The Scarlet Empress (1934), Riders of the Whistling Pines (1949), Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (1940), On Top of Old Smoky (1953), Rancho Grande (1940), Down Mexico Way (1941), Cowboy Serenade (1942), Mountain Rhythm (1939) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Gene Autry movies.
Storyline: Young Princess Sophia of Germany is taken to Russia to marry the half-wit Grand Duke Peter, son of the Empress. The domineering Empress hopes to improve the royal blood line. Sophia doesn't like her husband, but she likes Russia, and is very fond of Russian soldiers. She dutifully produces a son -- of questionable fatherhood, but no one seems to mind that. After the old empress dies, Sophia engineers a coup d'etat with the aid of the military, does away with Peter, and becomes Catherine the Great.—John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>
Plot Keywords: noblewoman, duke, mother-in-law, count, husband, ruler, emotional ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: When asked about the Ghost Riders song he sings, Gene Autry (Gene Autry) tells this legend: Gene is about to resign as an investigator for the county attorney and go into the cattle business with his pal Chuckawalla Jones (Pat Buttram) but decides instead to help Anne Lawson (Gloria Henry) clear her father, rancher Ralph Lawson (Steve Darrell), of a false murder charge. He looks for the three witnesses who can testify that Lawson shot only in self defense in killing a gambler, but the witnesses are terrorized by another gambler, town boss Rock McCleary (Robert Livingston), who shoots witness Pop Roberts (Tom London). Fatally wounded, Pop gives Gene the information needed to clear Lawson, then dies crying the "Ghost Riders" are coming for him. Gene then heads for a showdown with McCleary.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: hunter, forest ranger, lumberjack, sidekick, engaging, forest, mountain ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Overly shy cowboy Gene inherits a meat-packing plant, then faces stiff competition from snooty Ann Randolph, rival owner determined to do him in.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: gene autry, cowboy, competitor, sheriff, business owner, lighthearted, spirited ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Poachers are harassing toll road owner Jen Larrabee. They want her land because it holds valuable minerals. Autry and the Cass County Boys, mistaken for Texas Rangers, help out.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: performer, sidekick, doctor, gambler, gene autry, spirited, engaging ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: This Gene Autry entry was sold to the exhibitors as a "Special" (a term used about once a production season when Republic wanted to charge the exhibitors a higher fee than usual for an Autry film) and finds "Rancho Grande foreman Gene Autry more than a little distressed when he learns that the heirs of the ranch, siblings Kay, Patsy and Tom Dodge, are on their way. The young Dodges have a nation-wide reputation as wild irresponsibles, and Gene already has his hands full trying to save the ranch from foreclosure. Before his death, the late John Dodge had mortgaged the ranch in order to secure funds for a vast irrigation system which must be completed by a certain date or face foreclosure from the Citrus Valley Association. Kay and Tom Dodge show up with intentions of turning the property into a pleasure resort for their eastern society friends, and they are encouraged in this by Dodge family attorney Emory Benson, who also happens to be a heavy stockholder in the Citrus Valley Association and will profit greatly if the Dodges are unable to meet their obligations. To ensure this will happen, Benson also hires some henchies to dynamite the irrigation project. But, hey, not to worry, this isn't the first time (nor the last) that Gene has faced the problem of impudent heirs taking bad advice.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: gene autry, foreman, brother, sister, attorney, ranch hand, rousing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Two swindlers, Allen (Joe Sawyer) and Flood (Murray Alper), posing as motion pictures producers, are selling fake stock in a movie and inducing the citizens of Sage City to invest their savings in a phony film which they say will star John Wayne. When Gene Autry (Gene Autry) and Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette) discover the producers are phony, they trail the pair to Mexico with the aid of their friend and reformed Mexican ex-bandit Pancho Grande (Harold Huber). There the trio suspects Allen and Flood's cohorts, Gibson (Sidney Blackmier) and Homer Gerard (Arthur Loft) are about to pull the same swindler on Don Carlos Alvarado (Julian Rivero), a wealthy, well-respected citizen of San Ramon who has agreed to finance the swindlers' movie in exchange for a role in the film for his daughter Maria Elena (Fay McKenzie). She falls in love with Gene who warns her about the dishonest promoters. They devise a plan to expose the crooks who then make a last-ditch effort to rob the bank-car bringing Don Alvarado's money from Mexico City and put the blame on Gene and his pals.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: gene autry, sidekick, wealthy man, daughter, producer, impostor, confident ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Rancher Gene Autry (Gene Autry) heads a Cattleman's Association that appoints young, naive Jimmy Agnew (Rand Brooks) to take the collective shipment to the meat-packing plant and handle the sale of the beef. En route by train, Jimmy is fleeced by professional card-sharps and is forced to pay off with cattle-shipment money. Ashamed, he goes into hiding. It's up to Gene to make good, and accompanied by Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette), they get a job on the ranch owned by Asa Lock (Addison Richards) who operates the trunk-line on the railroad on which the crooked gamblers ply their trade. Lock's daughter, Stephanie (Fay McKenzie), ignorant of her father's involvement, assists Gene trying to prove her father innocent. Lock pretends to play along with Gene in seeking the crooks. Gene locates Jimmy and persuades him to give himself up and make a clean breast of the affair so Gene will have a basis for prosecution. Learning this, and knowing he will be exposed as the gang leader, gives orders for Jimmy's elimination in a staged car-wreck but, discovering that Stephanie is also in the car, races to stop his henchmen.