Paul Colt's Blog
October 19, 2025
Quo Vadis?
This week we come to movie ranches whose stories don’t provide enough history to make a meaningful post, which means we are at the end of this series. The question, what comes next? We need direction. I’m a little stumped so I’d like to hear from you. Any ideas on where we might go next? Let me know. Research has the final say on what works.
My best recollection is we have been doing these weekly posts for something like fifteen years. In all I recall repeating two series. The Cowboy Code, because it was wildly popular – 60K views both times; and Patent Medicine because the humor was fun. I took a look back at the Cowboy Code series, because it is timeless. As relevant today as it was ten years ago when we last ran it. So, lets freshen it up for a revisit while we find a way forward.
I first looked into the Cowboy Code, or Code of the West as some call it, more than a decade ago for a talk I was invited to give to a group of at-risk middle school kids learning life lessons through equine skills. Research discovered there are many versions of ten things that make up a cowboy way of doing things. I combined the best of eight lists to come up with the version of ten we’ll test against today’s digital culture.
The cowboy way of doing things offers all of us life lessons we can use to navigate the cultural turbulence we find ourselves in today. You don’t have to be a cowboy to benefit from the cowboy code. Cowboys aren’t defined by boots and hats, or horses and cattle. The things that make a cowboy come from the heart. Those who learn the code and live it find there’s a little cowboy in all of us. With that in mind let’s use this post series to examine values that make up a cowboy way of doing things. If you’ve got a young person, you’d like to share these musings with, feel free. They don’t have to be at-risk kids to benefit from positive life lessons.
Next Week: Cowboys Tell the Truth
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Ride easy,
Paul
My best recollection is we have been doing these weekly posts for something like fifteen years. In all I recall repeating two series. The Cowboy Code, because it was wildly popular – 60K views both times; and Patent Medicine because the humor was fun. I took a look back at the Cowboy Code series, because it is timeless. As relevant today as it was ten years ago when we last ran it. So, lets freshen it up for a revisit while we find a way forward.
I first looked into the Cowboy Code, or Code of the West as some call it, more than a decade ago for a talk I was invited to give to a group of at-risk middle school kids learning life lessons through equine skills. Research discovered there are many versions of ten things that make up a cowboy way of doing things. I combined the best of eight lists to come up with the version of ten we’ll test against today’s digital culture.
The cowboy way of doing things offers all of us life lessons we can use to navigate the cultural turbulence we find ourselves in today. You don’t have to be a cowboy to benefit from the cowboy code. Cowboys aren’t defined by boots and hats, or horses and cattle. The things that make a cowboy come from the heart. Those who learn the code and live it find there’s a little cowboy in all of us. With that in mind let’s use this post series to examine values that make up a cowboy way of doing things. If you’ve got a young person, you’d like to share these musings with, feel free. They don’t have to be at-risk kids to benefit from positive life lessons.
Next Week: Cowboys Tell the Truth
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
October 12, 2025
Paramount Movie Ranch
Our Paramount Ranch story begins with RKO Pictures 89 acre Encino Ranch developed in 1931 for production of the epic film Cimarron. The film was a huge success collecting Academy Award recognition for Best Picture and Best Writing, neither of which have anything to do with the ranch. We mention them because Best Picture is a big deal, and your scribe appreciates writing recognition. Ranch recognition came in courtesy of the award for Art Direction. Creative design of authentic sets including a western town. A town to take on star quality of its own in due course.
Encino Ranch set building didn’t stop at a western town. RKO built sets on the site including cityscapes of New York, English Row houses, slums, medieval Paris, and a Russian village. Other sets included a Yukon mining camp, Mexican outpost, and Saharan fort which brings us back to the western town. In 1954 RKO sold Encino Ranch for real estate development – think urban sprawl. Paramount bought the western town along with a few of its neighbors and moved them to Paramount Studios Movie Ranch.
Paramount established its movie ranch in 1927 on a 2,700 acre site on Medea Creek in the Santa Monica Mountains. There the Old West Town posed as Tombstone, Dodge City, and a Tom Sawyer Mississippi River town when it wasn’t hosting TV Westerns like Gunsmoke and The Cisco Kid. Other sets gave us a Welch mining village, add a little make-up and you have Bernadette’s French village. In fact those make-up tricks took the western town to thirteenth century China no less.
