Directed by John English
Written by Norman S. Hall
Director Of Photography: William Bradford
Film Editor: James Sweeney
Cast: Gene Autry (Himself), Gail Davis (Melody Colton), Kirby Grant (Lt. Randolph Mason), James H. Griffith (The Apache Kid), Philip Van Zandt (Curt Reidler), Pat Buttram (Shadrach Jones), Champion
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This might put me in the minority, but I prefer Gene Autry’s later pictures. Could be for any number of reasons. His acting’s better. There’s a greater emphasis on action. Gail Davis is often around. And some actually take place in the Old West.
Case in point: 1950’s Indian Territory. Autry’s a Confederate veteran serving with the U.S. cavalry now that the war’s over. He’s been sent to get to the bottom of Indian attacks on settlers — and ends up tangling with The Apache Kid (James H. Griffith) and an Austrian gunrunner (Philip Van Zandt). With the help of sidekick Shadrach Jones (Pat Buttram) and the daughter of a local rancher (Gail Davis), Gene restores order to Apache Springs.
The supporting cast can really make a movie like this, and this one is certainly no exception. James H. Griffith wouldn’t be my top-of-mind pick to portray an Apache renegade, but he’s so good, you have no trouble looking past that. Gail Davis displays some of the spunk that made her Annie Oakley series (produced by Gene’s company) such a treat. And Pat Buttram’s sidekick role doesn’t feel nailed onto the story as is so often the case.
Indian Territory was filmed around Pioneertown, the live-in movie set not far from Joshua Tree and Palm Springs — developed by Russell Hayden, Dick Curtis and Roy Rogers.
Pat Buttram (from the Melody Ranch Theater introduction included on the DVD): “They thought it’d be a great location and they built this Western street… they built it to turn a stagecoach around in. That made it so wide, when you had a crowd scene, you had to send seven busloads of people up there to even be seen on those streets. We’d have to use a little corner here and a little corner there.”
Indian Territory is available in Volume 2 of The Gene Autry Collection — put together by Image Entertainment and later Timeless. There was a stand-alone release (from Image) prior to that. With either one, you get a gorgeous transfer and plenty of extras, from the Melody Ranch Theater stuff featuring Gene and Pat to a radio show and still gallery. Gene’s films have been treated with great care, as Indian Territory proves. Recommended.
UPDATE: Came across this signed still of James Griffith. Judging from the costume, it’s from Indian Territory.
50 Westerns From The 50s. 
Autry will never be one of my favorite cowboy leads, but I also enjoy his later work best. Like you say, he’s more comfortable in front of the camera by this time, and there’s more action. The stories and characters are often stronger as well. And being a big James Griffith fan, I think it was great that Griffith got such an unusually complex villain role in this, his only(?) b-western appearance. He really made me remember this one.
Griffith is great in any part. I’ll watch any movie or tv show rerun that has at least 5 minutes with Griffith, even if the show is lousy.
Griffith was in a few b-westerns, like Masterson of Kansas. He played lots of different characters in a shipload of TV shows, and he appeared uncredited in a few movies in the late 1940s and early 1950s, like my favorite FIGHTING MAN OF THE PLAINS. Look him up on wikipedia and you will see a partial list of his uncredited appearances. If you look closely at the men in background of many TV show bar scenes, card room scenes, group of bystanders in detective shows, etc. you will see James Griffith. I think I’ve seen him in background of I Love Lucy shows! He must have been always available for even the smallest parts.
My definition of a b-western is more old fashioned and rigid than yours… I still think this is the only actual b-western I’ve seen Griffith in.
I’ve also seen many of Griffith’s tv and film appearances, and always find him worth watching in practically anything. Despite the brevity of his appearance in FIGHTING MAN OF THE PLAINS, I consider him the best screen Quantrill.
Besides playing Doc Holliday in MASTERSON OF KANSAS, he played Doc in an episode of the Flying A show YOUNG BUFFALO BILL.
He played a bonafide lawman on the US MARSHAL tv series, starring John Bromfield. In one of the episodes his character caught the crooks almost single handed, and in another episode he showed up at the end to save Bromfield’s life. A very competent sidekick!
I had not seen Gene Autry movies before and was not all that familiar with them. But for the past few years I’ve been watching these Saturday matinee westerns from a whole host of cowboy stars (the hour long westerns from Roy Rogers, Lash Larue etc. etc.) and I must admit that the Gene Autry are the biggest disappointments. Yes his early westerns are far worse than his later ones but his later ones aren’t exactly winners either. Next to Sunset Carson Gene Autry has to be my least favorite cowboy star. His acting is awful, his mannerisms and lisp are too feminine for me to believe him as a cowboy hero. The one very good thing about his movies is the music, almost all the songs he sings are famous western songs, songs I’ve heard of. As opposed to the songs heard in Eddie Dean or even Roy Rogers movies. Gene’s movies usually always feature famous songs that are nice to hear. But that’s the only good thing I can say about Autry movies. His side-kicks also are usually always way too stupid and complete bumbling idiots that it really makes me feel sorry for the actors that had to behave in such demeaning manner in order to make Gene look like “the man”. I haven’t watched all the Gene’s yet, I still have a lot more to go, and I’ll continue to watch his movies, there’s always hope there is one or 2 that might not be too repulsive.
