Water Rustlers (1939) Director: Samuel Diege Studio: Grand National Pictures Starring: Dorothy Page, Dave O’Brien, Vince Barnett, Stanley Price, Karl Hackett, Horace Murphy Release Date: January 7, 1939 Runtime: 59 minutes Format: Black-and-white, sound Country: United States Language: English Genres: Western | Action | Drama Summary: When ruthless ranchers try to seize control of a vital water supply in the drought-stricken West, heroine Shirley Martin stands against them to defend her family’s land. With the help of her allies, she uncovers the plot, faces off against violent rustlers, and proves that courage and determination can triumph over greed. Background: Water Rustlers is one of the few Westerns to feature a female lead at its center. Dorothy Page, nicknamed “The Singing Cowgirl,” headlined a trio of films in the late 1930s that attempted to bring a woman’s perspective to the traditionally male-driven Western genre. Produced by Grand National Pictures, a small Poverty Row studio, the movie was shot quickly and economically but gave Page a distinctive place in B-Western history. Trivia: Dorothy Page was marketed as “The Singing Cowgirl”, a female counterpart to the singing cowboys popular at the time like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. This film is part of a short series of Page’s Westerns, alongside The Singing Cowgirl (1938) and Ridin’ the Dusty Trail (1939). Grand National Pictures folded not long after, making the film one of its last releases. Although largely forgotten, Water Rustlers remains significant for challenging gender roles in Western cinema of the 1930s. Hashtags: #WaterRustlers #DorothyPage #SingingCowgirl #ClassicWestern #GrandNationalPictures #1930sHollywood #PovertyRowCinema