Customer Reviews

Man of the Frontier

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another title for this movie was Man Of The Frontier. Gene delivers cattle to a small town which is having a struggle keeping swindlers from shutting down the dam that supplied water to the valley...Smiley Burnette is his sidekick and at his funniest best! Lot's of action from this early movie made in the late 1930's. You will see a rising star really doing a dangerous stunt himself. Autry did alot of his own stunts and in this one almost got sweep down the river because of slippery moss as he was wading across the dam according his film biography. So watch this and see him progressing on his way to the top!! What can you say!! He was a HERO!!

ALPHA VIDEO offers bargain priced, often hard-to-find vintage movies that are ideal for those willing to skip DVD extras. Their transfers show no evidence of restoration, so quality varies from one title to the next, with "fair to good" being the average.

REPUBLIC Pictures programmer RED RIVER VALLEY (aka "Man of the Frontier") originally ran a full hour. Presented here is the edited 54 minute version. (A 2004 restoration clocks in at 59.) Filmed on location in Yuma, AZ., Gene Autry's vocal on the traditional cowboy ballad title song includes lyrics modified by Nick Manoloff. Besides incidental music, this western songfest has one original Autry tune, a pair by Smiley Burnette and one written by both men.

The river construction project at the center of this story seems right out of the TVA or the New Deal's WPA.

SYNOPSIS--
Valley banker Hartley Moore (LaRue) sabotages efforts of local citizens to construct a Red River irrigation system. When five men overseeing the dam's construction are murdered, Gene accepts a job as "ditch rider," an armed and mounted patrol officer. Steve Conway (Howard), an employee of project overseer George Baxter (Fiint), becomes jealous when Baxter's daughter Mary (Grant) shows a romantic interest in Gene. He throws in with Moore and hires Bull (Chesebro) plus several cohorts to dynamite the dam and kill Gene and sidekick 'Frog' (Burnette).

Amidst all this trouble, Gene and friends are able to perform a few numbers. It's a typical Autry western, with a usual less-than-steller supporting cast and formulaic plot that holds together primarily because of the efforts of our singing hero. Recommended for fans of 'B' unit westerns and '30s cowboy music.

Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.

(5.7) Red River Valley (1936) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette/Frances Grant/Boothe Howard/Sam Flint/ George Chesebro/Frank La Rue

This movie is the original of the re-released version known as Red River Valley, a VHS copy of which I have. This DVD is of medium quality as it appears to have been made not from a film print but from a VHS tape. The double shadows and ghost effects are obvious. MY Goodtimes EP mode VHS copy was far better than this.

This 1936 film was first titled "Man of the Frontier"

The film tells of the drought that devastated once prosperous lands. Water is their salvation. A dam controls water irrigation. But Gate 5 has been blown up! The guard is gone too. A steer runs down main street, Gene stops it. They need someone to watch the works, a "ditchrider". Gene volunteers for this dangerous job. Someone takes a shot at Gene. Back in town a dancer provides entertainment. [Notice the painting on the wall.] The band plays music on unusual instruments. There is conflict between Bull and Gene. Later Gene finds a bomb on the dam and disarms it. Gene sings in the tavern, so does Frog. Gene sees who rides pinto horses, and returns to the scene. They chase and capture the two riders, but there isn't enough evidence. Who do they work for?

The working men come to town for their pay. There is a cash shortfall. They ask the Banker for a loan. Bull sings a song, the others join in this sentimental song. Baxter got the loan and will pay a 10% bonus. Two men start trouble when the men wait in line for their pay. Who robbed the payroll? Another dirty deal? There is a chase for action. Gene and Frog escape over the cliff. They search for the robbers and find them. Can they bring them back in time? Will they tell who is behind the plot? There is conflict at the dam site. Gene calls to tell the good news, he recovered the payroll. Then open gates release water! Conway flees, but hits the wagon loaded with dynamite for an explosive finish. The completion of the dam will make the Red River Valley one of the richest farming lands in the country. There is a song for a happy ending.

This film has more action and drama but less singing than in the later films. It tells how a community-owned water supply will benefit the people. And how a few scheme to grab control to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.

Man of the Frontier, 1936 film

The film tells of the drought that devastated once prosperous lands. Water is their salvation. A dam controls water irrigation. But Gate 5 has been blown up! The guard is gone too. A steer runs down main street, Gene stops it. They need someone to watch the works, a "ditchrider". Gene volunteers for this dangerous job. Someone takes a shot at Gene. Back in town a dancer provides entertainment. [Notice the painting on the wall.] The band plays music on unusual instruments. There is conflict between Bull and Gene. Later Gene finds a bomb on the dam and disarms it. Gene sings in the tavern, so does Frog. Gene sees who rides pinto horses, and returns to the scene. They chase and capture the two riders, but there isn't enough evidence. Who do they work for?

The working men come to town for their pay. There is a cash shortfall. They ask the Banker for a loan. Bull sings a song, the others join in this sentimental song. Baxter got the loan and will pay a 10% bonus. Two men start trouble when the men wait in line for their pay. Who robbed the payroll? Another dirty deal? There is a chase for action. Gene and Frog escape over the cliff. They search for the robbers and find them. Can they bring them back in time? Will they tell who is behind the plot? There is conflict at the dam site. Gene calls to tell the good news, he recovered the payroll. Then open gates release water! Conway flees, but hits the wagon loaded with dynamite for an explosive finish. The completion of the dam will make the Red River Valley one of the richest farming lands in the country. There is a song for a happy ending.

This film has more action and drama but less singing than in the later films. It tells how a community-owned water supply will benefit the people. And how a few scheme to grab control to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.

I saw this on an old video -vhs- that was paired with Springtime in the Rockies. The only great thing about this movie, more or less, is that Smiley Burnette and Gene Autry both sing songs while holding a handgun and swinging it back and forth: Smiley's is "My Old 45" and Gene's is his version of Red River Valley (previously sung solo) later in the film forcing a group of rabble rousers to sing along with him to "Red River Valley" instead of wrecking the town. Fortunately, in this film, Smiley Burnette does not put on women's clothing!