Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Shout! Factory:
Los
Angeles – April 20, 2020 – Back in the saddle again! America’s
favorite singing cowboy Gene Autry heads to streaming for the first time ever
with the launch of the Gene Autry film and television library on Shout! Factory
TV May 1. The streaming service will release its first collection from Gene
Autry’s personal archive, with the streaming debut of fully restored feature
films South of the Border, Gaucho Serenade, Melody Ranch, The Strawberry Roan and
Blue Canadian Rockies.
He was the silver screen’s first singing cowboy and is
credited with creating the genre of the musical Western. As the star of 89
feature films and a television series, Autry brings music, comedy and action to
each of his roles from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Now available to stream for
the first time, Gene Autry’s rollicking big-screen adventures and unforgettable
tunes are presented in these Western classics, fully restored and uncut from
Autry’s personal film archives.
Shout! Factory TV has worked closely with Gene Autry
Entertainment to curate monthly releases of Autry content. Coming June 1 will
be Public Cowboy No. 1, In Old Monterey, Rovin’ Tumbleweeds, Ridin’ on a
Rainbow, and Sioux City Sue.
The Gene Autry film and TV archive will be available for
streaming on demand across Shout! Factory TV platforms, on ShoutFactoryTV.com;
Shout! Factory TV’s Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and Android apps; and on
various Shout! Factory TV branded channels including Tubi, Amazon Prime Video
Direct, Amazon Channels, and the Roku Channel.
Additionally, on the last Wednesday of every month, Gene
Autry films will stream on Shout! Factory TV’s linear channel. The stream
can be viewed on ShoutFactoryTV.com;
Shout! Factory TV’s Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and Android apps; and the
following digital streaming platforms: Twitch, Redbox, Samsung TV Plus, Comcast
Xfinity, XUMO, and STIRR.
One of the most influential performers in American pop
culture, Gene Autry is the only entertainer with all five stars on Hollywood's
Walk of Fame, one each for Radio, Recording, Motion Pictures, Television and
Live Performance. In a career that spanned more than three decades, Autry built
a media empire, thanks to his box-office smash musical Westerns, cross-country
rodeo tours and a diverse music career that included the million-selling hit
Christmas classic ‘Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.’
List
of Films and Synopses
Available May 1, 2020
South of the Border (1939)
On the eve of World War II, Federal agents Gene Autry and
Smiley Burnette are sent South of the Border to help foil the plans of foreign
spies attempting to gain control of Mexican oil fields. Full of action, humor
and music, this 1939 release introduced both the title
song and teen performer Mary Lee to movie audiences.
Gaucho Serenade (1940)
A case of mistaken identity sends Gene and Frog (Smiley Burnette),
two down-and-out ex-rodeo stars, on a rip-roaring, cross-country trek as they
help a little boy evade the gangsters responsible for the false imprisonment of
his father. This “road picture,†originally released in 1940, features Duncan
Renaldo, TV’s popular Cisco Kid, and counts “A Song at Sunset†among its
classic tunes.
Melody Ranch (1940)
Lawlessness runs rampant in Gene’s hometown of Torpedo
until the movie and radio cowboy returns as Honorary Sheriff for a Frontier
Days celebration and cleans up the town. Showcasing classics like “We Never
Dream the Same Dream Twice†and its title song, and featuring Jimmy Durante and
Ann Miller, this musical was Gene’s biggest theatrical production when it was
released November 15, 1940. Melody Ranch was selected by the Library of
Congress for the National Film Registry in 2002.
The Strawberry Roan (1948)
In Gene Autry’s first color picture, Champion stars in
the title role as a wild stallion who becomes a legend of the West. More
exciting than any manhunt is the furious pursuit of an outlaw stallion, branded
a killer, and the two-fisted cowboy who fights off a gun-crazed posse to win
justice for the noble animal. Filmed in vibrantly hued Cinecolor against the
beauty of Arizona landscapes, The Strawberry Roan combines thrill-filled action
with a tender story of loyalty and includes five great Western songs, including
the title song and “The Angel Song.â€
Blue Canadian Rockies (1952)
Gene Autry and Champion crash through a maze of murder
and mayhem on a dude ranch deep in the heart of the tall timber country.
