Rim of the Canyon (Columbia Pictures) (1949)

Ghost Town Killers Smoked Out By Gene Autry in Rim of Canyon’ (Review) A ghost town, a_ long-lost treasure hoard and a trio of escaped killers provide a major share of the excitement currently to be found in Columbia Pictures’ “Rim of the Canyon,” which stars Gene Autry at the . . Theatre. The rest of the excitement generated around the picture stems from the fact that Autry plays his first dual role on the screen. Gene portrays himself, as a range rider, and he also appears as mustached Sheriff Steve Autry, his father, in an exciting flash-back sequence of importance to the plot. As Sheriff Steve, Gene arrests and jails a bandit gang, but is unable to find the $30,000 loot collected by them in a _ hold-up. When the bandits escape from jail, two decades later, and hunt up their stashed-away treasure, they run into Gene. Gene, of course, is plenty tougher than Sheriff Steve, even if he does occasionally burst into song. Autry tunes heard in “Rim of the Canyon” include that memorable number itself and “You’re the Only Star in My Blue Heaven.” Featured players in the film are Nan Leslie, Thurston Hall and Clem Bevans, with Champion figuring prominently in the final round-up of the killers. John English directed the action-packed picture, from John K. Butler’s bullet-paced screen play. Armand Schaefer produced “Rim of the Canyon.” ‘Rim of Canyon’ Sets Haunting Problem In Hollywood, where imagination and knowledge are sometimes at odds, set designers and script writers occasionally discover they aren’t talking to each other. Problems come up, and irritations set in. A case in point occurred during production of “Rim of the Canyon,” the Columbia outdoor action drama starring Gene Autry at the... Theatre. Scriptist John K. Butler dreamed up a whale of a background for some of the traditional Autry action, a ghost town dance hall in which Autry and lovely Nan Leslie, his romantic lead, become involved with as tough a trio of killers as ever appeared on the screen. So much for imagination! Art director Harold MacArthur had to translate Butler’s words into wood, plaster and paint, and cobwebs. A_ ghost town dance hall festooned with cobwebs is simple enough—but how many years of cobwebs? How much damage has been done by the elements over the years? When was the dance hall built and when was it abandoned? Why was it abandoned? These, and dozens of other questions, remained unanswered, and had to be answered by Butler before work on the set could be started. Ist Dual Role Gene Autry, who has been a movie actor for 14 years, plays his first dual role in Columbia Pictures’ “Rim of the Canyon,” now at the .... Theatre. Besides enacting his usual role of Gene Autry, the Western star also. portrays his “father,” Steve Autry, a town marshal. For his part of the elder Autry, Gene wears a mustache, also a new departure for the popular actor. Page 2 CAST and CREDITS Gene Aufry......................Gene Autry RuthLambertii23.205 0 20 Nan Leslie Big Tim Hanlon___...... Thurston Hall Loco John......................Clem Bevans Jake: Fargo 2, Walter Sande Pete Reagan ............ Jock O'Mahoney Charlie Lewis.-.......Francis McDonald Matt Kimbrough___.......Alan Hale, jr. Lily Shannon ................Amelita Ward Tex Rawlins.220022..--0 John R. McKee Screen Play by John K. Butler, based upon the story ‘Phantom .45's Talk Loud"’ by Joseph Chadwick, published in Western Aces Magazine; Directed by John English; Assistant Director, Carl Hiecke; Director of Photography, William Bradford; Art Director, Harold MacArthur; Film Editor, Aaron Stell; Set Decorator, George Montgomery; Musical Supervisor, Paul Mertz; Musical Director, Mischa Bakaleinikoff; Song “Rim of the Canyon" by Hy Heath, Johnny Lange; Sound Engineer, Russell Malmgren; Produced by Armand Schaefer. A Gene Autry Production. A Columbia Picture. STORY (Not for Publication) Gene Autry's horse Champion is stolen by escaped convicts Jake Fargo (Walter Sande), Pete Reagan (Jock O'Mahoney) and Charlie Lewis (Francis McDonald). Fargo and Lewis had been captured by City Marshal Steve Autry (Gene Autry) 20 years earlier after the theft of $30,000 from “Big Tim" Hanlon (Thurston Hall), a bonanza king. Autry traces the convicts to the ghost town in which the money had been stashed away where he also finds Big Tim and school teacher Ruth Lambert (Nan Leslie). Loco John (Clem Bevans), a prospector, warns Autry the killers are around. The convicts crash in, cannot find the $30,000 and blame Autry. A slugfest follows, with Autry and his friends later hunted through the spooky buildings. Autry recovers Champion and a gun, shoots down Lewis and then pursues the fleeing Fargo and Reagan. He captures Reagan; an angered Champion tramples Fargo to death. Big Tim, who has recovered the stolen $30,000, leaves Gene and Ruth talking about romance. (Running Time: 70 Minutes) Nan Leslie Started on Boat To Win Acclaim As Western Star