Riders in the Sky (1949)

You won't be disappointed!

Very well executed

Too much of everything

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This Gene Autry Western, made during the period of his best pictures, is a stunner, not only for the title song which was the biggest tune of 1949, but for the plot, which adds elements of the supernatural seldom seen in a "B-Western." As a matter of fact, a good friend of mine who is like me a fan of the old-time Western movies has said that this one is a "B-plus" -- almost an "A."The plot involves Gene and his sidekick Pat Buttram with an old drover, Tom Ford, who witnesses a murder in front of his town's saloon, but is intimidated by the bad guys into denying having seen anything other than "self-defense." Ford dies later in a run-away wagon accident, and as Gene sings the title song, this is where the "supernatural" aspect begins to manifest itself.In a list of the "100 best movie Westerns" selected by film critics, that I once found on line, this movie was one of those 100. It's obvious that several of the previous reviewers not only didn't think much of this one, but they don't seem to like ANY Autry movies very much. I wonder why they keep watching them and writing reviews?

It was a common practice for a western film to have a current popular song's title as its own title, but the song almost never related to the theme, content or action of the movie. Here an attempt was made to integrate the terrifying story song 'Ghost Riders in the Sky' into this Gene Autry vehicle.Over and after the opening credits, Gene is riding the trail with his wranglers singing the song and then starting to tell how he believes in the ghost riders. When his foreman asks why, Gene starts telling the story in flashback. Towards the middle of the film he sings the song again in full, and a third time at the end, when we rejoin Gene on the trail where the movie began.Oh, that the story of the song could have really been what the movie was about! Instead we get your third rate oater. The only high point is seeing Gene sing it during a lightning filled rain storm in an almost music video production number, with Tom London playing the old prospector, with multiple exposures of sky and ghost herds and riders, and a dark close up of London reminiscent of those in 'The Passion of Joan of Arc' (1928)! Another of Gene's films with a music video like production number is 'Boots and Saddles' (1937), in which he sings in a slightly resigned tone 'Ridin' the Trail' a lament about how he'll be ridin' the trail the rest of his life.The other high point is seeing a thin Alan Hale, Jr. (Gilligan's 'skipper') as an evil sheriff. But that's about it. Mary Beth Hughes, the 'breakout' star of 'I Accuse My Parents' (1944) is a saloon hall girl; the 'Prairie Flower' is played by Gloria Henry, who went on to fame as Alice, Dennis' mother in TVs 'Dennis the Menace' (1959-1963). Pat Buttram appears as Gene's sidekick, a role he played from 1948-1955. Before his 1960s TV successes, Pat had his own daily radio show in the 50s. The author of 'Ghost Riders in the Sky' Stan Jones? He graduated from Petaluma High School, where I also went to school.The movie only gets a 4.

Being a twenty two year old female, westerns from before my Mom was born aren't what you'd expect me to be watching... but here I am. I have to confess, I love Gene Autry and I love cheesy old westerns. Cheesiness is part of their charm! The Singing Cowboy- how much more Americana can you get? I adore Pat Buttram, too, and I have to admit that he's half the reason I had this movie ordered special from FYE. Anyway, I'm a huge sucker for this song and for old-timey westerns, and if this sounds like your cup of tea go for it- and if it doesn't, give it a shot anyway. It's adorable, funny, stirring, and it's got some cool fight scenes too. One minute you're laughing at Pat Buttram getting throwed off Gene's horse Champ, and the next minute you're biting your fingernails going "oh no he's going for his gun!" or something like that. Go on, watch it, it's fun.

I was never a Gene Autry fan, being a Roy Rogers fan from age 5, but of all the Autry movies, I recall this one. Tom London who plays the dying prospector tells Gene that the "Ghost Riders" are coming after him. Autry goes to the window and looks out to see the image of shadowy riders coming through the clouds. At this point, Gene sings the song. It is introduced more logically into the plot than any of his other songs. There is also a reprisal at the end of the movie. Even today, when I look up into a stormy sky, the song comes immediately to mind. It was written by Stan Jones, an ex-park ranger, who appeared in Autry's films and who also wrote another Autry hit, "Whirlwind." Tom London, who had appeared in several Republic films as Sunset Carson's sidekick, has said that this particular scene got him other parts in movies and television.