''Gold Mine in the Sky'' is a 1938

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Joseph Kane Jasper Joseph Inman Kane (March 19, 1894, San Diego – August 25, 1975, Santa Monica, California) was an American film director, film producer, film editor and screenwriter. He is best known for his extensive directorship and focus on Western fi ...

and starring

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

Smiley Burnette Lester Alvin Burnett (March 18, 1911 – February 16, 1967), better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and ...

, and Carol Hughes. Based on a story by

Betty Burbridge Elizabeth Burbridge (December 7, 1895 – September 19, 1987) was an American screenwriter and actress, best known for her Western screenplays. Biography Elizabeth Burbridge was born in San Diego, California on December 7, 1895, the grandd ...

, the film is about a singing cowboy and ranch foreman who, as executor of the owner's will, must see that the daughter and heiress does not marry without his approval.Magers, pp. 109–110.

Plot

Gene Autry plays a singing ranch foreman who, as executor of the

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

of the property's owner, must ensure that Cody, the daughter/heiress (played by Hughes) doesn't marry without his approval. Cody wishes to marry Larry Cummings ( Craig Reynolds), but Gene refuses, prompting Cummings to attempt to have Gene killed. When this fails, Cummings then demands money so Cody stages a fake kidnapping to raise the funds. However, her plan backfires after Cummings learns about it and turns it into a real kidnaping.

Cast

as Gene Autry *

as Frog * Carol Hughes as Cody Langham * J.L. Franks' Golden West Cowboys as Musicians and Cowhands * Craig Reynolds as Larry Cummings *

Helen Ainsworth Helen Ainsworth (October 10, 1901 – August 18, 1961), also known as Cupid Ainsworth, was a stage and motion picture actress. She went to Hollywood in the 1920s as an agent, and she helped a number of actors attain stardom: Guy Madison, Marily ...

as Jane Crocker *

LeRoy Mason LeRoy Franklin Mason (July 2, 1903 – October 13, 1947) was an American film actor who worked primarily in Westerns in both the silent and sound film eras. Mason was born in Larimore, North Dakota on July 2, 1903. Career 1920s Mason's fir ...

as Red Kuzak * Frankie Marvin as Cowhand Joe *

Robert Homans Robert Edward Homans (November 8, 1877 – July 28, 1947) was an American actor who entered films in 1923 after a lengthy stage career. Life and career Robert Homans was born November 8, 1877, in Malden, Massachusetts. Although he studied ...

as 'Lucky' Langham * Eddie Cherkose as Sykes *

Ben Corbett Ben Corbett (February 6, 1892 – May 19, 1961) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 280 films between 1915 and 1956. He was born in Hudson, Illinois and died in Hollywood, California. Corbett was a trophy-winning rodeo part ...

as Spud Grogan * Milburn Morante as Mugsy Malone *

Jim Corey James Warren Corey (October 19, 1883 – January 10, 1956) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 300 films between 1914 and 1948. He was born in Nebraska and died in Los Angeles, California. His grave is located at Valhalla Memori ...

as Henchman Chet * George Guhl as Constable Cy *

Maudie Prickett Maudie Prickett (born Maudie Marie Doyle; October 25, 1914 – April 14, 1976) was an American character actress who performed in over 300 stage, film, and television productions during a career that spanned nearly four decades. Death In ...

as customer (uncredited) *

The Stafford Sisters Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop music singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classi ...

as The Levinsky Trio * Champion as Gene's Horse (uncredited)

Production

Stuntwork

* Nellie Walker * Joe Yrigoyen

Filming locations

* Jack Garner Ranch * Action Railway Depot * Keen Camp, State Highway 74, Mountain Center, San Jacinto Mountains, California, USA * Lake Hemet, State Highway 74, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Soundtrack

* "There's A Gold Mine in the Sky" (

Charles Kenny Charles Francis Kenny (June 23, 1898 – January 20, 1992) was an American composer, lyricist, author, and violinist. His hit songs include "There's a Gold Mine in the Sky", "Love Letters in the Sand", "Laughing at Life", and "Because It's Your ...

, Nick Kenny) by Gene Autry and Cowhands * "Hummin' When We're Comin' Round the Bend" (Eddie Cherkose, Alberto Colombo) by Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Fred 'Snowflake' Toones, Jack Kirk and Cowhands * "There's No Place Like Home (Home, Sweet Home)" (H.R. Bishop, John Howard Payne) by Smiley Burnette (a cappella) and Helen Ainsworth (whistling) * "That's How Donkeys Were Born" (Eddie Cherkose, Smiley Burnette) by Smiley Burnette, Frankie Marvin, and J.L. Franks' Golden West Cowboys * "Frühlingslied (Spring Song) Op.62 #6" (Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy) by The Stafford Sisters * "Dude Ranch Cowhands" (Gene Autry, Fred Rose, Johnny Marvin) by Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, The Stafford Sisters, and J.L. Franks' Golden West Cowboys * "I'd Love to Call You My Sweetheart" (Joe Goodwin, Larry Shay, Paul Ash) by Gene Autry * "Hike Yaa Move Along" (Smiley Burnette) by Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Cowhands * "Tumbleweed Tenor" (Eddie Cherkose, Smiley Burnette) by Smiley Burnette, Frankie Marvin, and J.L. Franks' Golden West Cowboys * "As Long as I Have My Horse" (Gene Autry, Fred Rose, Johnny Marvin) by Gene Autry

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * *

External links

* * * {{Joseph Kane 1938 films 1938 Western (genre) films American Western (genre) films Films directed by Joseph Kane Republic Pictures films American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films