There is a poetic quality inherent in this unusual period piece, as Gene Autry confronts a series of unspeakably sad occurrences with serene stoicism - and Smiley Burnette's lighthearted touch contrasts sharply with the tragic elements in Dorothy Yost and Dwight Cummins' screenplay. Variety called the film "better than many Autry starrers," and indeed it is - for, while it is vastly different from the other entries in the series, "Saginaw Trail" gives Gene the opportunity to exemplify quiet strength, kindness and compassion in a fast-paced 56-minute adventure which is well-enacted and briskly directed by George Archainbaud.
Set in the Michigan woods in 1827, Gene and Smiley are members of Hamilton's Rangers, sent to investigate the brutal murders of settlers pouring into the region. Clues point to the trading post of wily French-speaking fur trader Jules Brissac, splendidly portrayed by character actor Eugene Borden. After Gene holds a pow-wow with chiefs of indigenous tribes in the area, he suspects that an assistant of Brissac's (Myron Healey) is leading the attacks on settlers and throwing blame on the Huron and the Sioux. With subplots, action (including a sword duel between Gene and the wicked fur king), some humor and a couple of fine songs, Gene and Smiley restore peace to the region. In a genuinely moving conclusion, Gene urges a youngster orphaned by an attack on settlers that the day of the fur empire is ending and that one must not try to stop progress, but to be a part of it.
Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette gained a large following in the 1930s via swift-moving, unpretentious films with short running times. It is fitting that they ended their careers in western features in vehicles with those very characteristics, though extremely different in tone and story content. "Saginaw Trail," their penultimate feature, is thoroughly satisfying in its own manner, and is among the best entries Gene produced for Columbia.