In 1980 The National Parks Service took over Paramount Ranch Park preserving the film sets as park features. Some filming continued at the park under NPS management including 2015’s Bone Tomahawk for any who remember our review of that ‘western’ adventure in cannibalism. I’d rather not. Fire destroyed most of the film sets in 2018.
Next Week: Wm S. Hart and Walt Disney and More
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Ride easy,
Paul
Encino Ranch set building didn’t stop at a western town. RKO built sets on the site including cityscapes of New York, English Row houses, slums, medieval Paris, and a Russian village. Other sets included a Yukon mining camp, Mexican outpost, and Saharan fort which brings us back to the western town. In 1954 RKO sold Encino Ranch for real estate development – think urban sprawl. Paramount bought the western town along with a few of its neighbors and moved them to Paramount Studios Movie Ranch.
Paramount established its movie ranch in 1927 on a 2,700 acre site on Medea Creek in the Santa Monica Mountains. There the Old West Town posed as Tombstone, Dodge City, and a Tom Sawyer Mississippi River town when it wasn’t hosting TV Westerns like Gunsmoke and The Cisco Kid. Other sets gave us a Welch mining village, add a little make-up and you have Bernadette’s French village. In fact those make-up tricks took the western town to thirteenth century China no less.
In 1980 The National Parks Service took over Paramount Ranch Park preserving the film sets as park features. Some filming continued at the park under NPS management including 2015’s Bone Tomahawk for any who remember our review of that ‘western’ adventure in cannibalism. I’d rather not. Fire destroyed most of the film sets in 2018.
Next Week: Wm S. Hart and Walt Disney and More
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Ride easy,
Paul
October 5, 2025
Melody Ranch
Western filming went on location in Placerita Canyon as early as 1926, featuring stars like Tom Mix. In 1931 Monogram pictures leased a parcel of land there on which to construct a western town, that became known as Monogram Ranch. The lease passed to Republic Pictures following the 1935 merger of Republic and Monogram Studios. The lease expired the following year. In 1937 the town set was moved a couple miles north to Russell Hickson’s 110 acre Placeritos Ranch, ever thereafter to be known as Monogram Ranch.
Gene Autry purchased the Monogram Ranch property in 1953, renaming it Melody Ranch after his successful 1940 film. In 1962 a brush fire destroyed most of the movie sets in addition to environmentally damaging the ranch’s visual appeal for filmmaking. Interesting how these movie ranches catch fire. Following the fire, Autry sold 98 of the 110 acres.
Gene retained 12 Melody Ranch acres for a reason. “Champion,” his wonder horse costar retired there. Turned out to pleasant pasture Champion lived out his leisure years in luxury until 1990. Gene sold those last Melody Ranch acres once his Champion no longer needed them. If you’ve ever loved a horse, there’s a tribute fit to warm your heart.
The buyers developed the site as an on location movie set known as Melody Ranch Studios, with western town, sound stages, and backlot support facilities. Still an active movie ranch, scenes from Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained were filmed there in 2012. The ranch has a museum, with the property open to the public each spring for the annual Cowboy Poetry & Western Music Festival.
Next Week: Paramount Movie Ranch
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Ride easy,
Paul
Gene Autry purchased the Monogram Ranch property in 1953, renaming it Melody Ranch after his successful 1940 film. In 1962 a brush fire destroyed most of the movie sets in addition to environmentally damaging the ranch’s visual appeal for filmmaking. Interesting how these movie ranches catch fire. Following the fire, Autry sold 98 of the 110 acres.
Gene retained 12 Melody Ranch acres for a reason. “Champion,” his wonder horse costar retired there. Turned out to pleasant pasture Champion lived out his leisure years in luxury until 1990. Gene sold those last Melody Ranch acres once his Champion no longer needed them. If you’ve ever loved a horse, there’s a tribute fit to warm your heart.
