Mule Train

"Mule Train" is about the strangest Gene Autry films I've seen apart from his ultra-weird serial "The Phantom Empire". This is because although the film has some of the usual cliches, its plot is so unusual and definitely not one you'd expect in any western!

In "Mule Train", there's going to be a new dam out west. But when natural mineral deposits are discovered nearby that could make it easy and cheap to make cement for the dam, some baddies kill the man who discovered this. Why? Because they own wagons which the dam builders will need to transport cement to the dam site....and they don't want to lose this business. To help them, they have a lady sheriff (huh???) who will do whatever they tell her. Into this messy situation, Gene and Pat arrive. But Gene doesn't let anyone know he's a federal marshal....and he just lets the sheriff think he's just some guy.

While I liked the odd plot, I did find the lady sheriff to be a bit annoying. It seemed odd to have a woman in such a role (even in 1950) but instead of it being a liberating situation where women get equal time, she seems pretty cliched...especially when she, like so many other women in B-westerns, takes an inexplicable instant dislike for Gene. Sure she's evil...but not exactly subtle nor believable. Overall, an okay film with a neat theme song.