'' Under Western Stars'' is a 1938 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

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...

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 ...

, Carol Hughes, and the Maple City Four. Written by Dorrell McGowan, Stuart E. McGowan, and

Betty Burbridge Elizabeth Burbridge (December 7, 1895 – September 19, 1987) was an American screenwriter and actress, best known for her Western screenplays. Biography Elizabeth Burbridge was born in San Diego, California, on December 7, 1895, the granddaugh ...

, the film is about a populist singing cowboy who decides to run for Congress in order to seek federal assistance to help small ranchers regain their water rights during the

Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of natural factors (severe drought) and hum ...

of the 1930s. His campaign comes into conflict with greedy water company executives. The film was the first starring role for Rogers, made under contract to

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

during a walkout by the studio's

singing cowboy A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal cowboy hero of early Western (genre), Western films. It references real-world campfire side ballads in the American frontier. The original cowboys sang of life on the trail with all the challenges, ...

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 ...

. The picture was filmed on location in the Alabama Hills of

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 ...

Plot

John Fairbanks' water company is hoarding water behind a dam and refuses to allow free water for the farmers and ranchers. When Roy Rogers and his men overpower the dam's guards and release the valve on the water, the sympathetic mayor fines Rogers one dollar and convinces him to follow in his father's footsteps and run for Congress. Rogers campaigns on the water issue and builds on his popular support, winning the election over incumbent William P. Scully who is propped up by John Fairbanks. Rogers is encouraged and secretly helped by John Fairbanks' feisty daughter, Eleanor. Though defeated, Fairbanks uses his connections to prevent other members of Congress from meeting with Congressman Rogers, in particular Congressman Edward H. Marlowe, who is critical to the Federal water bill. Receiving an anonymous letter from Eleanor, Rogers tracks down Marlow to a gathering on his estate and invites him and the other company present to a party. At the party, he performs a song highlighting the plight of his constituents ("Dust"). The other Congressmen are still unsure of the extent of the problem but resolve to travel to assess the situation. After arriving in Rogers' district, the Congressional delegation announce that they found the water issue less pressing than reported, especially after receiving a tip that the footage presented during Rogers' song was shot in another state. They prepare to leave but Marlowe's wife requests a drive in the countryside. During the drive, the delegation is ambushed by outlaws who take their cars, leaving them on horses. They begin the slow trip back to town and run into the camp of Rogers, Eleanor, and their friends. Rogers offers his assistance, but the group are battered by dust storms and parched from the unavailability of water. Eventually, during a particularly serious dust storm, they take shelter in a poor farming house where it's accidentally revealed by the woman living there that the whole sequence of events from the outlaws was orchestrated by Rogers to give the delegation a first-hand look at the water issue. Rogers insists that though the situation was manufactured, the conditions are real, causing a bemused Congressman Marlowe to agree to support the Federal water bill. Suddenly, Rogers gets word that a group of desperate ranchers are headed to blow up the Fairbanks dam. Rogers rides out and successfully prevents the explosives from being delivered and diffuses the conflict. Rogers, Eleanor and their friends ride off singing, assured that they have won their fight for water.

Cast

as Roy Rogers *

as Frog * Carol Hughes as Eleanor Fairbanks * Maple City Four as Singers * Guy Usher as John Fairbanks * Tom Chatterton as Congressman Edward H. Marlowe *

Kenneth Harlan Kenneth Daniel Harlan (July 26, 1895 – March 6, 1967) was a popular American actor during the silent film era, playing mostly romantic leads or adventurer roles. His career extended into the sound film era, but during that span he rarely c ...

as Richards * Alden Chase as Tom Andrews * Brandon Beach as Senator Wilson *

Earl Dwire Earl Dwire (October 3, 1883 – January 16, 1940), born Earl Dean Dwire, was an American character actor who appeared in more than 150 movies between 1921 and his death in 1940. Biography Dwire acted for three years in stock theater with c ...

as Mayor Biggs * Jean Fowler as Mrs. Wilson * Dora Clement as Mrs. Marlow *

Dick Elliott Richard Damon Elliott (April 30, 1886 – December 22, 1961) was an American character actor who played in over 240 films from the 1930s until the time of his death. Early years Elliott was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Career Elliott p ...

as William P. Scully * Burr Caruth as Larkin *

Slim Whitaker Charles Orbie "Slim" Whitaker (July 29, 1893 – June 27, 1960) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 340 films between 1914 and 1949. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and died in Los Angeles, California, from a heart attack ...

as Tremaine * Jack Rockwell as Sheriff * Frankie Marvin as Deputy Pete

Production

The film's pre-production title was ''Western Cowboy''. The film was originally intended to star

, but Autry was on strike beginning in December 1937 so

cast

. The film was filmed on location in the Alabama Hills of

. Music was provided Rogers and the Maple City Four. The song "Dust" was purchased by Republic Pictures from its composers

and

Johnny Marvin John Senator Marvin (July 11, 1897 – December 10, 1944) was an early American recording artist and musician, starting in 1924 and covering a twenty-year period for many record labels. Early years Born in Butler, Oklahoma, Butler, Oklahom ...

. However, Autry later filed a lawsuit for improper use of the song and dramatization of the lyrics, which was settled out of court.

Legacy

The film's song "Dust", written by Johnny Marvin, was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

for Best Song. In 2009, ''Under Western Stars'' was selected for the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...

by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant and will be preserved for all time.

References

External links

*''Under Western Stars'' essa

by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss at

* * * * * ''Under Western Stars'' essay by Daniel Eagan In America's Film Legacy, 2009-2010: A Viewer's Guide To The 50 Landmark Movies Added To The National Film Registry In 2009–10, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2011, pages 60–6

{{Authority control 1938 Western (genre) films 1938 films American Western (genre) films Films shot in Lone Pine, California Republic Pictures films United States National Film Registry films American black-and-white films Films produced by Sol C. Siegel 1930s political comedy-drama films American political comedy-drama films Films about politicians Films directed by Joseph Kane 1930s English-language films 1930s American films English-language Western (genre) films English-language comedy-drama films