The buyers developed the site as an on location movie set known as Melody Ranch Studios, with western town, sound stages, and backlot support facilities. Still an active movie ranch, scenes from Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained were filmed there in 2012. The ranch has a museum, with the property open to the public each spring for the annual Cowboy Poetry & Western Music Festival.
Next Week: Paramount Movie Ranch
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Ride easy,
Paul
September 28, 2025
Corriganville Movie Ranch
Ray “Crash” Corrigan was a B Western movie star out of Republic and Monogram studio stables, best known for his portrayal of Tucson Smith in The Three Mesquiteers series. Ray picked up his “Crash” nickname courtesy of head-first football tackles before concussion protocol was invented. That may explain what happened in 1937. He was on a hunting trip with Clark Gable when he got the idea that became Corriganville Movie Ranch.
He found his location on two thousand acres in the California Simi Valley Santa Susana Mountain foothills. Corrigan purchased the site for $11,300 and change. Not a bad land grab by California real estate standards. Modeled after the successful Iverson Movie Ranch, Corriganville provided feature rich terrain with rock strewn trails, hills, caves, and lakes. The ranch provided producers permanent buildings allowing cast, crew, and equipment to stay on location. Film sets included a ranch layout, outlaw hide-outs, cavalry fort, and western town complete with saloon, jail, and hotel.
Corriganville attracted film and TV production crews for the next twenty-seven years including John Ford’s classic Fort Apache with John Wayne, The Lone Ranger starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels, The Cisco Kid with Duncan Ronaldo, The Adventures of Kit Carson, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Have Gun Will Travel. Other notable stars who filmed at Corriganville include Buster Crabbe, Ken Maynard, Bob Steele, Tex Ritter, Hoot Gibson, Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Roy Rogers. Oh, and some guy named Ray Corrigan.
In addition to attracting film and TV bookings, Ray opened the Ranch as a weekend amusement park, attracting as many as 20,000 visitors in a weekend. Attractions included tours of the sets, star appearances, stunt demonstrations, live music, stagecoach and pony rides. Could not confirm the rumor Walt Disney got his idea from a weekend at Corriganville. Ray sold the property to Bob Hope in 1966 for a project, called Hopetown at a price somewhat north of $11,000.
Next Week: Melody Ranch
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Ride easy,
Paul
He found his location on two thousand acres in the California Simi Valley Santa Susana Mountain foothills. Corrigan purchased the site for $11,300 and change. Not a bad land grab by California real estate standards. Modeled after the successful Iverson Movie Ranch, Corriganville provided feature rich terrain with rock strewn trails, hills, caves, and lakes. The ranch provided producers permanent buildings allowing cast, crew, and equipment to stay on location. Film sets included a ranch layout, outlaw hide-outs, cavalry fort, and western town complete with saloon, jail, and hotel.
Corriganville attracted film and TV production crews for the next twenty-seven years including John Ford’s classic Fort Apache with John Wayne, The Lone Ranger starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels, The Cisco Kid with Duncan Ronaldo, The Adventures of Kit Carson, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Have Gun Will Travel. Other notable stars who filmed at Corriganville include Buster Crabbe, Ken Maynard, Bob Steele, Tex Ritter, Hoot Gibson, Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Roy Rogers. Oh, and some guy named Ray Corrigan.
In addition to attracting film and TV bookings, Ray opened the Ranch as a weekend amusement park, attracting as many as 20,000 visitors in a weekend. Attractions included tours of the sets, star appearances, stunt demonstrations, live music, stagecoach and pony rides. Could not confirm the rumor Walt Disney got his idea from a weekend at Corriganville. Ray sold the property to Bob Hope in 1966 for a project, called Hopetown at a price somewhat north of $11,000.
Next Week: Melody Ranch
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Ride easy,
Paul
September 21, 2025
Apacheland Movie Ranch
In 1957 Hollywood production companies began eyeing Arizona’s Superstition Mountains for potential location settings. Victor Panek and J.K. Hutchens, a pair of local ranchers turned entrepreneur, visualized building ‘The Western Movie Capital of the World’. Lofty thinkin’ fellas. The result, Apacheland Movie Ranch and Studio.
