''Western Jamboree'' is a 1938 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

Ralph Staub Ralph Staub (July 21, 1899 in Chicago, Illinois – October 22, 1969, Los Angeles, California) was a movie director, writer and producer. Three of his short subjects in the '' Screen Snapshots'' series have been nominated for the Academy Award a ...

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

Jean Rouverol Jean Rouverol (July 8, 1916 – March 24, 2017) was an American author, actress and screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios in the 1950s. Life and career Rouverol was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of pl ...

.Magers 2007, p. 124. Based on a story by Patricia Harper, the film is about a singing cowboy who goes up against a gang of outlaws who are looking to steal the valuable helium gas beneath the cowboy's ranch.Magers, pp. 124–125.

Plot

Ranch foreman Gene Autry (

), his sidekick Frog Milhouse (

), and the rest of the men at the Circle J ranch are anxious about the new owner, Van Fleet, who recently purchased the property. While awaiting his arrival, they learn that outlaws are searching for a helium gas floe on the property—gas they can sell to foreign powers for use in

dirigibles An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early d ...

, which are banned by the United States government. After one of the ranch hands is attacked, Gene and Frog go after the outlaws. At an abandoned house near the trail they find old Dad Haskell (Frank Darien), who tells Gene that his daughter Betty (Jean Rouverol) believes that he is the owner of the Circle J and is due to arrive from the east. Gene agrees to help maintain his charade and turns the Circle J into a dude ranch until the real owner arrives. When Betty arrives with her fiancé, Walter Gregory (George Walcott), and his mother (Margaret Armstrong), Gene pretends to save her from Frog who poses as an Indian. She gets angry at Gene when she finds out it is just a gag. That night, Betty tells her father that Mrs. Gregory allowed her to charge $1,500 worth of clothing to her account, and she needs to pay the money back soon. The next day, while continuing to track the outlaws, Gene decides to follow Betty when she goes for a ride and they accidentally discover the source of the helium. The outlaws, who have been following Gene, also now know the location of the gas floe. One of the gang tries to purchase the ranch from Dad, thinking that he is the owner, he refuses, making Walter and his mother suspicious. Mrs. Gregory then decides to get the $1,500 directly from Dad, who writes her a bad check to settle the debt, thinking he can win the money back from her at cards. Meanwhile, Gene grows suspicious of Randolph Kimball (Ben Hewlett), the chemist who once told the previous owner of the Circle J that the gas on the property was worthless. When Van Fleet finally arrives at his ranch, he is taken and tied up by Frog and ranch hand Joseph Frisco who want to keep him out of the way. Not knowing about their intentions, Gene comes across the incensed owner and frees him. After Doc Trimble (Harry Holman) wins enough money at cards to cover Dad's check, Van Fleet shows up and angrily throws everyone off of his ranch, including Walter and his mother, who want nothing more to do with Betty and Dad. While watching Frog blowing up balloons, Gene gets an idea and decides to fill an aeronautical balloon with helium and send Frog up in a basket. From the sky, Frog discovers the pipeline to the outlaws' cave, and after Gene uses a bullet to puncture Frog's balloon, they head towards the hideout. Following a shootout with the gang, Gene captures most of the outlaws and apprehends Kimball as he attempts to escape in a truck. Impressed with Gene's initiative, Van Fleet offers him the position of ranch manager, and Betty decides that Gene would make a much better husband than her former fiancé.Magers p. 125.

Cast

as Gene Autry *

as Frog Millhouse *

as Betty Haskell * Esther Muir as Duchess *

Joe Frisco Joe Frisco (born Louis Wilson Joseph; November 4, 1889 – February 18, 1958) was an American vaudeville performer who first made his name on stage as a jazz dancer, but later incorporated his stuttering voice to his act and became a popular ...

as Frisco *

Frank Darien Frank Darien (March 18, 1876 – October 20, 1955) was an American actor. He appeared in 225 films and between 1915 and 1951. Filmography References External links * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Darien, Frank 1876 births 1955 deaths American ...

as Dad Haskell * Margaret Armstrong as Mrs. Gregory *

Harry Holman Harry James Holman (March 15, 1862 – May 3, 1947) was an American character actor. He appeared in approximately 130 films between 1923 and 1947. Biography Born in Conway, Missouri, Holman dropped out of school in the ninth grade and ...

as Doc Trimble * Edward Raquello as Don Carlos * Ben Hewlett as Randolph Kimball *

Kermit Maynard Kermit Maynard (September 20, 1897 – January 16, 1971) was an American actor and stuntman. Early years Born in Vevay, Indiana, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Maynard and a lookalike younger brother of actor Ken Maynard; they were ...

as Ranch Hand Slim *

George Walcott George Walcott (October 15, 1914 – August 18, 1964), also known as The Most Stylish Man in Hollywood, was an American actor. He was best known for playing the role of Tom in the 1936 film '' Fury''. Early life Born in Los Angeles, Califo ...

as Walter Gregory *

Ray Teal Ray Elgin Teal (January 12, 1902 – April 2, 1976) was an American actor.The book ''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory'' gives Teal's birth date as January 12, 1908. His most famous role was as Sheriff Roy Coffee on the televis ...

as McCall * Champion as Gene's Horse (uncredited)

Production

Filming and budget

''Western Jamboree'' was filmed October 18–27, 1938. The film had an operating budget of $55,462 (equal to $ today).

Stuntwork

* Ken Cooper (Gene Autry's stunt double) * Duke Green * Kermit Maynard * Bill Yrigoyen

Soundtrack

* "The Cowboy's Dream (Roll On, Little Dogies, Roll On)" (D.J. O'Malley) by Gene Autry and Cowboys in the opening scene * "The Darktown Strutters' Ball" (Shelton Brooks) by Joe Frisco (piano and dance) and Edward Raquello (violin) in the saloon * "Cielito Lindo" (Traditional Mexican Ballad) by Gene Autry in Spanish, and Cowboys in the saloon * "Balloon Song" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin, Fred Rose) by Smiley Burnette * "My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean)" (H.J. Fuller) * "Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)" (Stephen Foster) * "Old November Moon" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin) by Gene Autry with backup by Cowboys * "I Love the Morning" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin, Fred Rose) by Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Frankie Marvin and other Cowboys * "When the Bloom Is on the Sage (Round Up Time in Texas)" (Fred Howard, Nat Vincent) by Gene Autry and saloon patrons, with Joe Frisco (piano) and Edward Raquello (guitar) * "Paradise in the Moonlight" (Gene Autry, Fred Rose)

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * *

External links

* * * {{allmovie title, 116327, Western Jamboree 1938 films American Western (genre) films Films directed by Ralph Staub 1938 Western (genre) films American black-and-white films Republic Pictures films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films