Heart of the Rio Grande

Plot

Spoiled teenager Connie Lane (Edith Fellows) has no desire to join her classmates on a two-month vacation at the Smoke River Dude Ranch. Even her caring teacher, Alice Bennett (Fay McKenzie), is unable to persuade her. Connie runs off to her father, business tycoon Randolph Lane (Pierre Watkin), and pleads with him not to send her away. Preoccupied with business matters and too busy to notice how spoiled his daughter has become, Lane dismisses her and sends her away to spend the summer with her classmates at the ranch.

Meanwhile, Smoke Rivers ex-foreman, Hap Callahan (William Haade), is not pleased with the new foreman, Gene Autry (Gene Autry), and how he turned the place into a dude ranch. Gene reminds him that ranch owner "Skipper" Forbes (Sarah Padden) hired him because Haps mismanagement drove the ranch into debt. When the train arrives at Smoke River carrying Alice and the girls, Connie bribes the porter to keep her luggage on the train. In the confusion, no one notices that Connie hasnt disembarked until the train pulls away. Gene races after the train on his horse, Champion, and brings the willful youngster back to the ranch.

While Gene and his sidekick Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette) compete for Alices attention, Connie complains about being stuck on an unsophisticated ranch. Despite the best efforts of Alice, Connie quickly manages to turn everyone at the ranch against her—everyone except Gene. The next day, after Hap ignores Genes order to fix the brakes on the ranch truck, Connie steals the vehicle in another attempt to escape. When the brakes fail and Connies life is endangered, Gene rides to her rescue, but not before the truck crashes. Instead of being grateful, Connie is angry with Gene for preventing her escape. Looking to exact revenge, she uses lipstick to mark up her back so it looks like shes been whipped, takes photographs of her injuries, and then sends them off to her father.

Later, when she learns that Gene took responsibility for the trucks destruction, a grateful Connie tells him she wants to reward him for the favor. Gene tells her that people should do favors for each other out of friendship, not for rewards. When Gene and Hap stage a contest to determine the better rider, Connie sees her opportunity to repay the favor—she tampers with Haps saddle. During his ride, the saddle comes loose and Hap is hurt in a fall. When Gene discovers the sabotage, Connie admits to her mischief. Angered by Connies actions, Hap draws his gun at Gene, who fires him.

Surprised that Gene would come to her defense, Connie is finally won over, and as the weeks pass, the two become good friends. Connies happiness is short-lived, however, when her father arrives at the dude ranch, enraged by the photographs he received from her. When he demands that she leave with him immediately, she explains that the photos were a prank, but he is unconvinced. After Frog disables his plane and Gene goads him into accompanying them on a roundup, the business tycoon decides to stay.

During the roundup, Lane discovers that he enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his daughter. As the group moves through a narrow mountain pass, Hap shoots at Gene and misses, but the sound causes the horses to stampede. Just as Connie is about to be trampled, Gene rides in and saves her. After they return to the ranch, Lane finally acknowledges that his daughter is more important than his business. Sending his secretaries away, he joins the others on a music-filled hayride.

Cast

Filming and budget

Heart of the Rio Grande was filmed January 9–29, 1942. The film had an operating budget of $86,115 (equal to $1,242,967 today), and a negative cost of $92,432.

Filming locations

Stuntwork

Propaganda

Like many war-time films, "doing their part for the war", this one includes a short scene wherein Autry suggests to his ranch hands, after he pays them their wages, that instead of losing their money playing poker, that they might want to buy war bonds.

Soundtrack