Melody Ranch (1940)

Very Cool!!!

Powerful

Did you people see the same film I saw?

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I was somewhat taken aback to see Jimmy Durante in this picture backing up Gene Autry. No Smiley Burnette or Pat Buttram on hand, and even though having Gabby Hayes around wasn't such a big surprise, he didn't have his usual comedic sidekick role. In fact, when you get right down to it, this picture had some fairly big name supporting players for a B Western. Barton MacLane and Ann Miller had headlined pictures of their own, and the rest of the cast were well recognized character actors of the era. It was cool to see all the disparate personalities in a film together.I got the biggest kick though out of Durante, playing up his persona as the 'man who knowses noses'. I couldn't quite figure out what the whole idea of the Nose Posse was all about, but with Durante you don't have to. He'll just misdirect you with his lively patter, like the hilarious cross examination of himself during the courtroom scene.Aside from your standard round the campfire songs, this picture also offered some lively alternative entertainment, like Ann Miller's energetic tap dance routine and the surprising duet by two thirds of the Wildhack Brothers - Sawyer (Jasper) and Horace McMahon (Bud) in a duet of 'Go Back to the City Again'. It actually sounded pretty good to my tin ear.Unusually lengthy for an Autry flick at eighty four minutes, it would have been interesting if Republic got through the entire thing without resorting to the shoot 'em up action at the finale. But that's what the matinée fans turned out to see back in the Forties, and on that score they weren't disappointed. I'm wondering though, did they ever get around to counting the final votes?

Just shy of seeming like a big time MGM musical. I'm happy to settle for this short black & white Gene Autry sagebrush saga. A very talented group assembled to appear in one of Autry's best. Gene comes home to Torpedo, Arizona and is declared honorary sheriff during a Frontier Days Celebration. He does have enough authority to clean up the town and rid Torpedo of some of the worst law breakers in the Old West. Gene gets to sing the title tune "Melody Ranch" as well as "Call of the Canyon" and a very likable "We Never Dream the Same Dream Twice".This round up of talent features: Ann Miller, Jimmy Durante, Horace McMahon and 'Gabby' Hayes as Pop Laramie and Barbara Jo Allen as 'Vera Vague'.

This is my favorite western film. I would gladly recommend it to anyone who enjoys clean entertainment. It features 2 great actors Gene Autry and Jimmy Durante. It provides the family with great entertainment that even young children can enjoy. This film features some very nice songs, among them the title song "Melody Ranch" and "We Never Dream the Same Dream Twice". It is one of the best examples of adventurous musical westerns. Comedy routines including Jimmy Durante make the movie appealing to fun loving audiences as well. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes Gene Autry and his western style of crooning the songs of the old West.

A rather interesting Republic western with Gene Autry. This one is long 83 minutes for one, and although it has a plot done numerous times before is interesting due to the comic relief of Jimmy Durante and Vera Vague, who normally wouldn't be seen in B westerns. In addition a 17 year old Ann Miller plays his love interest and does one of her customary tap numbers. Why it almost seems like a small MGM musical.