Indian Territory

I like all of Gene's movies.

But this one has a glaring historical error.

He sings "Chattanooga Shoeshine Boy" which was published in 1950.

Problem is, the setting of this movie is set sometime in the 1870's, 80 years before the song was written.

Oh well, a minor detail .

I suppose the writers paid little attention to accuracy when it came to Gene's singing and his tendency to interrupt the story line to entertain us with some music.

But as a former history teacher and historical buff, it is disconcerting to me to watch this play out in a movie as I try to enjoy it.

At any rate I will continue to enjoy Autry's westerns.

Set during the Reconstruction Era, the story finds Autry working as an undercover agent for the U. S. cavalry. His mission: to neutralize a former Austrian army officer named Curt Raidler (Phil Van Zandt), who is leading a group of renegade Indians on a series of destructive raids.

There's a fair share of fistfights, galloping action and shootouts as well as the songs, which keeps things interesting amidst the lumbering pace and the mediocre execution. Gene Autry does what he does, croon and draw his guns, but James Griffith as Apache Kid steals the show. He was very underrated actor who is an expert in playing slippery characters.

Indian Territory comes right at the beginning of the paranoid Fifties as Gene Autry is pitted against a megalomaniacs Austrian bent on establishing an empire in our southwest. And he's going to use the Indians to do it. Is there no end to the dastardly schemes that movie villains have?

Phil Van Zandt plays the Austrian late Confederate raider and formerly of his Imperial Majesty Franz Joseph's Hussars replete with monocle and German accent. But he's not doing this alone. He's got James Griffith playing the Apache Kid, a most charismatic fellow, a mixed racial individual that the Indians do listen to.

Autry's on detached duty from the army to do this and has a running feud with Lieutenant Kirby Grant for rancher's daughter Gail Davis. It would have been nice to have given Grant a song here as the future Sky King of radio and television had a good singing voice as well. Would that were all that was wrong with the film.

The Indians, the young ones are made out as pretty stupid, of course not as stupid as the old ones who Autry gets to take care of the younger ones who are enamored of the Apache Kid.

But a megalomaniacs Austrian bent on conquest. Just where did they get the idea for that villain?

One challenge which these "singing cowboy" movies face is how the music fits in. In this case, I would say "tolerably." I also expect some comic relief, which Pat Buttram adequately provides here. Sorry, but James Griffith does not meet my expectation of an "old west" character. The storyline has Gene helping investigate Indian raids on a supply route. It's clarified that this is contrary to Indian conduct and that these renegades are led by a man who's half-white, working for a caucasian Austrian. Simultaneously, a cattleman and his daughter encounter difficulties settling in the area. When it comes to top-notch Autry movies, however, this is NOT an example.

In a sense, I agree with the previous reviewer. James Griffith is horribly miscast as an Indian. He's too tall, and too old to be classified as a "kid" (with a die-job and the proper makeup, Dick Jones would have been much better in the role). That said, this is one of the best Autry films, mainly due to the added action (outlaws actually get shot and die, instead of roped or getting their gun shot out of their hand). Most of Autry's movies were horribly benign, but this one is not. Even James Griffith gives us his best, even if he is miscast. Gene does some fine singing in this one, notably Chattanoogie Shoeshine Boy. Green Acres alum Pat Buttram is on hand, along with lovely Gail Davis. A good one.