Gene’s face in the top lobby is …. interesting.
He probably just read my review.
Counting Image and Timeless DVDs, with the release of Gene Autry Collection 12, every Gene Autry movie, has been released, officially on DVD, with the exception of “Men With Steel Faces”, which is the feature version of his serial, “Phantom Empire”. Collection 12 came a few months back and Timeless does not seem to be releasing any more Image re-releases in collections.
I really enjoy the Melody Ranch extras on the DVDs, with Gene and Pat. They are interesting and surprisingly funny sometimes and there are guests, too, on some of them.
I generally like the Gene Autry movies. I give him credit for actually doing horse to train transfers and other stunts in his movies. I find some of the thirties ones a little slow going. But they speed up in the forties and many of them have a screwball romantic comedy thing going on with the female co-star, that I enjoy very much. I like the ones with June Storey. And the music, of course.
The Columbias are just as polished as the best of the Republics. Even some of the lesser known songs kind of get in your head: “Loaded Pistols”, “It’s My Lazy Day”.
Gene’s character in these movies is always a guy who pretty much does what he wants to do and is never really flustered by setbacks.
Oh, I see Pat Buttram’s character name is Shadrach Jones. That was Wild Bill Elliott’s name in, “Showdown”, also 1950. They repeat many character names in westerns.
Just watched James Griffith in a “Have Gun Will Travel”. He played a outlaw leader at the end of an episode for about 2 minutes before Paladin blasted him out of the saddle. His character and line delivery was still very interesting.
Griffith did several things where he played Abe Lincoln or someone impersonating Abe Lincoln. Those are always interesting. Here’s one: http://wp.me/pEScW-31z
The Lone Ranger episode “Message From Abe” is another one.
I never liked Gene Autry, but I’ve put in the time, and have recently adjusted to the singing star and his world. I get a little impatient of his determined innocuousness, yet I find much to appreciate in his work. I bought the Image DVD of INDIAN TERRITORY when it was still in print. A superb transfer. I understand the film is available now in one of the Timeless compilation sets, but the Timeless sets look blurry compared to the Image DVD’s. The picture isn’t as sharp.
I bought LOADED PISTOLS (1948) on a horrid Alpha DVD because I wanted to see Autry do a period western. Since then it’s come out in a Timeless compilation so I’ll upgrade to that. I wish Autry had done more period westerns. How many period westerns did he do, does anyone know? and what are they?
I enjoy the innocence and purity of his 1930s “modern western” musicals. Skilled horseman though he was, I would never go in expecting Autry to be a rugged action hero. That was hardly the point. He was a musical star who made modern films.
STRAWBERRY ROAN (1948) and BIG SOMBRERO (1949) are the only films he made in color — Cinecolor — so far as I know. The Image DVD’s look beautiful insofar as the unstable color process allows. I’m not sure how to word this, but color brings out something inherently charming in the 1940s western iconography in these musicals; not quite nostalgia but neither is it kitsch.
I agree there is something special in those color films of Gene’s. I’ve only seen Strawberry Roan so far, but it did stand out from the rest. I wish all these western short films were done in color. How perfect would it have been to see all the Roy Rogers movies in color. If you buy the Alpha DVDs and you look at the cover and the back of the DVD you will always see beautiful colorized pictures of the movie being sold. Everytime I look at them I think if only the whole movie could be in as beautiful color as these pictures.
Maybe that’s my mistake, I shouldn’t expect a Gene Autry movie to be about a rugged cowboy, it’s more a singer who rides around in a car in cowboy clothes. Odd, yes, but that is probably the way to look at the Gene movies to avoid disappointment. As I said, I have a lot more Gene movies to go and I will eventually see them all, so maybe with this new attitude I can enjoy them more.
There is a near magnificent hard cover reference by Boyd Magers called Gene Autry Westerns and the folks who admire the later films, Indian Territory inclusive, might be in for a surprise re-direction. We do know, all of us, that Gene was the top B – film star, in or out of westerns, and that statement goes directly to success measured in acceptance from the exhibitors and the paying public.
