This was Roy Rogers' first starring vehicle for Republic Pictures, and it made him an instant hit, billed ever after as "King of the Cowboys".
This was originally scheduled as a Gene Autry vehicle (under the title "Washington Cowboy") but Roy Rogers was substituted into the lead role after a salary dispute between Autry and the Republic studios. Autry received no screen credit for the songs he had co-written for the picture (including the Oscar-nominated "Dust") and sued the studio, although the case was eventually settled out of court.