WAGON TEAM
(director: George Archainbaud; screenwriter: Gerald Geraghty; cinematographer: William Bradford; editor: James Sweeney; cast: Gene Autry (Gene Autry), Pat Buttram (Deputy Pat Buttram), Gail Davis (Connie Weldon), Dick Jones (Dave Weldon, aka The Apache Kid), Gordon Jones (Marshal Sam Taplin), Harry Harvey (Daniel ‘Doc’ Weldon), Henry Rowland (Mike McClure), George J. Lewis (Carlos de la Torre), Carlo Tricoli (Dr. Kunody); Runtime: 67; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Armand Schaefer; Columbia; 1952)
“The film’s highlight has Autry singing his signature tune, Back in the Saddle Again.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A routine B Western written by Gerald Geraghty and directed by George Archainbaud (“Pack Train”/”Goldtown Ghost Riders”/”Saginaw Trail”). The film’s highlight has Autry singing his signature tune, “Back in the Saddle Again.”
Special investigator for the stage line Gene Autry goes undercover to recover the loot stolen from a stagecoach army payroll holdup. He becomes the cellmate of suspect Dave Weldon, aka The Apache Kid (Dick Jones), and allows him to escape so he can be led to the money. Dave visits his con artist father Doc Weldon (Harry Harvey) and sister Connie (Gail Davis), who run a traveling medicine show along with their headline performers the singing Cass Country Boys. Autry attaches himself to the show as a singing cowboy and reunites with Dave when he pays that surprise visit. The lawman soon discovers that he’s not the only one after Dave, as the Border City gang led by Mike McClure (Henry Rowland) severely wounds Dave. Autry decides to save the criminal in order to catch the bigger fish in the pond, and the dimwitted deputy sheriff Pat Buttram goes along with that play. Things get resolved when Autry convinces the wounded Dave to turn the loot over to Marshal Taplan (Gordon Jones) so that the McClure gang doesn’t kill him, and then the marshal arrests the gang.
This popular film with the Autry crowd, left no immediate or lasting impression on me.
REVIEWED ON 10/3/2007 GRADE: C+