Starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Judith Allen, Ronald Sinclair
Directed by Joseph Kane
Gene Autry takes a young English aristocrat under his wing, Edward the Earl of Granby, and quickly nicknames him 'Spud' after the boy's father. Starting out one gets the impression that Spud will use his nobility to be a royal pain, but he soon warms up to Gene and his sidekick Frog (Smiley Burnette) after Gene saves him from a runaway bronco. The Earl has arrived out West with the intention of selling the working ranch that he's inherited, but changes his mind when he takes a liking to Gene's plan to round up range horses and train them for the military.
The film's villain Jim Neale has other plans though, he would like to get his hands on Spud's ranch to expand his own operation. Neale is portrayed by a mustachioed and smarmy looking Gordon Elliott, just before he came to be known as Wild Bill Elliot, and a cowboy hero in his own right. The showdown occurs when Army Colonel Allen (Guy Usher) agrees to a race between Gene's white hats against Neale's black hats, with the winner to be awarded the military contract.
There is even a bicycle chase added for variety. Gene's movies were almost always "modern" westerns, which meant they often had automobiles, telephones, radios and other such 20th century gadgets.
Gene has some good songs to sing, topped off by the cowboy standard Take Me Back to my Boots and Saddles. He also sang a song called The One Rose which was a Hawaiian number oddly enough and a million selling record for Bing Crosby the year before. Crosby also recorded the title song.
Boots and Saddles is one of the better Autry westerns that Republic put out.
First-Rate. A Great Gene Autry Classic!