We must remember that the Gene Autry success formula was a direct response to Depression era needs and wants. Gene offered escapism from some pretty troublesome times. His popularity in rural areas was awesome. For a nickel or a dime one could enter a movie theater and forget what was happening in the real world. Gene presented a fantasy West, set in modern times. The good guy (Gene) was righteous and upstanding, he played fair and he always won. He looked like and represented the common man, his outstanding tunes and winning personality putting an end to the careers of the more “manly” outdated Western stars like Ken Maynard and Tom Tyler who were quickly becoming has-beens. Gene, pudgy and not very handsome, was adored by women who valued his honesty and good natured manner over good looks and physical prowess. And remember, the Gene Autry craze was also musical as well as cinematic. The famous Bristol, Tenn. recording sessions of the late 1920s gave birth to the Carter family, Jimmy Rodgers and many others as well as country music itself. After copying Jimmy for awhile, Gene went Western becoming a huge radio star, and so he had a built in market when he entered movies…..So, if you can put aside Gene’s appearance and accept his singing in a modern Western format there’s a lot to like in these naïve slices of popular entertainment. It is all fantasy and fun. I really enjoy Gene’s movies, Republic and Columbia, the Depression era wackiness as well as the more straight laced post WW2 outings, and, as has been noted, so many of Gene’s songs are recognizable hits, which I also enjoy hearing over and over.
Richard,
Great post and I loved the way that you brought the legendary Bristol
Sessions into the mix.
It’s also interesting future Queen Elizabeth and sister Margaret were
huge Gene fans in their youth.
Richard,if I recall correctly (and I’m sorry to go way off topic here)
I remember you mentioning way back that THE UGLY ONES was
an outstanding Spaghetti Western. Wild East are releasing it as part
of a Thomas Milian double bill paired with SONNY AND JED.
THE UGLY ONES co stars Richard Wyler (Stapley) TV’s THE MAN FROM
INTERPOL. SONNY AND JED co stars lovely Susan George.
Filmjuwelen have a couple of rare Rod Cameron items listed for later.
They are both noted as having English soundtracks but we have been
caught out by this before. First they are releasing HELL’S OUTPOST
a tough modern day Western with Rod well matched against a bad, bad
John Russell. HELL’S OUTPOST was Joan Leslie’s final outing for
Republic.
Then these is the very rare and much sought after non Western THE SEA
HORNET. Hopefully these films will surface on Hollywood Scrapheap.
john k,
THE UGLY ONES, aka THE BOUNTY KILLER, is indeed an outstanding (by my standards) Spaghetti Western with great camerawork (excellent widescreen compositions), a pulsating musical score and abundant violence in suitable Italian styling. Wyler is acceptably stoic and Milan is fantastic as the over-the-top psycho bandit. If you get this there’s an impressive scene where Milan escapes his captors at a stage stop which I believe is done in one long moving shot that lasts several minutes…as for SONNY and JED, yuuuck!!! Saw this on video tape years ago and it’s Corbucci’s worse film ever. Made in the last years of the Spaghetti craze this one is mean spirited and very demeaning to the Susan George character. It was a tough viewing experience. And it’s suppose to be a comedy!!!
Yes, I loved your piece also, Richard, putting the Autry phenomenon into proper perspective. And quite rightly relating Autry’s early recordings to the legendary Bristol sessions. I have been to Bristol and enjoyed the beautiful mural there to mark the spot and celebrate the event.
Autry’s films were, as you so rightly say, perhaps more musicals than westerns in a way but boy! did they strike the right chord for their time. After WW2 audiences were looking for more serious fare and Autry’s Columbia westerns reflect that to some extent. His earliest Columbias, in particular, were well-made and strong films of their type.
Jerry,
I’ve been wanting to make a trip to Bristol for quite some time now. It would be neat to visit the town where the music I listen to the most had it’s beginnings…And it’s true, as you mention, that Gene’s films (& music) did strike the right chord for their time. Gene was certainly in the right place at the right time, probably more so than anyone else (ever) in show business. The rest is history.
Well worth making a visit to Bristol, Richard, if you get the chance. There is a nice museum there now that is dedicated to the history of Country Music. My wife and I were there September 2011 for the Rhythm ‘n’Roots Reunion fest. We went specially to see a wonderful show by five top Bluegrass bands on a stage overlooked by the mural. Magical!
I’m sorry to say I’ve never been to the museum in Bristol. With us only a few hours away, my wife being from that area, and my whole family loving that music, I have no excuse.
You should get to it and treat Jennifer immediately, Toby!!!!!!
We’ll take care of it soon. I hate that we’ve lot Ralph Stanley. Of the great who made bluegrass what it is, there’s none of them left.
I know, Toby. Losing Ralph Stanley is massive but he WAS nearly 90. The Stanley Brothers were IT for me and Carter Stanley the ultimate Bluegrass singer.
We saw Ralph 5 or 6 times over the years and chatted with him on 2 occasions. Lovely man.
Of the 2nd generation artists my favourites have long been Del McCoury and Larry Sparks but even they are ‘getting on’ now (Larry and I are almost exactly the same age – he is a month older, as I reminded him!!).
Never cared for Autry. Terrible actor. Looked like a milkman in a cowboy suit.