Gene Autry is upset with the Indians leaving their reservation and helping themselves to his grazing land, and sometimes his stock. But when an old Indian woman collapses, he helps take her to where she can be tended by the local doctor, Sheila Ryan, and discovers she is suffering form malnutrition. He discovers that the local agent, Frank Richards, is not only cheating the Indians out of their money, but has a sideline in buying their precious goods cheap and selling them to a collector for big dollars. Gene prepares a report for Washington, but Richards is keeping busy. He almost kills Chief Yowlatchie, takes his necklace which is the sign of his rulership, and tries to pin the crime on Yowlatchie's successor, Jay Silverheels.
It's nice to see an Autry vehicle which is about something real, and with several members of the cast actual Indians. Silverheels has a particularly good role. He would not appear in many more B westerns for a while; the same day this movie was released, the first episode of TV's THE LONE RANGER premiered, starring him as Tonto, and fellow cast Clayton Moore -- here 'Henchman Luke' -- as the Ranger.
There isn't much singing here, but Gene does sing "Here Comes Santa Claus."
It's nice to see an Autry vehicle which is about something real, and with several members of the cast actual Indians. Silverheels has a particularly good role. He would not appear in many more B westerns for a while; the same day this movie was released, the first episode of TV's THE LONE RANGER premiered, starring him as Tonto, and fellow cast Clayton Moore -- here 'Henchman Luke' -- as the Ranger.
There isn't much singing here, but Gene does sing "Here Comes Santa Claus."