El agente 001

Dale Robertson presents this modest animated western with songs from United Screen Arts about post-Civil War "land grabbers" in 1860s California buying up all the property cheap before the government can use it to connect the East-to-West railroad, including land wrestled from innocent Settlers. The government, having sent out a senator to investigate the dirty doings, hires a bucolic trouble-shooter (voiced by Robertson) to come to the rescue after the senator disappears. Potentially interesting idea from writer-director David Detiege (who allegedly had a great deal of uncredited help) is loaded down with 'cute' asides to hold the attention of matinee audiences, such as a newborn colt saved from a mountain lion by a dog and a skunk, also a Chinese orphan girl named Stormy (voiced by Barbara Jean Wong) who talks and prays in pidgin English. The songs (worked on by an uncredited Henry Mancini) are pleasant, as are the familiar voices of Verna Felton, Edgar Buchanan and Ross Martin; the plot, however, is never given much of a chance to emerge. *1/2 from ****

"Balto," "Sarah," this - what is it about animated movies with live-action openings that dooms them to failure ("The Phantom Tollbooth" and "The Pagemaster" notwithstanding)? Dale Robertson, voice of "The Man From Button Willow" ("presented" by the man, who also shares credit for songs) introduces the movie with an explanation of what it's about: with the railroads expanding west, some unscrupulous types tried to take advantage of the situation by buying up the necessary land and selling it back at a profit. The Government sent Senate investigators to put a stop to this, and government agents like the title Button Willow man to put a stop to any subterfuge.

All of which could have made for a decent movie, had it not been for writer-director David Detiege shooting himself in both feet and chopping them off for good measure by devoting far, far too much time (about two-thirds of the movie) to our hero's home life... he lives on a ranch with his sidekick Sorry and adoptive Japanese daughter Stormy. And lots of animals. And we even get a song or two. This sub-Disney drivel is not the kind of thing the audience wants, especially as it has nothing to do with the main story; it makes the movie look padded out from a half-hour TV show (not impossible, given the OK but far from A-grade animation).

When the movie does get down to business it improves, but not enough to keep this from being a waste of time - nice Howard Keel song though. (And note: the end credits for the print I saw have been changed a bit to reflect a 1975 re-release.) When this ended, I caught part of "The Wild Thornberrys" - now that's decent cartooning.