A caza de matones

Pretty good Autry entry. Action highlights are a wagon chase through scenic Alabama Hills featuring a lot of hard riding, along with two real knock-down-drag-out brawls. The plot's none too persuasive, something about forged Mexican lottery tickets being used to scam people. Gene and Pat are Texas Rangers on forgers' trail. Actually, there's some good suspense as we wonder whether hired killer Russell Hayden will shoot Autry after the two have become accidentally friendly. Front row kids will recognize a more mature Hayden from his earlier days as Hopalong's sidekick 'Lucky'. Here he's older and heavier, but does well in the ambivalent role. And watch for Gene's real life sweetie Gail Davis as rancher's daughter, along with Rita Hayworth look-alike Mary Castle as the suggestively named 'Rita'-- could that be an accident. Two good Autry tunes that importantly don't interrupt the action. All in all, the 67- minutes amounts to a typically entertaining Autry production.

A '7' on the matinée scale.