkeeper Paul Manning (George Nader) enlists the assistance of a gang of outlaws led by Brad Roberts (Hugh Beaumont in one of his many pre-Leave it to Beaver roles). Unfortunately for the bad guys, Holt and his cohort Chito Rafferty (Richard Martin) sense that there's foul play afoot and embark on an investigation. But Holt and Rafferty run into some trouble of their own in the form of Terry Muldoon (Gail Davis), the daughter of the owner of the telegraph company. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Holt, Gail Davis, (more)
Texans Never Cry but they sure do sing a lot in this Gene Autry western. Cast as a Texas Ranger, Autry is trying to get the goods on a frontier numbers racket. Perpetrating the crime is Tracy Wyatt (Richard Powers, who'd previously been a western hero himself under the name of Tom Keene). Adding to the fun is the presence of two leading ladies: conventional ingenue Gail Davis (later TV's Annie Oakley) and villainess Mary Castle. At the time Texans Never Cry was first released, critics were amused by the film's sound effects, which seemed more appropriate for a Three Stooges comedy than a Gene Autry vehicle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, (more)
Gene Autry goes undercover once again in this rather pedestrian western from Columbia Pictures. Suspecting jailed youth Dave Weldon (Dick Jones) of complicity in an army payroll heist, special investigator Autry has himself jailed. He quickly discovers that there is more to the case than meets the eye and helps Dave escape and rejoin his father's medicine show, which also includes Dave's sister Connie (Gail Davis) and the singing Cass Country Boys. Meanwhile, nasty Mike McClure (Henry Rowlands and his crew are also after the stolen money and to save young Dave's life, Gene convinces him to turn the loot over to Marshal Taplan (Gordon Jones). Among other selections, Autry and the Cass County Boys perform yet another version of Gene's signature tune, "Back in the Saddle Again". ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, (more)
- 1952
In this musical western, a rancher sends a man to prevent the marriage of his daughter. When the man arrives he finds a dude ranch and several murders which require solving. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
