Customer Reviews

Gene Autry Collection - South of the Border

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1939 was an incredible year for movies, even the so-called "B movies". Many consider "South of the Border" to be the absolute peak of Gene Autry's Republic films. It was a huge hit, and it is no accident that several other Autry films are set in Mexico.

At this point in his career, Gene's popularity was so great that he ranked with the top "A movie" stars at the box office, like Clark Gable, Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy--not bad for a singing cowboy ! In this film, Gene never looked better, singing the famous title song, and other numbers as well. He receives fine support from long-time sidekick, Smiley Burnette, Duncan Renaldo ( later, TV's "Cisco Kid" ), two lovely leading ladies, June Storey and Lupita Tovar, and that incredible bundle of teenage talent, Mary Lee.

Except for the charisma and star quality of Gene himself, Mary Lee--at least to this reviewer--steals this movie. She was, as they say, a "natural"--a good actress, had a sparkling personality and a terrific singing voice that would have given even Judy Garland a run for her money ! It will always be a mystery to me why Mary Lee--in an age where musicals were so popular--did not become a major star. At least we have her performance in this film--and several other Autry titles--to enjoy.

The plot here is a strange mix of romance, comedy, spies, revolutions, submarines--but with Gene and his co-stars on hand, you really don't care if everything makes sense--you are having too much fun !

The 64-year old film has been restored beautifully--another winner from Image. If you like Gene Autry and musical westerns, this DVD should have a place of honour in your collection.

We rented this title (but will purchase it soon). This DVD is amazing. It not only includes a beautifully restored movie, but some fabulous and funny special features. Don't cheat in "Horseplay"! Viewers can also see archival material in "Production Notes" and in the Press Kit.

"South of the Border" is an appealing film, and it's Gene Autry at his best. The modern aspects of the plot make it a little bit of a funky story, but the music more than makes up for that. I have been whistling the songs all day.

Don't miss it.

I bought this DVD as a gift for an Australian aboriginal elder and former stockman (cowboy) who told me he learned much about horsemanship as a young man from watching Gene Autry films. It was fun to get acquainted with this wonderful recording artist, songwriter, singer, horseman & actor by watching this DVD package, which is of high quality, and lovingly done. The film & sound transfer is first rate. The included 1980's interview with Autry was very valuable to me, providing context and background into this film, and insights into how Autry felt about this particular movie and his long recording and film career.

I great nostalgic movie. Brings back memories of the Saturday afternoon matinee's. Quality of remastering is very good.

Republic Pictures present "SOUTH OF THE BORDER" (December 15, 1939) (71 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- relive those thrilling days when the "First Singing Cowboy" Gene Autry took us down the dusty trails with hard riding and straight shooting hitting the bull's eye with excitement every time ... the Gene Autry series of B-Westerns were a staple of Saturday matinees in the 1930s and 1940s --- The Following Segments are from the "Melody Ranch Theater", which originally aired on the Nashville Network in 1987 --- Hosted by Gene and longtime sidekick Pat Buttram the program showcased many of Gene's classic motion pictures and featured personal anecdotes about how the films were made --- Information on costars and significant happenings in Gene's personal life and career. --- don't miss any of the Singing Cowboy's features loaded with action and songs that will leave you wanting more of Gene Autry's B-Western Adventures --- The sale of this DVD will further the educational and cultural mission of the renowned "Autry National Center in Los Angeles".

