Ride, Ranger, Ride

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.