Lack of good storyline.

A Brilliant Conflict

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

This story, from one of Gene's peak years before he fell victim to Republic's obsession with "spoiled Eastern heiresses," not only has an interesting plot, but a couple of differences besides.For one, this is the first Autry Western with June Storey as Gene's leading lady. In the early scenes together, they each have an air of, "Wow! Where have you been all my life?!" In addition, they have a scene "in the moonlight" early on where they sing a duet (well, sort of; Gene does most of the singing), and Gene's vocalizing causes June to close her eyes in rapture at one point. Closest you'll come to anything "sensual" in a Gene Autry movie!In this flick where Gene and his buddy Frog Millhouse are cattle inspectors, Storey's father, George Cleveland, needs to get his herd to market as soon as possible due to financial difficulties. But he is stymied because Gene has had to halt all cattle shipments due to an outbreak of hoof and mouth in the area. Of course, the outbreak was manipulated by the bad guys so that they can clean up at the market with their OWN cattle.Enter snake-oil salesman Earle Hodgins with his elephant, Neepaw. The beast becomes a giant pet for Frog, and manages to free Gene, Frog and Hodgins from jail as we lead up to the climactic scene.Autry appears to do all his own stunts in this film, showing that he was capable of same, when permitted by the director. The stunts include a transfer from Champ's back to the last car in a speeding train to catch the head baddie who is fleeing. As Champion is catching up to the train, Gene reaches up and settles his stetson more firmly on his head. There is a cut to a different camera from a slightly different angle, but the hat is positioned in that shot exactly as when Gene's hand left it, a few seconds before. Looks like Gene all the way to me. Besides, numerous people who worked with him in movies have said that he liked doing his own stunts -- just wasn't allowed to sometimes, for safety reasons.Anyway, this is an excellent Gene Autry Western, with hard riding, fighting, pleasant music, and Gene's first scenes with one of his best-known leading ladies.

Home On The Prarie casts Gene Autry as a cattle inspector checking various herds for hoof and mouth disease and other various and sundry ailments that affect the bovine. But a dead calf with hoof and mouth disease is found on the spread of his good friend George Cleveland and his daughter June Storey. Gene's romantic plans with Storey may get a real crimp in it if he has to have their herd destroyed.But it's not Cleveland's herd that's the problem. That calf is planted there by the real villain who wants to get his cattle to market before they're discovered to be diseased.Gene and Smiley Burnette take on a third and fourth partner in this one. Medicine show man Earle Hodgins and his elephant who come in mighty handy in the pinch. Think of Gunga Din as you reflect on my last remark.Good paced Gene Autry western, even some grownups might like it.

As a cattle inspector for the state, Gene Autry finds himself in the middle of a dilemma when Smiley Burnette finds a dead calf, and all shipments to market have to be stopped to prevent the spread of hoof and mouth disease. This puts Gene at odds with pretty Martha Wheeler (June Storey), daughter of rancher Jim Wheeler (George Cleveland), because even though their cattle are disease free, he has to play fair by all the other cattlemen.I always enjoy seeing Earl Hodgins show up in an Autry flick, this time he's accompanied by an elephant sidekick that proves instrumental later in the story. With Gene incarcerated for assaulting the area commissioner, Smiley uses the old peanut on the end of a string trick to lure Nepaw over to the jail house window, whereby the ponderous pachyderm literally pulls down the entire window and wall of the jail.It doesn't take long for Gene and Smiley to zero in on villains Belknap (Walter Miller) and Shelby (Gordon Hart), who conspire to ship off Belknap's infected cattle to market before they show signs of disease. It's one of those stories where Gene and the local sheriff all wind up on the same page by the end of the picture, so Gene can wrap things up with the leading lady by his side.As usual, Gene and Smiley offer up an entertaining mix of tunes, starting out with 'There's Nothing Like Work', the theme of which Smiley attempts to emulate as the story progresses. There's also a cowboy band called the Sherven Brothers Rodeoliers who present a lively instrumental, appearing more like a novelty act as the members play an assortment of homemade instruments in addition to your standard accordion and bass fiddle.

There's plenty of action including a scene where Gene & Champion try to catch a speeding locomotive in this entertaining oater. As expected, Smiley "Frog" Burnette is along for a few belly laughs but unfortunately doesn't get to show off his musical talents much, mainly just observing Gene (one time throwing him a guitar) and a group called the Sherven Brothers Rodeoliers, sort of a budget Hoosier Hot Shots. Frog does have a novelty tune at the beginning called "There's Nothing Like Work," which is fun. The romantic interest is provided by the lovely June Storey as Martha Wheeler whose father's ranch stands to lose a lot of money if the herd has to be destroyed because of the hoof and mouth disease. Gene and Smiley are government inspectors who report finding a diseased animal to the main official who drives out to check out the story. In reality, the Belnap ranch (Belnap is played with just the right amount of insidiousness by Walter Miller)has in reality the only infected herd, but Belnap is in collusion with the equally sinister H. R. Shelby (Gordon Hart). Both villains are determined to put the blame on Gene, Smiley, and the Wheeler herd. Gene loses his job and spends the remainder of the film trying to prove himself innocent and the villains guilty. There is still enough time for a few musical outings, none up to the usual Gene Autry standards, but a few pleasing to the ears, the standout being one written by Gene called "I'm Gonna Round Up My Blues." With two of the best songwriters around why didn't Republic let Gene and Smiley compose more songs for their films? An added attraction is Earle Hodgins playing a film-flam man as only he could do.Oh, I forgot to mention, an elephant plays a key role in the plot. And where's the prairie?