Radio Ranch (DVD)

A thundering horde of mounted soldiers from a secret subterranean city strikes terror into the hearts of simple western ranchers. Some say they are just a myth, but radio star Gene Autry capitalizes on the legends by basing his weekly radio adventure on their exploits. A band of his loyal teen-age fans are convinced that the stories are true, and they form a secret club to investigate them. What they discover sparks their idol, Gene Autry, into action against the underground cult.

Radio Ranch is a feature-length version of Gene Autry's hit 1935 serial, The Phantom Empire. With robots, ray guns and remote control video, the subterranean army gives this traditional western a Buck Rogers science fiction twist. When the serial was originally produced, 27 year old Gene Autry was already a household name. Over the years, Autry's fame and wealth grew as he became an incredibly popular singer, songwriter, actor, comic book character and TV show performer and producer. He was the first person to win a gold record, the first to sell a million copies, the first to get five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1961 he bought the newly-created Los Angeles Angels baseball team, and served as owner until 1987 when he sold them to the Disney Corporation, one short year before he died.

• western