Want to know the best Gene Autry movies? How about the worst Gene Autry movies? Curious about Gene Autry box office grosses or which Gene Autry movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Gene Autry movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which got the worst reviews? Well, you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Gene Autry (1907-1998) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, musician, and rodeo performer. Autry gained fame by singing in a crooning style on radio, in films, and on television for more than three decades. His IMDb page shows 99 acting credits from 1934 to 1985. This page will rank Gene Autry movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts, cameos, uncredited roles, and movies that were not released in North American were not included in the rankings.
A shout out to Mike. Without his hard work of digging through old Variety magazines and finding Autry box office nuggets, there is no way this page would have ever been completed. So thank you, Mike. Your work was impressive and appreciated. You impressed WoC too!
Gene Autry Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews, and awards.
Year
Movie (Year)
Rating
S
Year Movie (Year) Rating S
1939
South of the Border (1939)
1941
Ridin’ on a Rainbow (1941)
AA Best Music Nom
1948
The Strawberry Roan (1948)
1942
Heart of the Rio Grande (1942)
1937
Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (1937)
1940
Rancho Grande (1940)
1940
Gaucho Serenade (1940)
1946
Sioux City Sue (1946)
1940
Ride Tenderfoot Ride (1940)
1949
The Cowboy and the Indians (1949)
1941
Sunset in Wyoming (1941)
1947
The Last Round-Up (1947)
1941
The Singing Hill (1941)
1935
Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935)
1937
Boots and Saddles (1937)
1938
Gold Mine in the Sky (1938)
1940
Shooting High (1940)
1941
Down Mexico Way (1941)
1949
Riders In The Sky (1949)
1939
Mexicali Rose (1939)
1942
Home in Wyomin' (1942)
1936
Comin’ Round the Mountain (1936)
1941
Back in the Saddle (1941)
1940
Melody Ranch (1940)
1948
Loaded Pistols (1948)
1941
Under Fiesta Stars (1941)
1940
Carolina Moon (1940)
1949
Rim Of The Canyon (1949)
1942
Cowboy Serenade (1942)
1938
Prairie Moon (1938)
1949
Sons of New Mexico (1949)
1953
On Top Of Old Smoky (1953)
1947
Saddle Pals (1947)
1942
Call of the Canyon (1942)
1938
The Old Barn Dance (1938)
1937
Yodelin’ Kid from Pine Ridge (1937)
1938
Western Jamboree (1938)
1941
Sierra Sue (1941)
1950
Mule Train (1950)
1949
Riders of the Whistling Pines (1949)
1952
Apache County (1952)
1938
Man from Music Mountain (1938)
1937
Springtime in the Rockies (1937)
1949
The Big Sombrero (1949)
1937
Rootin’ Tootin’ Rhythm (1937)
1936
The Singing Cowboy (1936)
1936
The Old Coral (1936)
1937
Public Cowboy No. 1 (1937)
1939
Home on the Prairie (1939)
1936
Ride Ranger Ride (1936)
1937
Round-Up Time in Texas (1937)
Gene Autry Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies any way you want.
- Sort Gene Autry movies by his co-stars
- Sort Gene Autry movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Gene Autry movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Gene Autry movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Gene Autry movie received.
