Gene Autry Show: Head for Texas

Back in the saddle... literally.

The Gene Autry Show: Head for Texas

Originally Broadcast on CBS, 7 PM Eastern, July 23, 1950

Plot: Gene and his partner Pat team up with a former horse jockey to foul up the plans of a gang of cattle rustlers.

Analysis: I’m not sure what deserves a closer look at this point: the show or Gene Autry, since both or interesting.

So, let’s do both, shall we? Autry first.

Prior to jumping to television, Gene Autry is one of those men who seemed to do it all in entertainment. He started out as a singer starting in 1928 all the way up until the 1960s, most famously with songs like Back in The Saddle Again and his own versions of Christmas perennials like Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. In 1934, he got his start as the prototype “singing cowboy” in movie serials and B-movie Westerns. Save for a break during World War II when Autry served in the United States Army, he was in the top ten of Western based grossing stars from 1936 all the way to 1955. Starting in 1951, he formed his own production company in order to maintain control over the Westerns he was producing.

In addition to the movies, Autry was also a staple on radio, hosting the weekly radio show Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch on CBS from 1940 into 1956. Autry was so popular in this period, his horse Champion got HIS own radio show in 1949, something that would happen again on television later, but we get ahead of ourselves.

So, given his popularity on radio and in movies at this time, it’s no small wonder that Autry would gamble on the increasing popularity of television and so Autry joined the growing stable of Westerns on television with The Gene Autry Show. Trust me when I tell you he would not be the last.

As to the show itself, it does follow the standard set by the serials of the time: good guy wears white hat, is absolute good and you know somehow he will bag the black hats while the sidekick will give us jokes to break us from the action. It’s very formula of the time, but there is something charming about the innocence of it all.

Bottom line: if you’re a fan of the Western serials, classic TV Westerns or Gene Autry, this is an easy yes. If you haven’t tried any of the above before, Gene Autry isn’t that bad of a starting place to get a flavor for what others may look like.

Now, the bad news: The Gene Autry Show did have eight episodes released on DVD in 2001 by Image Entertainment, but these have since been discontinued. Head for Texas was found on Gene Autry Show – Gold Dust Charlie (http://www.amazon.com/Gene-Autry-Show-Gold-Charlie/dp/B00005B6KE/ref=sr_1_42?s=STORE&ie=UTF8&qid=1284501821&sr=1-42). May want to check ebay.com or Amazon Sellers if you want to try and run down a copy.

I’ll be back in the saddle with Autry next time as well.