''Home on the Prairie'' is a 1939 American

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

Jack Townley Jack Townley (March 3, 1897 – October 15, 1960) was an American screenwriter. He wrote for nearly 100 films between 1926 and 1957. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and died in Los Angeles, California. Selected filmography * ''The T ...

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

June Storey Mary June Storey (April 20, 1918 – December 18, 1991) was a Canadian-born American film actress who appeared in 45 films during the 1930s and 1940s. She was leading lady to cowboy singer Gene Autry in 10 films. Early years Storey was bor ...

. Written by Charles Arthur Powell and Paul Franklin, the film is about a cattle inspector's efforts to prevent a corrupt cattle rancher from shipping to market a herd of cattle infected with hoof and mouth disease.Magers, pp. 127–128.

Plot

A corrupt cattle rancher, Belknap (Walter Miller), and a cattle broker, H.R. Shelby (Gordon Hart), learn that their livestock has contracted the deadly hoof and mouth disease. They scheme to ship their herd to market before the agricultural inspector,

, learns of the infection. That night, as Gene escorts Martha Wheeler (

) to a square dance, Belknap and Shelby load their infected cattle onto a truck. Gene's sidekick, Frog Millhouse (

), discovers a dead calf and hurries to the dance to alert Gene. Gene, Frog, and Martha's father Jim Wheeler (George Cleveland), who is also a cattle rancher, leave the dance to investigate, but Jim becomes separated from Gene and Frog and soon discovers the truck bearing the diseased cattle. A gun battle ensues and Jim is badly wounded. Hearing the gunshots, Gene rushes to his rescue. In the chaos, the truck driver slips away to the Belknap ranch. The next morning, Belknap and Shelby try to agitate the other ranchers by claiming that a quarantine is unfair. Gene, however, puts an end to their argument by announcing that a state veterinarian, Dr. Sommers (Jack Mulhall), is on his way. Alarmed at what the vet will find, Belknap and Shelby change the brand on their cattle to Jim Wheeler's brand and bury the dead animals on the Wheeler property. When Dr. Sommers arrives, he quarantines Jim's herd and allows the other ranchers to begin shipping their animals. Suspicious of Belknap, Gene tries to warn the vet, but is ignored. Looking for evidence, Gene and Frog ride to the Belknap ranch, where Gene discovers the sick cattle in the barn. Before Gene can return with Sommers, however, Belknap moves the cattle. Confronted with Belknap's empty barn, Sommers orders the Wheeler cattle destroyed. When Gene tries to stop the order, Dr. Sommers has him arrested for assault. While Gene languishes in jail, Frog sees the burial of dead cattle on the Belknap ranch and hurries to help Gene escape. After Frog lands in jail himself, he and Gene are rescued by a medicine man's elephant, which pulls the bars from the jail window. As the posse rides to destroy Jim's herd, Gene and Frog present the sheriff with evidence that leads to Belknap's arrest and a clean bill of health for Jim's cattle.

Cast

as Gene Autry *

as Frog Millhouse *

as Martha Wheeler * George Cleveland as Jim Wheeler * Jack Mulhall as Dr. Sommers * Walter Miller as Belknap * Gordon Hart as H.R. Shelby * Hal Price as Sheriff * Earle Hodgins as "Professor" Wentworth * Ethan Laidlaw as Henchman Carter * John Beach as Henchman Russ * Jack Ingram as Henchman Wilson * Bob Woodward as Henchman Madden * Sherven Brothers Rodeoliers as Musicians (as The Rodoliers) * Champion as Gene's Horse (uncredited)

Production

Filming locations

* Keen Camp and Garner Valley * Stretch of railroad between Fillmore and Saugus * Andy Jauregui Ranch, Placerita Canyon Road,

Newhall, Santa Clarita, California Newhall is the southernmost and oldest community in the city of Santa Clarita, California. Prior to the 1987 consolidation of Canyon Country, Saugus, Newhall, and Valencia into the city of Santa Clarita, it was an unincorporated area. It was ...

, USA

Soundtrack

* "There's Nothing Like Work" (Eddie Cherkose, Smiley Burnette) by Smiley Burnette * "I'm Gonna Round Up My Blues" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin) by Gene Autry and the Sherven Brothers Rodeoliers * "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain When She Comes" (Traditional) by the Sherven Brothers Rodeoliers * "Moonlight on the Ranchhouse" (Walter G. Samuels) by Gene Autry and June Storey * "Big Bull Frog" (Walter G. Samuels) by Gene Autry (vocal and guitar) * "I'd Rather Be on the Outside" (Johnny Marvin)

Memorable quotes

*Belknap: If that infection ever hits the stockyards, it will spread all over the country. :H.R. Shelby: By that time we'll have our money out of 'em. Let somebody else worry about it. * Frog Millhouse: I'm warnin' you. If you take any cattle across this line, I'm going to blast you with this smokestick—and it ain't loaded with beans! * Martha Wheeler: What were you going to say? :Gene Autry: I wasn't going to say anything. :Frog Millhouse: Aw, he was so. hrowing Gene his guitar from the bushesHe was going to sing you that song about moonlight on the ranch house.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * *

External links

* * * {{allmovie title, 95477, Home on the Prairie 1939 films American Western (genre) films 1939 Western (genre) films American black-and-white films Republic Pictures films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films