Valley of Fire is a fairly gutsy title for this formula
Gene Autry western. This time, Autry plays the reform-minded mayor of a wide-open western town. The villain of the piece, Tod Rawlings (
Harry Lauter), decides to undermine Gene by convincing a band of disreputable miners to hijack a wagon train which is bringing mail-order brides into the community. Fortunately, the community's "good" miners thwart Rawling's plan and claim the brides for themselves (fear not: the ladies are more than willing to be claimed). One of Rawling's partners in crime is played by
Russell Hayden, who only a few months earlier had been the clean-cut hero of Lippert's "Four Star Western" series. Once again,
Gene Autry's feminine vis-a-vis in Valley of Fire is
Gail Davis, who went on to star in TV's
Annie Oakley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide