News Archive: 2005

Gene Autry Feature Film
Digital Restoration Project Completed

Studio City, CA – August 5, 2005. Gene Autry Entertainment and Encore Westerns Channel are pleased to announce the completion of the Gene Autry Feature Film Digital Restoration Project. Over the last five years, all 89 of the Singing Cowboy's films have been painstakingly pieced together from Gene Autry's personal film archive by RPG Productions using the latest digital technology. The films span three decades of movie making ranging from the 1935 Republic Pictures release Tumbling Tumbleweeds to the 1953 Columbia Pictures release Last of the Pony Riders. Re-mastered for the digital age, the movies are beautiful in their audio and visual presentation, bringing Gene Autry and his trademark singing, action, and humor to televisions across the land exclusively on the Westerns Channel.

The final batch of films was especially challenging due to missing film elements or source material that was particularly problematic due to age, excessive use, or poor quality of the prints. With a combination of alternate elements gathered from far and wide, including from Gene's fans and collectors, and the latest in film preservation technology, RPG Productions turned in the final film masters in July. These musical Westerns, including The Strawberry Roan and The Last Round-Up, will be premiering on the Westerns Channel now through the end of the year.

The goal of the Gene Autry Feature Film Digital Restoration Project was to restore Gene's films to their original theatrical release length and include all the musical performances and action sequences that had been cut from the negatives for television broadcast some forty years ago. Of the 89 digitally restored features, two have been re-mastered except for a few minutes of missing footage: Oh, Susanna! and Ride, Ranger, Ride. Gene Autry Entertainment continues to search the globe for the missing footage and so that these remaining titles will be restored to their original theatrical length.

If you would like to subscribe to the Westerns Channel, please see their website for details.

Gene Autry's digitally restored feature films and episodes of The Gene Autry Show are exclusive to Encore Westerns. Stay tuned for more World Television Premiere dates.

PLEASE NOTE: Air dates and times are subject to change. Please check the Westerns Channel website for confirmation.

August 2005

September 2005

October 2005

Previously premiered digitally restored Gene Autry films will air on Sundays and Wednesdays.

November 2005

December 2005

PLEASE NOTE: Air dates and times are subject to change.  Please check the Westerns Channel website for confirmation.