Apacheland opened for business in June 1960.
The first TV productions included episodes of Have Gun Will Travel, starring Richard Boone in the title role of a man called Paladin. One of the top rated TV westerns throughout its seven year run from ‘57 – ’63, the series portrayed a gentleman hired gun who roamed the west righting wrongs. The second production that year, a feature film The Purple Hills, played to far less critical acclaim and box office success.
Over the years Apacheland played host to western film actors including Ronald Regan, a number of Audie Murphy western films, Elvis Presley, Jason Robards, and Stella Stevens. Television saw Death Valley Days take the Apacheland stage along with a film you may recall from an earlier series on these pages, The Ballad of Cable Hogue.
Fire destroyed most of Apacheland ranch in ’69. Rebuilt, a second fire in February 2004 finished the job, closing out the film career of Superstition vistas in the fall of that year. Curiously the causes of both fires were never determined. Two of the buildings on the set, a barn (pictured) and a church known as the Elvis Chapel were preserved and donated to the Superstition Mountain Museum.
Next Week: Corriganville Movie Ranch
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Ride easy,
Paul
Apacheland opened for business in June 1960.
The first TV productions included episodes of Have Gun Will Travel, starring Richard Boone in the title role of a man called Paladin. One of the top rated TV westerns throughout its seven year run from ‘57 – ’63, the series portrayed a gentleman hired gun who roamed the west righting wrongs. The second production that year, a feature film The Purple Hills, played to far less critical acclaim and box office success.
Over the years Apacheland played host to western film actors including Ronald Regan, a number of Audie Murphy western films, Elvis Presley, Jason Robards, and Stella Stevens. Television saw Death Valley Days take the Apacheland stage along with a film you may recall from an earlier series on these pages, The Ballad of Cable Hogue.
Fire destroyed most of Apacheland ranch in ’69. Rebuilt, a second fire in February 2004 finished the job, closing out the film career of Superstition vistas in the fall of that year. Curiously the causes of both fires were never determined. Two of the buildings on the set, a barn (pictured) and a church known as the Elvis Chapel were preserved and donated to the Superstition Mountain Museum.
Next Week: Corriganville Movie Ranch
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Ride easy,
Paul
September 14, 2025
Movie Ranches
Studio backlots and sound stages didn’t cut it when it came to western film. What to do? The answer – movie ranches - up until John Ford discovered “on location” in Monument Valley. Back in the ‘20s, 30s, and ‘40s land was cheap in California. Buy up a big tract in the Simi Hills, Santa Monica Mountains, or any old ranch and you’ve got yourself setting for a western film. Set ‘em up they did. In this series we’ll explore some of the more notable movie ranches, their histories, and sample some of the films made there.
Let’s start with Iverson Ranch. Why? ‘Cause that’s the accidental discovery that gave us this series. Iverson fittingly got its start in the 1880’s as Karl and Augusta Iverson’s 160 acre Simi Hills homestead on Santa Susana Pass. Iverson land holdings grew to 500 acres with 320 eventually making it into the movie ranch. Filming actually started as early as 1912 on the original 160 acre parcel.
With the rise of western film from the ‘30s to the ‘60s, Iverson became a go-to location for filming. The ranch featured hilly rocky terrain with narrow winding trails and roads ideal for chase scenes and gun battles. Scenes familiar to those of us who remember Republic Pictures serials and B western features. Gary Cooper constructed a western town on Iverson for a 1945 film he made on the property. It wasn’t all westerns though. John Wayne’s 1944 Fighting Seabees was filmed at Iverson.
The late ‘40s, 50s, and into the ‘60s saw Iverson make a memorable television run with half of its estimated 3,500 productions done for the small screen. We watched a ton of classic Iverson TV series including The Lone Ranger, The Roy Rogers Show, Gene Autry, The Cisco Kid, Tombstone Territory, Zorro, Bonanza, The Virginian, and Gunsmoke.
All good things caught up with Iverson in the mid ‘60s when construction of the Simi Valley Freeway divided the ranch into upper and lower sections. Highway noise put a damper on filming, paving the way for urban development. Part of the ranch has been preserved as parkland, including Lone Ranger Rock where Silver did his iconic rearing.