- Sort Gene Autry movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR puts box office, reviews, and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 1 | South of the Border (1939) | Smiley Burnette | 3.00 | 115.5 | 115.50 | 78 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 83.6 | |
| 2 | Ridin’ on a Rainbow (1941) AA Best Music Nom |
Mary Lee | 1.80 | 68.2 | 68.20 | 133 | 65 | 01 / 00 | 75.0 | |
| 3 | The Strawberry Roan (1948) | Gloria Henry | 1.20 | 33.0 | 33.00 | 165 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 71.2 | |
| 4 | Heart of the Rio Grande (1942) | Fay McKenzie | 1.50 | 55.4 | 55.40 | 149 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 70.7 | |
| 6 | Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (1937) | Joe DiMaggio | 1.80 | 74.6 | 74.60 | 126 | 58 | 01 / 00 | 70.6 | |
| 5 | Rancho Grande (1940) | Dick Hogan | 1.40 | 54.9 | 54.90 | 140 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 69.7 | |
| 7 | Gaucho Serenade (1940) | Duncan Renaldo | 0.90 | 33.9 | 33.90 | 175 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 67.8 | |
| 8 | Sioux City Sue (1946) | Lynne Roberts | 1.50 | 45.8 | 45.80 | 128 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 64.9 | |
| 9 | Ride Tenderfoot Ride (1940) | June Storey | 0.20 | 9.5 | 9.50 | 224 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 62.8 | |
| 10 | The Cowboy and the Indians (1949) | Sheila Ryan | 0.80 | 21.0 | 21.00 | 187 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 62.1 | |
| 11 | Sunset in Wyoming (1941) | George Cleveland | 0.40 | 16.8 | 16.80 | 218 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 60.7 | |
| 13 | The Last Round-Up (1947) | Jean Heather | 1.60 | 45.8 | 45.80 | 144 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 60.3 | |
| 12 | The Singing Hill (1941) | Virginia Dale | 0.80 | 31.3 | 31.30 | 187 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 60.1 | |
| 15 | Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935) | George "Gabby" Hayes | 1.00 | 44.9 | 44.90 | 129 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 58.2 | |
| 16 | Boots and Saddles (1937) | Judith Allen | 1.00 | 43.1 | 43.10 | 166 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 57.9 | |
| 14 | Gold Mine in the Sky (1938) | Carol Hughes | 0.20 | 8.7 | 8.70 | 200 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 57.4 | |
| 17 | Shooting High (1940) | Jane Withers | 0.70 | 25.8 | 25.80 | 192 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 56.1 | |
| 18 | Down Mexico Way (1941) | Paul Fix | 0.50 | 19.5 | 19.50 | 214 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 55.5 | |
| 19 | Riders In The Sky (1949) | Gloria Henry | 0.60 | 16.0 | 16.00 | 194 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 54.2 | |
| 22 | Mexicali Rose (1939) | Noah Beery | 0.70 | 27.4 | 27.40 | 203 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 53.9 | |
| 21 | Home in Wyomin' (1942) | Charles Lane | 0.20 | 8.8 | 8.80 | 219 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 53.1 | |
| 20 | Comin’ Round the Mountain (1936) | Ann Rutherford | 0.20 | 7.4 | 7.40 | 211 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 53.1 | |
| 23 | Back in the Saddle (1941) | Mary Lee | 0.60 | 21.8 | 21.80 | 211 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 52.3 | |
| 24 | Melody Ranch (1940) | Jimmy Durante | 1.00 | 39.8 | 39.80 | 164 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 51.6 | |
| 25 | Loaded Pistols (1948) | Chill Wills | 1.00 | 28.0 | 28.00 | 175 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 50.1 | |
| 26 | Under Fiesta Stars (1941) | Carol Hughes | 0.60 | 24.9 | 24.90 | 203 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 49.0 | |
| 27 | Carolina Moon (1940) | Smiley Burnette | 0.40 | 17.0 | 17.00 | 214 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 48.0 | |
| 30 | Rim Of The Canyon (1949) | Nan Leslie | 0.70 | 17.8 | 17.80 | 191 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 45.6 | |
| 28 | Cowboy Serenade (1942) | Slim Andrews | 0.30 | 11.3 | 11.30 | 216 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 45.5 | |
| 29 | Prairie Moon (1938) | Shirley Deane | 0.10 | 5.1 | 5.10 | 207 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 44.6 | |
| 31 | Sons of New Mexico (1949) | Gail Davis | 0.50 | 13.6 | 13.60 | 199 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 42.9 | |
| 32 | On Top Of Old Smoky (1953) | Gail Davis | 0.10 | 1.7 | 1.70 | 245 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 41.1 | |
| 34 | Saddle Pals (1947) | Lynne Roberts | 0.90 | 25.6 | 25.60 | 166 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 40.4 | |
| 33 | Call of the Canyon (1942) | Sons of the Pioneers | 0.10 | 2.1 | 2.10 | 224 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 39.3 | |
