Ride, Ranger, Ride

This Gene Autry film has two distinctions. First, it's one of the few westerns I've seen with TWO sidekicks--Max Terhune and Smiley Burnett. I've never seen this before and doubt I ever will again, as it's completely against the usual formula. Second, the film has the distinction for begin the most anti-American Indian film I've ever seen--and I've seen a lot.

The film begins with Gene and Max leaving the Texas Rangers and joining up to help the Cavalry. However, it soon becomes clear that the Colonel is a complete potato-head--with the brains to match. He loves the Indians and refuses to accept the idea that any of them could be in any way bad. Gene and Max (particularly Max) think the only good Indian is a dead one--and they are sure to say this again and again. In their estimation, Indians are an evil that needs purging--and they sound like they are about to go on some ethnic cleansing. So guess who is proved right in the end?! Aside from having a hate-filled and historically inaccurate script in regard to Indians, the film repeats the myth of the attack on the wagon train and circling the wagons--things that, despite being in films, didn't happen in the old west. An accurate view of the tribes would have been that SOME are pretty hostile and some are not--much like what you would say about any group of people. I don't say all this because I am Mr. Political Correctness but as a retired history teacher, I just like to see the facts straight. Overall, a stupid and terribly written film that is sure to ruffle a few feathers!

Although made in 1936, this film has the stodgy, choppy, primitive look of a B western of 1930 or 1931. I'm not particularly an Autry fan, but I've seen far better examples of his work than this. The script is forced, the "humor" involving an Indian repeatedly trying to scalp Frog (Smiley Burnette) to collect on a bet is not only unfunny but insulting and degrading, even for the 1930s. The songs are uninspired and leaden, Autry's delivery of both dialogue and lyrics are even more wooden than usual, and the tinny, uneven sound quality is reminiscent of the worst of PRC. Republic's westerns are usually much more technically proficient and accomplished, and director Joseph Kane has done far, far better work both before and after this film came out, so I'm not quite sure what the problem was with this picture, but it had more than its share of them. On the other hand, there's a somewhat exciting horse race, and Kay Hughes, as the girl fought over by rivals Autry and George J. Lewis, is ravishingly beautiful, much more so than many of Autry's other Republic leading ladies, and that goes a long way toward making up for the film's deficiencies, both technically and otherwise. But it's not quite enough to cover the fact that this picture is definitely one of Autry's weakest efforts. Skip it; you won't be missing much.

While Gene Autry, like Roy Rogers, is known for his Singing Cowboy westerns, not every such title carries the same elements in the same proportions. In some instances the song is notably deemphasized, bringing stunts and action to the fore, or maybe the narrative. That this one picture gives us two songs within the first five minutes says a lot, including not least about how direct and briskly paced the feature is. That goes as well for the fact that, before those first five minutes have ended, we're also informed in no uncertain terms that this tarries with horribly outdated racist notions about Native Americans - a fact only ever accentuated more thereafter, and even employed for comedic effect. Egads - it's not the best start for 'Ride, ranger, ride,' is it?

Solid writing in other regards should help to compensate for the unsavory flavors here. Indeed, there are some swell scene and story ideas on hand, and a little bit of cleverness. It's too bad that this is better about communicating its racism than it is about communicating its plot. Advancement of the narrative is meager next to poor attempts at humor (whether racist, or just otherwise falling flat), overbearing scenes of zip and zest and yelling, and tunes that in this case especially feel like empty filler, or an attempt to distract from wanting execution. Even scenes of action suffer as sped up footage is overused to try to foster artificial excitement. Moreover, while director Joseph Kane and the cast have demonstrated fine capability elsewhere, somehow in this instance the acting plainly struggles to feel authentic - from one to the next, it's either dull or overcooked, but never really on point.

All the ingredients are here for what should be another fun little western flick. Somewhere between the screenplay and the realization of it, however, all its best potential goes to waste, which would be bad enough without its worst aspects being brought front and center. Of all the features Autry made over his career, no few are pretty well made and enjoyable; I struggle to say the same of this one, as what light value it does have to offer is weighed against severe detractions. To be frank, there are far better movies you could be watching, and you don't need to spend time with this one. 'Ride, ranger, ride' - ride away, and never return.

Fairly tame Gene Autry vehicle (as if there were any hard-hitting, serious-minded ones) that deals with Autry and his pals getting jobs with the Texas Rangers, In this we realize a number of things.. we see that the rangers are trigger-happy when it comes to arresting Autry (and rehiring people on the spot), it shows how to to do the old flattened metal dish to block doorways from being locked, how people are around handily to turn tables over when there's a fight, and how the Indians, while using their "Man go that way" type of talk, also use sign language to get their point across. This is a rather curious movie, that teaches us that the Texas Rangers are not to be trusted, has an EXTREMELY lame love interest, and how they are able to get a song in our head by repeating it 3 times. Yikes!

So every one of the rest of you reviewers think "Ride, Ranger, Ride" is a third-rate "oater," is "routine and dated," "cartoonish," you can't recall any of the music two hours later, etc.? Well, maybe, just maybe, we didn't watch the same movie.

The title song of the movie is one that has echoed in my head ever since I saw the film the first time, when I was about 10 or 11. I've never had any trouble remembering it. In fact, it was considered so good that it was used again in the last Autry film of 1936, "The Big Show."

The big, if a little brief, fist fight that Max Terhune and the other Rangers deliberately start in a saloon to try to get thrown out of the cavalry is one of the most realistic I've ever seen in an old Western. It ends with a close-up of Terhune and Smiley Burnette, but most of it is viewed in a room-wide shot, which would make it more difficult to have the fisticuffs look genuine. But they did!

Yes, Terhune does say, once, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian," or words to that effect. I don't remember Autry ever saying it. But remember this movie was made in 1936, long before the era of "political correctness." Even in the movies, people were more apt to say just what they thought in those days.

And yes, the horse race involving Gene and his rival for the affections of leading lady Kay Hughes, was a fine one. Gene Autry was a very accomplished rider -- which few of the reviewers are willing to acknowledge.

The final and unique plus for this Autry film, for ME, at least, was that Monte Blue, playing a fake Indian chief, and Max Terhune, were both native Hoosiers! Can't beat those actors from Indiana! And Max Terhune was a very talented ventriloquist and card shark, too.