When the story begins, government agent Gene Autry is in jail...trying to pal up to a suspected criminal, the Apache Kid (Dick Jones*). Unfortunately, the marshal is played by Gordon Jones...which means he's a total idiot**. The marshal's plan is to arrange for the Kid to escape and follow him. Naturally, he soon loses the Kid and the trail is dead. So, Gene goes undercover working with a traveling medicine show because the Kid's old man runs the outfit.
Perhaps the best thing about this film is some of the singing...not just by Gene but by a trio early in the picture. Gene sings his standard, "Back in the Saddle", and although he'd done so previously, it's such a great tune I enjoyed hearing it once again. As for the plot, it's pretty familiar stuff...not bad but quite familiar. What also is unfortunately familiar is when Gene meets the lady...and like too many in his films, she immediately and inexplicably dislikes him...a cliché that began to annoy me after I watched a bunch of these types of films. This can only mean that sooner or later, she's putty in Autry's ultra-manly arms! An unusual aspect of the film is that Pat Buttram is in it...and does not play Autry's sidekick or friend! Instead, he's the idiot marshal's deputy! Imagine a land where those two represent law & order!!
So is this any good? Well, it's pretty average for an Autry flick...and that means it's pretty good. But like nearly all his films, the title pretty much has nothing to do with the actual plot! Worth seeing...particularly if you are a B-western fan.
*Dick Jones' biggest claim to fame was providing the voice for the lead in Disney's "Pinocchio". Not wanting to be known only for this, later in life he appeared in a lot of B-westerns, such as this one.
**I can only assume that in the 1950s, Gordon Jones worked his darnedest to destroy the careers of both Roy Rogers AND Gene Autry. Why? Because his characters were invariably very dumb and often annoying...and apart from the likes of Pinkie Lee or Estelita Rodriguez, he's one of the worst additions to B-westerns in this era.
