Saddle Pals

All in all, a pretty tame Autry, more plot-heavy than usual, with little hard-riding, fast- shooting, or good scenery. Seems bad guys want control of a land company so they can raise rents on small farmers. The rest of plot involves Gene maneuvering to foil their plans, with sometimes help from lovely Shelly (Roberts) sister of the owner. All in all, the story seems more appropriate to one of those '50's business dramas. On the action side, there is a spectacular wagon crash, plus an unusual fight aboard a little boat. However, the songs are forgettable, despite Gene's easy way with a tune. Then too, there's the fey Sterling Holloway whose comedic antics are mainly a matter of taste. Plus they've got him stumbling through some badly done exterior sets. To this Autry fan, it's unfortunately a sub-par entry from Republic, even if the great Tom London gets another cowboy payday.