Monogram Matinee Vol. 2
82 min. / B&W / 1.37:1 / DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono / SDH
Song of the Range (1944) Dir. Wallace Fox
56 min. / B&W / 1.37:1 / DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono / SDH
Warner Archive BD $24.98
Available from our partner MovieZyng
The second volume of Monogram Studios offerings is in hand and with the third already announced, we can hope for a continuing series of these fine, fun popcorn movies perfect for a Saturday afternoon to either relive childhood memories, or for us youngsters to imagine the childhood we missed out on by being born too late. And bring the whole family to Volume 2, because there’s something for everybody.
First up is Louisiana (1947), an earnest, old-fashioned biopic of the state’s legendary governor, Jimmie Davis, movingly portrayed by Jimmie Davis, who served two terms, 1944-1948 (he was, in fact, serving as Governor when he made this) and then 1960-1964. He was a Democrat and a segregationist, times being what they were in the South. Nevertheless, he seems affable enough and rather comfortable in front of a camera, although closer thespian talent-wise to, say, Gene Autry than Will Rogers.
Enduring a tough childhood (one of 11 children in a family of sharecroppers), Davis sticks to the books and graduates from not only a rural high school but Louisiana State, and becomes a teacher at a school for girls. He has a secret night hobby though, singing over the radio, and falls on his background as a gospel singer to write his own pop tunes. When his extracurricular activities are discovered, Davis is given an ultimatum by the Dean, and decides to see where a musical career will take him. His popularity as a singer traversing the state and the phenomenal hit song he wrote called You are My Sunshine lead him to be drafted into a career in politics, culminating in the Governor’s mansion and a Monogram Pictures biography. Wow!
Not the most exciting film Monogram every made; too bad David didn’t punch is way to the top as a barnstorming pugilist, it would’ve made for a better tale. Director Phil Karlson gave us such noir classics as The Phenix City Story, Kansas City Confidential, and 99 River Street, so he could’ve come up with a murder or two, no doubt. As it is, it’s a pleasant story of the type of American rise to prominence we don’t much see these days. Davis had a fair voice, an okay screen presence, and just enough of a following to star in two further Monogram pictures, Mississippi Rhythm (1948) and Square Dance Katy (1950). Jimmie’s wife Alvern Adams is played by Margaret Lindsay; other recognizable cast members include Charles Lane, Tris Coffin, Lee “Lasses” White, and Russell Hicks. For more of Gov. Davis, see our review of Monogram Matinee Vol. 1.
Our B-movie is more typical of Monogram fare; Song of the Range was the first of more than two dozen starring Monogram films for cowboy crooner Jimmy Wakely, no great actor or action hero but he sure could sing and his records were amongst the most popular on 1940s country radio stations, which is why a typical Wakely picture runs about 56 min. and seems to contain about 42 min. of singin’; in fact, if you went into this particular film blind, not only would you not see much, but you’d think third-stringer Dennis Moore was the star of the picture, he handles most of the non-singin’, two-fisted parts of the picture.
Probably because so little time is given to it, the plot is a cow’s whisker shy of being coherent; all you need to know is that the villains are smuggling gold in bales of hay, leading lady Cay Forrester (who?) can’t decide which side she’s on, comic sidekick Lasses White isn’t funny (and would soon be replaced in the series by Dub 'Cannonball' Taylor, thankfully), and there are either 9 or 11 songs in the soundtrack (we lost count), or roughly one every 4.5 minutes. With Wakely’s charm and acting ability, picking up a gee-tar every four minutes was an excellent career decision. “I’m so glad I was a singer, because if I hadn’t been, I’d have gone down the tubes” – Wakely, quoted in Don Miller’s Hollywood Corral.
Million-dollar Dialog:
“You know, being dead is sort of inconvenient.” I’ll bet.
Both Louisiana and Song of the Range look and sound terrific, par for the course for Warner Archive. There is no bonus material but heck, you're getting two movies for the price of one.
Both Gov. Davis and Jimmy Wakely will be absent from the upcoming Monogram Matinee Vol. 3, which gives us a pair of Johnny Mack Brown westerns, but if sales hold up, there’s plenty more to come, pardner.
