The Last Round-up (1947)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

John English

Writers:

Jack Townley (story)
Jack Townley (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

5 November 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Gene is assigned to round up a tribe of Indians squatting on barren land.

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Squatter | Horse | Native American | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Cast

Gene Autry	...	Gene Autry
Champion	...	Champion
Jean Heather	...	Carol Taylor
Ralph Morgan	...	Charlie Mason
Carol Thurston	...	Lydia Henry
Mark Daniels	...	Matt Mason
Robert Blake	...	Mike Henry (as Bobby Blake)
Russ Vincent	...	Jeff Henry
The Texas Rangers	...	Musicians

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

Gene Autry Productions

Quotes:

Gene Autry: Look, Mr. Smith, you can't even built this aquaduct unless all the ranchers sell their water rights. They may not be willing to sell unless they think the Indians are going to get a square deal.
Smith: I see. And, ah, you're one of the ranchers, aren't you?
Gene Autry: That's right.
Smith: You sure you're not part Indian, too?

Movie Connections:

Features Arizona (1940)

Soundtrack:

You Can't See the Sun When You're Crying

Sets the Tone and Style For Gene's Later Pictures

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

As Gene heads off into the forties' sunset, John English does the directing, the movies lengthen up to almost 80 minutes, and the stories become a mixture of songs, dances, fights, horseback chases, the fight for land and / or water rights, and Gene's romancing of the young lady (though at the end they are often just seen arm in arm). These films, however, seem to go on too long, and are not suspensefully edited or fast paced.

This one, though, is marked by some interesting elements, and has a little bit more action than Gene's later ones when the older 50s Gene fades into the background as he does in 'Sons of New Mexico' (1950), which really centers around Dick Jones / Dick West. Actually partially shot in Tucson, Arizona, 'The Last Round-Up' centers around Gene's helping the local Indians (the name Navajo is not mentioned).

There are several good musical numbers, especially the long and slow version of 'The Last Round Up' towards the end; Gene singing with the Texas Ramblers on several songs; Gene's version of Bing Crosby's 1937 hit 'An Apple for the Teacher'; and a slow barn dance version of 'Red River Valley' and school kids singing 'She'll Be Comin Round the Mountain' in their classroom with Bobby and Gene.

To help the Indians, Gene is even shown on a TV show broadcast to 'the old red school house' in his pitch to get them to move to a beautiful valley. Robert 'Bobby' Blake has a prominent role, somehow looking older than he did in 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre' (1948).

Even though this one is a LONG 77 minutes, I enjoyed the musical numbers; so I'll give it a four and half.