REPUBLIC PICTURES
Gene Autry Films
(1936)
Gene Autry's first starring feature length film was called "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" after Bob Nolan's famous song. It was also Republic's first singing cowboy movie and Gene sang the title song. The movie was a tremendous success and this prompted Gene to ask Bob to write a hit song for him. Bob would always agree but the song was never forthcoming. Possibly Bob knew Gene well enough to know that Gene insisted on having his name as co-writer on songs written for him. The Sons of the Pioneers appeared in three of the Republic / Autry films: The Old Corral, The Big Show and Call of the Canyon.
THE BIG SHOW (Republic / Autry - 1936 11 16)
Back: Smiley Burnette, Bob Nolan, Karl Farr, Tim Spencer, Leonard Sly, Sally Payne, Kaye Hughes, Gene Autry, Max Terhune (with his puppet) and Frankie Marvin.
(Courtesy of Les Adams)
Karl Farr, Bob Nolan, Tim Spencer, Hugh Farr and Leonard Slye
THE OLD CORRAL (Republic / Autry - 1936 12 21)
Clockwise from lower left: Hugh Farr, Bob Nolan, Tim Spencer, Leonard Slye and Karl Farr.
The Sons of the Pioneers are singing Tim Spencer's Silent Trails.
Left: Bob Nolan, Leonard Slye, Hugh Farr, Karl Farr and Tim Spencer.
Right: Bob Nolan and Leonard Slye
Karl Farr, Tim Spencer and Bob Nolan singing Silent Trails.
Karl Farr, Tim Spencer, Bob Nolan and Gene Autry.
Gene Autry's stunt double bulldogs Bob's stunt double in a chase scene.
(Calin Coburn Collections)
CALL OF THE CANYON (Republic / Autry - 1942 08 10)
(Calin Coburn Collections)
Ruth Terry, Bob Nolan, Hugh Farr, Gene Autry and Tim Spencer.
(Courtesy of Michelle Sundin)
Smiley Burnette, Tim Spencer, Bob Nolan, Karl Farr, Gene Autry, Joe Strauch Jr, Hugh Farr. Pat Brady stands in the background.(Courtesy of Fred Sopher)
