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Television
The Gene Autry Show

The Old Prospector

Flying A Pictures
Season 3, Episode 4 (3-04)
Production #59
Network: CBS
Running Time: 30 minutes
Black and White

Original Air Date:
Tuesday, August 4, 1953

Sponsor: Wrigley's Doublemint Chewing Gum

Brief Synopsis:

Gene saves a prospector from a gang of outlaws who believe the old man has found a gold mine.

Detailed Synopsis:

Gene Autry and Pat Buttram arrive in the town of Jasper just in time to prevent Les Wayland and Bill Daly from beating up Hard Luck Finny, a desert rat. Les and Bill claim that the old prospector took their money for a grubstake and disappeared. Finny is a harmless old man using fake maps and a gold nugget as evidence of a phony mine to secure money. Gene tries to get him a job with a mine-owner friend, but Finny is kidnapped. The heavies force him to take them to the mine he claims he found. Fortunately, Finny leaves a paper trail for Gene and Pat to follow. They rescue the old man, only to have the sheriff arrest him for swindling. The heavies break Finny out of jail and force him again to lead them to the non-existent mine. Once more, Pat and Gene come to the rescue and this time, the heavies are apprehended, and Hard Luck Finny sincerely promises to turn over a new leaf.


Cast:

Character: Performer:
Gene Autry Gene Autry
Pat Buttram Pat Buttram
Les Wayland Myron Healey
John Grimshaw Lyle Talbot
Bill Daly Terry Frost
Sheriff Ewing Mitchell
Hard Luck Finny Bernard Szold
Deputy Sandy Sanders
Champion Champion, World's
Wonder Horse

Songs:

I'm a Cow-Poke Pokin' Along Gene Autry

Crew:

Executive in charge
of Production
Armand Schaefer
Directed by George Archainbaud
Producer Louis Gray
Screenplay Milton J. Raison
Director of Photography William Bradford, A.S.C.
Film Editor Jack Wheeler
Musical Director Carl Cotner
Music Supervisor Irving Friedman
Musical Score Walter Greene
Assistant Director Stanley Neufeld
Recorded By Glen Glenn Sound Company

Watch a Clip from The Old Prospector: