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A lot of fun as long as you're not expecting a traditional formula Western. There're more imaginative set-ups in this Republic oater than in most A-pictures. Catch the Light Crust Boys as they roll down the road, or the talking horse a couple decades before Mr. Ed, or a mustachioed Gene acting mean and nasty. No, there's no real plot, but the pace is brisk from one lively set-up to the next. And whose great idea was it to film at the new Texas state fair, a backdrop like no other. Those live panoramas are a taste of big screen pageantry before the big screen. All in all, it's a great little peek at popular history and Art Deco. Then too, catch the clever little spoof of movie-making and tyrannical studio heads. I love the movie love scene that immediately becomes a hate scene once the cameras stop rolling. I guess my one complaint is with the movie as a driver's manual-- Driving down the wrong side of a two-lane highway is not, I repeat Not, a good way to deliver lunch. Anyway, the diverse story elements are neatly combined into a highly entertaining 71 minutes, programmer or no programmer. Thanks Western Channel and Autry Enterprises for the full restoration.

The likable Gene Autry plays a dual role and has some good opportunities to use his variety of talents in this enjoyable B-Western. The story is light but entertaining, and it has some good musical numbers plus some comic relief from Smiley Burnette. The Texas Centennial setting also gives it some additional historical interest.

Autry plays both a bad-tempered movie star cowboy and his talented, good-natured stunt double, so the setup offers some good lighter moments in its look at the movie industry. The story starts with the stunt double filling in for the star at a public appearance, with numerous complications arising from there. Autry gets many opportunities to sing, and there are also some good action sequences.

Most of it works pretty well, because it generally allows Autry to use his strengths. Burnette also gets some good moments, and while the story is mostly used to showcase Autry and the other musical entertainment, it works too as a way of pulling things together.

"When cowboy star Tom Ford (Gene Autry) disappears, studio publicity man Wilson gets his double, Gene Autry, to impersonate him. Gene, posing as Ford and singing over the radio, is a sensation. Ford hears a broadcast, is peeved, and threatens to sue the studio. Meanwhile, a group of blackmailers demand $25,000 from the studio to keep quiet about the hoax," according to the DVD sleeve description. Autry attempting a dual role, the sometimes derivative (but pleasant) soundtrack, and a timely Texas Centennial location only give "The Big Show" a little bigness. It's nice to see the blinking, exasperated William Newell (as Lee Wilson) play a relatively large role, and odd to see Roy Rogers' profile (screen right, as one of the Sons of the Pioneers) in an Autry picture.

**** The Big Show (11/16/36) Mack V. Wright ~ Gene Autry, William Newell, Smiley Burnette, Kay Hughes

This was almost a guilty pleasure to like. Gene Autry plays.. Gene Autry, a stunt double for the famous cowboy Tom Ford in his movies. When Ford skips town to go fishing, his agent is in a pickle as Ford is scheduled to work the Texas National Exposition1 The agent gets a brilliant idea to send Autry instead, since they are EXACTLY alike. Well almost.. You see when Autry arrives in Dallas for the fair, he is caught singing and is put on the fair's radio for all to hear! This radio station is broadcast everywhere! Everyone hears it! The Hollywood studio where Ford works is amazed and wants to book singing cowboy pictures! Problem is.. Other people hear it too.. Like underworld types Ford owes money to and, well, Ford himself! Again, I have no idea why I found this as enjoyable as it was. Probably the main thing was the originality's of the darn thing. I mean, we find out how cowboy films are made! I wonder if Gene Autry, who is playing a stunt man, had a stunt man for his stunt scenes? (He risked life and death though, playing certain "danger" scenes in front of a laughably fake screen). I also loved the fact that they shot ½ the movie at the actual fair itself. I guess they had a wild west show there. LOVE the song he sings at the show when he sings about shooting his injured horse, Champion. I mean, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!

Mammoth Pictures star Tom Ford decides to go on vacation, but the studio's press agent Wilson needs to get ahold of him so he can make a scheduled appearance at the Texas Centennial in Dallas. The problem is solved when Wilson convinces Ford's stuntman, Gene Autry (Autry also doubles as Ford here), to go to the event impersonating Ford. The ruse works, but things go wrong when Autry decides to go on the radio singing, which Ford can not do. This ticks off Ford, who comes back to the studio to get Autry fired, but some gangsters are at the Centennial hoping to collect some of Ford's gambling debts from Autry. This film is good, but nothing more than a promo film for both the Centennial and Autry & the singing groups at Republic, as well as the studio itself. There are some pretty good action scenes at the beginning with Autry as the stuntman. Autry as Ford, however, doesn't convince anyone since his thespian abilities were never great (especially this early in his career). Fun to watch. Rating, based on B westerns, 7.