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Overview
Brief Synopsis
As foreman of a dude ranch, Gene has two problems. One is a guest, the spoiled daughter of a millioniare, and the other is the disgruntled ex-foreman that Gene replaced, now just a ranch hand. Gene eventually gets the daughter straightened out but has to fire the ex-foreman and this leads to trouble when he returns intent on revenge.
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Synopsis
Teenager Connie Lane runs away from her teacher, Alice Bennett, to plead with her tycoon father, Randolph Lane, not to send her with her schoolmates to the Smoke River Dude Ranch. Lane, preoccupied with his business, is ignorant of his daughter's spoiled nature, and sends her off to the two-month vacation with Alice. Meanwhile, Smoke River's ex-foreman, Hap Callahan, berates the new foreman, Gene Autry, for turning it into a dude ranch, but Gene reminds him that the owner, "Skipper" Forbes, hired him because Hap's mismanagement drove the ranch into debt. When the train carrying Alice, Connie and the other girls arrives, Connie bribes the porter to keep her luggage on, and in the confusion, no one notices that Connie has not disembarked until the train pulls away. Gene races the train on his horse "Champion" and soon takes the willful youngster to the ranch. While Gene and Frog compete for Alice's attention, Connie laments her fate at being stuck on the unsophisticated ranch. The next day, Gene orders Hap to fix the brakes on the ranch's truck, but when the lazy Hap does not do it, Gene is forced to rescue Connie from the runaway truck after she steals the vehicle during another escape attempt. Angered at being stymied again, Connie uses lipstick to doctor her back to look as if she has been whipped, and takes photographs. After she has sent the film to her father, Connie learns that Gene has taken responsibility for the truck's destruction, and the grateful girl tries to give him a reward. She is mystified by Gene's explanation that people should do favors for each other out of friendship, but soon sees what she believes is an opportunity to repay the favor when Gene and Hap stage a contest to determine who is a better rider. Connie tampers with Hap's saddle and he is hurt in a fall. Gene discovers the sabotage, after which Connie admits her mischief. Hap starts a fight with Gene, and Gene fires him after Hap draws a gun on him. Surprised at Gene's defense of her, Connie is won over, and as the weeks pass, the two become good pals. Connie's happiness soon ends, however, when Lane, shocked at the photographs she sent him, arrives at the ranch and demands that she leave instantly with him. Her explanation that the pictures were a prank does not dissuade him, and it is only after Frog disables Lane's plane and Gene goads him into accompanying them on a roundup that the businessman stays. During the roundup, Lane discovers that he enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his daughter. While the group is in a narrow mountain pass, Hap shoots at Gene, and although he misses, the horses stampede. Gene saves Connie as she is about to be trampled, and after returning to the ranch, Lane finally realizes that his daughter is more important than business. He then sends his secretaries away and joins the others on a hayride.
Jay Higgins
Heart of the Rio Grande (1942)
Better than average Gene Autry western, the supporting cast is particularly good. Great songs, light and entertaining.
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