Jeep-Herders: The Movie

UPDATE IV: I won this original Jeep Herders Movie Poster on eBay the other day. It's a 40"x27" lobby poster. It came with a lobby card with a still shot from the movie. I plan to make a scan of it so I can get a digital copy printed for display:

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UPDATE III: Brian left this comment: "Thanks to the work of Eric Steadman at the Serial Squadron, Planet Picture’s “Jeep-Herders” (1946) has been restored and can now be seen in its entirety for free on youtube. See link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owUmWZIHJRUYou can also help support the preservation of serials by purchasing a DVD copy of the restored Jeep-Herders at the Serial Squadron website: http://www.serialsquadron.com"

A quick look through the movie on youtube and one of the jeeps looks to be a Ford GP MT Tug (6x6). There's also a Ford GP and what looks to be (based on the sides) the original Ford Pygmy.

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Last update April 12, 2018 -- UPDATE II: See some still shots from the filming that show a couple Ford GPs.

UPDATE: This post once contained information on the El Dorado Jeepherders jeep club and their association with the placer miner and his pan ornament. I have moved the that information to this link.

JEEP-HERDERS MOVIE:

In 1945, Planet Pictures, a new venture founded by two stuntmen, produced it's first movie: Jeep-Herders, a full-length movie shot in color on 16mm film. Planet PIctures' goal was to produce movies that could bypass theaters for play in schools and churches, as 16mm projectors were very common at the time and much cheaper than the 35mm projectors. In addition, there was growing interest in 16mm for large audiences, as an industrial film on 16mm was shown to a crowd of 6000 in 1945. (click on this link and scroll down a page).

1945 Article by Film World News

The plot of the movie was pretty pedestrian, "A wildcat oil outfit is seeking to take over the ranch belonging to Pop Martin and his son Bob and daughter Helen. Bob sends his ex-army pals a "stay-way" message, which brings them on the double. The WW II vets use their jeeps, first for a cattle roundup, and then to round up the gang of crooks, including the crooked family-lawyer Thatcher, brains of the gang."

At least one reviewer, Don Lee, found the movie tolerable, but not movie theatre quality. He wrote, "Jeep Herders deserves mention only because it is the first full-length film to be produced on 16mm. Corny plot and players okay for roadshow circuits, but definitely is not video fare [ed. meaning theatre worthy]. Fact film was in color didn't prove too much of a handicap, altho image was on contrasty side. Sixteen mm. sound isn't too hot, and in this case below par."

After distributing Jeep-Herders, Planet Pictures produced only one more movie before going out of business. I have yet to find an online copy of the movie.

It seems highly likely that this move ended up being the inspiration for the El Dorado Jeepherders jeep club, which in turn inspired the Albuquerque Jeepherders. More information on that here.