''Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm'' is a 1937 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 Mack V. Wright and starring

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

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

Armida Armida is the fictional character of a Saracen sorceress, created by the Italian late Renaissance poet Torquato Tasso. Description In Tasso's epic '' Jerusalem Delivered'' (), Rinaldo is a fierce and determined warrior who is also honorabl ...

. Based on a story by Johnston McCulley, the film is about two cowboys who assume the identities of dead outlaws in order to stop a bunch of cattle rustlers, later discovering that the outlaws are far from dead.Magers 2007, p. 85.

Plot

Gene Autry (

) and his sidekick Frog Millhouse (

) decide to leave Gene's ranch in order to pursue cattle rustlers who have been terrorizing the range. The men they are following, the Apache Kid (Max Hoffman Jr.) and Black Jim (Charles King), kill two lawmen and exchange clothes with them. When Gene and Frog discover the bodies, they decide to take their clothes and, disguised as wanted outlaws, head for the border. Gene discovers that Joe Stafford (Monte Blue), a supposed upstanding head of the cattlemen's association, is the boss behind the rustling gang. When Stafford's niece, Rosa Montero (Armida), and his stepdaughter Mary Ellen (Ann Pendleton) mistake Gene and Frog for the Apache Kid and Black Jim, they turn them in to the deputies, who turn out to be the real outlaws in disguise. Gene and Frog are able to escape, and with the help of Gene's partner, Buffalo Bradey (Hal Taliaferro), and a group of singing cowhands, who eventually reveal themselves to be Texas Rangers, the rustlers are captured. After Stafford is killed, Gene and Frog return to Gene's ranch.

Cast

as Gene Autry *

as Frog Millhouse *

as Rosa Montero *

Monte Blue Gerard Montgomery Blue (January 11, 1887 – February 18, 1963) was an American film actor who began his career as a romantic lead in the silent era; and for decades after the advent of sound, he continued to perform as a supporting player ...

as Joe Stafford * Al Clauser and His Oklahoma Outlaws as Singing Cowhands * Champion as Champion, Gene's Horse *

Hal Taliaferro Floyd Taliaferro Alderson (November 13, 1895 – February 10, 1980) was an American film actor who specialized in westerns. After serving in the Great War, he began his career in the era of silent films, when he frequently used the name Wally ...

as Buffalo Brady * Ann Pendleton as Mary Ellen Stafford, Joe's step-daughter * Max Hoffman Jr. as Jed, the Apache Kid * Charles King as Jim Black * Frankie Marvin as Hank * Nina Campana as Ynez * Gonzalo Meroño as Richard Steward * Charles Meyers as Charlie

Production

Casting

Mexican-born actress

was paid significantly more than Autry's past female co-stars, $750, for her appearance in ''Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm''. According to Autry, she helped him to sing Spanish lyrics to film songs.Magers 2007, pp. 85–86.

Filming and budget

''Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm'' was filmed March 10–20, 1937. The film had an operating budget of $23,500 (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'', can have promotional expenses that are much larger than the ne ...

of $33,034.

Stuntwork

Yakima Canutt Enos Edward "Yakima" Canutt (November 29, 1895 – May 24, 1986) was an American champion rodeo rider, actor, stuntman, and action director. He developed many stunts for films and the techniques and technology to protect stuntmen performing them ...

* Ken Cooper (Gene Autry's stunt double) * Augie Gomex (Armida's stunt double) * Buck Spencer (Smiley Burnette's stunt double)

Filming locations

* Alabama Hills,

Lone Pine, California Lone Pine is a census-designated place (CDP) in Inyo County, California, United States, located south-southeast of Independence. The population was 2,035 at the 2010 census, up from 1,655 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the Owens ...

, USA *

Victorville, California Victorville is a city in Victor Valley in San Bernardino County, California. Its population as of the 2020 census was 134,810. Victorville is the principal city of a Victor Valley–based urban area defined by the United States Census Bureau: ...

, USA

Soundtrack

* "The Old Home Place" (

Fleming Allen Fleming Allan (February 2, 1904 – February 2, 1965)''California, Death Index, 1940-1997'' was an American composer of Western music, who helped make that genre popular in the 1930s. Fleming Allan was born in California On February 2, 1904. His m ...

, Jack Natteford) by Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Hal Taliaferro, Al Clauser and His Oklahoma Outlaws and guests at the party * "Little Black Bronc" (Al Clauser, Tex Hoepner) by Smiley Burnette at the party * "Untitled Composition" an instrumental played at the party * "I Hate to Say Goodbye to the Prairie" (Gene Autry) by Gene Autry and Al Clauser and His Oklahoma Outlaws * " Mexicali Rose" (Jack Tenney, Helen Stone) by Gene Autry * "Mexicali Rose" (Jack Tenney, Helen Stone) by Gene Autry with Armida * "Untitled Dance Music" by Smiley Burnette (accordion) and Armida and Nina Campana in dance * "Trail of the Mountain Rose" (Al Clauser, Tex Hoepner) by Al Clauser and His Oklahoma Outlaws * "The Dying Cowgirl" (Gene Autry) by Smiley BurnetteMagers 2007, pp. 84–85.

Memorable quotes

* Bartender: What'll it be, strangers? :Frog Millhouse: I'd like a glass of milk. :Gene Autry: lbows FrogAw, he's always kidding. We'll drink whiskey straight and wash it down with lye.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * *

External links

* * {{TCMDb title, 5859, Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm 1937 films American Western (genre) films 1937 Western (genre) films American black-and-white films Films shot in Lone Pine, California Films directed by Mack V. Wright Republic Pictures films Films scored by Raoul Kraushaar Films based on works by Johnston McCulley 1930s English-language films 1930s American films English-language Western (genre) films