GENE AUTRY WESTERNS
by Boyd Magers
(Empire Publishing)
Posted August 28, 2007
Here is the book sure to please any western fan: an authoritative survey of Gene Autry's films drawn from material in the Autry archives. No one is better suited to have taken on this task than Boyd Magers, editor-publisher of Western Clippings magazine and an unrivaled expert in the field.
For each film you'll get a complete rundown of cast (including stuntmen), credits, synopsis, reviews, and photographs, as well as mini-bios of Gene's costars and directors. Magers' running text places each film in the context of Autry's career. But it's the production information that really sets this book apart, including shooting schedules, budgets, locations, and of course, songs, indicating composers and who performs each tune. In many cases there are quotes from Autry himself, as well as various colleagues whom Magers interviewed for this book.
A number of tables and appendices enumerate such topics as the number of times a sidekick or leading lady appeared with Gene, locations most frequently used, etc. Magers has also asked a number of major Western buffs to weigh in on their favorite Autry films. In addition to its obvious reference value, Gene Autry Westerns is fun to browse, but I'm sure it will be referred to as a definitive source for many years to come.
You can purchase an autographed copy of the book direct from the author for $49.00 ppd; write to Boyd Magers at 1312 Stagecoach Road SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123.