Under George Sherman (Director), Betty Burbridge (Screenwriter), Gerald Geraghty (Screenwriter), Dorrell McGowan (Short Story Author), Stuart E. McGowan (Short Story Author), William Nobles (Cinematographer), Gene Autry (Songwriter), Michael Carr (Songwriter), Jimmy Kennedy (Songwriter), Jonny Marvin (Songwriter), E.G. Nelson (Songwriter), Fred Rose (Songwriter), Art Wenzel (Songwriter), Les Orlebeck (Editor), Al Wilson (Production Designer), William A. Berke (Associate Producer) - - - - our storyline has Federal Agent Gene Autry and his sidekick Frog (Smiley Burnette) are sent to Mexico to prevent foreign powers from gaining control of Mexican oil refineries and fomenting revolution among the Mexican people --- will Gene falls in love with Senorita Dolores, but finds he must leave for the island of Palermo, where her uncle, Don Diego, is being prevented from transporting his cattle to market by the foreign agents, who have co-opted Dolores' brother Andreo into joining them --- While trying to load cattle by sea into a waiting cargo ship Gene and his men are attacked by Andreo and his revolutionaries, with fatal results --- musical feature was released approximately two years before World War II, and marked the beginning of a successful career for our hero Gene Autry - - - - some wonderful tunes "COME TO THE FIESTA" (Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Extras), "SOUTH OF THE BORDER" (Gene Autry), "MOON OF MANANA" (Gene Autry), "GIRL OF MY DREAMS" (Gene Autry), "GOODBYE, LITTLE DARLIN', GOODBYE" (Gene Autry and Mary Lee), "MERRY-GO-ROUNDUP" (Mary Lee), "WHEN THE CACTUS BLOOMS AGAIN" (Gene Autry and The Checkerboard Band), "THE HORSE OP'RY" (June Storey and Gene Autry), "FAT CABALLERO" (Smiley Burnette), "SOUTH OF THE BORDER", (Gene Autry and Cast) - - - - some Autry fun facts, The California State Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles honored Gene during the summer of 1980 with a thirteen-week exhibit and film retrospective.

the cast includes
Gene Autry ... Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette ... Frog Millhouse
June Storey ... Lois Martin
Lupita Tovar ... Dolores Mendoza
Mary Lee ... Patsy
Duncan Renaldo ... Andreo Mendoza
Frank Reicher ... Don Diego Mendoza
Alan Edwards ... Saunders
Claire Du Brey ... Dueña
Dick Botiller ... Bandit Pablo
William Farnum ... Padre
Rex Lease ... Flint, Telegraph Operator
The Checkerboard Band ... Musicians
Champion ... Gene's Horse (uncredited)
Buddy Gilmore ... Checkerboard Band Member
Reed Howes ... Saunders' Henchman
Charles King ... Bandit
George Montgomery ... Bandit
Jack O'Shea ... Henchman
Jack Perrin ... Vaquero
Hal Price ... Boat Captain
Sid Sherman ... Checkerboard Band Member
George Thall ... Checkerboard Band Member
Art Wenzel ... Checkerboard Band Member
Slim Whitaker ... Carlos

BIOS:
1. Gene Autry
Date of Birth: 29 September 1907 - Near Tioga, Texas
Date of Death: 2 October 1998 - Studio City, Los Angeles, California

Special footnote, Orvon Gene Autry was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television --- Discovered by film producer Nat Levine in 1934, he and Burnette made their film debut for Mascot Pictures Corp. "In Old Santa Fe" as part of a singing cowboy quartet; he was then given the starring role by Levine in 1935 in the 12-part serial "The Phantom Empire" --- Shortly thereafter, Mascot was absorbed by the formation of Republic Pictures Corp. and Autry went along to make a further 44 films up to 1940, all B westerns in which he played under his own name, rode his horse Champion, had Burnette as his regular sidekick and had many opportunities to sing in each film --- Autry became the top Western star at the box-office by 1937, reaching his national peak of popularity from 1940 to 1942. His Gene Autry Flying "A" Ranch Rodeo show debuted in 1940 --- Gene Autry is the only celebrity to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one in each of the five categories maintained by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce --- Radio, Films, Recordings, Television and Live Theater.

2. Smiley Burnette
Date of Birth: 18 March 1911 - Summum, Illinois
Date of Death: 16 February 1967 - Encino, California

Second special footnote, Lester Alvin (Smiley) Burnette an American singer-songwriter who could play as many as 100 different musical instruments, was a successful comedy actor in Western films over three decades --- The popularity of Burnette's Frog Millhouse character, with his trademark floppy black hat, was such that when Autry left for World War II service he did sidekicks duties with Eddie Dew, Sunset Carson and Bob Livingston, plus nine other films with Roy Rogers. After leaving Republic Pictures in 1944, Burnette became the sidekick to Charles Starrett at Columbia Pictures in the long Durango Kid series. Starrett starred in the series from 1944 until 1952, and that pairing resulted in more than 50 films. After the Starrett series was over, Burnette joined Autry for his final six films, all released by Columbia Pictures in 1953.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Reminiscing with Gene Autry and Pat Buttram at the "Melody Ranch Theater"
2. "Don't Touch That Dial", Gene Autry is on the air - excerpts from the Original "Melody Ranch Radio Show"
3. Production and Publicity Stills
4. Horseplay
5. Poster and lobby Card Art
6. Trivia and Movie Facts
7. Original Press Kit Material

