Saginaw Trail

Michigan in 1827 was a bit off the beaten path for any B-western, especially one from Gene Autry, so Gene had to shed his Levis (since Mr. Strauss was about 20 years away from stitching his first pair together in San Francisco) and wear a different gun-belt, but the rest of his costume (hat and string-looped shirt) didn’t make much of a bow in the authentic direction in this film, which finds the fur empire of Jules Brissac in Michigan’s Saginaw Valley wilderness being threatened by advancing settlers. His right hand henchman, Miller Webb, disguised as an Indian, leads renegade Delawares against the settlers. Captain Gene Autry of Hamilton’s Rangers is sent to investigate. Gene and his pal Smiley, aided by Randy Lane and Brissac’s niece, Flora Tourney, find evidence pointing to the guilt of Brissac and Webb and round them up to make the region safe for settlers.