Red River Valley

When dynamite-wielding mystery men repeatedly sabotage the construction of a new reservoir and kill the "ditch rider" responsible for the site's security, cowboy Gene Autry is hired to replace him and bring the saboteurs to justice.

A typically entertaining Republic Pictures production, this has some good action and stunt work, with the always likable Smiley Burnette backing up Gene and offering some comic relief to the proceedings.

One interesting sequence (that should have been longer) involves Autry tracking the villains to an abandoned territorial prison in the middle of the desert.

Keen viewers will recognize future Producers' Releasing Corporation contract villain Charles King, who figures prominently in the film's climactic riot!

Musical interludes are few this time around, though Gene does get to sing his big hit version of the title song.

With the threat of drought always in their minds, the ranchers and farmers of the Red River Valley have set up a company to dam the river and provide needed water at all times. It's almost ready to open, but some one keeps delaying it by dynamiting the works. Who would want such a thing?

This Gene Autry movie is clearly a B picture under the direction of B. Reeves Eason, but it keeps moving along, even with four or five renditions of the title song and four others, mostly written by and performed by Autry and Smiley Burnette. There are a couple played by a jug band, but my favorite of them is "Fetch Me Down My Trusty '45", sung by Burnette. It moves at a good pace, thanks to editing by Joseph H. Lewis and Carl Pierson, but it doesn't impress me particularly, despite a fine sequence when the dam opens up and almost drowns a couple of fellows.

In Red River Valley, Gene Autry delivers a herd of cattle to the camp of a group of construction workers and then saves a couple of children from a charging steer which of course nears and endears him to the boss's daughter Frances Grant. The workers are constructing a kind of Tennessee Valley Authority on the Red River, but someone has been regularly sabotaging the job. Gene and Smiley Burnette take jobs as ditch riders which is the expression for security guards to patrol the dams and river. It's a job that's been fatal for the last few riders.

Of course the bad guys are now dealing with America's number one singing cowboy so we know things will be set right. The most interesting performance in the film is that of George Chesebro who acts as an agitator among the workers, but he's really in cahoots with the one trying to sabotage the job for his own nefarious ends.

If you've seen a gazillion B westerns on the big screen and small you know exactly who's behind the dirty work. Gene sings a couple of forgettable songs and of course the unforgettable title song. As for the identity of the villain, just remember these are the years of the New Deal and certain professions inevitably were villains.

Wow, I love that torrential water rushing from the dam. Then too, director Eason shows why he was one of the best in the matinée business. He really knows how to stage action, whether jumping off sheer cliffs or fisticuffs atop a dam. I expect the concrete barrier was one of the many WPA public projects of the 30's, of which the TVA is the best known.

This is one of Gene's earliest and it's a doozy, really well produced by Republic with lots and lots of extras, locations in Yuma, AZ, and an unusual storyline. So who's trying to sabotage the dam and keep the farmers out. Gene and Frog work to find out, and you know they will since our hero is decked out in his best finery. But can Autry get the payroll money to the men in time—it's a nail-biter as Gene struggles across the barren flats. Music-wise, I couldn't get enough of the title song and ended up croaking it out til the wife left the room. And how about that jug band, just about everything but the proverbial kitchen sink. All in all, it's a great Autry mix that I expect helped put him on the matinée map.

A "9" on the matinée schedule.

Gene Autry is essentially the only reason to watch Red River Valley (aka Man of the Frontier). He's a pretty good actor, an even better singer, and looks good in his cowboy costume. He's an interesting person to watch. Unfortunately, he's about the only thing to recommend this film. I found the whole affair dull and, quite frankly, uninteresting. Granted, the makers of this film weren't trying to create a masterpiece. It's pretty clear that their primary objective was to quickly and cheaply make a picture with a story that would appeal to most people and that would exploit the vocal abilities of their star. Autry doesn't arrive onto the scene until several minutes into the film. When he does, he waits around for twice as long until he gets to sing. Why wait so long to have him get back to doing what he does best? I don't know. As for the rest of the cast, few of them aspire to even slightly memorable portrayals of their roles. Smiley Burnette is probably the only exception to this. The townspeople, the judge, the romantic interest, all of them are totally forgettable in their roles. Not having see any of Autry's other western vehicles, I can't honestly say that I have anything to compare this film to. This is just my first impression. Still, despite it's numerous flaws, it's still fun to watch Autry do his stuff on screen.