Beyond the Purple Hills
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
John English
Gene Autry
Champion
Jo Dennison
Don Beddoe
James Millican
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
As the Nortonville Old Timers' Celebration approaches, Gene Autry trains Little Champ, a horse belonging to young Chip Beaumont, to perform some fancy tricks. When Gene learns that Jack, Chip's older brother, is in trouble, he hurries to town to intervene, followed by Chip. At the town saloon, Gene takes a gun away from a drunken Jack and then gives him a lecture, which is interrupted by a bank robbery. After a shootout, during which the sheriff is killed, Gene chases the thieves and retrieves the money, although the thieves escape into the Purple Hills. Later, Chip and Jack's father, Judge Beaumont, who is the law-and-order candidate for governor, asks Gene to take over as sheriff. Beaumont then tells Amos Rayburn, who runs the Nortonville bank with his niece Mollie, Jack's fiancée, that he plans to draw up a new will disowning Jack. Later, Amos tells Jack about Beaumont's plans and begs him to reconcile with his father that night. Jack meets his father, but storms out of his office after they quarrel. Shortly after Beaumont telephones Gene and asks to meet him, he is killed by a gunshot. After Amos reveals Beaumont's plans to cut Jack out of his will, Gene arrests Jack, although he does not believe he is guilty. Later, Rocky Morgan, the owner of the saloon, who, unknown to Gene, is the ringleader of the bank robbers, tries to kill Gene, but is stopped by Mike Rawley, a stranger in town. Later, Gene makes Mike his deputy. Through a ruse, Gene obtains the combination to Amos' safe, and that night, he and Mike are about to open it when Amos and Rocky arrive. Later, Gene tells Mike that he is convinced that Rayburn is behind the murder and is framing Jack. From Mollie, Gene learns that Amos has power of attorney for the Beaumont estate and for Mollie's money. Chip sees Gene talking to Mollie and mistakenly believes that he is trying to steal Jack's girl friend. At a square dance, Rocky and Amos try to stir up a mob to lynch Jack, but Gene forestalls the mob by announcing that Jack has been moved to another jail. Actually, Chip, who believes that Gene has betrayed Jack, has helped him to escape. Gene and Mike find their hiding place, but decide to leave them there so they will be safe. Gene then lies to Amos about Jack's whereabouts, and unaware that Gene suspects them, Amos and Rocky plot to kill Gene and Jack and make it look as if they killed each other. After a gunfight, Gene arrests Rocky, who accuses Amos of hiring him to rob the bank and kill Beaumont. An inspection of bank records proves that Amos had Beaumont murdered to hide the fact that he was robbing Mollie and Beaumont. Now that Jack's name is cleared, he and Mollie plan to marry, and Chip's faith in Gene is restored.
Director
John English
Cast
Gene Autry
Champion
Jo Dennison
Don Beddoe
James Millican
Don "brown Jug" Reynolds
Hugh O'brian
Roy Gordon
Harry Harvey
Pat Buttram
Gregg Barton
Bob Wilke
Ralph Peters
Frank Ellis
John Cliff
Sandy Sanders
Joseph Minitello
Frank Marvin
Herman Hack
Bobby Clark
Boyd Stockman
Jerry Ambler
Victor Cox
Robert Hilton
Maudie Prickett
Fenton Jones
Curt Barrett
Frank O'connor
Pat O'malley
Lynton Brent
Tex Terry
Crew
Mischa Bakaleinikoff
William Bradford
Paul Donnelly
Sammy Fain
Richard Fantl
Frank Goodwin
Norman S. Hall
Bob Hilliard
Charles Kenny
Nick Kenny
Harold Macarthur
Paul Mertz
George Montgomery
Armand Schaefer
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Wanted anyplace?- Gene Autry
No, but there's plenty of places I ain't wanted.- Mike Rawley
Trivia
Notes
Actress Jo Dennison was usually billed under the name Jo-Carroll Dennison. Some scenes in this film were shot in Lone Pine, CA.
