Television
The Gene Autry Show
Ransom Cross
Flying A Pictures
Season 3, Episode 13 (3-13)
Production #73
Network: CBS
Running Time: 30 minutes
Black and White
Original Air Date:
Tuesday, October 6, 1953
Sponsor: Wrigley's Doublemint Chewing Gum
Brief Synopsis:
When thieves steal an archeological treasure, Sheriff Gene Autry rides to the rescue and battles the crooks for the ancient relic.
Detailed Synopsis:
Archaeologists Bonnie West and Jonathan Diggers find the long-sought "The Cross of Wealth," the last of a series of ten valuable ancient Spanish pieces representing the Ten Commandments. Bonnie is so concerned about the safety of the cross that she asks jack-of-all-trades Pat Buttram to put it in the safe until she and her partner get on the train headed back East. Pat is responsible for many jobs, including station agent, mailman, timekeeper, and wheel tester, and wears a different hat for each one. Eastern confidence man Ron Corness learns of the discovery and plots to steal the cross and hold it for ransom. His heavies, Ed and Matt, force Pat to open the safe while a runaway train distracts everyone else. After stopping it, Sheriff Gene Autry realizes that the train was a distraction and races back to fight the thieves, during which Ed drops the cross into a water barrel. Gene arrests Ed without knowing the cross' whereabouts. Because only he and Matt know the cross is in the barrel, Corness proceeds with the ransom plot. Bonnie would rather pay the $10,000 than lose the cross, but Gene is intent on recovering it without paying the ransom. Through a clever ruse, Gene allows Ed to "escape" from jail to confront Corness. During the fight that follows, Ed betrays the location of the cross and Corness and Matt are captured after Gene chases them from the station platform onto a racing train.
Cast:
| Character: | Performer: |
| Gene Autry | Gene Autry |
| Pat Buttram | Pat Buttram |
| Bonnie West | Gail Davis |
| Ron Corness | Robert Lowery |
| Matt | Terry Frost |
| Ed | Rusty Wescoatt |
| Jonathan Diggers | John Hamilton |
| Engineer | Tom London |
| Townsman | Bob Woodward |
| Champion | Champion, World's Wonder Horse |
Songs:
| None | None |
Crew:
| Executive in charge of Production |
Armand Schaefer |
| Directed by | William Berke |
| Producer | Louis Gray |
| Screenplay | Robert Schaefer & Eric Freiwald |
| 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 |
