''In Old Monterey'' is a 1939 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Joseph Kane Jasper Joseph Inman Kane (March 19, 1894, San Diego – August 25, 1975, Santa Monica, California) was an American film director, film producer, film editor and screenwriter. He is best known for his extensive directorship and focus on Western ...

and starring

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...

Smiley Burnette Lester Alvin Burnett (March 18, 1911 – February 16, 1967), better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and ...

, and

June Storey Mary June Storey (April 20, 1918 – December 18, 1991) was a Canadian-born American film actress who appeared in 45 films during the 1930s and 1940s. She was leading lady to cowboy singer Gene Autry in 10 films. Early years Storey was bor ...

. Based on a story by

Gerald Geraghty Gerald Geraghty (August 10, 1906 – July 8, 1954) was an American screenwriter, mostly of Westerns. Early life and family Geraghty was born in Rushville, Indiana. His father was screenwriter Thomas J. Geraghty, Tom Geraghty. His brother Maurice ...

and

George Sherman George Sherman (July 14, 1908 – March 15, 1991) was an American film director and Film producer, producer of low-budget Western (genre), Western films. One obituary said his "credits rival in number those of anyone in the entertainment indus ...

, the film is about an army

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

and former rancher who runs into opposition from local ranchers when the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

sends him to purchase their ranch land needed for a strategic air base.Magers, pp. 141–143.

Plot

The United States Army sends Sergeant Gene Autry (

), a rancher in civilian life, to negotiate the purchase of ranch land out West needed to build a strategic air base. Local ranchers, led by Gabby Whittaker (

George "Gabby" Hayes George Francis "Gabby" Hayes (May 7, 1885 – February 9, 1969) was an American actor. He began as something of a leading man and a character player, but he was best known for his numerous appearances in B-Western (genre), Western film series as ...

), refuse to sell their land to the government. After some investigation, Gene suspects that the ranchers' refusal to sell their land may be influenced by borax mine magnate Stevenson (Jonathan Hale), who wants more money than the government is offering for his Atlas Borax Mine. To prevent ranchers from selling their land to the army, Stevenson and his men embark upon a plan of sabotage that makes it appear that the army fliers are employing ruthless tactics to force the ranchers into selling. Influenced by Stevenson's covert agitation, the ranchers are driven to armed resistance when Gabby's nephew Jimmy (Billy Lee) is killed in an explosion caused by Stevenson. As the ranchers prepare to barricade the town, Gene rides to the rescue with proof that Stevenson was responsible for the explosion and the sabotage. Angered by the treachery, the ranchers, led by Gene in an armored truck, ride to the Atlas Borax Mine and bring Stevenson and his gang to justice.

Cast

as Gene Autry *

as Frog Millhouse *

as Jill Whittaker *

as Gabby Whittaker * The

Hoosier Hot Shots The Hoosier Hot Shots were an American quartet of musicians who entertained on stage, screen, radio, and records from the mid-1930s into the 1970s. The group formed in Indiana where they performed on local radio before moving to Chicago and a ...

as Soldier Musicians * Sarie and Sallie as Themselves * The Ranch Boys as Singing Cowhands *

Stuart Hamblen Carl Stuart Hamblen (October 20, 1908 – March 8, 1989) was an American entertainer who in 1926 became one of radio's first singing cowboys, going on to become a singer, actor, radio show host and songwriter. He converted to Christianity under ...

as Bugler * Billy Lee as Jimmy Whittaker *

Jonathan Hale Jonathan Hale (born Jonathan Hatley; March 21, 1891 – February 28, 1966) was a Canadian-born film and television actor. Life and career Hale was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Before his acting career, Hale worked in the Diplomatic Co ...

as Stevenson, Owner of the Atlas Borax Mine *

Robert Warwick Robert Warwick (born Robert Taylor Bien; October 9, 1878 – June 6, 1964) was an American stage, film and television actor with over 200 film appearances. A matinee idol during the silent film era, he also prospered after the introduction ...

as Major Clifford V. Forbes *

William Hall William Hall, Will Hall or Bill Hall may refer to: Actors *William Brad Hall (born 1958), American actor * William Hall (actor), American actor *William Hall (actor, born 1903) (1903–1986), American actor * William Hall Jr. (died 2025), American ...

as Gilman, Mine Foreman * Eddie Conrad as Club Marine Owner *

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world champi ...

as Gene's Horse (uncredited)

Production

Stuntwork

Stuntwork for the film was performed by Joe Yrigoyen (Gene's double), Jack Kirk (Smiley's double), Nellie Walker, Henry Morris, Jack Long, Tom Steele, Bill Yrigoyen, Wally West, Art Dillard, Jay Wilsey, Carey Loftin, Charles Thomas, Duke York, George Allen, Eddie Parker, and Bert LeBaron.

Filming locations

''In Old Monterey'' was filmed on location in the

Alabama Hills The Alabama Hills are a range of hills and rock formations near the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in the Owens Valley, west of Lone Pine in Inyo County, California. Though geographically separate from the Sierra Nevada, they are part of th ...

Lone Pine, California Lone Pine is a census-designated place (CDP) in Inyo County, California, United States, located south-southeast of Independence. The population was 2,035 at the 2010 census, up from 1,655 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the Owens ...

, Kernville, railroad tracks at Castaic Junction and Piru, the Big T Plant of Consumers Rock and Gravel Co. (Borax plant) at San Fernando Blvd. and Dexter, and Lasky Mesa in Calabasas.

Soundtrack

* "

It Happened in Monterey "It Happened in Monterey" or "It Happened in Monterrey" is a 1930 song composed by Mabel Wayne, with lyrics by Billy Rose and performed by Paul Whiteman and his orchestra. It was written for the 1930 musical film ''King of Jazz'', and was subsequ ...

" (Mabel Wayne, Billy Rose) by Gene Autry during the opening credits and at the end * "Born in the Saddle" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin) by Gene Autry * " My Buddy" (Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn) by Gene Autry and The Hoosier Hotshots * "It Looks Like Rain" by Smiley Burnette and The Hoosier Hotshots * "

Tumbling Tumbleweeds "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" is a Western music song composed by Bob Nolan, a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers. Nolan wrote the song in the early 1930s while he was working as a caddy and living in Los Angeles. It was first recorded by the ...

" (Bob Nolan) by Gene Autry and The Ranch Boys * "Little Pardner" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin, Fred Rose) by Gene Autry * "Virginia Blues" (Fred Meinken, Ernie Erdman) by The Hoosier Hotshots * "

Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" (originally "Columbia, the Land of the Brave") is an American patriotic song which was popular in the U.S. during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Composed 1843, it was long used as an unofficial national anthem ...

" (David T. Shaw) by Gene Autry, George 'Gabby' Hayes and Townsmen * "The Vacant Chair (We Shall Meet But We Shall Miss Him)" (George Frederick Root, Henry S. Washburn) by Gene Autry and June Storey in church, with organ accompaniment * "Colors" by a bugler when the flag is lowered * " Taps" (Daniel Butterfield) by a bugler for lights out * "

You're in the Army Now In Modern English, the word "''you''" is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from ...

" (Traditional) variations played often in the scoreMagers, pp. 141–142.

Memorable quotes

* Sergeant Gene Autry: We need places where our men can train and our equipment can be tested over and over again until every flaw can be found and corrected. And I don't believe any of you are such poor Americans that you won't be proud to do your part.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * *

External links

* * {{tcmdb title, 79106, In Old Monterey 1939 films American Western (genre) films 1939 Western (genre) films Films shot in Lone Pine, California American black-and-white films Republic Pictures films Films scored by Raoul Kraushaar Films directed by Joseph Kane 1930s English-language films 1930s American films English-language Western (genre) films