Tonight's Movies: Song of the Range (1944) and Louisiana (1947) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Very exciting news for fans of last year's Monogram Matinee Volume 1 collection from the Warner Archive: Two more volumes have been released this spring, in less than a month's time!

The Monogram Matinee Volume 2 collection, featuring SONG OF THE RANGE (1944) and LOUISIANA (1947), came out at the very end of April, and Volume 3 was released just yesterday, on May 26th.

SONG OF THE RANGE is a quick little 55-minute film starring Jimmy Wakely and Dennis Moore.

The late Western historian Les Adams offers the information at IMDb that the SONG OF THE RANGE script by Betty Burbridge is a reworking of PALS IN SADDLE (1938), a Three Mesquiteers "B" film she wrote with Stanley Roberts.

The SONG OF THE RANGE plot is frankly a bit confusing, with Denny (Dennis Moore, seen here) unjustly accused of murder. There are multiple identities galore as Denny's pal Jimmy (Jimmy Wakely) and secret agent Dale Harding (Cay Forester) are on the trail of gold smugglers, while saving Denny's life.

Much of this black and white movie was filmed by Marcel Le Picard with group shots of multiple players, and given some of the cast members' generic looks and costumes, much more frequent use of closeups might have been helpful to help keep the characters straight!

That said, what I felt really mattered in this film was the music, and there is plenty of it, with nine songs performed by the cast. The singers include not just Wakely, but also Lee "Lasses" White, the Red River Valley Boys, and the Sunshine Girls. I love Western music, and it's quite beautiful here, while being worked into the story in a natural way.

SONG OF THE RANGE was directed by Wallace Fox. Location shots were filmed in Santa Clarita.

I admit to being a bit skeptical when I read the premise of the 85-minute LOUISIANA, but it ended up being quite an interesting curiosity for several reasons.

My attention was immediately captured by the information that it was directed by Phil Karlson, who made quite a number of Westerns and film noir titles I've enjoyed. Karlson's films include THUNDERHOOF (1948) and KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952), to name just two.

Jimmie Davis, who also starred in MISSISSIPPI RHYTHM (1949) in the Volume 1 collection, stars in a fictionalized story of his life.

Davis, one of 11 children of poor sharecroppers, loves learning; despite his family's poverty he manages to work his way through college and land a teaching job.

Davis also has a great love for music; he was a composer, most notably of the standard "You Are My Sunshine," and performed on radio and in the movies. He was elected governor of Louisiana twice, in 1944 and 1960, and is billed with his title in the opening credits.

The script by Jack DeWitt, from a story by Steve Healey, is pretty interesting. The earnest, naturalistic performances of Davis and others in some cases are close to being hokey at times, yet they never quite cross the line. It's a refreshingly different kind of film which holds the attention.

The cast includes Margaret Lindsay as Davis's wife Alvern. Also in the cast are John Gallaudet, Charles Lane, Lee "Lasses" White, Virginia Dale, Eddy Waller, Ralph Reed, and Joseph Crehan. Favorite character actress Mary Field plays Davis's mother. The film is narrated by Reed Hadley.

The movie was filmed in black and white by William Sickner.

There are no extras on the disc, but they are both very nice, crisp Blu-ray prints with excellent sound. The prints are 1080p HD masters from 4K scans of nitrate fine grains.

Optional English captions are provided.

This is an enjoyable disc of nicely presented films which will be appreciated by fans of Westerns, "B" films, and Western music.

Coming soon: A review of the Monogram Matinee Volume 3 collection!

Thanks to the Warner Archive and Allied Vaughn for providing a review copy of this collection. This set may be purchased from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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