Name: The Singing Hill
Genre: Western
Released: 1941
Duration: 1 min 15 s
Cast: Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Virginia Dale, Mary Lee, Spencer Charters

Cast & Crew

Lew Landers

Director

Gene Autry

Film Details

Also Known As

Singing Hills

Genre

Western

Release Date

Apr 26, 1941

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Republic Pictures Corp.

Distribution Company

Republic Pictures Corp.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 15m

Sound

Mono

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

6,748ft (8 reels)

Synopsis

Cattlebroker John Ramsey conspires with business manager James Morgan to buy the ranch belonging to madcap Jo Adams, who is Morgan's client, for a cheap price. Jo accepts a $25,000 downpayment, much to the chagrin of her ranch foreman, Gene Autry, whom she has never met because she lives in the city. Gene, the head of the cattlemen's association, is the target of the ranchers' anger, for Jo's late grandfather bequeathed to them free grazing rights on the Adams ranch, without which they all will go bankrupt. Determined to make Jo change her mind, Gene takes his pals, Frog Millhouse, Cactus Mack and Patsy, to Jo's house in the city. The scatterbrained Jo mistakes them for the band hired to play at her birthday party that evening, and they perform in order to stay. After the party, Gene explains who they are and that she must run the ranch as her grandfather did. Jo's rudeness prompts Gene to abduct her and her butler, Dada, and take her to the ranch. Pop Sloan, a rancher who has known Jo all her life, organizes a party for her, but despite her appreciation, Jo tells Gene that she is broke and has to sell the ranch. Soon after, Gene and Judge Henry Starbottle conspire to have Jo declared legally incompetent, with Henry ruling that she is to become a ward of the court. Gene is then placed in charge of the ranch until Jo can prove her competency. Hoping to raise enough money to repay Ramsey, Gene and the ranchers decide to drive their cattle to market, but Ramsey arranges to blow up a dam by which the cattle are passing, and the cattle stampede. In the ensuing chaos, most of the cattle are drowned or dispersed, and Gene attempts to save Pop before he also is drowned. Soon after, Jo wins her competency hearing and regains control over the ranch. As Gene and the other cowboys are packing, she comes to say goodbye, and is increasingly distressed to see families who will be displaced because of her actions. She is stopped from leaving by Henry, who tells her that she must say goodbye to Pop. Jo is overcome with grief when Henry then takes her to Pop's funeral, for the old man did not survive his ordeal. While talking with Jo, Gene realizes that Ramsey is behind the explosion, and when Jo proclaims her desire to keep the ranch, Gene devises a plan. Jo goes to Ramsey and tells him that Gene is holding Morgan and trying to get information from him. Scared that Morgan will implicate him, Ramsey agrees to get rid of Gene. Ramsey hires a group of sharpshooters to kill him, but when they sneak onto the ranch that night, they are captured by the ranchhands. Gene himself apprehends Ramsey, and all ends well when the ranchers are promised a good deal on their next herds, and Jo keeps Gene as her foreman.