Author Archive: Retro

G-Man John joins a medicine show to track down a counterfeiting operation, but realizes too late he’s on the wrong trail. Dir. Carl Pierson

In the opening sequence, The Duke walks into a saloon to find everyone inside has been killed. This sets the tone for an offbeat western as Wayne goes after the baddies, who are holed up in a cave hidden behind a waterfall. Watch for “Gabby” in a different role as a mute, hunchbacked store clerk. Dir. Harry L. Fraser

The Duke adopts a young Indian girl who has been kidnapped for the deed to her inheritance, a $50,000 oil field. Dir. Harry Fraser

Wayne masquerades as an outlaw to bring his father’s murderer to justice. He ends up taming a shrewish rancher’s daughter and finding his long-lost brother along the way. Written by Robert North Bradbury. Dir. Robert North Bradbury

Singing rancher discovers a subterranean city under his ranch while fending off the crooks who are after radium deposits on his land. Feature version of the serial “The Phantom Empire”, which was Autry’s first starring role. Dir. Otto Brower, B. Reeves Eason

A crooked tractor company puts Autry and his horse ranch out of business, forcing them to go to work singing on the radio. Watch for Roy Rogers, billed as Dick Weston, as one of Autrey’s singers. Dir. Joseph Kane

Lady ranch owner brings in sheep, much to the chagrin of neighboring cattlemen. It’s up to Gene, the lady’s foreman, to smooth things out without a war. Dir. Joseph Kane

While trailing Forest Ranger Charles Carter (

Gene is hired to be foreman of the Big Sombrero ranch by Jim Garland, who is handling all the business affairs of the owner, Estrellita Estrada, who is more interested in going to America than taking care of her Mexican holdings. Gene, discovering Garland’s plan to run all the Mexican rancheros off the ranch, turns against his boss and shortly finds himself in the middle of cattle stampedes and an avalanche started by Garland’s men.