''Melody Trail'' is a 1935 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

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 f ...

and starring Gene Autry,

Ann Rutherford Therese Ann Rutherford (November 2, 1917 – June 11, 2012) was a Canadian-born American actress in film, radio, and television. She had a long career starring and co-starring in films, playing Polly Benedict during the 1930s and 1940s in the And ...

, and

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, a ...

.Magers 2007, p. 35. Written by

Sherman L. Lowe Sherman L. Lowe (born Salt Lake City, Utah, United States (or Russia), 18 October 1894; died 24 Jan 1968, Los Angeles, California, United States) was an American screenwriter. He was a writer of the Frank Buck (animal collector), Frank Buck serial ...

and

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 who goes after the men who kidnapped the baby he should have been babysitting. The film features the songs "On the Melody Trail", "A Lone Cowboy on the Lone Prairie", and "Western Lullaby".

Plot

A radio and music star, Gene Autry ( Gene Autry), and his friend, comedian Frog Millhouse (

), attend a rodeo where Gene falls in love with one of the spectators, Millicent Thomas (

). Millicent, who is being harassed by her father's former ranch hand, Matt Kirby (Al Bridge), is delighted when Gene sings for the crowd, then later beats Matt in a bucking bronco competition. That night, while Gene dreams about Millicent, his $1,000 in rodeo winnings are stolen by a gypsy named Frantz (Willy Castello), the husband of a fortune-teller named Perdita (Marie Quillan). The next day, while Millicent goes into town with her father, rancher Timothy Thomas (Wade Boteler) with Millicent's dog, Souvenir (a compulsive thief), takes a detour into the gypsy camp. Souvenir steals a basket containing Frantz and Perdita's baby daughter Rica. Millicent later discovers the infant and takes her in, not knowing who her parents are. Frog and Gene, who end up working as cooks on the Thomas ranch, assume the baby is hers. Going by the name of "Arizona", Gene captures two wild stallions to impress Millicent and the cowgirls she has hired to replace Matt and his men, who have defected. After Souvenir steals Gene's cookbook, his efforts in the kitchen are far less successful, and the meal that he and Frog prepare for the cowgirls makes them all sick. Meanwhile, Matt plots to rustle the Thomas' cattle. While the cowgirls bathe in a pond, Matt steals their clothes in order to prevent them from protecting the herd. While searching for Baby Rica, Frantz recovers her from Millicent. Believing him to be a kidnapper, Gene pursues and captures the gypsy, who returns the money he stole from Gene after explaining that Rica is his daughter. Later, Gene sees Matt and his men stealing the cattle and apprehends all eight of them, including Matt, single-handedly. After Gene saves the ranch, he and Millicent, and Frog and Cuddles (one of the cowgirls), are married in a large, musical ceremony along with the other cowboys and girls. The wedding is interrupted, however, when everyone realizes that Souvenir has stolen all their wedding rings.Magers 2007, p. 36.

Cast

* Gene Autry as Gene Autry *

as Millicent Thomas *

as Frog Millhouse *

Wade Boteler Wade Boteler (October 3, 1888 – May 7, 1943) was an American film actor and writer. He appeared in more than 430 films between 1919 and 1943. Biography He was born in Santa Ana, California, and died in Hollywood, California, from a heart ...

as Timothy T. Thomas * Willy Castello as Gypsy Frantz *

Al Bridge Alfred Morton Bridge (February 26, 1891 – December 27, 1957) was an American character actor who played mostly small roles in over 270 films between 1931 and 1954. Bridge's persona was an unpleasant, gravel-voiced man with an untidy mous ...

as Matt Kirby *

Fern Emmett Fern Emmett (March 22, 1896 – September 3, 1946) was an American film actress. She appeared in 212 films between 1930 and 1946. Emmett's film debut came with Universal in a two-reel production in 1914. Personal life Emmett was married to ...

as Nell, the Cowgirl Foreman * Marie Quillan as Gypsy Perdita *

Gertrude Messinger Gertrude Dolores Messinger (April 28, 1911 – November 8, 1995) was an American film actress known for her B-movie roles from the 1930s through the 1950s. She began as a child actor in silent films, but found her greatest fame in talkies of ...