Next Week: Apacheland Movie Ranch
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Ride easy,
Paul
Let’s start with Iverson Ranch. Why? ‘Cause that’s the accidental discovery that gave us this series. Iverson fittingly got its start in the 1880’s as Karl and Augusta Iverson’s 160 acre Simi Hills homestead on Santa Susana Pass. Iverson land holdings grew to 500 acres with 320 eventually making it into the movie ranch. Filming actually started as early as 1912 on the original 160 acre parcel.
With the rise of western film from the ‘30s to the ‘60s, Iverson became a go-to location for filming. The ranch featured hilly rocky terrain with narrow winding trails and roads ideal for chase scenes and gun battles. Scenes familiar to those of us who remember Republic Pictures serials and B western features. Gary Cooper constructed a western town on Iverson for a 1945 film he made on the property. It wasn’t all westerns though. John Wayne’s 1944 Fighting Seabees was filmed at Iverson.
The late ‘40s, 50s, and into the ‘60s saw Iverson make a memorable television run with half of its estimated 3,500 productions done for the small screen. We watched a ton of classic Iverson TV series including The Lone Ranger, The Roy Rogers Show, Gene Autry, The Cisco Kid, Tombstone Territory, Zorro, Bonanza, The Virginian, and Gunsmoke.
All good things caught up with Iverson in the mid ‘60s when construction of the Simi Valley Freeway divided the ranch into upper and lower sections. Highway noise put a damper on filming, paving the way for urban development. Part of the ranch has been preserved as parkland, including Lone Ranger Rock where Silver did his iconic rearing.
Next Week: Apacheland Movie Ranch
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Ride easy,
Paul
September 7, 2025
Roy - One Way or Another
You may recall we started down the trail to this series reviewing films directed by Joseph Kane who gave us Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, singing cowboy icons near and dear the hearts of so many of us. Kane delivered. Research gave us a passel of fond memories of Gene, but Roy? Beginning with Under Western Stars Roy made something north of 90 films (not all with Kane). We looked at most of them looking for post material. We found titles, lobby cards, and maybe a paragraph description on plot – many didn’t even have that. Which brings us to Roy – One Way or Another.
We know the Leonard Slye story with The Sons of the Pioneers. We remember the matinee idol who became box office success to inspire all those films. We remember the ensemble following him. Roy rode onto the screen co-stared with Trigger. Who didn’t love that glorious palomino? We remember all those romantic leading ladies until Dale Evans hit Happy Trails on Buttermilk with Bullet. Sidekicks? Name one who didn’t ride with Roy – Andy Devine, “Gabby” Hayes, Smiley Burnette, Pat Brady, and Pat Butrum down shifting Nellie Belle. We crowned Roy King of the Cowboys right beside Gene and Randolph Scott.
Roy blazed an important trail in his 1940 contract with Republic Pictures. Republic got Roy’s movie and appearance money. Good agent counsel added a clause to the new contract giving Roy rights to his likeness, voice, and name. Sound precedent breaking? Ask Clayton Moore who later learned the Lone Ranger lesson the hard way. Roy’s name and image went on everything from action figures to comic books, watches, lunchboxes, radio show, television series and eventually a restaurant chain.
Roy and Dale became strong advocates of adoption, adopting several children of their own. Children’s charities were an important expression of their Christian faith. So there you have it. Roy – One Way or Another. Which brings us to the end of Joseph Kane.
Where to next? How about Movie Ranches? Turns out they played important roles in western film
Next Week: Movie Ranches
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Ride easy,
Paul
We know the Leonard Slye story with The Sons of the Pioneers. We remember the matinee idol who became box office success to inspire all those films. We remember the ensemble following him. Roy rode onto the screen co-stared with Trigger. Who didn’t love that glorious palomino? We remember all those romantic leading ladies until Dale Evans hit Happy Trails on Buttermilk with Bullet. Sidekicks? Name one who didn’t ride with Roy – Andy Devine, “Gabby” Hayes, Smiley Burnette, Pat Brady, and Pat Butrum down shifting Nellie Belle. We crowned Roy King of the Cowboys right beside Gene and Randolph Scott.
Roy blazed an important trail in his 1940 contract with Republic Pictures. Republic got Roy’s movie and appearance money. Good agent counsel added a clause to the new contract giving Roy rights to his likeness, voice, and name. Sound precedent breaking? Ask Clayton Moore who later learned the Lone Ranger lesson the hard way. Roy’s name and image went on everything from action figures to comic books, watches, lunchboxes, radio show, television series and eventually a restaurant chain.
Roy and Dale became strong advocates of adoption, adopting several children of their own. Children’s charities were an important expression of their Christian faith. So there you have it. Roy – One Way or Another. Which brings us to the end of Joseph Kane.
Where to next? How about Movie Ranches? Turns out they played important roles in western film
Next Week: Movie Ranches
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
August 31, 2025
Springtime in the Rockies
For Hollywood cattle ranching and sheep keeping are a range war waiting to happen – but why? This week’s film Springtime in the Rockies poses answer to the question. According to the cattleman side of the dispute, sheep eat grass to the root, ruining the range. Go for your guns. But are they right? Researching the question, do grazing sheep ruin grass, the answer is a resounding yes … and no. The no takes proper management. Moving the sheep from pasture to pasture like rotating crops. Left to their own pursuits, sheep will damage grazing land leading to erosion. So for singing cowboy movie purposes, sheep are the cattleman’s worst nightmare.
Which leads us to Gene Autry, foreman of the Knight ranch, recently inherited by the owner’s daughter Sandra Knight. What would singing cowboys do were it not for lovely daughters inheriting stuff? Awaiting Sandra’s arrival, Gene heads off a range war between hot-head rancher Thad Morgan and would be sheepman Jed Thorpe, persuading Thorpe to get rid of his sheep. Unsuspecting Sandra hits town just in time to take the offensive sheep off Thorpe’s hands. Gene finds himself back in the business of fending off range war.
Gene takes Sandra and her sheep to a rocky patch of ground with a line shack he passes off as her ranch. Gene and Frog paint the sheep to make it appear they have hoof and mouth disease. Meanwhile Morgan gets wind of Sandra and the sheep. He offers her a pittance to buy her ranch. She agrees, thinking it is the rocky patch line shack and not her vastly more valuable real ranch. While papers are drawn for the ranch sale Morgan’s man Briggs tells Sandra about Gene’s sheep trick. She is furious with Gene and will have no part of his warning of Morgan’s swindle in the making.
Gene confronts Morgan who is wounded by Thorpe. Gene is blamed for shooting Morgan and is jailed. Frog springs him, (about as close to ‘springtime in the Rockies’ as the film gets). Sandra signs over her ranch. Briggs heads for the courthouse to file the deed. Gene catches up in time to rip up the deed. Thorpe is identified as Morgan’s shooter. All is forgiven between Sandra and Gene just in time for a romantic sunset ride. The End.
Next Week: Roy – one way or another
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Ride easy,
Paul
Which leads us to Gene Autry, foreman of the Knight ranch, recently inherited by the owner’s daughter Sandra Knight. What would singing cowboys do were it not for lovely daughters inheriting stuff? Awaiting Sandra’s arrival, Gene heads off a range war between hot-head rancher Thad Morgan and would be sheepman Jed Thorpe, persuading Thorpe to get rid of his sheep. Unsuspecting Sandra hits town just in time to take the offensive sheep off Thorpe’s hands. Gene finds himself back in the business of fending off range war.
Gene takes Sandra and her sheep to a rocky patch of ground with a line shack he passes off as her ranch. Gene and Frog paint the sheep to make it appear they have hoof and mouth disease. Meanwhile Morgan gets wind of Sandra and the sheep. He offers her a pittance to buy her ranch. She agrees, thinking it is the rocky patch line shack and not her vastly more valuable real ranch. While papers are drawn for the ranch sale Morgan’s man Briggs tells Sandra about Gene’s sheep trick. She is furious with Gene and will have no part of his warning of Morgan’s swindle in the making.
Gene confronts Morgan who is wounded by Thorpe. Gene is blamed for shooting Morgan and is jailed. Frog springs him, (about as close to ‘springtime in the Rockies’ as the film gets). Sandra signs over her ranch. Briggs heads for the courthouse to file the deed. Gene catches up in time to rip up the deed. Thorpe is identified as Morgan’s shooter. All is forgiven between Sandra and Gene just in time for a romantic sunset ride. The End.
Next Week: Roy – one way or another
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Ride easy,
Paul
August 24, 2025
Boots and Saddles
Got to love the title of this one. Boots and Saddles A Call to Glory was my break through print title. A little known chapter in George Patton’s early career, the book holds a special place in my ‘start of it all’ memories. The title came in for some criticism at the time over similarity to Libby Custer’s sponsored biography of George Custer titled Boots and Saddles. Patton and Custer were both cavalry officers who rallied to that bugle call. So be it. Not so in the case of this Boots and Saddles film.
Gene Autry is foreman of a ranch inherited by young Englishman Edward Wyndam Earl of Granville. Edward arrives at his colonial holdings with no appetite for a ranch he intends to sell. Gene has promised Edward’s deceased father he will make a westerner of young man. The ranch is in debt to rival rancher Jim Neale (Bill Elliott) who is threatening to foreclose. Gene and Frog (Smiley Burnette) begin westernizing the young man who slowly comes around. With foreclosure threatened, Gene and Frog convince Edward they can pay off the debt by rounding up horses to fill an army contract out for bid. Neale gets wind of the plan and determines to offer a competing bid.
Edward earns his spurs and the nickname “Spud” rounding up horses for sale. They take a wagon to Fort Wayne site of the auction. Along the way they make a dusty pass by a buggy carrying Neale along with Colonel Allen and his daughter Bernice (Judith Allen). Bernice and Gene get off on a dusty wrong foot. When the bids come in, they are identical. Colonel Allen suggests a twelve horse a side race off to decide the winner.
The night before the race fire is set in the barn where Gene’s horses are stabled. He’s left with five for the race. Neale’s dirty tricks don’t stop with barn arson, still Gene manages to win the race. Neale’s dirty deeds are exposed, and the ranch is saved. Edward mends Gene’s fences with Bernice in time for happily ever after.
In case you missed it, Boots and Saddles A Call to Glory is available on Amazon. I know shameful self-promotion. Couldn’t resist.
Next Week: Springtime in the Rockies
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Ride easy,
Paul
Gene Autry is foreman of a ranch inherited by young Englishman Edward Wyndam Earl of Granville. Edward arrives at his colonial holdings with no appetite for a ranch he intends to sell. Gene has promised Edward’s deceased father he will make a westerner of young man. The ranch is in debt to rival rancher Jim Neale (Bill Elliott) who is threatening to foreclose. Gene and Frog (Smiley Burnette) begin westernizing the young man who slowly comes around. With foreclosure threatened, Gene and Frog convince Edward they can pay off the debt by rounding up horses to fill an army contract out for bid. Neale gets wind of the plan and determines to offer a competing bid.
Edward earns his spurs and the nickname “Spud” rounding up horses for sale. They take a wagon to Fort Wayne site of the auction. Along the way they make a dusty pass by a buggy carrying Neale along with Colonel Allen and his daughter Bernice (Judith Allen). Bernice and Gene get off on a dusty wrong foot. When the bids come in, they are identical. Colonel Allen suggests a twelve horse a side race off to decide the winner.
The night before the race fire is set in the barn where Gene’s horses are stabled. He’s left with five for the race. Neale’s dirty tricks don’t stop with barn arson, still Gene manages to win the race. Neale’s dirty deeds are exposed, and the ranch is saved. Edward mends Gene’s fences with Bernice in time for happily ever after.
In case you missed it, Boots and Saddles A Call to Glory is available on Amazon. I know shameful self-promotion. Couldn’t resist.