| 35 | The Old Barn Dance (1938) | Joan Valerie | 0.50 | 20.1 | 20.10 | 192 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 38.3 | |
| 36 | Yodelin’ Kid from Pine Ridge (1937) | Betty Bronson | 0.10 | 4.8 | 4.80 | 218 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 36.6 | |
| 37 | Western Jamboree (1938) | Jean Rouverol | 0.10 | 2.5 | 2.50 | 211 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 36.0 | |
| 39 | Sierra Sue (1941) | Fay McKenzie | 0.00 | 1.2 | 1.20 | 231 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 30.3 | |
| 38 | Mule Train (1950) | Sheila Ryan | 0.40 | 10.0 | 10.00 | 203 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 30.3 | |
| 42 | Riders of the Whistling Pines (1949) | Patricia Barry | 1.00 | 24.1 | 24.10 | 184 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 28.3 | |
| 40 | Apache County (1952) | Carolina Cotton | 0.30 | 5.4 | 5.40 | 233 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 27.8 | |
| 41 | Man from Music Mountain (1938) | Carol Hughes | 0.20 | 6.1 | 6.10 | 205 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 26.9 | |
| 43 | Springtime in the Rockies (1937) | Polly Rowles | 0.50 | 20.0 | 20.00 | 199 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 24.8 | |
| 44 | The Big Sombrero (1949) | Elena Verdugo | 0.80 | 20.6 | 20.60 | 189 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 24.3 | |
| 45 | Rootin’ Tootin’ Rhythm (1937) | Armida | 0.10 | 4.3 | 4.30 | 219 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 23.0 | |
| 46 | The Singing Cowboy (1936) | Lois Wilde | 0.10 | 2.6 | 2.60 | 221 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 22.1 | |
| 47 | The Old Coral (1936) | Smiley Burnette | 0.10 | 2.4 | 2.40 | 222 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 21.1 | |
| 48 | Public Cowboy No. 1 (1937) | Anne Rutherford | 0.20 | 8.7 | 8.70 | 213 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 17.8 | |
| 49 | Home on the Prairie (1939) | June Storey | 0.10 | 3.9 | 3.90 | 234 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 17.1 | |
| 50 | Ride Ranger Ride (1936) | Kay Hughes | 0.10 | 2.9 | 2.90 | 220 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 11.9 | |
| 51 | Round-Up Time in Texas (1937) | Maxine Doyle | 0.10 | 3.2 | 3.20 | 220 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 9.0 |
Possibly Interesting Facts About Gene Autry
1. Orvon Grover “Gene” Autry was born in Grayson County in Texas in 1907.
2. According to a Hollywood legend, published in The Orange County Register after his death, Autry was discovered singing in a telegraph office in Oklahoma by Will Rogers. Rogers told him that he had a pretty good voice, and suggested that he go to Hollywood where he could make some money singing in the movies.
3. Gene Autry’s nickname was “The Singing Cowboy”.
4. Of Gene Autry’s 92 starring features, only The Strawberry Roan (1948) and The Big Sombrero (1949) were filmed and released in color.
5. Gene Autry’s Cowboy Code: 1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage. 2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him. 3. He must always tell the truth. 4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals. 5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas. 6. He must help people in distress. 7. He must be a good worker. 8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits. 9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation’s laws. 10. The Cowboy is a patriot.
6. Almost 70 years after the last Gene Autry western, he is better known to later generations as a singer. His remastered vintage recordings of “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” remain very popular holiday standards into the 21st century.
7. During World War II, when Gene Autry left Republic Pictures to join the U.S. Army, he was the only officer allowed to wear cowboy boots with his uniform.
8. Gene Autry was nominated for a Best Music, Original Song Oscar® for 1941’s Ridin’ On A Rainbow.
9. Gene Autry was the first owner of the Los Angeles Angels MLB baseball team.
10. The town of Gene Autry, Oklahoma, was named in his honor, as was the Gene Autry precinct in Mesa, Arizona.
Check out Gene Autry‘s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
Saturday morning with Roy and Gere were great. The singing cowboys will never come back, they lived by a different code.
Hey George…..good point. I agree with you 100% the singing cowboys will never come back. About 35 years ago, Tom Berenger played a singing cowboy in Rustler’s Rhapsody….but that one died at the box office. I think the only other singing cowboy in the last 30 years was Tim Blake Nelson in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs…..but he does not last long in that movie. Good feedback.