George Archainbaud Movies

Gene Autry's second 1953 entry, On Top of Old Smoky casts Autry more or less as himself, a travelling balladeer. The story gets under way when Autry and his back-up vocalists are mistaken for a group of Texas Rangers. Not wishing to disappoint anyone, Gene agrees to help heroine Jen Larrabee (Gail Davis, later TV's "Annie Oakley") protect her toll road against villainous prospectors. The big-money scene occurs during the closing reel, wherein Gene and the bad guys duke it out atop a burning railroad trestle. Smiley Burnette co-stars as Autry's sidekick, while Burnette's wife Sheila Ryan plays a secondary role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Last of the Pony Riders was also the last theatrical starring feature of singing cowboy Gene Autry. This time, Autry plays a troubleshooter for the Pony Express who hopes to keep the West safe for the mail riders so that a new stagecoach line can be established. He is opposed by crooked banker Clyde Vesey (Howard Wright), who wants to land the mail franchise himself and isn't above murder to accomplish his goals. Vesey enlists the aid of a band of outlaws who disguise themselves as Indians while wreaking havoc on the mail service. Featured in the cast as one of the pony riders is Dick Jones, who starred in such Autry-produced TV shows as Range Rider and Buffalo Bill Jr. While not Gene Autry's best film, Last of the Pony Riders is an immensely satisfying ride into the sunset for this personable western hero. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Saginaw Trail is a rare "mid-western" from Gene Autry. Set in 1827, the story takes place in the wilds of Michigan. Autry plays an officer in Hamilton's Rangers, determined to bring scurrilous fur-trapper Jules Brissac (Eugene Borden) to justice. To protect his own interests, Brissac has been goading the local Indians into attacking the white settlers. No matter how tense the situation, Autry manages to find time for three songs -- including Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer", which hadn't been written yet! Smiley Burnette returns as Autry's sidekick, while newcomer Connie Marshall performs the leading-lady duties. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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, Rovi

The "B"-western field of the 1950s was laid low by increasing budgets and decreasing box-office appeal. Gene Autry's series for Columbia was still turning a profit in 1952, but films like Apache Country were a lot stingier-looking than his earlier efforts. Autry plays a government agent who rides into Indian territory to find out who's been selling guns and liquor to the Apaches. Hoping to keep his identity a secret, Autry is betrayed by a "mole" for the crooks, and gunplay ensues. TV and radio soap-opera veteran Mary Scott does an adequate job as the heroine, while movie veteran Francis X. Bushman brings his usual polished professionalism to a disturbingly minor role. And, oh yes, Gene Autry and his traditional cohorts Pat Buttram and Carolina Cotton do a lot of singing. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

Gene Autry takes a page out of Lady for a Day in this television western initially released on September 17, 1950. Having majored in animal husbandry, Easterner Mary Darrow (Wendy Waldron) is ready to take command of her father's ranch. But unbeknownst to Mary -- or so everyone assumes -- old Whopper Darrow (Francis Ford) is a down-and-out ex-con and "his" ranch actually belongs to Gene Autry. Gene plays along with the charade in his usual good-humored manner, until, that is, Whopper finds himself in trouble with the Bolton gang, who not only robbed the local bank but is now blackmailing the old geezer for the combination to Autry's safe. Gene sings his own "Pretty Mary" in this 30 minutes television series entry. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

In this the final Hopalong Cassidy Western, Hoppy (William Boyd), California Carlson (Andy Clyde), and Lucky Jenkins (Rand Brooks) search for the leaders of a counterfeiting ring after receiving a tip from an anonymous source whose signature is a pencil sketch of a comet. In Silver City, they help Nora Murray (Elaine Riley), her brother Sid (William Leicester), and ailing sister-in-law Mary (Joan Barton) get a room at the inn despite the misgivings of hotel (and town) owner Ora Mordigan (James Craven). The latter, needless to say, is the instigator of the counterfeiting scheme, which he operates from the Silver Belle Mine founded by John Murray (Herbert Rawlinson), Nora and Sid's long-lost father. The old man, an engraver by trade, has been kept a virtual prisoner for years, forced to print fake U.S. and Mexican money for Mordigan and his henchmen. With the assistance of undercover Mexican investigator DeLara (Albert Morin) and "the Comet," a local doctor (Joel Friedkin), Hoppy manages to rescue the old man and capture the entire gang. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

The long-running "Hopalong Cassidy" series trudged on with its 61st entry, Sinister Journey. William Boyd, looking pretty much the same as he did when the series started in 1936, is back as Hoppy, with Andy Clyde and Rand Brooks as his cohorts California and Lucky, respectively. Like most of the late-1940s Cassidy films, Sinister Journey is more of a mystery than an actioner, with Hoppy trying to clear his young pal Lee Garvin (John Kellogg) of a trumped-up murder charge. For a while, it seems that the wealthy father of Garvin's bride (Elaine Riley) has arranged the frame, but the real villain is exposed in the final reel. Though the "Hopalong Cassidy" films weren't the box-office hits they'd once been, within a year the films would win a whole new audience on television. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Returning to the scenic splendor of Lone Pine's Alabama Hills, Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) tries to help retired entomology professor Alonzo Larson (Joel Friedkin) and his daughter Anne (Elaine Riley), who have purchased a seemingly worthless piece of land, The Paradise Ranch. Larson has paid crooked land agent Bentley (Kenneth MacDonald) $5000 for the arid range but when Hoppy discovers the possible presence of silver on the property, Bentley and his cohort Gerald Waite (Cliff Clark), the town banker, try to null and void the sale in a rather violent manner. False Paradise was the 11th of 12 Hopalong Cassidy Westerns produced by William Boyd for United Artists release. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Hypnotism and mind control take center stage in this unusual latter-day "Hopalong Cassidy" series entry produced by its star, William Boyd. Having delivered a herd of cattle for the Cattlemen's Association, Hoppy (Boyd) and California (Andy Clyde) are confronted by a strangely moody Lucky Jenkins (Rand Brooks), who apparently owes money to a crooked gambler, Speed Blaney (James H. Harrison). At first, Hoppy dismisses the situation as a young man's folly but when both Lucky and the gold payment for the cattle vanish into thin air, our hero begins to suspect foul play. But has the hitherto upstanding Lucky turned thief? That question may be best answered by Doc Richards (Earle Hodgins), a typically flamboyant snake oil salesman with a dark side, and his pretty niece Rene (Virginia Belmont). Like most of the "Hopalong Cassidy" Westerns, Silent Conflict was partially filmed on location at Lone Pine. Leading lady Virginia Belmont later enjoyed a brief career in Italian films. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi