Winning of the West

"Winning of the West" is one of the last Gene Autry films. It also happens to be one of the last Smiley Burnette films as well. Because of this, both actors are a bit older. Does it mean that the film is less good than most of their films?

When the story begins, you learn that several so-called 'Protective Associations' are using the old shakedown on folks out west. In other words, if miners or ranchers don't pay up, they are attacked by raiders. Gene is appointed a ranger but he soon loses his badge when he fails to bring in one of the baddies....who turns out to be Gene's brother! Can Gene manage to put this aside and do his duty or will the brother continue his life of crime? And what about Selby, the guy who Gene's brother works for....can Gene stop him as well?

The plot involving the brother is quite predictable. B-western fans will know exactly where the story will go, as this isn't too uncommon a western cliche...the good guy who has a brother who's gone bad. Despite this, it's a decent film....better than I expected so late in Autry's career.

It's interesting that the baddie, Art Selby, is played by Robert Livingston. This is because up until later in his career, Livingston was known for playing heroes...such as in the Three Mesquiteers series. Here, he's evidently gone bad! Also, in most films, Smiley is pretty useless and is strictly in the film to sing and be a dopey sidekick. I appreciate this one as he isn't useless at all and even manages to shoot two raiders who are attacking the stage coach. As for Gene, he doesn't hit any of them. Way to go, Smiley!

Robert Livingston is running a local protection racket, which newspaper editor William Forrest writes about. Livingston sends Richard Crane to kill him, which he does. Territorial ranger Gene Autry could have stopped it by killing Crane, but didn't because Crane is his brother. For that, he is drummed out of the Rangers, and goes to work for Gail Davis, Forrest's daughter, as protection. Smiley Burnette is already on hand as the paper's factotum.

As he entered his last year of film stardom -- Autry was already starring in television --his vehicles were obviously B western plots, raised a bit by good production values and enough writing to ornament the stories decently. Autry and Burnette sing a total of four songs, and George Archainbaud's economical handling of the shoot keeps things rolling along. Burnette not only offers his usual agreeable clowning, but is the main character for the first reel and a half before Autry shows up.

In this western Gene Autry is a Texas Ranger who gets fired from the force because during a shootout where crusading editor William Forrest is killed, Gene doesn't fire at the shooter because he recognizes his outlaw brother Richard Crane.

There was a lot of sibling rivalry in the Autry clan and Crane resents his goody two shoes brother.

Things go bad on the romantic level for Gene also. Gail Davis is Forrest's niece and she's on Gene's case until the fade out.

This gang Gene is after is a real treat to law and order. They have a diversified operation. Cattle rustling for the ranchers, gold shipment robberies for the miners. And general mayhem all around.

Winning Of The West is really too grandiose a title for a B western. This is not too much different from the westerns Autry was cranking out for his television series at the same time. Also the script and direction could have used some improvement here.

This Autry western was released at the start of the last year Gene made feature-length movies, 1953, and both he and the genre look tired. We're at least 10 to 12 minutes into the film before the star makes his initial appearance, and nearly all of the time prior to his arrival is taken up by Smiley Burnette's hamming it up while he's the one center stage. The director always needed to keep Burnette on a tight rein to prevent his running off with Autry movies; apparently this one didn't do that.

Gene Autry had a way of knowing when he had a good vehicle to work in, and when it was mediocre or a dud, and he doesn't seem to have his heart in this one. Not only does the actor playing his brother look nothing like Autry, but his performance is rather lifeless, too.

Add to that the fact that the musical interludes tend to slow down the action instead of advancing the plot, and that the stunting in the fight scenes is poorly done (it's imprecise and half-hearted), and you have a movie that it's just hard to get into -- even for a lifelong Gene Autry fan like myself. Not one of the better offerings from late in his career.

This later film from the singing cowboy's career boasts good writing and is further aided by the presence of the great Smiley Burnette. Gene takes on a protection racket, murderers and a wayward kid brother. Along the way, he croons a few tunes and Smiley gets to sing & clown around as comic relief.

This film was not especially noteworthy, but the teaming of Autry, Smiley and Gail Davis was an enjoyable combination. Bob Livingston also appears in this pretty standard Autry film. The action was nicely done, but more action scenes would have been preferable.

This one is average, but Autry fans should enjoy it.