Prairie Gunsmoke

"Prarie Gunsmoke" is an entertaining adventure released by Columbia Pictures that conforms to most B-western parameters, including brevity at under an hour. The story is plausible and moves along at breakneck speed with fistfights galore, speeding horse and rider scenes, and frequent gunplay; one wonders how it all doesn't seem over-the-top! There is an undercurrent of mystery, as well, and the musical score is gentle and unobtrusive.

Wild Bill carries the name Hickock in this one, but that really doesn't mean much here, nor does the title of the film, as the prairie seems long away from here. Wild Bill is his usual resolute heroic self and Tex Ritter lends his help, including offering a couple of songs that are, happily, not too intrusive to the program. However, Frank Mitchell's Cannonball does get carried away with excessive slapstick antics that one might wish which were a little toned down.

In closing, this tidy little action gem is spunky and confident and will satisfy Bill Elliott fans in particular and many B-western fans in general.