Sons of New Mexico

Recently restored later Gene Autry film about his efforts to save the son of his deceased best friend from the evils of gambling. Protagonist is trying to pay back his former friend who turned him in and married his girl -- hence the attempt to corrupt the son. Perhaps the best part of this otherwise lackluster film is to see shots of cadets at the New Mexico Military Institute and their post-World War II horsemanship. This must have recorded one of the last cavalry charges in the US. Recommended only for die-hard fans or alumni.

Other than the scenes of the NMMI mounted corps and polo teams, this is just one more of the same cookie cutter movies Gene cranked out. It is interesting to note how the film was edited, switching you back and forth from the movie ranch in southern Cali to the plains, dust and cottonwoods of southeast NM. Gene didn't shoot so much as one scene in NM; he did go to Roswell for the premier, though. Wish I could have been there for that.

"Maybe you cadets declared open season on pick up trucks with air rifles" Autry barks at Lieutenant Brunton in the opening scene. Taking place mostly at the New Mexico Military Institute, Sons is a good Gene Autry film with an amazing cast. Annie Oakley herself Gail Davis with the Lone Ranger Clayton Moore, Buffalo Bill Jr, Dickie Jones and grandma from the Addams Family, Marie Blake. Old movie favorite, Robert Armstrong was as strong as ever playing the card shark trying to steal the ranch. Frankie Darro who had a recurring role on "The Red Skelton Hour" played it well as the best friend gone bad. Rounding out the great cast was man of many films, Irving Bacon and Russell Adams as Lieutenant Chuck Brunton.

Lively programmer thanks to hard riding, acrobatic fisticuffs, and energetic performances. Jones makes an excellent headstrong kid, while Gail Davis shows why she was an Autry favorite in more ways than one. The plot's more complex than usual. Gene has to help the corps of NMMI cadets straighten out Jones before the bad guys cheat him out of the ranch.

There're more speaking parts than usual, spread out among a notable supporting cast—King Kong's Robert Armstrong, 1930's bad boy Frankie Darro, and the Lone Ranger himself Clayton Moore. Throw in Your Hit Parade's Russell Arms and NMMI's corps of cadets and you've got a more colorful array than usual for an oater. Also, there's little expected comic relief and what there is comes across as more gruff than silly.

For me, the only real drawback echoes that of reviewer Carl 70—the editing room did a poor job of merging New Mexico flatland with SoCal scrublands, in addition to obvious process shots with the Hollywood cast standing in front of a back-screen. Too bad these technical aspects don't rise to the level of the movie as a whole.

Nonetheless, with a better than average cast and script, plus New Mexico locations, it looks like Gene was reaching for more than the ordinary and generally speaking, he got it.

(In passing—By the time I was a cadet at NMMI in the late 50's, the cavalry format had been eliminated. No more horses or championship polo. Instead, we were trained in tank warfare, the more modern equivalent. Seeing the movie now, I'm sort of sorry I wasn't there ten years earlier.)

Robert Armstrong from King Kong and Clayton Moore, soon to be The Lone Ranger, add a bit to this mediocre late Autry product. The kid is insufferable and his worried sister not much better. Armstrong is a truly rotten villain, however.