Carolina Moon (1940)

Let's be realistic.

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Don't listen to the negative reviews

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

This Autry-Republic entry is more plot-heavy than most. Basically, however, it's the standard matinée premise of baddies trying to swindle land from honest owners. Here, however, the conflict is transferred to southern plantation owners, plus a thoroughbred (Champion) whose ownership keeps changing hands. Nonetheless, Republic works in some good rodeo footage, plus a steeplechase race, of all things. No fast shooting or much hard riding for action fans. Still, there's the big fists and clubs battle at the end. Lots of good songs, especially the Stephen Foster "Old Folks at Home" sung traditional style by a Black folk chorus. Some good bits by Frog Burnette without being buffoonish, and I really like spunky little Mary Lee who's also something of a delightful songbird. All in all, it's excellent Autry entertainment, despite the Negro stereotypes of the time.A "7" on the matinée rating scale.

Whoa!!! - did I hear that line right? And Gene's on the receiving end to boot, from black Mammy Etta McDaniel when the Stanhope thoroughbred (that would be Valdina) goes on a tear. That's not the only racial embarrassment in the film when viewed from the vantage point of today's political correctness. There's also Smiley Burnette in black-face posing as said Mammy later in the story. Fortunately the film achieves some balance with an all black song troupe offering up a spiritual rendering of 'Swanee River' followed up by a livelier tune later on. Both were quite well done and enhanced the musical offerings usually left to Gene and one of his cowboy back-up bands.In a business deal at the center of the story, Gene bails out Southern plantation owner Grandad Stanhope (Eddy Waller) with some rodeo winnings of his after the old coot bets above his head and loses. As collateral, Gene takes possession of Valdina, but comes to realize that the Stanhopes and their neighbor plantation owners are all about to be taken advantage of by Henry Wheeler-dealer (Hardie Albright). The local landowners are unaware that the timber on their property has suddenly acquired market value, and Wheeler wants it all for himself.After getting off on the wrong foot with Miss Caroline Stanhope (June Storey), Gene begins his investigation to set things right for the locals. As usual, Frog has a sub-plot on the side trying to avoid a gun duel with Colonel Jefferson (Frank Dae) and marriage to his daughter Evangeline (Terry Nibert). There's a third female cast member, Mary Lee as Stanhope sister Patsy, who manages to offer up a couple of songs along the way herself.Keep an eye on that steeplechase race in which Gene goes up against villain Wheeler. I stopped counting at four over the different types of racetracks the event was taking place on. It started out on a grass field, hit a standard race track, and also managed to include a number of different barriers for the horses to jump. This all might have confused your average horse, which makes sense that Champion sat this one out.

Gene Autry travels to the deep south. Colonel Stanhope(Eddy Waller)enters his daughter Caroline's(June Storey)horse in a rodeo in hopes of winning enough money to satisfy the evil Henry Wheeler(Hardie Albright), who has big plans on cheating folks like Stanhope out of their plantations. Gene and his sidekick Frog Millhouse(Smiley Burnette)help convince the landowners into cutting and selling their once thought worthless timber to save their plantations. There is time for such tunes as "Dreaming Dreams That Won't Come True", "At The Rodeo" and "Carolina Moon". Other players include: Mary Lee, Robert Fiske, Paul White and Etta McDaniel.

It's another excellent Gene Autry western, with Smiley ("Frog") Burnette and June ("nice legs, ma'am") Storey in tow who could ask for anything more? Also with that nice early '40's Republic atmosphere and a whole bunch of nice songs too.The IMDb plot outline virtually gives the whole story away, but essentially Gene and Frog come to the rescue of plantation damsel in distress and her still Rebel grandfather. Do our heroes manage to save them from the clutches of the land-grabbing baddies out to buy up the entire countryside to augment their capitalist greed? June of course is at her wits end, but it doesn't stop her smiling along and duetting with Gene, especially the dreamy Dreaming Dreams (walking in the moonlight, with Champion too) and Say Si Si (at the piano at her plantation). Gene's solo highlight came with a too short version of the title song, whilst the Old Folks At Home got a spirited rendition from the plantation Negroes in a scene guaranteed to disturb any modern serious person brought up only on modern serious endless gratuitous sex and violence in films. For all of our sakes then I hope none of them ever see this!Gene is wonderfully imperturbable, Smiley has his usual farcical subplot going off throughout, there's some witty smart-ass one liners thrown in. And June even has the last word - in short, although there's many of his films I've never seen it's one of my favourite Autry's.