Hollywood moves in strange ways its wonders to perform. That, at least, is the opinion of lovely Nan Leslie, who currently is featured in Gene Autry’s “Rim of the Canyon,” the new Columbia _ outdoor action drama at the .... Theatre. Miss Leslie has achieved some eminence in range roles, riding the dusty plains and ‘tree-shaded trails with the best of them. And all because she looked good in a bathing suit and a boat! Nan Leslie looked so good in a sailboat, not so long ago, that a photograph taken of her at the time appeared as a magazine cover. A Hollywood talent scout showed up almost immediately thereafter. Sensible for her 17 years, Miss Leslie politely turned down the offer and went back to her books and her boat. But the thought remained, and she enrolled with a dramatic coach for after-school study. With her high school graduation, Miss Leslie considered herself ready to make a start in Hollywood. So, of course, did Hollywood. Miss Leslie played a number of small roles and then was upped to the romantic lead in Tim Holt’s outdoor action films. It was in one of these that she was spotted by Gene Autry, world’s greatest cowboy, who insisted he wanted her for “Rim of the Canyon.” Gene had no knowledge then of how well Miss Leslie could handle the tiller of a boat, nor did he particularly care. She looked good, both on and off a horse, and that is what counts in a Western. Thurston Hall and Clem Bevans are also featured. * v f{ENACED BY KILLER’S GUN Rim of Canyon Mat 2-A; Prod. Still No. 30 Gene Autry and Nan Leslie are on the spot in this tense scene from Columbia’s “Rim of the Canyon,” currently thrilling fans at the .... Theatre. John English directed for producer Armand Schaefer. AUTRY RIDES TO NEW GLORY eT Rim of Canyon Mat 2-C; Prod. Still No. 59 Mystery and gunsmoke highlight Columbia’s “‘Rim of the Canyon,” starring Gene Autry at the. . . . Theatre. Autry (right) stalks killers through a long-deserted Western ghost town in the eerie thriller. Gene Autry in First Dual Role As Rim of Canyon’ Range Rider In his first dual role, Gene Autry returns to the... . Theatre on as the star of Columbia Pictures’ “Rim of the Canyon.” Autry appears as himself, a range rider who smokes out killers from a ghost town, and as Sheriff Steve Autry, his own father and the man responsible for jailing the killers in the first place. Autry Traps Killers in ‘Rim of Canyon’ b) “Rim of the Canyon,” starring Gene Autry, opens .... at the .... Theatre. The new Columbia picture gives Autry his first dual role; he appears as himself, a range rider, and as Sheriff Steve Autry, his own father. In the film, Gene tangles with killers escaped from the jail in which they had been placed by Sheriff Steve two decades earlier. Champion, world’s wonder horse, figures prominently in “Rim of the Canyon.” Featured players include Nan Leslie, Thurston Hall and Clem Bevans. “Rim of the Canyon” was directed by John English from John K. Butler’s screen play. Armand Schaefer produced the film. Autry Film Stays Popularity of Gene Autry and his newest Columbia picture, “Rim of the Canyon,” has led to the....Theatre’s decision to keep the film for another joe ays Deg inne 25th addition to Champion, world’s wonder horse, “Rim of the Canyon” features Nan Leslie, Thurston Hall and Clem Bevans. John English directed the picture, from the screen play by John K. Butler. Armand Schaefer produced. New Autry Pic Gene Autry is starred in Columbia Pictures’ “Rim of the Canyon,” opening .... at the . Theatre with Champion, world’s wonder horse, Nan Leslie, Thurston Hall and Clem Bevans. John K. Butler penned the screen play for the film, which was directed by John English and produced by Armand Schaefer. It is a Gene Autry Production. The Sheriff Steve phase of Autry’s characterizations in “Rim of the Canyon” is marked by what Hollywood and advance audiences consider one of the most interesting experiments of the screen year. Autry, whose face is known to millions of movie-goers, wears a mustache in portraying the sheriff, creating a surprising and not unattractive change in his appearance. A 20-year span of time is bridged in “Rim of the Canyon,” which involves the theft of some $30,000 two decades ago. The men jailed for the crime escape and return to what is now a ghost town in an effort to locate the money. Gene becomes involved when his horse Champion is stolen; only later does he learn that he has an even more direct interest in the case. Nan Leslie, as a young school teacher, appears in the romantic lead, with Thurston Hall and Clem Bevans also featured in important roles. John English directed “Rim of the Canyon,” from John K. Butler’s screen play. The film was produced by Armand Schaefer. It is a Gene Autry Production. AUTRY FIGHTS Rim of Canyon Mat 1-B; Prod. Still No. 57 Gere Autry has his ups and downs in Columbia’s “Rim of the Canyon” at the... . Theatre. In the scene above, he’s up and Jock O’Mahoney is the gent who’s down.