It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Melody Ranch (1940) – Musical #775

Studio:
Republic Pictures Corp.

Director:
Joseph Santley

Starring:
Gene Autry, Jimmy Durante, Ann Miller, Barton MacLane, Barbara Jo Allen, Gabby Hayes, Jerome Cowan, Mary Lee, Joe Sawyer, Horace McMahon, Clarence Wilson, William “Billy” Benedict, Billy Bletcher (uncredited), Veda Ann Borg (uncredited), Dick Elliott (uncredited)
Performers: The Kidoodlers

Plot:
Radio star Gene Autry (as himself) is asked to return home to his hometown of torpedo for their Frontier Day celebration. Convinced it will make good publicity, the announcer of his radio show, Cornelius Courtney (Durante) and his radio co-star Julie Shelton (Miller), travel with him. During the celebration, Autry is made honorary sheriff, a role he takes seriously when he learns his childhood enemies, the Wildhack brothers (MacLane, Sawyer and McMahon) are running the town. Autry doesn’t feel he can return to the city and leave the town in this state. When everyone believes he’s turned soft in the city, Pop Laramie (Hayes) helps toughen up Autry to run for the real role of sheriff.

Trivia:
• The show’s title comes from Gene Autry’s radio show, Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch, which aired from 1939 to 1943 and later again from 1945 to 1956. Later in 1953, Autry purchased property on the grounds of Monogram Pictures and renamed it Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio.
• Barbara Jo Allen’s credit is as Barbara Allen (Vera Vague), because Allen played the character Vera Vague on the radio.
• This film was added to the National Film Registry by the National Film Preservation Board in 2002.
• Portions of the film were shot on location at Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, Calif.; Mammoth Lakes in California, and Red Rock Canyon State Park in Cantil, Calif.
• Gene Autry’s most expensive pre-war film, according to Autry’s biographer.

Highlights:
• Jimmy Durante trying himself in a court of law
• Barbara Jo Allen’s comedy
• The country western songs
• Joe Sawyer and Horace McMahon performing “Go Back to the City Again”

Notable Songs:
• “Stake Your Claim Melody Ranch” performed by Gene Autry
• “Rodeo Rose” performed by Gene Autry
• “Torpedo Joe” performed by Mary Lee
• “We Never Dream the Same Dream Twice” performed by Gene Autry
• “My Gal Sal” performed by Ann Miller
• “Call of the Canyon” performed by Gene Autry
• “Vote for Autry” performed by Jimmy Durante and Mary Lee

My review:
Throughout July, we will be focusing on singing cowboy and western-themed musicals.

Gene Autry was one of the top singing cowboys of the golden era, neck-in-neck with Roy Rogers. Dubbed Public Cowboy No. 1, Autry’s films are filled with sweet western music and horseback riding, and “Melody Ranch” (1940) is no exception. In fact, “Melody Ranch” is considered by many Gene Autry fans to be his best, and I’m inclined to agree.

The film follows Gene Autry, as himself, who stars on a popular radio show. When he’s asked to attend a Frontier Days celebration in his hometown of Torpedo, Autry attends with his radio show co-stars (Durante, Miller). The celebrations are disturbed by Autry’s childhood enemies, the Wildhack brothers (MacLane, Sawyer and McMahon). Knowing he can’t leave his hometown in the hands of the Wildhacks, Autry sets out to help the people of his hometown and runs for sheriff.

Perhaps the reason this Autry film is a cut above the rest is that it simply had more budget. This film was Gene Autry’s most expensive pre-war film and hired outside of his usual “stock” cast at Republic, according to Autry’s biographer. His out-of-the-ordinary co-stars include tap dancer Ann Miller and comedians Jimmy Durante and Barbara Jo Allen, and other well-known character actors like Jerome Cowan, Barton MacLaine and Joe Sawyer. His mainstays of Gabby Hayes and Mary Lee are also in the cast.

Jimmy Durante and Barbara Jo Allen fun humor and play well off each other. And what is it about Joe Sawyer? I always love to see that guy appear in a film! I was cracking up when Joe Sawyer and Horace McMahon sing “Go Back to the City Again” (to the tune of “Back in the Saddle Again”) and later are forced to sing by Gabby Hayes. They actually sing well, but it was quite humorous!

Ann Miller is wonderful in the film, but also it’s good for Miller (and musical) fans to remember this is still fairly early in her career, and she’s a featured player in an Autry film. Miller doesn’t perform one of her signature tap dances until 37 minutes into the film. I do wish she had a better song to dance to than “My Gal Sal,” which ends up being fun but starts off a bit slow.

The film was Ann Miller’s first on-screen romantic role, but early screenings of the film received negative reactions to Miller and Autry kissing on screen (though Autry had kissed on-screen prior to this film). In the final cut, the two lean in for a kiss and we cut away to Jerome Cowan on the other end of the phone and we cut back to Miller and Autry as they pull away.

Gene Autry is quoted in “Gene Autry Westerns” by Boyd Magers on the kissing issue:
Actually we kissed there at the telephone. There was a lot of (advance) publicity over that. The public relations department at republic put out a story I was going to be kissing Ann Miller in a picture. So they were flooded with a lot of letters from the kids saying ‘Don’t let Gene Autry kiss Ann Miller in the picture—that’s sissy!’ So finally at the last minute (Republic) said, ‘You’re taking a chance on it—why raise a controversy with the kids?’ so they cut it all out.

As far as songs go, right off the bat. The film begins with Autry performing “Stake Your Claim Melody Ranch” and continues with great western tunes that make you want to sit out on the prairie around a camp fire.

Though it’s only a small portion of the film, I loved the behind the scenes look of the radio show, with sound effects.

Overall, this is a fun film with great songs. I love a western set in modern times like this and the radio tie in is lots of fun. While I admittedly haven’t seen many Gene Autry films (I’m more of a Roy Rogers fan), I enjoyed this one better than others.

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