Loaded Pistols

This film was one of Autry's Columbia features that was edited for television. When it opens, Autry is riding Champ in a long shot and you can just barely hear him singing until he gets closer to the camera. I dubbed the song from his soundtrack CD album of movie songs, and right at the beginning, you can hear a gunshot. It probably was like that on the edited film I saw, but the card game is not shown only referred to throughout the film, until Gene recreates the game at the end of the picture, causing the villain to make his escape on a stagecoach conveniently parked outside. When Melody Ranch Theater aired on the Nashville network, I wondered if they ever showed the complete version or just the one that was already available to television. I always did like the song and recall it was used in the background when they did a documentary on the TV westerns of the Fifties, showing Chuck Conners spin his rifle, etc.

During a dice game, the lights go out and a participant is shot to death. Larry Evans (Russell Arms), one of the players, is accused of the shooting, so Gene Autry (Gene Autry), a friend of the dead man, confronts Larry and his sister, Mary (Barbara Britton), who are hiding out in an old house. But Gene quickly realizes Larry is innocent and decides to protect the siblings from the law while he looks for the real killer. Gene's pursuit is sidetracked when an angry mob comes after Mary and Larry.

Agreeable enough Autry western with the usual quota of singing, shootin' fistfights and ends with an excellent Stagecoach sequence featuring really good stunt work. Barbara Britton is pleasing to the eye as the sister of the wanted man. Only problem is that it can be sluggishly paced and repetitive with the suspected murderer escaping all the time and then Autry promising to get the real killer. Not enough mystery/whodunnit, though liked how Autry nabbed the real varmint.

"Looks like that brother of yours only uses his head to hang his hat on!"...Gene Autry

The story begins with some guys playing craps. Suddenly, the light goes out and someone shoots Ed Norton to death! Now it's not at all certain who did it, but the folks in town are complete idiots and assume Larry (who owned the gun and was in the game) did it. However, first, the lights were off. Second, Larry had put his gun into the pot because he ran out of money. So it's obvious someone did it (heck, they have a corpse!) but not at all certain who did it...and since Gene is the only non-stupid person in the film, he investigates. As for Larry, well, he rarely helps himself and again and again, Gene has to keep Larry from getting himself killed! As for Larry's sister, well, she's not much better!! Will Gene get to the bottom of Norton's death? And, will he prove who DID do it (hint...it was not Ralph nor Trixie nor Alice)?

This film is good BUT lacks two things I enjoy....a sidekick (no Smiley, Pat or Gabby on hand in this one) and the music wasn't particularly good compared to Autry's best movies. Fortunately, the supporting cast included Chill Wills, Jack Holt and Robert Shayne...so it's not all bad when it comes to casting. Unfortunately, having EVERYONE (but Gene) that dumb made the plot a bit difficult, though at least the Sheriff (Chill Wills) wasn't sure who committed the murder. This is a major weakness in the plot...as was Larry being so stupid and ungrateful all the time. Overall, one of the weaker Autry films...though he was just fine in it.



By the way, I noticed one reviewer was looking for the unedited version of this film. I watched the unedited version on Amazon Prime...and it ran almost 79 minutes instead of the 52-54 that most of the trimmed versions of Autry's films are....so you are losing a lot of story if you watch the versions cut down for TV viewing in the 1950s.

The likable Gene Autry and a good story make this a worthwhile B-Western in spite of a pace that is rather slow at times. The story starts with a shooting in the middle of a dice game, and when Gene thinks the sheriff is accusing the wrong man, he has to perform a difficult balancing act. Autry wants to find out who the real killer was, and why he did it, but he also has to stay on the good side of both the sheriff and the rather excitable suspect, who does not always appreciate Autry's help.

It's a scenario with some good possibilities, and as it unfolds, they get some decent mileage out of the situation. Chill Wills gets a couple of good moments as the sheriff, and Barbara Britton is lively as the suspect's loyal sister. Overall, it's better than average for a B-Western.

The lights go out at the dice game, shots are fired, and Stanley Blystone is dead. Hot-headed young Russell Arms is the obvious suspect, and he bolts. Gene Autry was a friend of Blystone, so when he finds Arms with his sister, Barbara Britton, he's surprised. He doesn't think Arms did it. So he gets him away before sheriff Chill Wills can arrest him, and begins to investigate.

The singing cowboy pictures that Autry did are a couple of steps above his Republic fare. First, the story is a lot better set out and run. And second, there's a much better cast in the small parts. Jack Holt, Robert Shayne, and Clem Bevans have good parts, and Wills is an absolute delight in his role, at ease and natural. The songs seem a bit less of a grab-bag, with "Pretty Mary" being quite charming. If much of the behind-the-screen talent is the same, with John English directing, and William Bradford handling the camera, everyone seems far less focused on letting Autry carry the picture, and more on seeing what they can do to make it all work.