With a longer-than-usual running time on original release and boooked and sold to the exhibitors as a "Gene Autry Special", which Republic would do once a year from 1939-1943 in order to get higher rates than on the regular series entries from the theatre owners. Hey, Jimmy Durante and Ann Miler cost more than Smiley Burnette and June Storey.This "special",(which alternates between tongue-in-cheek and for-real and hard to distinguish which is which since there was very little for-real in most of the fantasy-land settings Autry's Republic films were laid in), finds Gene returinmg to his hometown of Torpedo as guest of honor at the Frontier Days Celebraion, Once there, he encounters his childhood enemies, the Wildhack brothers (Barton MacLane, Joe Sawyer and Horace MacMahon in pecking order), now the local gangsters ( and playing it with relish.) The Wildhacks own a saloon next door to the school, and when their shooting and brawling endangers the safety of the children, Gene protests and threatens to expose them during his next radio broadcast. The Wildhacks stop the broadcast and beat Gene up. Gene, humiliated because Hollywood life has softened him to the extent that he can't hold his own against three assailants, decides to remain in Torpedo and get into shape again. He is encouraged by his friend Cornelius J. "Corney" Courtney (Jimmy Durante), and also by Pop Laramie (George Hayes), owner and operator of the local version of the "Toonerville Trolley." Since Gene refuses to return to Hollywood, his radio show now originates from Torpedo. Julie Sheldon (Ann Miller), a debutante with theatrical aspirations, sees Gene in his natural setting, and begins to take an interest in the cowboy she formerly scorned. Gene avenges himself against the Wildhacks by rounding them up, whipping them single-handed and forcing them to sing on his broadcast. Enraged, the brothers are determined to "get" Gene. He, in turn, runs for sheriff so he will be in position to clean up the Wildhack political machine and use can be made of the "Vote For Autry" song. During the battles that ensue, one of Gene's friends is killed. Gene finally obtains evidence which labels the Wildhacks as killers.

Popular radio singing cowboy Gene Autry is honored by his home town of Torpedo with an offer to act as the honorary sheriff at the Frontier Day celebration. Gene is reluctant to accept the honor from his old friend, Pop Laramie, but his sponsor, Tommy Summerville, convinces him that the publicity will boost his audience. Gene and Tommy travel to Torpedo with announcer Cornelius J. Courtney, as well as Julie Shelton, Gene's radio co-star and frequent adversary away from the microphone. Back home, Gene arrives to find that the Wildhacks, three brothers who were his boyhood nemeseis, are now running the town. The inevitable confrontation between the boyhood enemies occurs when Bud Wildhack foolishly practices shooting in his brother Mark's saloon and shoots a bullet through the wall that separates it from the school house. When Gene, who is in the middle of the ceremony making him honorary sheriff, sees what happened, he confronts the Wildhacks and, in his capacity of honorary sheriff, arrests Bud. His attempt to send Bud to prison for the offense is foiled by corrupt judge "Skinny" Henderson, who does whatever the Wilhacks tell him. This so angers Gene that he decides to record his radio broadcast from Torpedo and include a sketch that features characters based on the Wildhacks. When Bud and his brother Jasper see what is going on, they grab the microphone and start to sing a song, then humiliate Gene by besting him in a fight. Before the program ends, however, Gene tells the audience to tune in again next week to see what happens when a softened radio cowboy learns how to take care of himself again. Under the guidance of Pop, Gene begins training and toughening himself at Pop's Melody Ranch, where Gene grew up. When the broadcast comes around the next week Gene has gotten the better of the Wilhacks and ties Bud and Jasper up while they sing a tune that Gene has written for them. The show is a success and the people of Torpedo are so impressed, that Pop asks Gene to run for the real job of sheriff and displace the corrupt current holder of the job. Gene then tells Tommy and Julie that he wants to stay in Torpedo. Tommy returns home, but Julie, whose antagonism for Gene has really been disguising her attraction for him, stays in Torpedo. On the eve of the election, Jasper and Bud ambush Gene, but kill his friend Slim instead. Realizing that if Gene wins the election they all will hang for Slim's murder, Mark decides to prevent the citizens from voting. In response, Gene rounds up the ranchers on horseback, while Pop's streetcar gathers up the rest of the townspeople and they arrive at the Wildhack's barricade. Although Mark has ordered his brothers only to shoot over people's heads, Bud wounds a man and a shootout among all of the men on both sides breaks out. Gene's side finally wins and, after admitting to Julie that he loves her, too, the two plan a life together in Torpedo.