Tommy Coats Movies

Released in Republic Pictures' low-budget Trucolor and filmed at the majestic location of the title, Grand Canyon Trail stars Roy Rogers is a rancher going up against a crooked mining engineer played by fellow Western star Robert Livingston. The latter, Bill Regan, has conned eastern silver magnate J. Malcolm Vanderpool (Charles Coleman) into believing that his Sintown mine is worthless. But Vanderpool's pretty secretary, Carol Martin (Jane Frazee), is suspicious and travels to the ghost town masquerading as the boss' daughter. Rancher Rogers and his hired hands -- Foy Willing & the Riders of the Purple Sage in their first Rogers Western -- have all invested in the mine, courtesy of hayseed blacksmith "Cookie" Bullfincher (Andy Devine), and are doing a bit of digging themselves. The only person with knowledge of the location of the mine, elderly stage driver Ed Carruthers (Emmett Lynn), is kidnapped by the gang and later murdered. Carol, whom Roy accuses of being in cahoots with the villains, is kept captive in a cabin during a rainstorm and when Mike Delsing (Ken Terrell), one of Regan's men, turns up, she mistakenly believes he has come to rescue her and hits Roy over the head with a vase. Realizing her error, Carol later aids Roy and the Riders capture the gang and their leader, Regan, whom she dispatches with a well-appointed rock. In between the action, Roy and the Riders perform "Everything's Going My Way," by Foy Willing and "Grand Canyon Trail" and "Colorado Joe" by Jack Elliott. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Adhering to the long tradition of casting non-action leads in their serials, Republic Pictures hired former 20th Century-Fox light leading man Robert Kent to headline no less than two chapterplays in 1946, King of the Royal Mounted and The Phantom Rider. In the latter, the amiable, good-looking Kent played James Sterling, an earnest young medical doctor attempting to establish an Indian police corps on the Big Tree Reservation. Facing continuing sabotage by unknown forces, the young medico takes up the guise of "Phantom Rider," a mysterious avenger righting the territory's many wrongs. Sterling is secretly opposed by Fred Carson (LeRoy Mason), whose outward friendliness hides a sinister desire to dominate the reservation, but finds loyal allies in Indian friend Blue Feather (George J. Lewis), pretty schoolmarm Doris Shannon (Peggy Stewart), and Nugget (Hal Taliaferro), a tough but lovable miner. Kent, who was doubled by ace Republic stunt-man Dale Van Sickel, headed a superior cast of serial stalwarts that also included Roy Barcroft as a marshal, Tom London, as a henchman, and, in a bit part, future cowboy hero Monte Hale. An edited feature version of the serial was released simultaneously as Ghost Riders of the West. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

In his first film after four-years of military duty, Gene Autry returns to a familiar setting: a modern western musical-comedy with accent on music and comedy. Crooning Jimmie Hodges' lilting "Someday You'll Want Me to Want You", cattle rancher Gene Autry is discovered by Hollywood talent scouts Sue Warner (Lynne Roberts) and Nelson "Nellie" Bly (Sterling Holloway), who convince him to give up ranching in favor of movie stardom. But unbeknownst to Gene only his voice is needed -- to flesh out cartoon character Ding Dong Donkey -- and the results prove highly embarrassing. Ashamed of her own part in the deception, Sue quits her job and obtains a position as Gene's ranch cook. Back at Paragon Pictures, a surreptitiously produced screen-test brings Autry's unquestionable talents to the attention of studio boss G.W. Rhodes (Pierre Watkin), who assigns former cartoon producer Jefferson Lang (Richard Lane) to lure the cattle rancher back to Hollywood. Desperate to get out of the animated movie business, Lang forms an alliance with Gene's sworn enemy, Big Gulliver (Ralph Sanford), but the resulting near-disaster is prevented in the nick of time by Sue and the ranch hands. Nearly wiped out, Gene signs a contract with Paragon and becomes a huge success as Hollywood's newest singing cowboy. Backed by the Cass County Boys, Autry performs Dick Thomas & Ray Freedman's title tune; "Oklahoma Hills" by Leon Guthrie; "Riding Double" by John Rox; and "Yours" by Gonzalo Roig and Jack Sherr. In accordance with a then new Republic Pictures policy, the latter is sung in both English and Spanish. A restored version of Sioux City Sue was released in 2001 by Gene Autry Entertainment. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

