The Official Website of Gene Autry, America's Favorite Singing Cowboy

Fun Autry Fact:

According to a 1953 fan magazine estimate, if all the recordings that Gene sold were stacked one atop of the other, the pile would be 57 miles high.

Television
The Gene Autry Show

Santa Fe Raiders

Flying A Pictures
Season 4, Episode 1 (4-01)
Production #57
Network: CBS
Running Time: 30 minutes
Black and White

Original Air Date:
Tuesday, July 6, 1954

Sponsor: Wrigley's Doublemint Chewing Gum

Brief Synopsis:

Gene helps his friend's son take over the family freight business after the old man is murdered.

Detailed Synopsis:

Gene Autry helps his old friend John Morgan get a wagonload of freight over the Santa Fe Trail to San Dimas to keep the freight line open. Pat Buttram, traveling gunsmith and pal of Gene’s, joins them on the trail. When they reach Big Oak Relay Station, bandits attack and Morgan is killed. Gene and Pat find empty, 45-90 shells at the station and start a search for that caliber rifle. When they reach San Dimas, Morgan’s son Tim decides to sell the line to local banker Paul Nash after learning what happened. He is influenced by Laura Bryan, an attractive girl who works for him but is secretly on Nash’s payroll. To stop the sale, Gene has the freight line thrown into bankruptcy and is appointed receiver. Riding out to check the equipment, Gene is held up and taken prisoner. After a battle with the outlaw, he escapes, only to return to town to find the safe robbed, a crime for which he is accused and promptly thrown into jail. Laura confesses to Tim that she gave Nash the safe combinations to keep Tim from being hurt. They tell the sheriff, who releases Gene. Everyone heads for the Nash Ranch to prevent the new receiver, Hickey, from selling the freight line. At the ranch, Pat has doctored all the bandits’ guns, so the fight that ensues is short because the guns explode in all directions. Nash and his men are caught, and Tim decides to continue with the freight line.


Cast:

Character: Performer:
Gene Autry Gene Autry
Pat Buttram Pat Buttram
Tim Morgan Dick Jones
Laura Bryan Gloria Saunders
Judge Hiram Stone Stanley Andrews
Miller Myron Healey
Dugan Terry Frost
Sheriff Alan Bridge
Hickey Gregg Barton
Paul Nash Henry Rowland
Lane Kenne Duncan
John Morgan Tom London
Champion Champion, World’s
Wonder Horse

Songs:

Westward Ho! Gene Autry

Crew:

Executive in charge
of Production
Armand Schaefer
Directed by Ross Lederman
Producer Louis Gray
Screenplay Oliver Drake
Director of Photography William Bradford, A.S.C.
Film Editor Anthony Wollner
Musical Director Carl Cotner
Music Supervisor Irving Friedman
Musical Score Walter Greene
Assistant Director Harry Mancke
Recorded by Glen Glenn Sound Company