Stardust on the Sage (1942)

Because it was filmed on the heels of Heart Of The Rio Grande which also had Edith Fellows starring, and Deep In The Heart Of Texas for one of its songs I've always considered this a nice if slightly weaker bookend for it.

It's goodies vs baddies again with a rather complicated plot involving baddie Emmett Vogan and his henchmen trying to wrest a mine from a weak goodie Bill Henry with a nice sister Louise Currie with a radio station and a singing juvenile sister Fellows who's smitten with the imperturbable Gene Autry when he blows into town with Frog. Gene is framed via the radio and has to clear himself and generally save the day. Although nice to watch I preferred June Storey as the heroine in these tales – Currie here plays a woman named Nancy Drew – but Gene is the only detective here! Short on action but compensated for with plenty of lilting music, my favourites being Goodnight Sweetheart (to Currie changing the car tyre), I'll Never Let You Go (duet with Fellows in the "radio" studio) and the final medley including a sing-a-long version of Deep In The Heart Of Texas for the original cinema audience.

Nothing special but with a rousing climax it's a satisfying film overall to an Autry fan like me, others might have a job getting anything from it.