Whirlwind

Great opening hook—why is Gene robbing a stage, of all things. Fine Autry entry that goes beyond programmer level. The plot's pretty complex as Gene maneuvers against Big Jim Lassiter (A-movie actor Hall) whose got plenty of tricks up his own sleeve. Postal agent Gene's trying to foil the kingpin's outlaw operation. Frankly, I had trouble following all the twists, but that's okay since that's not why I tune in anyway. I can see why Gene fell for personality gal Gail Davis: she's perfect for an outdoor western, and he would soon move her into her own series, Annie Oakley (1954-57). Burnette gets a few hijinks but nothing buffoonish.

In fact both customary humor and musical interludes are minimal in this later entry (1951). Looks like Gene, the producer, was trying to alter the usual formula. Still, if memory serves, the novelty tune Twiddle O'Twill made the charts of the time. It's certainly catchy. There's also some expected hard riding, a heckuva street brawl, and a showy stage crack-up, for action fans. On the other hand, I could have done without Gene's corny Whirlwind aspect, but that's a minor feature. All in all, it's still a solid 70-minutes of matinée entertainment, courtesy Autry Productions.

An "8" on the matinée scale.

Whirlwind casts Gene Autry as a member of the postal police who with sidekick Smiley Burnette is after Thurston Hall who is the local Ben Cartwright in his area, but who is also involved in a lot of criminal enterprises. Robbing the US mail will always get the federal government's interest.

Autry is going to need all the help he can get even if it is Smiley Burnette. Hall has the law sewed up nice in his pocket with county attorney Harry Lauter and sheriff Harry Harvey on the pad. In fact Lauter has some nasty dirt on Hall himself.

Turns out his one weakness is his niece Gail Davis who Gene charms with a bit of cowboy music. It also turns out that Hall has done her the dirtiest of all.

Gene's fans will be pleased.

When the story begins, Gene Autry robs the stage! While this might sound insane, it's because he knows a gang is about to rob the stage and he later returns the bag he stole. Why? Because he's a postal inspector investigating that gang. Not surprisingly, he is assisted by Smiley Burnette...but a couple things about this are surprising. First, like Gene often does in films, here he goes by his real name. Second, early in the story there is a fight and Smiley actually beats the stuffing out of SEVERAL people! Clearly, this is an ultra-manly and smart Smiley Burnette...and I prefer sidekicks like this.

The trail to the gang leads to a crappy town run by Big Jim Lassiter. Normally, the sheriff and prosecutor run off any stranger, but Gene and Smiley refuse to run. After all, they are federal agents and the more the Lassiter gang tries to make them run, the more it looks like they are the ones behind the robberies.

So is this one any good? Yes. Much of it is because the film better utilized Smiley and I appreciated his being something other than comic relief. Additionally, the plot and writing are decent for a B-western.

By the way, usually the studios use a pretty good double for Gene's fighting scenes. But in this case, look at the first fight....it's OBVIOUSLY not Gene nor the actor but two stuntmen.

This action-filled western has Gene playing a postal inspector investigating a gang empire headed by the nefarious Big Jim Lassiter (veteran character actor, Thurston Hall) who help finance their operations by robbing the mail stage. Gene poses as a robber known as the Whirlwind because he moves surreptitiously across the prairie like a dust devil. Gene hooks up with a fellow undercover postal inspector who turns out to be Smiley Burnette. It's a treat for fans to see the two together in the twilight years of the Saturday matinée cowboys. The romantic duties are performed this time around by the captivating lady from Arkansas and TV's Annie Oakley, Gail Davis, playing Elaine Lassiter, niece of Big Jim, who took her in following the mysterious death of her father, Big Jim's brother. In the process of getting the goods on Big Jim, Gene and Smiley tangle with some of the toughest of the budget western badmen including the likes of the unflappable Dick Curtis who was also adept at slapstick comedy. Playing henchman Lon Kramer, Dick and Smiley have a grand old time, especially in their first encounter where Smiley whips Lon and his buddies in a fisticuffs filled with belly laughs. Harry Harvey as the crooked sheriff, Harry Lauter as a shyster attorney, and a bevy of bad guys, including Bud Osborne and Kenne Duncan, make for a delightful outing. Stan Jones, who wrote the title song, has a bit part. A talented singer/songwriter and member of the classic Sons of the Pioneers, Stan is today best remembered for penning the oft-recorded "Ghost Riders in the Sky." Also in the music department, Gene and Smiley harmonize beautifully on the novelty ditty "Twiddle O'Twill," co-written by Gene with help from Fred Rose who is credited with discovering Hank Williams Sr.

A note of interest, Gene shows off his skill as a telegrapher, a job he was doing in Oklahoma when discovered by Will Rogers.

For a movie that would have been seen only at the drive-in, this is a first-rate production. Gene is "Gene," and that is a good thing, but Smiley Burnette never looked or sounded better, and the lovely Gail Davis gives a hint of the luminescent "Annie Oakley" whom we (those of us old enough to remember) would come to love in just 5 years. The story is believable, the dialog is snappy, and the film moves along at a good pace. The bad guys are not just slugs; they are interesting in their own right. The scene where Smiley comes to the rescue of Gene is priceless. The songs are not exceptional, but it is easy to see why Gene was the star that he was. It's a winner.