Montana rancher Cyrus Higbee sends Gene, his foreman, to Canada to stop the
marriage of his daughter Sandra to Todd Markley, whom he suspects is a fortune
hunter. Gene soon discovers that Sandra has turned the place into a dude ranch
with entertainers Carolina Cotton and the Cass County Boys. When a mountie is
murdered and lumberjacks threaten to take over, Gene and Pat Buttram must find
the real murderer and bring peace to the Blue Canadian Rockies. Features the
title song and the humorous tune “Mama Don’t Like Music.â€
Available June 1, 2020
Public Cowboy No. 1 (1937)
Gene Autry’s tried and true crime fighting methods are
put to the test when cattle rustlers employ modern technology – including
refrigerated trucks, planes and two-way radios – in Public Cowboy No. 1. Things
get worse when the local newspaper gal’s scathing editorials bash Gene’s
old-fashioned methods and demand the locals call in “progressive†big city
detectives. It’s up to Gene and his horse Champion, along with pal Frog
Millhouse, to prove that the Western straight-shooting methods of dealing with
crime still hold true! Features the classic tune “The West Ain’t What It Used
to Be.â€
In Old Monterey (1939)
Sergeant Gene Autry, formerly a rancher, pretends to quit
the Army to persuade stubborn farmers to sell their land for a military proving
ground. Gene soon discovers that unscrupulous mine owners are keeping the ranchers
stirred up in hopes that the government will grow weary of the dealings and pay
a higher price for their land. Smiley Burnette and June Storey join Gene in
this wartime Western. Features the classic song “Tumbling Tumbleweeds.â€
Rovin’ Tumbleweeds (1939)
Rancher Autry takes a job singing on the radio to aid
farmers and ranchers whose lands were destroyed by raging floods. Blaming
crooked politicians, he goes to Washington and tries to put through a flood
control bill and finds he has a lot to learn. In this classic release, Gene
introduces his immortal theme song, “Back
in the Saddle Again,†which has gone on to become a piece of American
history.
Ridin’ On A Rainbow (1941)
Assisting in the search for murderous bank robbers,
rancher Gene Autry goes undercover as a showboat entertainer to capture the
crooks and recover the money. Key to their investigation is the young singer
Patsy, played by Mary Lee. Action-packed from ship to shore, the film’s
showstopping musical numbers include Gene’s performance of “Be Honest with Me,â€
nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Song of 1941.
Sioux City Sue (1946)
Gene trades in his wings for a pair of spurs in his first
movie after returning from World War II. To get his ranch out of dire financial
straits, Gene reluctantly goes to Hollywood to make a movie. But his real
troubles begin on his return when everyone finds out he’s the voice of Ding
Dong the animated singing donkey, and his nemesis tries to drive him to ruin.
Released November 21, 1946, this classic features Sterling Holloway and the hit
“Oklahoma Hills.â€
For more information on America’s favorite singing cowboy
Gene Autry, please visit his official website www.GeneAutry.com.
About
Shout! Factory TV
Shout! Factory TV is a digital entertainment streaming
service that brings timeless and contemporary cult favorites to pop culture
fans. Shout! Factory TV offers an unrivaled blend of original programming and
TV shows and movies curated from major studios, independent producers and its
own distinctive entertainment library. The Shout! Factory TV family of channels
also includes Mystery Science Theater 3000 and TokuSHOUTsuâ„¢, with more to come
soon. Shout! Factory TV provides an immersive, high-quality viewing experience
across a wide variety of platforms: online at ShoutFactoryTV.com, on smartphone
devices, tablets and connected TV, and via apps on the Roku player, Android,
Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. Shout! Factory TV is also available as a branded
channel on Amazon Prime Channels, Comcast Xfinity, Pluto TV, Roku Premium
Subscriptions, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, and Twitch, among others. For more
information, please visit ShoutFactoryTV.com.
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