View source for The Blazing Sun (1950 film)

{{short description|1950 film by John English}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2020}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Blazing Sun
| image          = Blazing_Sun_1950.jpg
| caption        = Poster for the film
| director       = [[John English (film director)|John English]]
| producer       = [[Armand Schaefer]]
| writer         = [[Jack Townley]]
| screenplay     =
| story          =
| starring       = [[Gene Autry]]<br />[[Lynne Roberts]]<br />[[Anne Gwynne]]
| cinematography = [[William Bradford (cinematographer)|William Bradford]]
| editing        = [[James Sweeney (film editor)|James Sweeney]]
| studio         = Gene Autry Productions
| distributor    = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1950|11|20|''US''|ref1=<ref name=AFI>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=26228 | title=The Blazing Sun: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate= September 4, 2017 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905060328/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=26228 | url-status=live | archivedate=September 5, 2017}}</ref>}}
| runtime        = 69 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
}}
'''''The Blazing Sun''''' is a 1950 American [[Western (genre)|Western]] film directed by [[John English (film director)|John English]] and starring [[Gene Autry]], [[Lynne Roberts]], and [[Anne Gwynne]].
==Plot==
Gene Autry is a private investigator for a banking association, on the trail of two bank robbers, Al Bartlett and Trot Lucas. Bartlett and Lucas waylay Larry Taylor, a doctor on his way to the town of White Water to treat a train engineer who was wounded by the bank robbers, and Taylor's assistant, Helen Ellis. Stealing the couple's horses, they leave them stranded.
Autry rides out from White Water heading towards Los Robles, where the doctor was summoned from, to see what is keeping him. Coming upon the couple, he lets Larry ride Champion, Autry's horse, into White Water to get help, while he stays with Helen for protection. Larry returns shortly and the three ride into White Water.
In Los Robles, Helen's father, a prospector, enlists the help of a local assayer, Ben Luber, to evaluate the quality of some ore he has extracted. Ben tells Tom Ellis that he will need mining equipment to mine the ore, and his willing to lend him the money for it, in exchange for an interest in the mine. Ben and his brother, Carl, are partners with Bartlett and Lucas. When they go up to the hideout of the two bank robbers, they see Autry approaching, trying to track down the two bandits. Ben releases the two horses which were stolen from Doc Taylor and Helen, which Autry takes off after. Ben and Carl follow, and overpower Autry, who they accuse of stealing the horses, and take him into Los Robles. Autry is quickly cleared, and enlists the help of an old friend, Mike, to continue the search outside of town for Bartlett and Lucas. While camping out that night, they see Ben driving back into town late at night.
The following day, Autry publicly confronts Ben about his trip the previous night. Flustered, Ben makes up a story about two of his horses being stolen (which he has actually taken up to Lucas and Bartlett). When Sheriff Phillips raises a posse to go after the non-existent thieves, Ben sends them in the wrong direction. When Autry refuses to join the posse, Phillips has him put in jail for safe-keeping,  until the posse returns. However, Bartlett robs the town's bank since the sheriff is away, and Helen witnesses it and follows him to his hideout in the hills.
Autry is released from jail, so he can track the bank robber. He arrives at Bartlett's cabin in the hills just as Helen is discovered. In the ensuing gunfight Bartlett kills his brother and Lucas, thinking that his dead brother's body will pass for him. When Kitty shows up to identify Bartlett's body, claiming to be his wife, Autry figures out that the dead man is not Bartlett.
Ben, knowing where Bartlett is now hiding out, offers to turn him in for the reward, but Bartlett figures out the doublecross and kills Ben. Autry and Tom Ellis ride after Bartlett, catching up to him as he boards a train in an attempt to escape. Bartlett is killed, and Autry allows Helen and Tom to have the reward money.
==Cast==
* [[Gene Autry]] as Gene Autry
* [[Champion the Wonder Horse|Champion]]
* [[Lynne Roberts]] as Helen Ellis
* [[Anne Gwynne]] as Kitty
* [[Edward Norris]] as Doc Larry Taylor
* [[Kenne Duncan]] as Al Bartlett
* [[Alan Hale Jr.]] as Ben Luber
* [[Gregg Barton]] as Trot Lucas
* [[Steve Darrell]] as Sheriff Phillips
* [[Tom London]] as Tom Ellis
* [[Pat Buttram]] as Mike
* Sandy Sanders as Carl Luber
==Production==
On January 15, 1950, Gene Autry announced that he would begin filming the first of his scheduled six films for Columbia with ''The Blazing Sun'', commencing production on March 27.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Motion Picture Daily | title=Autry's on Tour; His Company Reelects | date=January 16, 1950 | page=4 | url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturedai67unse#page/n71/mode/2up/search/%22Blazing+Sun%22 | accessdate=October 9, 2017}}{{Open access}}</ref> John Englund was given the nod to direct in April.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Variety | title=Briefs From the Lots | date=April 19, 1950 | page=18 | url=https://archive.org/stream/variety178-1950-04#page/n159/mode/2up/search/%22Blazing+Sun%22 | accessdate=October 9, 2017}}{{Open access}}</ref> Despite the earlier announcement, the filming did not begin until the end of April.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Motion Picture Daily | title=Coast Production Up as 12 Films Start | date=May 3, 1950 | page=2| url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturedai67unse_0#page/n147/mode/2up/search/%22Blazing+Sun%22 | accessdate=October 9, 2017}}{{Open access}}</ref> After it opened, the [[National Legion of Decency]] gave it an "A" rating: "morally unobjectionable for general patronage.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Motion Picture Daily | title=Legion Reviews 8, One in Class 'B' | date=November 29, 1950 | page=4 | url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturedai68unse_0#page/n349/mode/2up/search/%22Blazing+Sun%22| accessdate=October 9, 2017}}{{Open access}}</ref>
==Reception==
''[[Motion Picture Daily]]'' (MPD) gave the film a somewhat favorable review, enjoying Autry's performance, and complimenting the rest of the cast on their acting. They felt it would please his fans, but was a bit short on action, however when the action did come it was well done and very realistic.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Motion Picture Daily | title=Motion Picture Daily Feature Reviews | date=November 9, 1950 | page=6 | url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturedai68unse_0#page/n259/mode/2up/search/%22Blazing+Sun%22 | accessdate=October 9, 2017}}{{Open access}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' enjoyed the film slightly more, saying it compared favorably with more run-of-the-mill "oaters" (a film industry term for [[Western (genre)|Westerns]]). Unlike MPD, they felt the picture stressed action more so than Autry's other films. They singled out the work of the supporting cast, in particular enjoying the performances of Kenne Duncan, Pat Buttram, Lynne Roberts, Edward Norris, and Alan Hale Jr.. They praised English's direction, complimenting his handling of the action, as well as the camerawork of William Bradford.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Variety | title=Film Reviews | date=November 8, 1950 | page=18 | url=https://archive.org/stream/variety180-1950-11#page/n81/mode/2up/search/%22Blazing+Sun%22 | accessdate=October 9, 2017}}{{Open access}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0042260}}
* {{Tcmdb title|69008}}
* {{AFI film|26228}}
{{John English}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blazing Sun (1950 film), The}}
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:American Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:1950 Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:1950 films]]
[[Category:Films directed by John English]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Jack Townley]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:1950s American films]]
[[Category:English-language Western (genre) films]]