Red River Valley (1936)

Of Gene Autry's 1936 releases, "Guns and Guitars" was certainly one of the best on offer. But better still was an entry made earlier in 1936, "Red River Valley" (known on TV as "Man of the Frontier"). In this one, Smiley Burnette not only actively assists Gene at the climax, but even gets himself wounded! True, some of the earlier action punch-ups fail because of weak direction, but the widely acclaimed action specialist, Breezy Eason, improves no end as the movie progresses. Two stuntmen and their horses take a spectacular dive from a cliff into the river and much of the actual location shooting is cleverly set up at a real dam. How about that breathtaking scene of Gene Autry and his prisoner wading across the spillway as the floodgates are actually opened? And what about the tremendous riot scenes commencing with that spectacular image of the train, loaded with a gang of opposing workers, careering through the center of the rioters and smashing a wagon directly in line of the camera? In fact, it really doesn't matter too much what has gone before, because the last two reels of "Red River Valley" are virtually nothing but solid action all the way, what with Gene fighting George Chesebro and Charles King, then the chase and the dive off the cliff, followed by the stalking in a deserted fort (another superbly utilized location). Breezy Eason was rarely at home with dialogue, but his handling of such scenes here seems less stiff than usual. As Red River Valley is one of the few "B" pictures he directed in toto that benefits from his remarkable second unit abilities, it must rank as one of his best films. The photography also evidences more creative craftsman-ship than usual. Lewis' film editing comes across as admirably sharp, lending the picture plenty of pace. However, while Autry and Burnette display plenty of vitality, the heroine, Frances Grant, although pretty enough, is not only drably dressed but comes over like a damp doll. It's George Chesebro who steals the acting honors from the stars with his delightful performance as one of the villains. Charles King has a much smaller role as his unwitting accomplice. ( Available on both Alpha and Mill Creek DVDs).

When dynamite-wielding mystery men repeatedly sabotage the construction of a new reservoir and kill the "ditch rider" responsible for the site's security, cowboy Gene Autry is hired to replace him and bring the saboteurs to justice.A typically entertaining Republic Pictures production, this has some good action and stunt work, with the always likable Smiley Burnette backing up Gene and offering some comic relief to the proceedings.One interesting sequence (that should have been longer) involves Autry tracking the villains to an abandoned territorial prison in the middle of the desert.Keen viewers will recognize future Producers' Releasing Corporation contract villain Charles King, who figures prominently in the film's climactic riot!Musical interludes are few this time around, though Gene does get to sing his big hit version of the title song.

The Red River Land and Irrigation Company is experiencing sabotage at a number of their project dams, so Gene Autry hires on to investigate the trouble. Smiley Burnette's on hand as Gene's sidekick Frog Millhouse, but this isn't one of his pictures where you get to hear that distinctive frog voice. That's OK, as Gene and Frog foil a nefarious group attempting to undermine the local ranchers by disrupting the dam operation, but it's never really made clear what the scheme is all about. You kind of have to figure out on your own that if the local ranchers fail, the mortgages on their properties would be ripe for picking by the local hoods.There's a term introduced in the story that I've never heard before in an early Western, or any Western for that matter. Once Gene hires on with the locals, he's referred to as a 'ditch rider', presumably for patrolling the local dam sites to prevent their destruction. The term didn't seem to be particularly appropriate, but it sounded kind of cool, so I guess I can let it pass.I had to do a double take when I watched that scene of Gene going over the cliff on his horse Champion to escape the bad guy posse. I would swear I'd seen the exact same scene before in a movie, and since the era is the mid 1930's, I would suspect it's from one of John Wayne's early Lone Star Westerns. It will probably take me some time to research the exact picture, but I'll get around to it some day. As for Smiley following Gene into the drink, that's a different story. I like to think of events like that as a warm up for that great scene where Butch and Sundance escape Lord Baltimore's posse by jumping into the river at the bottom of a canyon.Unique for an Autry Western, I thought the inclusion of the black character Iodine (Eugene Jackson) to be pretty entertaining. I don't think I've seen him before in a picture, but I'll be more attentive now. He actually got to do a little more than just a bit part with that dance routine at the saloon, nicely done.As for Gene's nominal love interest in the story, it blew by pretty quickly. Frances Grant portrayed the daughter of one of the local ranchers, and she almost got as far as holding hands with Gene. Not too shabby, but the one thing that really caught me by surprise in the picture had to do with Gene and Smiley closing in on the bad guys. I never saw it before in at least a couple dozen of Autry's flicks, but Smiley actually takes a bullet in the shoulder!

Champion runs, Gene sings. A mixture of modern day cowboys (with Damsand stuff) and old time cowboys. Plus some pretty decent non -Health & Safety action. Gene is a ditch rider and Champion knows he is really the Star ! Sabotage and dirty works at the irrigation plant, involving dynamite and songs along the way.There is such an aura of dust bowl and emigration around this film. Jug blowing novelty acts, Woody Guthrie chord breaks in songs. When is a strike not a strike - when there's baddies and guns.The usual shoot-em up finale and a few bars of Red River Valley.The film was marketed under the title Man of the Frontier, around the world, and that may be because of the clash with the other, more violent and more mediocre, film of the same name.Champion runs, Gene Sings, nearly perfect in this movie.