Whispering Smith (1948)

Copyright 18 February 1949 by Paramount Pictures, Inc. U.S. release: 9 December 1948. New York opening at the Paramount: 14 February 1949. U.K. release: 4 April 1949. 88 minutes. COMMENT: Third re-make of Frank Hamilton Spearman's 1906 novel about a railroad detective has a considerable cult reputation that in my opinion is not wholly deserved. For one thing, I'm not altogether happy with Alan Ladd as Whispering Smith. H.B. Warner in George Melford's 1926 version sounds much more like Spearman's charismatic hero. Nonetheless, the studio has not spared the cash and this version is certainly a colorful period piece and it has been handsomely represented on Universal's DVD. If Ladd is not quite the "Whispering Smith" of the villains' nightmares, the rest of the players are ideally cast. Full marks to Preston and Crisp, but even the smallest bits are just perfect.

Released in 1948, "Whispering Smith" stars Alan Ladd in the eponymous role of a train detective who's starts to suspect that his friend, Murray (Robert Preston) may be involved with a gang that wrecks and loots trains. Murray's wife, (Brenda Marshall), is concerned about her husband hanging with ne'er-do-wells and wishes she had a righteous man, like Smith.I was surprised at how much I enjoyed "Whispering Smith." It lacks that goofy humor and wacky characters that plague many old Westerns; plus the ancient score is more bearable than usual. Ladd is stunning as the noble and determined protagonist and so is Preston as the amiable husband gone bad. Can Murray be redeemed or has he gone too far? The film runs 88 minutes and was shot in California.GRADE: A-

Railroad cop Alan Ladd tracks a trio of train robbers to his old hometown, where he tangles with local bad guys and tries to stop old friend Robert Preston from getting irreversibly involved with a gang of thieves, led by Donald Crisp, who derail and loot trains.In the title role, Ladd is both smooth and tough, in a good performance, while the villains are appropriately ugly and cruel looking. Sets, costumes, and Technicolor photography are first-rate. Suspense is handled nicely. This is an entertaining movie.One flaw though, is that Preston's character is neither likable nor sympathetic in the least, making one wonder, not only why Ladd tries to give him a break, but why he's even friends with him in the first place!

Too bad Paramount couldn't have found a better script on which to lavish good Technicolor and handsome sets for ALAN LADD's first western.It's really a below average western story about a good railroad man (Ladd) who resumes friendship with an old friend from his past (ROBERT PRESTON) who is married to Ladd's former childhood sweetheart (BRENDA MARSHALL). The set-up is predictable once Ladd starts to see through Preston's villainous behavior after Preston has joined a train robbery gang headed by DONALD CRISP.WILLIAM DEMAREST does his usual dependable job as Ladd's friend, while Crisp is only slightly menacing in his bad guy mode. FRANK FAYLEN plays a squinty-eyed albino with a poker face and is supposed to be chilling as a merciless gunman. Unfortunately, his make-up is ridiculous.ALAN LADD makes a handsome hero and plays his role in usual low-key style. ROBERT PRESTON does okay as the loutish friend turned bad guy, while BRENDA MARSHALL makes very little impression in a weak supporting role.Summing up: Below average western is enhanced by gorgeous Technicolor.