At 70 minutes, the Roy Rogers musical western Idaho was packaged and promoted as a "special", rather than just another B-flick. The story concerns the efforts by kindly judge Grey (Harry Shannon) to establish a "Boy's Town"-style establishment for wayward youngsters. The judge is opposed by gambling-house proprietress Belle Bonner (Ona Munson), who is a prositute in everything but name. Belle hopes to discredit Grey by revealing the judge's criminal record, but state ranger Roy Rogers comes to the rescue. The climax finds Rogers, heroine Terry Grey (Virginia Grey) and the ex-delinquent kids (played by members of the Robert Mitchell Boy Choir) capturing Belle's bandit gang. Gabby Hayes, Roy Rogers' former sidekick, is conspicuous by his absence in Idaho; Hayes was replaced on this occasion by the ubiquitous Smiley Burnette, as always cast as "Froggy Millhouse." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though Don "Red" Barry is the star of Jesse James, Jr., he plays a character named Johnny Barrett. The scene is a small western town, lacking telegraph service. Every time the locals try to set up communications with the Outside World, they are thwarted by an outlaw gang. Barry-er, Barrett--comes to the rescue. The supporting cast of Jesse James, Jr. includes several formidable western baddies, among them Bob Kortman, George Cheseboro and Stanley Blystone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A fast-paced, enjoyable entry in the long-running Three Mesqueteers Western series, Heroes of the Saddle featured the three cowboy pals promising to look after Peggy Bell (Patsy Lee Parsons), the little daughter of mortally wounded rodeo champ Montana (Kermit Maynard). Legal technicalities, however, halt the adoption proceeding and Stony (Robert Livingston), Rusty (Raymond Hatton), and Rico (Duncan Renaldo) can only watch as the little girl is placed in the county orphanage. On a visit, the Mesqueteers discover that Peggy has been injured and Melloney the superintendent (sour-faced Byron Foulger) claims that the institution cannot pay for the necessary treatment. Stony wins the amount in a boxing match against "Killer" McCulley (Jack Roper), only to learn that Melloney is threatening the child to keep quiet about something. The "something" is the fact that Melloney and county supervisor Crone (William Royle) are not only mistreating the children in their care but cooking the books as well. Aided by a pretty nurse, Ruth Miller (Loretta Weaver of the Weaver hillbilly act), the Mesqueeters "kidnap" Peggy and the other kids and bring them to their spacious ranch. There is a final shootout before the three heroes can round up the gang and celebrate the election of a new county supervisor, nurse Ruth. A comic highlight of this Western has Duncan Renaldo pretending to be a department store dummy in order to fool drunken watchman Al Taylor. Heroes of the Saddle was one of the final films of ace villain William Royle, who later that year would appear in perhaps his best-remembered role as Sir Neyland Smith in the serial Drums of Fu Manchu (1940). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The "Three Mesquiteers"--John Wayne, Ray Corrigan and Max Terhune--find themselves in the modern-day west in Overland Stage Raiders. The "stages" being raided are actually Greyhound buses, bearing gold shipments to the east. Airborne hijackers steal the gold, but the Mesquiteers vanquish the crooks, then parachute to safety. Overland Stage Raiders represents John Wayne's second appearance in Republic's Three Mesquiteers series, but never mind that. The film's leading lady was former silent star and future cult- figure Louise Brooks, the hauntingly beautiful leading lady of G.W. Pabst's Diary of a Lost Girl and Pandora's Box, here making her last film appearance. When asked in later years why she would accept such an unprepossessing project, the no-nonsense Brooks replied that she needed the three hundred dollars. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Yet another Zorro imitation, this adventure serial starred Robert Livingston as Don Loring, whose father and brother are killed by the evil General Burr (Fred Kohler). Seeking revenge, Loring dons a black cape and mask, calls himself "The Eagle," and goes about bringing Burr and his men to justice. As a daytime cover, the hero assumes the role of a kind, simple-minded church organist, a disguise that manages to fool Burr and his collaborator, the nasty Russian Count Raspinoff (Robert Warwick), for the serial's 12 installments. Guinn "Big Boy" Williams co-starred as Salvation, the leader of a motley gang of outlaws who assist Loring in his quest, while brunette Kay Hughes added much needed feminine touch to the proceedings. Produced for Republic Pictures by genre specialist Nat Levine, the serial was co-directed by former actor Mack V. Wright and Ray Taylor. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Gene Autry's first starring Western, Tumbling Tumbleweeds sets the pace for the 98 or so Autry oaters to come. As he would for the remainder of his screen career with only one exception, Gene plays Gene Autry, cowboy troubadour, who, upon his return west with musical friends Smiley (Smiley Burnette) and Eightball (Eugene Jackson), not only learns that his father has been murdered but that his childhood friend, Harry Brooks (Cornelius Keefe), is the most likely suspect. Naturally, Harry proves innocent while the real culprit is once again to be found among the town's more notable citizens. Gene, Burnette, and the Sons of the Pioneers (one of whom is the screen debuting Leonard Slye, soon to become Roy Rogers) perform Bob Nolan's title tune, along with "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine," by Gene Autry and Jimmy Long; "Ridin' Down the Canyon," by Autry and Smiley Burnette; and "Corn Fed and Rusty," by Burnette. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide