Dorathen Better Late Then Never

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Mabel Munoz Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Wyatt There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

JohnHowardReid If "The Old Barn Dance" seems somewhat lacking in sympathetic appeal to a modern-day audience, the same cannot be said for McConville's earlier script, "Ride, Ranger, Ride" (1936). In this one, an army martinet (Robert Homans) is the villain - a piece of putty in the hands of super-bad renegade, Monte Blue - while Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette and a remarkably personable Max Terhune (minus "Elmer", I'm glad to say) lead the good guys in this elaborately produced (although helped out with some obvious stock footage) Nat Levine production. Director Kane keeps the movie moving, but Gene himself often seems oddly subdued. It's the other players who have all the good lines and handle most of the action. Even the songs are sparse! (Echo Bridge used to handle DVD discs of the 16mm TV cutdown).

dougdoepke The most interesting part of this sub-par Autry oater is poor Kay Hughes. I don't know what wardrobe put her in, but the frou-frou is eating her alive. Only her head is still visible. Meanwhile, all the white lace, bustles, and brocade have consumed the rest of her. Too bad, because she could easily pass for Elizabeth Taylor's younger sister, if Liz had one. Too bad too, that the script's a mess, that is, if you can keep up with it. Something about Texas Rangers, the US Cavalry, and American Indians, all learning to get along. Well, at least the former two. Already, it seems, Texas hates the Feds since they quarrel over who gets to fight the Indians. That's because from the movie, it seems "the only good Indian is a dead one". After all, this is back when red men were mainly circling targets for cavalry target practice. Then too, if I'm not mistaken, the script manages to slight just about everybody at some point.Meanwhile, the tunes are forgettable, the barroom brawl badly staged, and absolutely no hard riding, while the comedy consists mainly of a scalping wannabe. I will say the stock footage is nicely blended into the film as a whole, which at least lends visual continuity. I don't know what Republic had in mind with this 60-minutes, but as a fellow reviewer remarks, they should have sent the script back for a rewrite. And, for gosh sakes, put poor Hughes in a dress instead of a pile of woman-eating frills and frou-frou. All in all, Autry fans should skip this one.A "4" on the matinée scale.

bkoganbing The Texas Rangers are about to be demobilized because the U.S. Cavalry is coming to Texas. They've got garrison duty as the Comanches are allegedly at peace. That's not what Gene Autry says and that's not what grizzled scout Max Terhune says, who actually does say the only good Indian is a dead one. And that's allegedly without the dummy.Gene and the whole troop of rangers join the cavalry including Max as a scout and even Smiley Burnette. They really don't take to military life to well. In addition Gene's got a romantic rivalry going with George J. Lewis over Kay Hughes. Somebody is stirring up the Indians, acting as agent provocateur and for those interested in seeing this ancient oater I won't reveal who it is.Usually Autry westerns at least included some decent cowboy numbers. But even after seeing this only a couple of hours ago on TCM, I can't remember a one of them.The Indians are really presented in a bad light. Oafs and Dupes at best and savages at worst. But you can't expect too much from a B western.Although saying B is giving this one too high a grade.

Spuzzlightyear Fairly tame Gene Autry vehicle (as if there were any hard-hitting, serious-minded ones) that deals with Autry and his pals getting jobs with the Texas Rangers, In this we realize a number of things.. we see that the rangers are trigger-happy when it comes to arresting Autry (and rehiring people on the spot), it shows how to to do the old flattened metal dish to block doorways from being locked, how people are around handily to turn tables over when there's a fight, and how the Indians, while using their "Man go that way" type of talk, also use sign language to get their point across. This is a rather curious movie, that teaches us that the Texas Rangers are not to be trusted, has an EXTREMELY lame love interest, and how they are able to get a song in our head by repeating it 3 times. Yikes!