Check out a new book from Empire Publishing - "GENE AUTRY WESTERNS" (Hardcover) - by author Boyd Magers, like no other book on Gene Autry --- all of Gene's Mascot, Republic and Columbia westerns included, as well as his half-hour TV Episodes --- each segment contains the release date on each film ... major production credits ... complete cast (including character played) ... all songs included, songwriter and who performed them in the film ... running time of each film ... dates of the filming ... bios on the cast and major players (Smiley, Pat Buttram, Cass County Boys, Herbert J. Yates, directors, leading ladies, songwriters and various heavies, etc.) ... locations that were used ... budgets and negative cost ... stunt people involved ... analysis and synopsis on each film ... notes and comments (including film and cast background info, salaries paid, working titles, etc) ... comments from Gene and many other cast members on each film ... theater exhibitors comments at the time of the films release ...this tribute was written from the heart and it shows.

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc), Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") and Trevor Scott (Down Under DVD Com) as they have rekindled my interest once again for Film Noir, B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out Image Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 71 min on DVD ~ Image Video #4006 ~ (3/25/2003)

One of the most interesting concepts used by the "B" movie westerns of several production companies in the 1930s,40s, and 50s (notably Mascot and Republic) was the juxtaposition of the Old West shoot-em-up with 20th century gangsterism or espionage. Numerous Republic western features and serials go this route successfully, among them the Roy Rogers sabotage thriller "King of the Cowboys", and the Sammy Baugh nazis-in-a-zeppelin serial "King of the Texas Rangers".
Without doubt one of the best of these is this 1939 Gene Autry vehicle. It is a great blend of romance, action, comedy,adventure, and intrigue, with perfectly proportioned doses of each. Well acted throughout, it is a story that casts
Autry as a U.S. government undercover agent (as is "Frog Millhouse"???) sent "Southof the Border" into Old Mexico...and to the offshore oil producing island of "Palermo"...to thwart the efforts of a cell of foreign agents (Nazis by implication), who are trying to overthrow the local government and push through the rights to the use of a harbor considered ideal for submarine operations "in the event of war".
Needless to say, Gene & Frog don't think this a good idea and proceed to bring these conniving baddies to heel.
In the meantime Gene manages to fall in love with a beautiful Mexican girl whose brother (played by the wonderful Duncan Renaldo) has fallen in with the spy gang, and leads a good-bad-guy/bad-good-guy life deluding himself that he is a great patriot and that his "friends" will set him up as "El Presidente" of a new republic "after the revolution". Of course he pays for this foolishness with his life.
There are good songs in this movie, and a great duet on one of them, "Goodbye Little Darlin'", by Autry and teenage singing star of the period, Mary Lee.
And, of course, there is the title song, a classic standard.
It was introduced by Autry in 1939 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Response was ecstatic and a record was cut and issued immediately to huge sales. Herbert Yates at Republic snapped up the rights and put it into film production almost immediately.
The story line of the movie incorporates the story line of the song and fills it out in context. It reveals that the reason Autry failed to keep his rendezvous with his inamorata was this sudden secret mission. And the "veil of white by candlelight" is her way of seeking atonement for her brother's treachery and disgrace to her family. This last element makes for a poignant ending to the film that lifts it far above typical B-western con-ventions. Autry returns heavy hearted from his last view of his sweetheart, and rejoins Frog, Mary Lee, and yet another young woman who has fallen for him (and who obviously relishes his return) for a farewell ride out of Mexico.
The restoration of this film on the DVD is excellent. The photography is marvelous and the sound superb (giving one a clear
hearing of both the music AND the crisp,trademark bark of a Republic gunshot). The stuntwork, as would be expected, is first rate, in particular a sequence involving chasing oil trucks on a back road on horseback, overtaking them...and then taking OVER them. Smiley Burnette even looks like an "action man" (or his double does) in this sequence. The musical orchestrations are, as to be expected with Republic, first rate.
All in all, a real goody. If you are into westerns, and especially into Republic "B" outputs, don't pass "South of the Border" by. Pop it in the player, grab your popcorn and ENJOY!