When Gene Autry finds little old Lucien Littlefield and his wife, Claire DuBrey fighting against two young men, he steps in. The sheriff happens along and throws them all in jail, where Autry sings a song and Littlefield hires him for his wild west show. The actual owner, Virginia Grey goes along, but the show is failing, and she's planning to sell out to the competition, Morgan Conway, who also keeps asking her to marry him. But Autry's participation perks up the gate receipts, and they think they can keep going, with maybe a successful blow-off in Capistrano. They don't know that Miss Grey plans to sell, so she can pay off the hands and provide for the old people. Neither do Conway's associates, who aren't above trying to sabotage the show. With Smiley Burnette, of course.
Gene Autry's last released movie before he volunteered for the Army is a good effort, with a nice view of the traveling show business, which had been in contraction and amalgamation mode since the turn of the century. It ends with a big patriotic number, and Autry joined the Army Air Corp -- he had been a pilot for several years. He spent a year doing shows for the troops, but in June 1944, he got his wings as a C-109 pilot, making several flights over the Hump between India and China. While he was there, he tried to have the remainder of his Republic contract cancelled, but the Courts ruled against him. When he returned to civilian life, he would be making pictures for Republic.... for a while.