Next Week: Springtime in the Rockies
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Ride easy,
Paul
August 17, 2025
Public Cowboy No. 1
What happens when cattle rustling goes high-tech? Traditional law enforcement can’t keep up until the goin’ gets tough. This one warms my heart. I shall confess later.
Ranchers are plagued by an outbreak of rustling raids. The raiders locate herds by air, radioing the herd’s location to rustlers on the ground. The rustlers move in with refrigerated trucks, slaughter the cattle in the field and make off with the beef. Local law lead by Sheriff Matt Doniphon with deputies Gene Autry and Frog Milhouse (Smiley Burnette) can’t seem to catch on. Newspaper publisher Helen Morgan (Ann Rutherford) demands the old fashioned sheriff resign. Orphan Gene, raised by the sheriff defends him.
Suspicious cattle carcasses are found at the Chicago & Western Packing Co., owned and operated by Jack Shannon and his brother Jim. Gene and Frog to demand to see the hides to check for brands. Jim tells them the carcasses came from Thad Slaughter, and he has the hides. The sheriff is wounded in a shootout on the way to Slaughter’s ranch. Frog identifies Jim as the shooter. He is arrested and jailed. Fearful Jim may talk; Slaughter kills him through the bars of his jail cell window.
Townsfolk blame Sheriff Doniphon for the murder. They demand the town hire Eustace P. Quackenbush and his private detectives to stop the rustling and restore law and order using modern law enforcement techniques.
Meanwhile Frog and Stubby disguised as cows stake out a Bidwell ranch herd. When Bidwell goes to town with his men the rustlers move in. Frog radio’s Gene who broadcasts an alarm on his radio show. The rustlers make a break for it along with Frog and Stubby with an amorous bull on their tail for cow clothing. Quackenbush and his motorcycles and automobiles get stuck in the mud. Gene and the cowboys gallop by to round up the bad guys. Helen is taken hostage by Jack who is shot by the sheriff. Gene is left with Helen who sees old ways still work.
Ah the old ways. Grill? Hardwood charcoal. Christmas tree? Real. Gonna build a house with a fireplace? Wood burning. I’m a luddite at heart and a warm one at that.
Next Week: Boots and Saddles
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Ride easy,
Paul
Ranchers are plagued by an outbreak of rustling raids. The raiders locate herds by air, radioing the herd’s location to rustlers on the ground. The rustlers move in with refrigerated trucks, slaughter the cattle in the field and make off with the beef. Local law lead by Sheriff Matt Doniphon with deputies Gene Autry and Frog Milhouse (Smiley Burnette) can’t seem to catch on. Newspaper publisher Helen Morgan (Ann Rutherford) demands the old fashioned sheriff resign. Orphan Gene, raised by the sheriff defends him.
Suspicious cattle carcasses are found at the Chicago & Western Packing Co., owned and operated by Jack Shannon and his brother Jim. Gene and Frog to demand to see the hides to check for brands. Jim tells them the carcasses came from Thad Slaughter, and he has the hides. The sheriff is wounded in a shootout on the way to Slaughter’s ranch. Frog identifies Jim as the shooter. He is arrested and jailed. Fearful Jim may talk; Slaughter kills him through the bars of his jail cell window.
Townsfolk blame Sheriff Doniphon for the murder. They demand the town hire Eustace P. Quackenbush and his private detectives to stop the rustling and restore law and order using modern law enforcement techniques.
Meanwhile Frog and Stubby disguised as cows stake out a Bidwell ranch herd. When Bidwell goes to town with his men the rustlers move in. Frog radio’s Gene who broadcasts an alarm on his radio show. The rustlers make a break for it along with Frog and Stubby with an amorous bull on their tail for cow clothing. Quackenbush and his motorcycles and automobiles get stuck in the mud. Gene and the cowboys gallop by to round up the bad guys. Helen is taken hostage by Jack who is shot by the sheriff. Gene is left with Helen who sees old ways still work.
Ah the old ways. Grill? Hardwood charcoal. Christmas tree? Real. Gonna build a house with a fireplace? Wood burning. I’m a luddite at heart and a warm one at that.
Next Week: Boots and Saddles
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Ride easy,
Paul
