User Reviews

I guess I've been a subscriber to the Encore Western Chammel for a couple of years now, and whenever my schedule permits, I'll check out a Gene Autry film that's usually scheduled for high noon on Sundays. What's amazing to me is that whenever I tune in, I never run into a repeat film. That streak remained unbroken today with "Trail to San Antone"; surprisingly as well, neither Smiley Burnette OR Pat Buttram was along for the ride in this one. The comic relief duties, if you can call it that, were handled by Sterling Holloway, who popped up now and again in Gene's pictures. Holloway's an acquired taste, but I do enjoy seeing him turn up from time to time.

I found it interesting in an early scene when Gene references that he recently got back from the War. It puts things in perspective, as a lot of his films took place in that strange chronological confluence that melded modern times with the Old West. Automobiles and airplanes didn't seem out of place in this picture, in fact one of the main plot points had Gene's neighboring rancher Kit Barlow (Peggy Stewart) fly over the local spreads in search of a missing stallion. Stewart had a more professional looking appearance than a lot of Gene's leading ladies, and perhaps for that reason did not get written into a personal relationship with him in the story.

The story involves Gene putting his trust in a former jockey who's been injured in a horse race, presumably engineered by Kit Barlow's business manager Cal Young (Tris Coffin). Of course, the jockey (Johnny Duncan) finds his self confidence and goes on to place second in a big money race at the finale, one of the few times in these flicks where the underdog doesn't come out on top. But it was good enough to give the youngster a fresh start, and give the film the happy ending it needed.

The musical duties in 'Trail' are handled by the Cass County Boys, with the title song book-ending the picture. I got a kick out of their rendition of 'Cowboy Blues' in which each member sings and plays their respective instrument while flat on their backs. Later on, the boys get into a pretty lively bunkhouse brawl with Sterling Holloway's character and his partner Rick Malloy (William Henry), before ironing out their differences and bringing home the bacon for Miss Barlow and her new jockey.

Gene returns from serving in the Air Force to find things have changed somewhat at the old Radio Ranch. There seems to be no radio program for one, but that isn't mentioned. A new rancher has moved in next door, and of course she's a gorgeous lady whom Gene will show no interest in wooing for the rest of the film. In fact she seems to end up with a guy who starts the story as a horse thief, although it's all left asexual enough that you have to read between the very broad lines.

The story to this one seemed very sketchy even for an Autry film. Although he found out that the horse thief was doing it for his sick brother, I still don't know that it justifies him taking such a dishonorable character under his wing. And then throughout the film, this particular character continues to do stupid and illegal things, such as training the wild horse to tear apart the nice neighbor lady's stalls. Nonetheless, Gene and the lady continue not only to show him more respect than they do to the ostensible "bad guy" but nobody really blames him for doing any of this thieving and criminal activity; they just say, "oh, well you thought that it was OK".... but it was never OK. I don't trust this guy, I think the reasons his actions were justified were highly contrived.

Basically the only thing even making this film rise to the level of the mediocre is the fact that it has a decent roster of Western hits including Spade Cooley's "Shame On You."