Last of the Pony Riders

"Last of the Pony Riders" is a milestone film. It is the last feature film for both Gene Autry and his sidekick, Smiley Burnette. Gene did go on to make a TV show, a made for TV film in the 1980s and Smiley was a frequent supporting character on "Petticoat Junction" and "Green Acres"...but their feature films were over after this one.

The story is about the Pony Express...a very famous failures in American history. This service allowed folks to send letters across America and the letters were carried by very young (and foolish) guys who rode relay style. It was expensive AND dangerous....and soon became completely unnecessary with the advent of the coast to coast telegraph system.

We know now that the Express was a bad idea, as it only lasted about 18 months....but in the film Gene also sees that its days are numbered. Unfortunately, Gene's boss (who owns this portion of the Express route) cannot see the future and they spend the film squabbling. What makes this disagreement worse are folks who want to steal the stagecoach and Express from them.

This film also features Dickie Moore. Moore was the voice of Pinocchio for Disney but in the 40s and 50s, he was also very popular in B-westerns....both as a kid and as a young and handsome adult.

So is this film any good? Yes. It's pretty much what you'd expect from an Autry film....solid and entertaining but also not a film you'll long remember as well.

Pony Express line rider Gene Autry realizing the changes that will soon come with the new invention of the telegraph, announces his plans to leave the company and start his own stage line to capture what will be a newly created freight and bulk mail business. When he offers his boss, Pony Express Agent owner Tom McEwen (John Downey) a full partnership in the new venture, he is abruptly fired because of his perceived disloyalty. Seizing upon the opportunity, corrupt local banker Clyde Vesey and his henchmen (Howard Wright, Arthur Space and Gregg Barton) try to hasten the demise of the Pony Express and capture the new mail contract for themselves by sabotaging the mail runs of Express Rider Johnny Blair (Dickie Jones).

Progress, change and advancing technology was a dominant theme in the later post-war Autry Westerns and never more so than in this movie . After watching Last of the Pony Riders it's evident it was a skillfully engineered allegorical tale and ride into the big screen sunset for Gene. Employing a screenplay by never before used writer Ruth Woodman, it's a crafted parable mirroring Gene's real life and a decision on whether to stick with the past, a very successful past, or embrace an imminent future. Gene had walked a fine line when he began filming his own television series between alienating his relationship with movie distributors and theater owners or accepting the changing entertainment landscape that the new medium of television would create. The same type relationship that Gene's character in this movie has with the Pony Express and a new economic future created by the telegraph.

Pony Riders was the end of the silver screen trail for Gene. Unlike a lot of his contemporaries who limped out under the strain of ever declining budgets, Gene owning his own production company was able to finish on a high note. Gene was in the third year of his television series and this picture employed a lot of Autry TV regulars. It also brings back sidekick Smiley Burnette who Autry began his starring film run with almost twenty years before. It was good to see Gene and Smiley get in one last duet before signing off.

Last of the Pony Riders is an entertaining movie in it's own right but also worth watching to see the the last B-Western made by one of the pioneers of the genre.

Good, strong story line lifts this final Autry programmer above the usual. Just as in real life, Gene sees a good business opportunity where others don't-- in the movie it's stage-line mail delivery replacing the older, more limited pony express. But he can't convince his pony express employer to partner up in starting a stage-line. Still, Gene's a loyal cuss, and can't bring himself to ignore the express when bad guy rivals try to sabotage his former boss. There are more plot complications and character conflict than usual, probably reflecting a need to break away from old formulas.

Dick Jones makes an energetic express rider, even getting to passion-kiss Elizabeth Taylor look-alike Kathleen Case. Of course, by this time Gene's nearly 50 and looking understandably middle-aged, so the kids carry much of the plot. Two of the highlights-- the bucking bronco scene is very well done, while Gene's little singing duet with Burnette comes across as a delightfully fitting farewell to a memorable movie partnership.Also, I was kind of hoping that Gene, who started out as a telegrapher, would get a last scene working the telegraph. But maybe he didn't know his role here would be his final feature (the TV series ended in 1955). Anyway, this is not only an entertaining 60 minutes, but also an interesting and informative one as well. A quality final note for a much beloved performer and cowboy icon.

This final movie from America's favorite Cowboy has all the elements that made Gene Autry a legend. As always, the action, pacing and supporting cast are top-notch. It was nice to see Gene's longtime sidekick Smiley Burnette back in the saddle again in the final films of the series.

Even folks who are not fans of the singing cowboys will be entertained by Autry's homage to the Pony Express.

Autry's post-war films feature less music, more interesting story lines and appropriate budgeting. This film is no exception, ,mixing history, humor and action to create a fitting swan-song for Gene, Smiley and the World's Wonder Horse.