The Old Corral (1936)

This may not be Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette's best film but it's not a bad movie. It's quite fun - really cute. What makes this film extra fun and special is the fact that Roy Rogers shows up as Buck O'Keefe - that yodel scene really cracked me up laughing. We also have Lon Chaney Jr as Garland - Simms partner. Makes for a fun film overall.We get a few songs, some gun firing, a few punches and a cool cast. The story is a bit strange: A woman witnesses a murder and ends up in a town that is still more like the old west rather than modern (for the time era). Of course our singing cowboy and sheriff Gene Autry is there to save the day.7.5/10

Despite the novelty of having Roy Rogers appear (very briefly) in this Gene Autry film, there is very little to distinguish this cowboy film. The plot isn't especially interesting and Autry doesn't sing anything particularly memorable or enjoyable.The film begins with a mobster murdering some sap--and a woman witnessing it. Instead of going to the police, she runs--and ends up out west. Naturally she soon meets up with nice-guy, Gene and the two soon end up between a local gang of jerks (one of which is played by Lon Chaney, Jr.) and the gang from back east. Can Gene restore niceness to the land? And, will anyone particularly care?I've seen a few dozen Autry films and would have to place it near the bottom. Even the usually likable Smiley Burnette and his antics are really subdued in this one and the action never really heats up. A slow-motion sort of picture at best with little to distinguish it.

This is the first Gene Autry movie I've seen - I decided to give it a look seeing that it was paired with another movie I bought on DVD, and that it also had Roy Rogers, the other singing cowboy. In some ways, it is a strange movie. It takes place in a world that has gasoline-powered vehicles and other modern (for the time) conveniences, but at the same time it has cowboys on horseback acting like they are living in a world several decades in the past! There are other laughable parts in the movie, like really bad back screen projection and tires that screech on dirt roads. But most of the movie is pretty dull in nature. Even though the movie runs less than an hour, it is extremely padded, when more time should have been given to develop the story properly (among other script screw-ups, it never properly introduces the female heroine at the beginning.) As for the (expected) songs, most of them sound alike, and won't stick in your head for a second after they're finished. If you grew up with Gene Autry westerns and are feeling nostalgic, I recommend that you keep your rosy memories and not shatter them by revisiting this movie.

"The Old Corral" has most of what you could ask for in one of these old Westerns, with good action and interesting characters, as well as the variety entertainment that you expect in a Gene Autry feature. It has Autry as a sheriff having to contend with a family of outlaws at the same time that he is trying to protect a woman on the run, and while the plot often lacks credibility, it's entertaining and moves at a good pace. Besides Autry, it has Smiley Burnette in one of his usual roles, and the supporting cast features brief appearances by Lon Chaney, Jr., Roy Rogers, and Edward Platt - quite an assortment. Certainly there's nothing remarkable here, but it's good entertainment that most fans of older Westerns will find enjoyable.