[2] The approximately two-year interruption resulted from Autry's enlistment in the United States Army to serve in World War II.

[5] In its early years the show was broadcast live before a studio audience from the CBS Columbia Square KNX Playhouse at Sunset and Gower in Hollywood[6] and preserved on acetate disc.

An item in the January 1, 1940, issue of Broadcasting magazine reported that the program "will feature Gene Autry, singing cowboy, and dramatics" and that it would be carried on 67 CBS stations.

Centering on the talent and popularity of the star, singing cowboy Gene Autry, each episode of the program "consisted of a Western adventure interspersed with interludes of music.

Autry told his listeners that his broadcasts were coming directly from his home, Melody Ranch, in the San Fernando Mountains.

[2]An article in Movie-Radio Guide in 1941 gave a couple of examples of plots used on the show: "Sometimes they're initiating an eastern tenderfoot visiting the ranch; sometimes they're saving the school teacher and her children trapped in a ring of fire.

Autry's Flying A Ranch, where the famous cowboy kept his rodeo stock, was located adjacent to the town that was, at the time, known as Berwyn.

At the time, the population of the newly re-christened town was around 300 people, according to Mary Schutz, director of programs and publicity at the Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum there.

[18] Three weeks later, on Sunday, December 7, 1941, from the CBS KNX Playhouse, Studio C, in Hollywood, the live broadcast of the Melody Ranch program was delayed for a 15-minute news update regarding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which had commenced some six hours earlier in the morning at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian Time.

The 45 minute format continued on into 1942 with a second drama added as the theme of the program quickly changed to support the war effort.

The other notable episode came July 26, 1942, when Autry took his oath of office to join the United States Army Air Forces during that day's broadcast of the Melody Ranch program[21][22] which originated from the CBS WBBM Playhouse, Studio 10, in Chicago.

In mid 2009, at the age of 93, Virginia recalled Gene Autry and his Melody Ranch show in an Out of the Past interview by Chuck Langdon and Lee Shephard.

[30] With World War II having ended, Gene Autry's Melody Ranch returned to the airwaves on September 23, 1945 as a 15-minute program,[31] going to a 30-minute format on July 16, 1946.

In late 1955 or early 1956 the Melody Ranch program was reduced to 25 minutes to make room for a five-minute news update.

Carl Cotner, the Cass County Boys, Johnny Bond, Pat Buttram, and announcer Charlie Lyon continued to the end.

Offered through the Autry Museum of the American West, the DVD for each film includes excerpts from or else a complete Melody Ranch radio show.

[6] In another example, the Ridin' on a Rainbow DVD, the complete show of March 23, 1941 from the CBS KNX Playhouse in Hollywood is included - Opening Theme: "Sing Me a Song of the Saddle", "Wonder Valley" by Autry, "Me and My Burro" by Jimmy Wakely Trio, "My Little Cow Pony" by Mary Lee, Drama: "Crazy Sanders at Demon Lake", "You Tell Me Your Dream, I'll Tell You Mine" by Autry, Closing Theme: "Sing Me a Song of the Saddle", plus the Doublemint gum pitches.

The weekly 60-minute Melody Ranch program aired in color Saturday evenings and continued through the years into 1973 with summer reruns beginning in 1971.