Joe Strauch, Jr. Movies
Joe Stauch Jr. had a busy film career as a child. He got his start doubling for Spanky McFarland in the Our Gang series. He later appeared in a number of Gene Autry Westerns as the nephew of Smiley Burnette. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1947
In this drama, set in England, an honorable textbook writer in a village becomes friends with a pregnant girl. The friendship costs him his marriage. Later, the girl dies, and the authorities wonder if it is murder. A coroner's inquest is held, and for a while the writer's social and professional standing sets on the brink of ruin. In the end, he is finally cleared and is therefore free to court his true love. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Pidgeon, John Abbott, (more)
- 1944
In this off-beat western, a cowboy is struck on the head and loses his memory. Opportunistic outlaws then assure him that he is in their gang. With no choice but to believe them, he begins a series of robberies. Another smack on the noodle restores his memory and he suddenly realizes that he's a good guy and so brings the villains to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Smiley Burnette, Effie Laird, (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)
Spoiled little rich girl Edith Fellows does what she can to avoid spending time on Gene Autry's dude ranch in this tuneful Western restored by U.C.L.A. in 2001 for Gene Autry Entertainment. Despite the best efforts of her teacher Alice Bennett (Fay McKenzie), Connie Lane (Fellows) quickly manages to turn everyone against her, except Gene. The foreman/crooner teaches Connie the value of friendship and she reciprocates by sabotaging Hap Callahan's (William Haade) attempts to beat Gene in a bronco-busting contest. That, of course, is no way to win friendship and Hap avenges himself by causing a stampede that almost kills Connie. She is rescued in the nick of time by Gene, who also manages to pacify the stubborn girl's equally stubborn millionaire father (Pierre Watkin). Edith Fellows sings "Rainbow in the Night," while Gene, Smiley Burnette, Fay McKenzie, Jimmy Wakely, and his trio take care of "Deep in the Heart of Texas," "Rocky Canyon," "Dusk on the Painted Desert," "I'll Wait for You," and five other selections. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1942
This Time for Keeps is a followup to 1940's Keeping Company, with Ann Rutherford repeating her role from the earlier film. Rutherford is cast as newlywed Katherine White, at present undergoing a rocky "period of adjustment" with her husband Lee (Robert Sterling, replacing the original film's John Shelton). Having trouble landing a good job, Lee is persuaded to go to work for his father-in-law Harry Bryant (Frank Morgan in the first film, Guy Kibbee in the second). Unfortunately, Harry doesn't believe in allowing his employees to think for themselves, resulting in even more friction between Katherine and Lee. It's up to Harry's all-knowing wife (Irene Rich, another carryover from Keeping Company) to smooth everyone's ruffled feathers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Rutherford, Robert Sterling, (more)
Cattleman Gene Autry is put out-to say the least-when he finds out that he's been slickered by crooked purchasing agent Thomas McCoy (Edmund MacDonald). It turns out that McCoy is in debt to bookies, and has been skimming his customers to pay off his gambling losses. Autry hopes to put a stop to all this by going directly to McCoy's boss, Grantley B. Johnson (Thurston Hall), but the Big Guy's office is crammed full of radio agents who hope to persuade Johnson to sponsor their programs. One of these agents is a young lady named Kit Carson (Ruth Terry), whose sample record disc is accidentally broken in the crush. Thus is the main plot briefly put on the back burner as Kit persuades Gene and his ranch-hand pals (the Sons of the Pioneers) to pose as radio crooners to impress Mr. Johnson. Eventually, Call of the Canyon gets back on track with an exciting runaway-buggy climax, but for the most part the film is more musical than western. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
Rodeo champ Gene Autry inherits half interest in both a ranch and a mine that provides steady employment for the surrounding rancheros. Unfortunately, the other half goes to Easterner Barbara Erwin (Carol Hughes), who is only interested in monetary remuneration. To convince Gene to buy her share, Barbara enters into an unholy alliance with unscrupulous attorneys Arnold (Ivan Miller) and Fry (Sam Flint), who, without their client's consent, hire a gang of thugs headed by Tommick (John Merton). When a ranchero (Elias Gamboa) is mortally wounded in the ensuing gun battle, Barbara sees the error of her way and switches sides. When not fighting for the rights of the common man, Gene Autry and sidekick Smiley Burnette perform "Under Fiesta Stars", "Purple Sage in the Twilight", "When You're Smiling" and "The Man in the Flying Trapeze". Under Fiesta Stars has been restored to its original length of 62 minutes by Gene Autry Entertainment. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