as Cowgirl Cuddles * Tracy Layne as Henchman Slim * Abe Lefton as World Famous Rodeo Announcer *

Ione Reed Ione Reed (1903–1985) was an American film actress. She played the female lead in a number of silent westerns.Katchmer p.308 Selected filmography * '' A Desperate Chance'' (1925) * '' Fighting Luck'' (1925) * '' The Road Agent'' (1925) * ''The ...

as Mamie * Buck as Souvenier, Millicent's Dog * Champion as Champion, Gene's Horse

Production

Casting

''Melody Trail'' was the first of four film appearances by

as Gene Autry's leading lady. Therese Ann Rutherford was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 2, 1917. After her parents divorced, her mother, a silent film actress, moved to Hollywood with Ann and her sister. While still in middle school, Rutherford began acting in a serial drama at radio station KFAC. In 1935, she made her first film appearance in ''

Waterfront Lady ''Waterfront Lady'' is a 1935 American film directed by Joseph Santley. Premise When a young man is befriended by a gambling ship operator and made a partner in the business, he becomes involved in a police manhunt after he covers up a murder c ...

'' for

Mascot Pictures Mascot Pictures Corporation was an American film company of the 1920s and 1930s best known for producing and distributing film serials and B-westerns. Mascot was formed in 1927 by film producer Nat Levine. In 1936 it merged with several other ...

. Following her leading lady role in ''Melody Trail'', Rutherford would go on to appear in three more Gene Autry films: '' The Singing Vagabond'' (1935), '' Comin' Round the Mountain'' (1936), and '' Public Cowboy No. 1'' (1937). In 1937, Rutherford left Republic Pictures and signed with

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

, where she made several films, including '' Pride and Prejudice'' (1940). In 1939, she played the role of Carreen O'Hara, the sister of Scarlet O'Hara, in the film ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

''. From 1937 to 1942, Rutherford portrayed Polly Benedict in the MGM Andy Hardy youth comedy film series with actor Mickey Rooney. She retired from films in 1950. Rutherford died on June 11, 2012 at her home in Beverly Hills, California.

Filming and budget

''Melody Trail'' was filmed August 21–27, 1935. The film had an operating budget of $15,075 (equal to $ today), and a

negative cost Negative cost is the net expense to produce and shoot a film, excluding such expenditures as distribution and promotion. Low-budget movies, for example ''The Blair Witch Project ''The Blair Witch Project'' is a 1999 American supernatural ho ...

of $18,386 (equal to $ today).

Filming locations

Pendleton, Oregon Pendleton is a city and the county seat of Umatilla County, Oregon. The population was 17,107 at the time of the 2020 census, which includes approximately 1,600 people who are incarcerated at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution. Pendleton ...

(rodeo scenes) * Jack Garner Ranch, State Highway 74, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Stuntwork

* Ken Cooper (Gene Autry's stunt double) *

George DeNormand George DeNormand (1903 – 1976) was an American actor and stuntman. DeNormand was an amateur middleweight boxer in the 1920s. He was a prolific though often uncredited actor and stunt double in movies such as ''The Raven'' and ''Bride of Fran ...

* Cliff Lyons * Joe Yrigoyen

Soundtrack

* "Hold On Little Dogies Hold On" (Gene Autry) by Gene Autry * "On the Melody Trail" (Smiley Burnette) by Gene Autry * "Polka in F" by the gypsies (instrumental) * "Way Down on Bottom" (Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette) by Smiley Burnette (a cappella) * "A Lone Cowboy on the Lone Prairie" (Gene Autry) by Gene Autry and the cowgirls * "Western Lullaby" (Gene Autry) by Smiley Burnette, Gene Autry, and the cowgirls * "My Neighbor Hates Music" (Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette) by Smiley Burnette (vocals, accordion, harmonica, and tambourine) * "Where Will the Wedding Supper Be?" (Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette) by Gene Autry, the brides, grooms, and minister

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * *

External links

* * * * {{Joseph Kane 1935 films 1930s Western (genre) musical films American Western (genre) musical films American black-and-white films Films directed by Joseph Kane Republic Pictures films Films produced by Nat Levine 1930s English-language films 1930s American films