Plot: Curt is accused of being involved in a series of robberies, but he suspects the real outlaw is the boss of a medicine show.
Starring:
Ken Curtis
Jennifer Holt
Guy Kibbee
The Hoosier Hotshots
Ken Trietsch
Hezzie Trietsch
Gil Taylor
Charles "Gabe" Ward
Guinn "Big Boy" Williams
Noel Neill
Holmes Herbert
The De Castro Sisters
Babette De Castro
Cherie De Castro
Peggy De Castro
Art West and His Sunset Riders
John Cason
George Cheseboro
Steve Clark
Jim Diehl
Herman Hack
Frank LaRue
Nolan Leary
Jock Mahoney
Bud Osborne
Julian Rivero
Syd Saylor
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Storyline Roundup (note: SPOILERS)
The Hoosier Hotshots (a quirky music group), their sister Carolyn (Holt), and a girl named Taffy (Neill) all work in Dr. Henderson's medicine show, but bad luck seems to follow them everywhere. In each town they perform in, a robbery is committed—and then, once they leave town, they themselves are robbed of their earnings.
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| Carolyn, Taffy, and the Hotshots being held up. |
All the others who work in the show, including Dr. Henderson (Herbert), are too scared to fight back. After the latest holdup, Carolyn straps on a gun and prepares for the next time.
When the Hotshots go to water their team of horses, they have the misfortune of running the wagon into the waterhole.
Cowboy Curt Mason (Curtis) rides up and informs them that they are breaking the law by contaminating the waterhole. Curt's late father was successful rancher, and Curt is following in his footsteps. With him on a cattle drive are Biscuits (Kibbee) and Big Boy Jackson (Williams).
Carolyn is angry with Curt when she arrives and finds the Hotshots cleaning out the waterhole at his command. She thinks he is forcing them to do his work, so she pulls out her firearms and keeps Curt and Big Boy in line while the Hotshots escape.
Curt and his bunch finish their cattle drive in peace, arriving in town the same time as the medicine show. Curt, Biscuits, and Big Boy go to watch the show, alarming the Hotshots, who spot them in the audience and proceed to take refuge under one of the medicine show wagons. Dr. Henderson coaxes them out so they can play for the square dance.
Taffy and Big Boy take a shine to each other and begin dancing, but Carolyn is still in full-on attack mode where Curt is concerned.
Leaving Big Boy and Biscuits to enjoy the dance, Curt goes to the bank to collect the payroll for his cowboys. But he finds himself in the middle of a holdup, and after being knocked unconscious and left in front of the bank with money in his pockets, he is accused of being one of the robbers!!! Luckily, before he is lynched, Big Boy and Biscuits come to his rescue, snatching him up and taking him out of town.
The next morning they hear gunfire and go to see what it is about. They find the medicine show, once again being held up. They chase off the outlaws. (This seems to put Curt and Carolyn on slightly better terms.) The medicine show folks agree to let Curt, Big Boy, and Biscuits travel with them to the next town. Curt suspects the outlaws are in cahoots with the medicine show, and he wants to recover his money and clear his name.
At the next town, Nueva Vista, Curt and his buddies decide to lay low to avoid attracting attention from the law . . . . But it turns out that the Hotshots are the ones to get in trouble when money is found stashed in their wagon. They are arrested.
Carolyn rushes to Curt for help, who then devises a plan to trap the outlaws. Using a disguise, Curt emancipates the Hotshots. His plan goes in action when the medicine show begins, and with the help of the local banker (Leary), Curt is able to prove who the real outlaw leader is—Dr. Henderson!
And so, as usual, the movie ends with everyone except the bad guys happy and singing.
Note: It can't be said that any of the "singing cowboy" movies Ken Curtis made for Columbia Studios had exceptional storylines or great acting; Over the Santa Fe Trail is, unfortunately, one of the poorest quality of the bunch, mostly consisting of a long chase scene, then a number by the Hoosier Hotshots, then Curt not being heroic, then a long chase scene, etc., with the skin of a plot stretched over it.
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Songs:
You're in Style When You're Wearing a Smile (written by Albert W. Brown, Gus Kahn and Egbert Van Alstyne) (performed by the Hoosier Hotshots)
Hi-Yo Texas (written by Ken Curtis and Lee Penny) (sung by Ken Curtis)
"Keep A-Movin'" (unknown) (Art West and His Sunset Riders?)
Dr. Henderson's Compound (written by Fleming Allen) (performed by Noel Neill)
Fire Ball Mail (written by Fred Rose) (sung by Noel Neill and Art West and His Sunset Riders)
Dark-Eyed Latin Maid (performed by the De Castro Sisters)
Sing Me a Song of Nonsense, Pocketful of Love (music by Hoagy Carmichael, lyrics by Stanley Adams) (performed by The Hoosier Hotshots)
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Over the Santa Fe Trail is a 1947, Columbia Pictures Production
63 minutes running time
Director: Ray Nazarro
Producer: Colbert Clark
Screenwriter: Louise Rosseau
Story By: Eileen Gary
Cinematographer: George F. Kelley
Editor: Robert Hoover
Set Decorations: William Kiernan
Art Direction: Charles Clague
Musical Director: Paul Mertz