In Old Santa Fe

Bob Nolan's voice appeared in film before he did or any of the other Sons of the Pioneers did. You can hear the audio of Nolen singing, "As Long as I've Got My Dog" (aka "That's Why I Like My Dog") for Ken Maynard below. Maynard's singing voice was thin and weak, and Nolan’s robust voice was dubbed in. I understand that Nolen also sang "Because You Didn't Get a Girl" for Maynard in the same film, but it is not in my cut film.

Although Maynard may have written it, the composer of the song is unknown. Incidentally, a small part in this film introduced a young singer named Gene Autry, along with his partner, Smiley Burnette, to a public who loved Maynard. Before long, Autry himself was a star.

Ken Maynard as ‘Ken’ Kentucky
Evalyn Knapp as Lila Miller
Kenneth Thomson as Matt Corber
Wheller Oakman as Tracy
George Chesebro as Nick
George ‘Gabby’ Hayes as Cactus
H.B Warner as Charlie Miller
Gene Autry as Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette as Lester Burnette (uncredited)
Tarzan as Tarzan

As Long as I’ve Got My Dog
Someday in Wyoming
Mama Don’t Like Music
Down in Old Santa Fe
Because You Didn’t Get a Girl

Kentucky (Ken Maynard), also known as ‘Ken’, and his sidekick, Cactus (George "Gabby" Hayes), meet Lila Miller (Evalyn Knapp) when her car goes off the road and gets stuck. Lila's father, Charlie Miller (H. B. Warner), owns the dude ranch where Ken and Cactus intend to enter their prize horse Tarzan in a race. Two other men, Chandler and Tracy, have also arrived for the race. They are plotting to blackmail Charlie, who has a secret criminal past, for half of his gold mine and ranch operation earnings. Chandler also hopes that his blackmail scheme will force Charlie into granting him permission to marry Lila, who is showing a definite interest in Ken. Charlie refuses to be bullied, however, and claims he was innocent of the crime.

Before the race, Chandler and Tracy trick the gambling-prone Cactus into a wager in which Tarzan will be the prize if Ken loses the race. To ensure their victory, Tracy sets up a tripwire on the course, which injures Tarzan and allows Tracy to win the race. After he discovers the broken wire and suspects foul play, Ken refuses to give up his horse to Chandler. Shamed by his foolish behavior, Cactus vows to identify the saboteur, whose boot prints he discovers in the ground near the wire.

Meanwhile, Tracy double-crosses Chandler by robbing the ranch stagecoach carrying a shipment of Charlie's gold. During the robbery, the driver is killed. Ken, who is trying to catch the bandits, is jailed for the crime after Tracy implicates him to the sheriff. With the help of Cactus and Tarzan, Ken escapes from jail and arrives at the ranch just as Chandler shoots Tracy. Again, Ken is suspected of the killing. After Cactus arrives with proof that Tracy's boots match the prints found on the racecourse, Ken tricks Chandler into a confession by claiming he possesses a damning note left by Tracy.

The sheriff reveals to Chandler that Charlie came to him about the blackmail attempt and that, unknown to Chandler, whose real name is Monte Korber, Charlie had been pardoned of the earlier crime years before. With his reputation at last clear, Ken is free to court Lila, who has always loved him.