Sierra Sue
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
William Morgan
Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette
Fay Mckenzie
Frank [m.] Thomas
Robert Homans
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
When poisonous "devil weed" threatens to overgrow the rangeland and kill the cattle of ranchers in Sierra City, George Larrabee, the president of the Western Stockman's Association, orders his fellow ranchers to burn their land. Local bank president Stacy Bromfield, who has given the ranchers much financial support, is dismayed by Larrabee's plan, which he states will not be effective. Worried that they will all be ruined, Bromfield sends to the Department of Agriculture for a weed exterminator specialist. Larrabee is suspicious of government intervention but grudgingly agrees after Bromfield convinces the other ranchers to cooperate. One afternoon, Larrabee's daughter Susan runs into Gene Autry, whom she does not know is the government specialist, and his pal, Frog Millhouse, as they are riding to Sierra City. When she sees them rescue the wounded pilot of a crashed plane that carries a large loan to Bromfield, Susan mistakenly assumes that Gene and Frog have stolen the money. Gene and Frog are jailed but are soon freed when Gene's assistant, Jarvis, identifies them. Later, at an association meeting, Gene tells the ranchers that only chemical spraying can rid their rangeland of the weed, and that burning will cause regrowth. All but Larrabee agree to the plan, and after the meeting, Gene has a confrontation with Brandywine, Larrabee's foreman, as he attempts to burn the Larrabee land. Gene convinces Susan and her father to keep an open mind, as all the ranchers must cooperate in order for the spraying to be successful. He then escorts Susan to a carnival, where he pays palmist Verebel Featherstone to distract Frog, who also admires Susan. The next day, Gene tells the ranchers to keep their cattle in a nearby canyon until after it rains so that they will not be injured by the pesticide, but Larrabee again states that he opposes the scheme and will not comply. Bromfield steals Larrabee's cattle so that the animals will be kept safe with the others, and Gene devises a plan to thwart Larrabee's opposition without violence. As Larrabee and his men are preparing for a showdown, Gene has an airplane spray the rangeland. Susan admits that Gene handled the situation well and avoided any fighting, and even Larrabee agrees that maybe everything will be all right. Brandywine refuses to accept the situation, however, and shoots the plane, disabling it. The pilot bails out safely, but the plane crashes near the cattle and starts a stampede. The ranchers watch in horror as the cattle head toward the sprayed land, but Gene creates a firebreak that keeps the cattle in the canyon. Larrabee apologizes to Gene for opposing him, and soon after, Verebel succeeds in winning Frog's affection, while Gene and Susan sing to each other.
Director
William Morgan
Cast
Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette
Fay Mckenzie
Frank [m.] Thomas
Robert Homans
Earle Hodgins
Dorothy Christy
Kermit Maynard
Jack Kirk
Eddie Dean
Budd Buster
Rex Lease
Champion
Hugh Prosser
Sammy Stein
Eddie Cherkose
Roy Butler
Syd Saylor
Bob Mckenzie
Hal Price
Marin Sais
Vince Barnett
Bud Brown
Gene Eblen
Buel Bryant
Ray Davis
Art Dillard
Frankie Marvin
Crew
Fleming Allan
Gene Autry
George Blair
J. B. Carey
Oliver Drake
Earl Felton
Harry Grey
Harry Grey
Raoul Kraushaar
Jack Marta
Les Orlebeck
Fred Rose
Nelson Shawn
Al Wilson
Julian Zimet
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Although a October 17, 1940 Hollywood Reporter news item stated that Mary Lee would be starring in a film entitled Sierra Sue, based on the popular song, it does not appear that the news item was referring to this production, or that the film was ever produced.
