classicsoncall With many of Gene Autry's pictures taking place in the 'modern' era, it's only fitting that modern methods be used to tell the story. Consequently, cattle rustlers resort to spotter planes, short wave radio and refrigerated trucks not only to steal cattle, but butcher them and load the meat out before anyone can figure out how it's being done. With the times passing him by, old time sheriff Matt Doniphon (William Farnum) is approached to resign in favor of the Quackenbush Detective Agency, using the latest in scientific criminology techniques to put an end to cattle rustling in Prairie County.Interestingly, Gene himself finds himself on the side of the old timers in this one, which is probably not the way you want to present your leading man, but he manages to make it work. With a play list of a half dozen tunes or so, "Public Cowboy No. 1" demonstrates that experience and loyalty can sometimes trump innovation.The one to watch in this picture is Gene's sidekick Smiley Burnette. His character, Frog Millhouse goes for more slapstick than usual, with an unusual opening scene where he's riding on his horse backwards with a goofy mask on the back of his head. It's distracting enough by itself, and you're left wondering quite a while what's up with that until Gene finishes his first song, 'Wanderers of the Wasteland'. Later on, Smiley dangles from a meat hook, trapped in the back of a meat packing truck, and takes a swipe at Oriental Detective Charlie Chan with his rendition of 'The Defective Detective From Brooklyn'. One thing about that meat hook scene - after Smiley falls off the truck, there's no longer a hole in the back of his jacket! There shouldn't be any doubt about the picture's eventual outcome. Gene and his cowboy posse track down villain Shannon (Arthur Loft) and his bad guy bunch, and manages to win over the pretty editor of the Prairie Junction Courier (Ann Rutherford). For their part, the methods of the Quackenbush Agency turn out to be all wet, and you have to hand it to Smiley and pal Stubby (Frankie Marvin). As a pair of would be cattle rustling detectives, it turns out they did their best work under cow-ver.

dbborroughs Gene Autry helps out a sheriff who is besieged by rustlers who are using spotter planes and short wave radios to get the cattle. A good, if some what forgettable, tale that plays in a way more like one of Republic Studio's serials with electronic gadgets and solid action. The problem with the film is, like with many Autry films, is that there is perhaps a bit too many songs. Granted the songs are nicely shoe horned into the tale, but at the same time they slow the momentum of the story. (I like Autry's films, I even like the songs, I just don't like the number of songs in the movies.) Worth a look especially if you're doing more than one movie.

thefensk This is a pretty typical early Gene Autry Western. Cowpokes and cattle and horses and cars/trucks/airplanes ... yeehaw.Anyway, the most unusual scene in this movie, very subtle indeed, is the opening sequence. Gene, ridin' and singin' along, the titles rolling by. Check out behind him and see if you see anything odd.What's that? Looks like a dummy or something. No, it's Smiley Burnette, riding backwards with a forward facing mask on the back of his head. Even funnier, once the titles and song are finished, Gene and another guy have a long conversation before they even mention the bizarre Smiley and his "disguise" ...His explanation: It was a disguise so that he could keep an eye out so no one could sneak up on them from behind. Ah, Smiley. Ah, humanity.

bkoganbing Times are changing out in the west and there's this gang of rustlers who've got sheriff William Farnum and Deputy Gene Autry baffled. The local newspaper editor Ann Rutherford is calling for sheriff Farnum to be replaced and that's not sitting well with Gene. Besides that political differences are interfering in a promising romance.Who'd ever have believed it, but Gene's perennial sidekick Smiley Burnette decides that a short wave radio just might be the key to things and son of a gun he turns out to be right. Ham radio operators the world over must have loved this picture.No really great songs for Gene come out of this particular film, but Smiley Burnette is a sight to see in a disguise as a cow trying to fend off the attentions of an amorous bull. All in the line of doing some undercover work. Worth watching Public Cowboy No. 1 for that alone.