Melody Ranch

1940
Approved
1h 24m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Gene Autry, Jimmy Durante, and Ann Miller in Melody Ranch (1940)

His Arizona hometown of Torpedo invites Gene back to be the honorary sheriff of the Frontier Days Celebration.His Arizona hometown of Torpedo invites Gene back to be the honorary sheriff of the Frontier Days Celebration.His Arizona hometown of Torpedo invites Gene back to be the honorary sheriff of the Frontier Days Celebration.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

268

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win

Photos7

Top cast75

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Gene Autry

Gene Autry

Jimmy Durante

Cornelius Jupiter Courtney

Ann Miller

Julie Shelton

Barton MacLane

Mark Wildhack

Barbara Jo Allen

Veronica Whipple
(as Barbara Allen - 'Vera Vague')

George 'Gabby' Hayes

Pop Laramie

Jerome Cowan

Tommy Summerville

Mary Lee

Penny Curtis

Joe Sawyer

Jasper Wildhack
(as Joseph Sawyer)

Horace McMahon

Bud Wildhack
(as Horace MacMahon)

Clarence Wilson

Judge 'Skinny' Henderson

William 'Billy' Benedict

Slim
(as William Benedict)

The Kidoodlers

Barbershop Quartet

Maxine Ardell

Majorette
(uncredited)

Chuck Baldra

Musician
(uncredited)

Billy Bletcher

'Scarlet Shadow' Radio Actor
(uncredited)

Priscilla Bonner

Saloon Hostess
(uncredited)

Veda Ann Borg

Radio StationReceptionist
(uncredited)

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The 'Melody Ranch' set built for this film consisted of a long, one story house and a much larger gambrel-roof barn with a practical interior. The house portion's exterior was revamped after filming, and the set was a fixture on Republic's back lot for many years. It was featured in the show My Three Sons (1960).

Quotes
Cornelius J. Courtney: Folks, this is your pal, Cornelius J. Courtney, tellin' you that this program is brought to you by that nationally famous head cold remedy "Nose Posse." Aaahh! Manufactured, endorsed by that benefactor of humanity, Thomas Summerville. Ah, that most delicate of organisms, the nose, the snoozle, the proboscus, let Nose Posse guard it for you. It deserves that protection - take it from me, a man who knows his noses. At-chaaa! And now, after a brief pause for station identification, Gene Autry will present this week's thrilling drama of the sagebrush, "The Sagebrush."

Connections
Featured in Gene Autry: White Hat, Silver Screen (2007)

Soundtracks
Stake Your Claim on Melody Ranch
(1940) (uncredited)
(Also called "Melody Ranch")
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Eddie Cherkose
Sung by Gene Autry and cowboys in the radio show
Played also in the score
Reprised at the end by Gene Autry and Ann Miller

User reviews11

Review

Featured review

5/10

Great cast killed by corn

"Melody Ranch" (1940) is one of Gene Autry's best-known and most popular Oaters. In reality,while not his best, it's still entertaining as all get-out!

The only neative is the screenplay by Jack Moffitt, F. Hugh Herbet (norelation to the comic character actor), Bradford Ropes and Betty Burbridge: It's got a little too much comic corn.

The film boasts an unusually strong cast,including Gabby Hayes, Gene's love interest Ann Miller (who never ever looked more stunning - she's a total knockout here at age 17), bad guy Barton MacLane, and Jerome Cowan (a year before Mary Astor bumps him off when he played Bogie's Sam Spade partner Miles Archer near the beginning of "The Maltese Falcon").

Serving as Gene's back-up band...Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys! The fella who gets the lion's share of the corny jokes is that wonderful legend, Jimmy Durante. His role is similar to his Banjo in "The Man Who Came to Dinner" four years later, in 1944.

I absolutely love the two-reel B film "Oater" westerns of the '30 & '40s and the western TV series of the '50s. This one comes close to being included among them but the high corn factor keeps it off the list. But Ann Miller is really great to look at here.