Tumbling Tumbleweeds

Surprisingly enjoyable Western where Gene solves the murder of his father, rights the wrongs attributed to his old friend, and gets both the horse and the girl – all in just over one hour! The writing is clever and Gene's acting is both more fluid and his lines more subtle than in many follow-on films. The substance of the dispute – water rights: a very real part of the history of the American West.

George "Gabby" Hayes (it appears with all his teeth) does yeoman service as Doctor Parker. Smiley Burnette is good as the sidekick that cannot quite find the mate to a missing spur.

Good songs and the use of a modern record player allow Gene to trap three of the bad guys. Good chase scene. Best line in move is when the good guys line up the three bad men and Smiley (angry that they just shot a hole in his guitar) tells them to dance. The bad guys say that they can't dance and the response is "anyone can dance if they are properly persuaded." Sure this is a low budget Saturday matinée special, but it appears that someone was trying very hard to show that this team of actors and director Joseph Kane would be able to produce a winner that could be replicated. Highly recommended.