Autry fans should be aware that, although the disc bears the name of
Gene Autry as the artist, it's really more a collection of
Mary Lee performances containing a few duets with
Autry than the other way around.
Autry, in fact, only appears on six of the songs; one of these, "Carry Me Back to the Lone Prairie," is about the strongest (and most western-sounding) performance. Lee was a teenage actress who made nine films with
Autry, which naturally gave her the chance to sing, both solo and with
Autry, on screen. There are 16 tracks from 1939-41, taken from the films themselves (there's an additional cut with dialogue only)...The package is well-annotated and so forth, but really advised more for
Autry or Lee lovers. ~ Richie Unterberger