classicsoncall Well "Ridin' on a Rainbow" certainly sounds a lot more romantic than 'Ridin' on a Steamboat'. Right after singing the title song shortly into the picture, Gene explains that that's every cowboy's dream. So I thought that was kind of cool.With the offbeat venue, this isn't your typical B Western with frequent horse chases and shootouts with the bad guys, although there's a sampling of each. Gene Autry is faced with the prospect of recovering a pile of cash his rancher friends entrusted to him as the head of the Cattlemen's Association, after the bank in which they deposited their money was robbed. Actually, I found it a bit unbelievable that the cattlemen would forego their personal plans just to save it all for a rainy day like Gene suggested. It's a good thing the ranchers' wives weren't around to give Gene the old what for.Given the character of young Patsy Evans (Mary Lee), I'm surprised the story had her father as an accomplice to the bad guys. She and her mentor Sally (Carol Adams) were completely above board in their integrity, and the idea of one big score by Pop Evans (Byron Foulger) to provide for his daughter seemed a bit of a stretch to me. Then, when his fellow bandits wound up killing the bank employee, it appeared that Pop was dug in too deep to have his innocence proclaimed once the bad guys got caught. Which made it just a bit too convenient when the baddies did away with Pop before the story ended.With the story taking place on a showboat offering a variety of entertainment, the picture has it's usual round of musical offerings for Gene, although Smiley Burnette doesn't get to solo this time out. Carol Adams displays some fancy footwork in a couple of tap dance routines, and Mary Lee gets an opportunity to display her singing talent as well in a couple of numbers. As usual with an Autry film, Gene puts away the outlaws for a happy ending, but the idea that Mary Lee would join in the closing number right after her father's murder seemed like a bit of a disconnect to me.

Tom Barrister This isn't your typical Autry movie. This one focuses more on music, comedy, and characterization than on action. The storyline/plot is scant and only makes an occasional appearance to justify its existence; it's there mainly to provide a framework in which to fit everything else. The movie doesn't feature as much action as most of the other Autry offerings; it focuses more on entertainment.The movie offers plenty of entertainment. There are healthy servings of several songs, the usual Smiley Burnette comedic relief, and even a tap sequence by the talented Carol Adams.What sets this movie apart from the others is that Mary Lee is given more opportunity to showcase both her singing and acting talents, and she does well with those. If you're a Mary Lee fan, this is the movie you want to see.This movie is shown occasionally on the Encore Western channel, and you can also find it on Netflix. It's a must-see for Autry fans.

Michael O'Keefe Pleasant Autry vehicle. A showboat comes to town and a couple of bad guys use a parade to hide the fact they are robbing the bank. Helping the scoundrels is the showboat clown Pop Evans(Byron Foulger). The loot is left on the boat and Pop wants his daughter Patsy(Mary Lee) to bring him the money on another stop along the river. Gene and Frog(Smiley Burnette)want to stay close to Patsy for hopes she will help solve the crime...good luck...she'll sing and dance, but not willingly rat on her father. Standout songs: "Be Honest With Me" and the title tune "Ridin' on a Rainbow".The cast also features: Carol Adams, Ralf Harolde, Ferris Taylor and Anthony Warde.

funkyfry Pleasing western fare has Autry and "Frog" holded up in a showboat (a change of scene, which seems to have been the key to Republic's mid period Autrys). They're trying to discover who robbed the bank with all their money in it -- the girl singer (Lee, enchanting as usual) whose father helped the robbers is their only lead, and she's reluctant to help. Some good songs, including the title song by Jule Styne, and some fairly authentic showboat sets liven things up with the usual chases and fistfights.