The Blazing Sun

Crackling good Autry, full of action, scenery, and two girls to ogle instead of just one. The plot's more complex than usual, but nicely worked out. The stunt work atop the train is an eye- catcher, and I think Gene did his own. Much of the action is woven into that great Lone Pine backdrop of the Southern Sierras, so there's a lot to look at. Then too, sidekick Buttram has a more serious role than usual, with little buffoonery.

Maybe the hardest thing is seeing Alan Hale Jr., the genial Captain from Gilligan's Island, playing a devious bad guy. Good to see Tom London (Tom) a veteran of a thousand and one oaters picking up another payday. He always looked so right for a cowboy part. Gene manages a couple of solo songs, both familiar western standards, so this is primarily an action feature, not an Autry musical. Anyway, as the movie title tells you, it's a grittier story than usual, and a good one it is.