Blue Montana Skies
- Norman S. Hall
- Paul Franklin
- Gene Autry
- Smiley Burnette
- June Storey
company
- May 4, 1939 (1939-05-04) (US)
Blue Montana Skies is a 1939 American Western film directed by B. Reeves Eason and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and June Storey. Based on a story by Norman S. Hall and Paul Franklin, the film is about a singing cowboy who goes up against a gang of fur smugglers operating near the Canada–United States border.[2]
Plot
While driving a herd of cattle in northern Montana, cowboys Gene Autry (Gene Autry), Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette), and Steve (Tully Marshall) cross the border into Canada. Riding alone, Steve stumbles upon a convoy of fur smugglers who stab him and leave him to die in the woods. Before dying, he manages to scrawl the initials "HH".
After discovering the body of their murdered friend and his final cryptic clue, Gene and Frog ride to the nearby HH ranch, which is owned by Dorothy Hamilton (June Storey) and her partner, Hendricks (Harry Woods). Unknown to Dorothy, Hendricks is the head of the fur smuggling ring. Suspicious of Hendricks, Gene and Frog stampede their cattle into the HH herd as an excuse to spend time at the ranch and investigate. Soon they discover that the furs are being smuggled into a storehouse on the ranch and then shipped out of the country. While preparing to escort another shipment of pelts, the smugglers discover Gene and Frog in the storeroom and, deciding to use Gene as a cover for their illegal activities, hijack him and his wagon.
After the smugglers leave, Frog escapes from the storeroom and organizes a rescue party to search for Gene and his captors. As the smugglers hold up another warehouse of furs, Gene escapes and tries to prevent the robbery, but is shot in the arm. He manages to sound the alarm and then follows after the smugglers by dogsled. After catching up to the thieves, Gene sees them loading the furs into Hendricks' car. Gene causes a daring avalanche that traps the smugglers and exacts justice for the murder of his friend.
Cast
- Gene Autry as Gene Autry
- Smiley Burnette as Frog Millhouse
- June Storey as Dorothy Hamilton
- Harry Woods as Hendricks
- Tully Marshall as Steve
- Al Bridge as Marshal
- Glenn Strange as Henchman Bob Causer
- Dorothy Granger as Mrs. Millie Potter
- Edmund Cobb as Eddie Brennan
- Robert Winkler as Wilbur Potter, the Boy
- Jack Ingram as Henchman Frazier
- Augie Gomez as Blackfeather
- John Beach as N.W. Mountie Corporal
- Walt Shrum and His Colorado Hillbillies as Musicians at Dance
- Champion as Gene's Horse (uncredited)[1]
Production
Filming locations
- Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA
- Lake Sherwood, Agoura Ranch
- Morrison Ranch[1]
Soundtrack
- "Rockin' in the Saddle" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin, Fred Rose) by Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and cowboys
- "'Neath the Blue Montana Skies" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin, Fred Rose) by Gene Autry and cowboys
- "The Old Geezer" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin, Fred Rose) by Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Dorothy Granger (piano)
- "Famous Men of the West" by Gene Autry and Walt Shrum and His Colorado Hillbillies
- "I Just Want You" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin, Fred Rose) by Gene Autry and Walt Shrum and His Colorado Hillbillies[1]
References
- Citations
- ^ a b c d Magers, p. 133.
- ^ Magers, pp. 133–134.
- Bibliography
- George-Warren, Holly (2007). Public Cowboy no. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195177466.
- Green, Douglas B. (2002). Singing in the Saddle: The History of the Singing Cowboy. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press. ISBN 978-0826514127.
- Magers, Boyd (2007). Gene Autry Westerns. Madison, NC: Empire Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0944019498.
External links
- Blue Montana Skies at IMDb
- Blue Montana Skies at the TCM Movie Database
- Blue Montana Skies at AllMovie
- v
- t
- e
- The Adventures of Rex and Rinty
- After the Storm
- Alimony Madness
- Around the World in 18 Days
- The Assayer of Lone Gap
- The Barren Gain
- Behind Jury Doors
- The Big Adventure
- Black Arrow
- The Blot on the Shield
- Blue Montana Skies
- Blue Streak McCoy
- The Bluffers
- Call of the Yukon
- Clearing the Trail
- Colorado
- Competition
- Cornered
- The Crow
- Dance Hall Hostess
- Daredevil Drivers
- Darkest Africa
- The Day of Reckoning
- The Denver Dude
- The Desert Hawk
- Drawing the Line
- Empty Holsters
- The Exile of Bar-K Ranch
- A Fight to the Finish
- The Fighting Heart
- The Fighting Line
- The Fighting Marines
- Fighting the Flames
- Fighting Youth
- The Fire Eater
- Flashing Spurs
- The Flyin' Cowboy
- The Four-Bit Man
- Galloping Fury
- The Galloping Ghost
- Give Me Liberty
- A Good Business Deal
- Hair Trigger Stuff
- The Heart Punch
- Hearts in Shadow
- Held Up for the Makin's
- Her Resale Value
- His Last Race
- His Nose in the Book
- The Honor of the District Attorney
- The Honor of the Press
- Human Stuff
- In Trust
- The Jack of Hearts
- Johnny Get Your Hair Cut
- The Kid and the Cowboy
- The Kid Comes Back
- King of the Wild
- Land Beyond the Law
- The Lariat Kid
- The Last of the Mohicans
- The Law of the Wild
- The Little Lady Next Door
- Lone Hand Saunders
- The Lone Hand
- Matching Dreams
- Men of the Sky
- Midnight Morals
- The Miracle Rider
- The Moon Riders
- Mountain Mary
- Mountain Rhythm
- Murder in the Big House
- Murder on the Waterfront
- Mystery Mountain
- Neighbors' Wives
- 'Neath Canadian Skies
- The New Champion
- The Newer Way
- Nine-Tenths of the Law
- North of the Border
- Painted Ponies
- The Phantom
- The Phantom Empire
- Pink Tights
- The Poet of the Peaks
- The Prairie King
- Prairie Thunder
- Profit from Loss
- The Prospector's Vengeance
- A Question of Honor
- The Rattler's Hiss
- Red Courage
- Red River Valley
- Revenge at Monte Carlo
- Riding for Fame
- Rimfire
- Roaring Ranch
- Roughshod
- A Sanitarium Scramble
- Sergeant Murphy
- Service with the Colors
- The Shadow of the Eagle
- The Shadow on the Wall
- Shadows
- The Silver Lining
- The Smuggler's Cave
- The Solution to the Mystery
- The Spirit of Adventure
- Spurs
- Spy Ship
- The Substitute Minister
- The Sunset Trail
- The Tanks Are Coming
- The Tell Tale Wire
- The Test of Donald Norton
- The Texas Bearcat
- The Sign of the Claw
- Through Thick and Thin
- Tiger Thompson
- Time and Tide
- To Melody a Soul Responds
- To Rent Furnished
- A Trick of Hearts
- Trigger Fingers
- Trigger Tricks
- Truck Busters
- Two Kinds of Love
- Undersea Kingdom
- The Vanishing Legion
- Viviana
- The Wasp
- The Winged Horseman
- Women First