Gene Autry and The Mounties

When it comes to Gene Autry westerns I tend to approach them with some trepidation. Autry himself was a likable, low-key screen personality with an agreeable singing voice, a pleasant 'watch', unless the singing overwhelmed things to such an extent as to literally 'stop the show.' Happily, in "Gene Autry and the Mounties" it does not. A tightly scripted duster, "Mounties" has Gene and sidekick Pat Buttrum chasing some baddies led by Carleton Young into the Canadian rockies via the San Bernardino forest east of L.A. Along the way they assist a wounded Mountie (Richard Emory) who falls for the pretty girl who helps dress his wounds. (Elena Verdugo plays that pretty girl before moving on to be the title character of the early 50s TV sitcom "Meet Millie" and 1969/1976 reception nurse to "Marcus Welby.") Autry gets to play kindly mentor to a wayward- thinking youth (Jack Frasher) and Buttrum's sidekick silliness is mercifully kept to a sensible, almost minimalist level.

With its requisite fisticuffs and gun-play, the brisk direction of John English is complimented by the San Bernardino location nicely masquerading as the Canadian rockies. An unpretentious horse opera, this one should appeal to all B western junkies even if some of us aren't necessarily on board with its interpolated, overtly neo- conservative political moment.

Viewed as the lower half of a personally designed Columbia Pictures double bill headlined by the innocuous noir, "Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard", this was just the sort of film package I loved to see at the long, lost Granada Theatre, whose demise I have always lamented, along with the demise of the B picture programmer.

Ah yes, those were the days!

I guess the title says it all. Gene Autry And The Mounties finds Gene and sidekick Pat Buttram as US Marshals pursuing bank robbers across the Canadian border. Upon meeting with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police they learn that the guy they're chasing Carleton Young is wanted by the RCMP for much more than bank robbery.

Their are a lot of plot elements similar to the great Cecil B. DeMille film Northwest Mounted Police. Young is the right hand man of a charismatic Meti leader named Fontaine really Louis Riel. So it's Canadian politics that Gene and Pat get involved in.

The emphasis here is on action and Autry is limited to only one song in this film. Action there is a plenty as the megalomaniacal Young is determined to go down fighting.

Gene's fans should be pleased.

When the story begins, Gene and his sidekick (Pat Butram) are traveling from Montana to Canada. Why? Because Gene is a US Marshal and he's on the trail of a gang that has been robbing banks in the States and running to safety in Canada. But it seems the Canadians also have their hands full with these crooks, and the pair soon come upon some Mounties who are being attacked by the gang. One of the Mounties is killed and Gene explains to the Mounties who he is and why he's there. The trail leads to a woman and her very annoying brother...and they are related to one of the gang members and the brother idolizes the crooks! So, it looks like it's a job for good 'ol social worker Gene to set the boy straight...and capture the baddies.

The story is pretty unremarkable and the songs Gene sings are not among his best. Now this does not mean it's a bad film and Autry fans will like it...but it's not exactly one you should rush to see.

The movie does a good job of emulating western Canada using the San Bernardino forest east of LA. Gene and Pat are US Marshals crossing into Canada on the trail of French-accented robbers. This gets them tangled up with the niece (Verdugo) and nephew (Frasher) of one of the robbers, and the shifting allegiances that result.

It's a more complex plot than usual, plus Gene is not the romantic interest. Also, as a marshal, Pat's hijinks are kept at a minimum except for a hefty, amorous Indian woman. The shootout at the beginning is an eye-catcher, along with some hard riding and flying fists. Then too, that bang-up, or should I say burn-up, finale is a grabber. There's a couple low-key Autry tunes, but no big production numbers. Too bad gimlet-eyed Trevor Bardette (Duval) doesn't get more screen time since he's such a scary bad guy. Anyway, it's a trusted Autry mix, done up Canadian style.

A "7" on the matinée scale.