The Old Corral

It is fun to watch this old movie and see a young Roy Rogers as well as Gene Autry. Sure, by today's standards it is corny, but that is a lot of the fun. Plus, it is a history lesson of autos and buses of the time.

I like to guess where the outdoor scenes were done. Looks like some Lone Pine background in much of it. The music is uncomplicated and harmonic whichseems unappreciated today.

Another fun aspect of this era of Westerns is the blending of "modern" technology with the old west. A curious technical "error" can be seen when the brothers are behind bars in jail with their guns on.

"The Old Corral" has most of what you could ask for in one of these old Westerns, with good action and interesting characters, as well as the variety entertainment that you expect in a Gene Autry feature. It has Autry as a sheriff having to contend with a family of outlaws at the same time that he is trying to protect a woman on the run, and while the plot often lacks credibility, it's entertaining and moves at a good pace. Besides Autry, it has Smiley Burnette in one of his usual roles, and the supporting cast features brief appearances by Lon Chaney, Jr., Roy Rogers, and Edward Platt - quite an assortment. Certainly there's nothing remarkable here, but it's good entertainment that most fans of older Westerns will find enjoyable.

Only a year after starring in the action serial THE PHANTOM EMPIRE, Gene Autry was already a singing cowboy star. In this film he costars with sidekick Smiley Burnette and a young Roy Rogers, who does not get individual billing but is grouped along with the Sons of the Pioneers. A highpoint of this film is Good Guy Gene ordering Bad Guy Roy to yodel at gunpoint! Also in the movie is a young (29) Lon Chaney as the manager of a gambling hall who shows a very wide yellow streak when some big city gangsters decide to muscle in. Don't worry, Gene and Smiley will save the day and have time to sing a few songs too.

This is a great Autry outing with a very young 24? year old Leonard Slye with the newly formed Sons of the Pioneers. One of the most beautiful of the Pioneers recordings is here "Silent Trails" to this fan a better song than "Tumbling Tubleweeds" or "Cool Water." The exterior scenes were the oft-used Iverson Ranch, very recognizable by the chase roads and rock formations. The town scenes were the Republic Studios western set which i think was new at this 1936 time frame. It became in the 1960's CBS Studio Center, back lot location for Gunsmoke, Big Valley, Cimmaron Strip and other westerns of the time. As far as Old Corral is concerned its a fine movie, some say hokey but not this fan. I'd rather see these than some newer westerns. Autry and the pioneers, Smiley and the rest are fine in the film. Only bad stuff to this fan were Oscar and Elmer, who I guess were maybe a radio duo or something similar at the time. Could have done without those two. They were in a couple of Autry films.

"The Old Corral" became famous for its fight scene between Gene Autry and his future competitor at Republic, Roy Rogers, known at that time as Dick Weston. Rogers was part of the Sons of the Pioneers musical group featured in Autry's pictures. In this film, they play highwaymen (overland bus robbers) who also known how to warble a tune. While most of them are captured and put in jail, young Weston gets away and Autry has to go after him, not only for the robbery but because the group needs his harmony. After he is subdued, Autry asks him to yodel. Rogers then learns why he was captured. In the next scene, the group is shown singing "Silent Trail," a moving ballad about the passing of the old West. The sincere expressions on their faces as they sing compliments their harmonious treatment. They always gave their songs a bit more class than the usual "hillbilly" groups Autry had in his films, who had been taken from the National Barn Dance radio show.