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: gene autry, sidekick, gambler, father, daughter, girlfriend, engaging ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Cavanaugh and McCauley are after the ranchers land. When the Government announces the land will be put up for auction, the ranchers pool their money only to have it stolen by Cavanaugh's men. They then plan to sell their cattle but Cavanaugh announces a fake gold strike and the cowhands all leave. But Gene's hobo friend the Judge says he will get the cattle to market and he sends out a signal to his hobo friends.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: gene autry, sidekick, aunt, hobo, rancher, developer, lighthearted ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Gene joins in the fight against Morgan and his men who are trying to run infected cattle to the railroad. When Morgan's man shoots the Sheriff, Gene runs in the election to replace him. Morgan accuses Gene of the murder but Gene wins anyway and it's not long before he gets the chance to nab Morgan and his gang.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: sheriff, gene autry, sidekick, daughter, veterinarian, criminal, rousing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Utilizing a script from 1939's "She Married a Cop" with a 1946 Hit Parade song for the title, Gene Autry's screen return following his WW II Army Air Corps service, "Sioux City Sue" has Hollywood talent scout Sue Warner (Lynne Roberts) in search of a singing cowboy and finding and offering cattle rancher Gene Autry (Gene Autry) a contract. He agrees to go to Hollywood if there is a part for his horse Champion. Gene isn't aware they only want to use his voice in an animated cartoon. After the preview, he and Champ depart in a huff (Well, actually, Champ was in a trailer). The annoyed Sue also follows and gets work on Gene's ranch as a cook. Later, the studio heads, while looking at Gene's screen test, decide he is a natural and want to sign him to a contract. After a few misunderstandings, Gene realizes that Sue is sincere, and he signs a contract to star in a musical western, but first he has to stop a cattle stampede and rout a gang of rustlers trying to blow up his ranch dam.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: gene autry, ranch hand, casting director, executive, hollywood producer, horse, hilarious ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: A prospector discovers natural cement and suggests it should be used for a new dam. But this is the last thing the badmen of Trail End want, as they have a monopoly of the wagons needed to haul rocks to the site. A pretty sheriff notwithstanding, it's a job for a singing marshal.—Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
Plot Keywords: prospector, marshal, sheriff, banker, contractor, gene autry, spirited ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: In his will Langham leaves his ranch to his daughter Cody but makes Gene the executor. When Gene refuses to let her marry Cummings, Cummings tries to have Gene killed. Cummings now demands money and Cody stages a fake kidnaping to raise it. But the plan backfires when Cummings learns of the hoax and turns it into a real kidnaping.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: ranch owner, foreman, daughter, businessman, friend, gene autry, rousing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Gene, representing the ranchers whose rents have been raised again, goes to see Waldo Brooks, the man responsible. Brooks, a nervous wreck who wants to get away from it all, deeds his Company to Gene and flees. As the new president, Gene finds the Company is in financial trouble and he must raise $50,000 as his share or everything is lost. He sets out to raise the money but there are those who want to take over and they intend to make sure he fails.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: gene autry, old friend, landowner, lawyer, board member, sister, gutsy ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Rancher Gene Autry (Gene Autry) is the leader of the valley ranchers being ruined by the stripping of nearby mountain area of the precious timber. The ranchers face flood devastation unless reforestation is adopted by the Wentworth Lumber Company. Gene and Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnettte) appeal directly to Asa Wentworth (George Clevand), the owner of the company but find him dominated by his impertinent granddaughter Billie Wentworth (Maris Wrixon) who is in love with the ruthless general manager of the company Larry Drew (Robert Kent.) Old Asa doesn't approve of Drew's logging tactics and secretly helps Gene and Frog concoct an elaborate plot to have Mount Warner declared a state park and wildlife refuge. A severe storm washes her grandfather into a mountain torrent and nearly drowned before Billie sees for herself the devastation caused by the over-logging of the mountain and is won over to the plight of the ranchers.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: gene autry, manager, foreman, company president, sidekick, granddaughter, spirited ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Cattle buyer McCoy has run up gambling debts. When Gene and the other ranchers are ready to sell their cattle, he undercuts his bosses price planning to pocket the profit. The ranchers then try to drive their cattle to another market but McCoy's men set off an explosion and a rancher is killed. Knowing McCoy listens to the horse race results, Gene sets up a phony radio broadcast hoping to trap him.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: gene autry, cowboy, cattle baron, cattle rancher, radio producer, singer, rousing ...
Movie Details Click Here!